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Mime artists take over the streetsof Périgueux as Mimos notchesbig success Page 3

Record flightfigures boostfor airports

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Author who bringsdeath to Dordogne

Englishbookshopfor sale at just €1EYMET bookseller and writerGil Jackman is planning tosell up because of ill health.

The 71-year-old formerRoyal Marine says he will sellhis Grubstreet Books shop inthe town’s Rue du Temple for€1 – he is leasing it and paysless than €500 a month rent –and negotiate a price for thestock and fittings.

The shop, which opened lastNovember, has about 15,000books, mostly in English, inits five rooms.

Mr Jackman, who until lastyear was head of security on aliner with Norwegian CruiseLines, said he faces operationson his legs to combat arteryproblems.

He said: “The French healthservice is fantastic, but costs,and, while everything is free inthe UK, you face waiting lists.I must decide what to do.”

He has seen some interest intaking over the bookshop,which is a hit with tourists,and hopes the new owner willbenefit from its site just 100mfrom the bastide. SEE PAGE 4

A RECORD month at Bergerac Airport and anextension to flights from Brive add up to asummer boom in the Dordogne.

After difficult years with falling visitor num-bers, the double effect of Bergerac and Brivehas brought in more travellers, especially theBritish.

July saw record passenger figures at Bergeracwith 47,966 travellers, of whom 87% camefrom the UK. This is 9.36% up on 2009. Dir-ector Olivier Gribelin said: “The two summermonths are excellent with a strong turn-out onthe British flights but also from Rotterdam,which is doing very well, and Charleroi.”

However, he said problems earlier in the year– poor weather, strikes and the volcano ashcloud – had combined to leave overall passen-gers numbers down about 10%.

The airport was also lucky to avoid having todo major work on cracks found in its runway.Running repairs in July allowed it to carry onuntil full repairs can be done in early 2011.

The start of CityJet flights from Brive toLondon City Airport has brought in more visitors and the move to extend flights until theend of October is a massive shot in the arm forthe new airport.

Just weeks after opening last June, it revealedthat flights to the UK were 75% full on average,well ahead of projections. Clémence Djoudi, ofBrive Airport, said: “It is very encouraging tohave CityJet get back to you to ask for anextension; it is very satisfying.”

She said the airline was now looking at plansfor a Christmas service to Brive.

Bergerac has hit back at Brive’s success bylaunching its Aero...Gourmand loyalty card fortravellers, in partnership with local restaurantsand wine producers. Travellers taking a mealfor three or more at a member restaurant arerewarded with a gift box of wine.

The influx of visitors has had some effect ontourist sites, with Catherine Gevaert, of theHôtel Royal Vézère in Le Bugue saying theywere full for August, although the rest of theyear had been on a par with last year’s figures.

By Alice Cannet

September 2010 - Issue 19

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HOSPITALS AND CLINICSPérigueux Hospital: 05 53 45 25 25Emergency 24h / 24: 05 53 45 26 38Polyclinique Francheville: 05 53 02 11 11Emergency 24h / 24: 05 53 02 12 20

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€12.3m Vézère centre opens

WE ARE revising distributionpoints from this month tomake it easier to ensure youcan find The Advertiser.

Copies will also be free inevery copy of The Connexionsold in local newsagents.Banque PopulaireBergerac AirportBrive AirportBricomarché: Chalais, Pardoux,

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Spar: MareuilSterling Mail OrderThe Dordogne ChippyWeldom: Castillon La Bataille, St

Cyprien

PÉRIGORD’S newest historical site, thePrehistoric Centre in Les Eyzies, containsinformation on all the treasures of the Vézèrevalley, which has 15 Unesco world heritagesites along its length.

Known as the Pôle International de laPréhistoire, the €12.3 million building wasdesigned as a ribbon of glass tucking into thehillside of the “Valley of Man”, but it is also an

environmental masterpiece, with much usemade of natural lighting and a wood-fired boiler for heating both air and water.

Designed by architect Raphaël Voinchet, itwas opened by conseil général presidentBernard Cazeau.

The opening was marred by the arrest of anaccountant accused of taking €80-100,000 offunds from the project over six years.

Find yourDordogneAdvertiser

VALLEY DIG: Invited guests discover some of the secrets of Vézère at the opening day

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 News 3

Dam to be emptiedfor weeks of repairs

Mime takes over the streetsMORE than 57,000 people tookto the streets and theatres ofPérigueux for this year’s Mimosmime festival, which celebratesfamous artist Marcel Marceau,who fled to the city during theSecond World War.

Nearly two thirds of the eventswere held in the open air withmime artists, acrobats, clowns

and tightrope walkers all puttingon performances where theycould find space. The majority ofshows were free.

Special performances from theMarseille groups Camille Boiteland Générik Vapeur showedtheir mix of circus, dance andtheatre – and making the ordi-nary extraordinary.

REPAIR work on the dam at Mailletin Périgord Vert will see the whole70-hectare dam being emptied – withfish being caught and either sold offor transferred to the Dordogne.

The dam, which was built on theriver Côle in 1992, needs severalweeks of work to clean out the accu-mulation of mud, silt and otherdebris and to work on the vanes thatdirect the flow of water.

It comes as the river level above theEDF dam at Tuilières on theDordogne, between St-Capraise-de-Lalinde and St-Agne, was reduced by1.5metres to allow work on the dam.

The Tuilières hydro-power dam hasbeen under particular surveillancesince 2006, when a pair of 80-tonnegates failed and let five million cubicmetres of water surge downstream.

Luckily, the dam was not high atthe time and the surge of water didnot reach more than about onemetre in height – although fisher-men said it was devastating forstocks, which were wiped out.

The work at Maillet is being carriedout with particular care to preservewildlife on the Côle.

Work started on August 16, when afirst catch of fish was made on theMamont feeder pond. Volunteersfrom the local associationDecouverte Nature were involved,along with local fishermen. The

perch, pike-perch and bream thatwere caught were transferred to theDordogne river.

The next phase of work, from August 27-September 2 will see netsbeing used by professional fishermenon the dam pond itself. The fishcaught will be sold off each day inMiallet after 16.00, with limits on theamount each person can buy,

depending on the amount and vari-ety of fish caught. Money raised willgo towards restocking the river.

Six weeks of work will be needed tocomplete the renovation works.

The conseil général, which ownsthe dam, will also take the chance torebuild terraces on the bottom of thelake. It should be filled again by thebeginning of 2011 and will then berestocked with fish.

CLEAR-OUT: Fishermen work to clear the Mamont feeder pond

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JAIL SHOW: Les Crackes put on a play for prisoners in Périgueux

British journalist MartinWalker has spent his professional life all overthe world, but has cho-sen the Dordogne as theplace that feels the ‘near-est I have to home. Hewrote for The Guardianfor 25 years, in Russia,then America, andrubbed shoulders withthe greatest politiciansof our times: Thatcher,Gorbachev, Clinton,Blair, Bush. Now hedraws inspiration fromlocal Périgord politics.He has just had his thirdcrime novel published,Black Diamond, whichfollows the career ofBruno, the chief ofpolice of a fictitiousDordogne town. Jane Hanks met him

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 20104 Profile

Crime books boost tourist tradeYour books – Bruno, Chief of Police,The Dark Vineyard and BlackDiamond – show a great love of thearea. What draws you here?I first came to visit friends and got in-volved in helping them restore theirhouse. Twelve years ago, I bought one ofmy own in the Vézère valley and spendthe summer here and any other timewhen my work in the States allows it. I love the caves and prehistory.I love the castles, the climate, the food,the wine. It still feels exotic.

France was the first place I visitedabroad and I still get that magic I felt at14 when I was hit by all those differentsmells: the garlic, the wine, the Parismetro. It is also about the people. I lovethis place so much and have so manygood friends: when I am here, I hardlyever have to cook for myself.

You obviously love the things forwhich Dordogne is famous – thewine, the foie gras and truffles.Oh yes, I do. I have a particular fond-ness for the Pécharment wines, particu-larly those from the Chateau Tiregand owned by the Saint-Exupéryfamily of Le Petit Prince fame and Iknow the current count. I wish I knewmore about wines. I like to look for par-ticularly good ones to share with myFrench friends and was pleased to intro-duce them to one of Charles Martin’sSemillons from La Colline. I think someof the incomers into the area are mak-ing some very good wines.

Your latest book is on the infiltrationof inferior Chinese truffles into the

Périgord market. Is there somethingspecial about the black diamond?If you have the chance to eat a good,fresh truffle, there is nothing finer:sliced into a brie or made into anomelette it is fantastic. I love the smellof it, but I also love the culture that goeswith it. There is nothing quite like atruffle market for experiencing the localway of life.

Your hero makes use of a hay box tocook a casserole slowly. Is that alocal way of cooking?It was traditionally used by peasantswho were out in fields all day. I haven’tused it myself, but friends have pre-pared me meals in this way. Food is animportant part of my family’s life: my

wife is a food writer and gets a lot ofinspiration here to take to the States.

I love foie gras and am furious aboutthe attacks on it. My next book in theBruno series will be about that verysubject: animal rights activists and foiegras. I’m sure many people have no ideahow it is really produced and that thegavage is part of a goose or duck’s natu-ral behaviour before migration.

How did you come to write the Bruno books?When I first lived here, I wrote a novelabout the caves, but it didn’t scratch theitch I had to write about the area. I wasthen lucky in the people I met andmany of them produced the influencefor my characters. Bruno is largely based on a chief of police in the Dor-dogne whom I greatly admire. He hasan attitude to policing that works.

He trains the children in the tennisand rugby clubs and says that, if theyknow him, they are less likely to bedelinquent later on. He’s the kind of guywho really keeps the town going.

Then there really is someone nick-named “the baron” whom I know andfarmers who are the basis for Stéphanethe cheese-maker and others.

The characters are fictitious, but Idrew on my friendships to create them.Bruno’s dog, Gigi the basset hound, isbased on my dog, Benson.

Sarlat’s Tourist Office director saysyour Bruno book has been so suc-cessful in Germany it has meant anincrease in German tourists here. Yes, it has sold very well there. They are

going to make a TV series and havebeen here to look at the area. Theyasked my police friend’s opinion aboutthe choice of actor for the role. It hasbeen translated into 10 different lan-guages, although, as my publishers werenot satisfied with the French offer, notyet in France.

The crimes are violent and withinternational undertones. Do youthink they could really happen in ourpeaceful region?No, the Dordogne isn’t as lively as that.My policeman friend did ask why I hadto have so many murders. I told himthat I had decided to write crime storiesand so I had to make the region morecriminal than it really is. My books are,after all, works of fiction.

You seem to take great pleasure inwriting. Do you find it relaxing?It is great fun. I have created an alterna-tive world, like a soap opera. It is achallenge, because it is a different wayof writing from my journalism. I have acontract to write 10 books, so I writeone a year, but I’m not short of ideas;there is so much going on. I have cov-ered Arab immigration, the wine trade,truffles, Chinese-Vietnamese gang war-fare, the dilemma of keeping youngpeople in the countryside and now I’mtackling foie gras. However there is somuch more, eg. the growth of nightmarkets and all the local politics thatcomes so much closer to people’s reallives than in the UK because of thewide-ranging powers of the mayor. It isa fascinating place to live.

MARTIN WALKER: Spent 25 yearsas a leading news journalist

AN INNOVATIVE languageteaching system based in theDordogne could be expandedinto the department’s schools.

The Bilingual Education Ex-change (Bee), a not-for-profitassociation, wants to offersupport to English-speakingpupils in secondary schools.

Its president, Victoria Sauron,said teachers often faced strug-gled to deal with bilingual pupils when the rest of theclass is learning English. She isapproaching the local educa-tion authority to offer help.

She said she wants to “find away to make the most out ofthis class time through a part-nership.” This could give Bee’strained language teachers a

chance to move out of theorganisation’s own classroomsto help bilingual pupils inschools. Similar partnershipsexist elsewhere, such asEnglish 31 in Toulouse.

Bee also hopes to encouragesecondary school childrenfrom French families to visitfor extra (paid-for) Englishclasses at its premises on Wed-nesday afternoons.

Bee has been running since2008 with its main activitybeing Wednesday classes forchildren of English-speakingfamilies. It aims to make les-sons fun: those for youngerchildren are based around artand play, including numberand word games, while ses-sions for older ones includethemed projects and studying

literature. Bee helps childrenfrom English-speaking fami-lies reach a higher level, espe-cially in literacy, than theywould otherwise and it is pos-sible to study for an interna-tional English GCSE.

Bee has also introduced Eng-lish classes for French childrento age 11, a bilingual juniorchoir, an under-threes’ story-time, music classes for two tosix-year-olds and art anddrama holiday workshops. Ithas a large children’s library.

In a separate venture fromthe discussions with the edu-cation authority, Ms Sauronsaid they would be talking toAquitaine’s regional direc-torate for youth services. Beewants to be seen as a local lei-sure resource for both Eng-lish-speaking and French-speaking children rather thana private language schoolaimed mainly at English-speaking families. This waythey hope to attract localauthority funding to helpthem broaden their activitiesand subsidise the cost topupils. Ms Sauron said: “Thiswould mean more childrencould benefit from what we doand would make it moreaccessible to lower-incomefamilies. It would also be aguarantee the quality andsecurity we offer.”

With prohibitive distances inthe Dordogne, it can be diffi-cult to attend Bee’s classes inRoumagne, between Eymetand Miramont, so it is lookingat ways of offering study overthe internet. It is sourcingsoftware that can by used forteaching English to studentsup to sixth-form level.

All teachers hold Britishteaching qualifications andteaching is done according toguidelines from the UK’sNational Literacy Framework.

Ms Sauron said Bee wants tomake the most of the “extraor-dinary, international commu-nity that exists in this part ofFrance”. For more details seewww.bilingual.fr

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 News 5

Bilingual group toaid French schools

Youngsters create food calendar

A BILINGUAL class starting at the Ecole Maternelle Pignolthis month means pupils in Sarlat will be educated bilin-gually up to the age of 12 – but the second language will notbe English or Spanish; it will be Occitan. Primary pupils atJules Ferry and Ferdinand Buisson schools also do somemaths, science and music in Occitan. Jules Ferry headLaurence Plantec said: “It is a traditional language the chil-dren pick up easily and enjoy learning. Parents are pleased itis being taught and once the children have mastered this astheir second language, it makes it easier to learn others.” Thelanguage may also be introduced into a secondary school.Occitan was used in Périgord before the unification ofFrance, when standard French was adopted.

ForgetEnglish:we wantOccitan

YOUNG people are hoping to boost awarenessof health and the importance of using localproduce by drawing up a calendar highlightingseasonal foods and recipes.

Created by 14-year-olds on the nutritioncommittee of the “junior” version of thedepartmental council, the calendar focuses ona different seasonal ingredient each month, in-cluding chestnuts, tomatoes, onions, pumpkinsand snails.

The director of school and college services,

Martine Aumettre, said the committee wasintended “to focus on health and look at waysto improve the diet of people in the Dordogne.”

She added: “We got them to think aboutfoods growing locally and about their nutri-tional value.”

The 10 pupils also had to come up with twosimple, inexpensive and healthy recipes amonth. They asked residents in the Parrot mai-son de retraite in Périgueux for traditionalideas. Mrs Aumettre said she was very pleasedwith the calendar, which is available atwww.cg24.fr/cdj/

FUN: Pupils at the Sarlat schools are learning Occitan

By Lucy Stubbs

THE FIRST river training centre in France has opened onthe Dordogne for stand up paddle surfing (SUP).

Former windsurfing teacher François Feray, basednear Cénac, says it takes just a couple of minutes’ train-ing to get ready for either a 7km or 13km route he hasmapped out. The high viewpoint allows users to seedeep into the water. For details call 05 53 30 34 58.

Surf ’s upfor fast tripon the river

By Janice Moody

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 20106 Culture / Community

Communitynotice boardRoof is in placefor new libraryBUILDING work on thenew Bibliotheque Anglaiseat Meyrals has been boosted:the new roof is in place andit is still on course to openearly next year.

The present library will re-open on September 8 andpresident Em Boiling isplanning a fund-raising quiznight on October 22.

Walk follows the pilgrimsA VARIANT of the StJacques Compostelle pilgrimway will be used for thePoitou-Charente Chaplaincywalk this month.

Rosemary and EmlynWilliams will lead the walkin the Cibioux valley onSeptember 10. Meet at theSalle des Fetes in Surin at14.00. Details 05 49 87 64 85

Cancer groupplans eventsCANCER Support Francehas a national awarenessweek from September 20.CSF groups will have eventsfrom coffee mornings andsales to sponsored bike rides.

The network supportsEnglish-speakers affected bycancer. You can get details atcsf.dordognesud@gmail.com or csfdordgonelot@yahoo.com

Alizée is No1 atcricket trainingALIZÉE BODET from St-Aulaye Cricket Club was inthe cream of France at awomen’s training session atthe Chateau de ThoiryCricket Club outside Paris.

Alizée was named player ofthe weekend and won glovesand a cricket bag.

Phoenix setsdate for salePHOENIX Association hasits next book sale at Camp-segret (24) on November 6 .Call Christine Dumper on05 53 80 73 04 to donate.The World Cup sweepstakeraised €1,220; three peopleshared the €400 prize pot.

Bowls open dayPÉRIGORD Lawn BowlsClub has its open day onSeptember 11 and expects acrowd for its finals weekendon September 18-19.

Friendly datesEYMET Cricket Club hasfriendlies at Stade Bretouagainst Battersea Badgers onSept 5, Mold on Sept 19 andSt Annes on Sept 26.

Nedwa growingTHE North-East DordogneWomen’s Association AGMis on September 21 at theSalle de Fetes in Badefolsd’Ans, followed by lunch atAuberge des Tilleuils. Itmarks a successful year forNedwa: membership hassoared.

THIS year’s second full edition of the Franco-British film festival My Beautiful Festival atBergerac was a big success, with directorBertrand Tavernier as guest of honour.

However, although the festival was created tobe Franco-British, with films in both languages,subtitles on all the films and translators ready tohelp at the public debates, it did seem that theEnglish-speaking community was in a minority.

The organisers hope this will change next year,as the festival continues to grow and more people become aware of the range of films avail-able in Bergerac and the surrounding areas.

Growing from last year’s first full event,which had My Beautiful Laundrette film-makerStephen Frears as president and JacquesAudiard as his guest, this year saw a range ofactivities ranging from a tasting of wines at theChateau de Monbazillac, with an open-airscreening of Stephan Elliott’s film Easy Virtuethe same night, through a double bill of theBertrand Tavernier’s La Princess deMontpansier and guest director PawelPawlikowski’s My Beautiful Summer of Love inBergerac’s Cinéma Cyrano Grand Ecran.

Elsewhere, there were events outsideBergerac, including a hommage to Tavernier inLe Buisson de Cadouin, including Que la FêteCommence, In the Electric Mist and LaPrincesse de Montpensier, with other screeningsin Montpon-Menesterol, Mussidan and Ste-Foy-La-Grande.

The final event was a full-house, open-air

screening of the classic Sexe, Gombo et BeurreSalé in the Place de la Petite Mission in Bergerac.

Festival artistic director Nathalie Loubeyresaid she was happy that more people attendedthe screenings this year and that they had man-aged to maintain the quality of the programme.

My Beautiful Festival was also important forTavernier, not only because he supports dual-nationality festivals, but also because LaPrincesse de Montpensier was being viewed bythe general public for the first time.

Despite having directed films such asMississippi Blues and In the Electric Mist withTommy Lee Jones, Tavernier was nervousbeforehand, but after receiving a standing ova-tion and holding a positive public debate abouthis film and works, he was more relaxed.

Asked what he thought of the future of bilin-gual festivals such as My Beautiful Festival andwhether they worked, he said: “I think it’s a verygood initiative. I would have liked there to havebeen more films showing per director; for exam-ple, two from Pawel Pawlikowski would havebeen good. I like the fact it goes out of Bergeracand it is a great opportunity for an exchangebetween the film-maker and the audience.”

He said he had chosen Pawel Pawlikowski ashis guest because he saw his My BeautifulSummer of Love and said: “I liked it enormously;there is a miraculous mix of atmosphere andthemes. It was made with a lot of truth, it isfunny and, at the same time, delicate.”

PAWEL Pawlikowski wasBertrand Tavernier’s guest inBergerac. Polish-born, hestarted his career making doc-umentaries for the BBC andwent on to produce theaward-winning film MySummer of Love.

He said he was “flatteredand surprised” to be chosen asMr Tavernier’s guest andadmitted that he would like towork with him, but added: “Iwould like to say yes but film makers are egomaniacs, so Idon’t think it would work!”

As for festivals, he said that ifthe public was curious enough,then they would be a success;for the industry itself, theywere important as a secondaryway of helping films to be dis-covered.

The reason he stopped mak-ing BBC documentaries wasbecause there was a lack ofmoney. “At first, I had moreor less been given carteblanche; they had hardly anybureaucracy. But in 1992 JohnBirt became BBC director-general, and things changed.

“It became more of a corpo-ration than a men’s club, focusgroups appeared, I had toexplain everything I wantedto do and the fun was takenout of it. So I decided to stop.”

He said he always tried tofilm what he believed in, butadded: “Having said that, mynext film involves ghosts.”

He added: “I take my time. Iwill stop and go back if I haveto, and I’m not afraid to go offthe script if I feel it’s notworking properly. I try tomake interesting films andI’m involved from the start.

“The usual process of mak-ing a film in the UK is find abook, adapt the story, thenhire a director to execute thework, because it is often thedirector who attracts theactors.

“I don’t do it like that. Ichoose the story and workvery closely with all the teamthroughout; I even do manuallabour if I have to.

“Cinema feeds off reality, soI suppose that’s not too unlikedocumentaries, but I don'tintentionally set out to makethem like documentaries.”

Pawlikowski has just fin-ished filming in Paris andsaid: “It was great workingwith the French crew; theyreally know their history offilms and the cinema, they’recurious about different work-ing practices and like workingwith new directors. They arealso very open-minded.”

English voices in minority,but bilingual festival is a hitBy Kirsten Stroud

‘Flattered’ Pawelonly wants to makeinteresting films

BERTRAND TAVERNIER: Despite his success, the director was still nervous before Bergerac premiere

Read Kirsten Stroud’s interview with Bertrand Tavernier in The Connexion

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 News 7

NEARLY 1,000 years of history goes on displaywhen the Château de Clérans in Cause deClérans, between Bergerac and Lalinde, opensits doors for the Journées du Patrimoine onSeptember 18-19.

Boasting an impressive 30m-high keep, asubstantial part of the original walls and aRoman chapel, the chateau is a remarkable vestige of the past and owner Joris vanGrinswen, a Dutch interior designer and sculp-tor, has used contemporary style and artisticconcepts to make the castlea place of interesting con-trasts today.

During the 100 Years War’,it witnessed many a bloodybattle as ownership of thecastle went backwards andforwards between theEnglish and French. NowMr van Grinswen hasrestored the chapel andmade it into part of hishome; he says his work pre-serving the walls and gar-dens has created a “sanctu-ary after all the killing andfear that has gone onbefore”.

“It was very importantfor me that the chapelbecame a chapel again, but

at the same time I needed a kitchen. It was abig challenge.”

Outside, within the castle walls, the gardenhas been planted with traditional Europeanshrubs that mingle with surprise pieces of gar-den decoration. A bulldog sits on a black urnpropping up a large, blue ball, and two, life-sizedeer hold silver balls between their antlers.

“Art should be allowed to have fun,” saysJoris. “It’s nice to be able to smile a bit. That’smy style. I bought the urn and the deer here so

it is a kind of wink to France.”Although the castle dates to

the 11th century, it was notuntil the 12th century that itbecame important, standing atthe crossroads of medievalroutes. The troubadour,Bertrand de Born, Lord ofHautefort, cited Clérans amongthe estates that joined againstRichard the Lionheart in 1180.

In the 13th century, the towerwas badly damaged by new warmethods and locals used thestones for building work.

The château will be open from10.00 to 17.00. Entry is free andMr van Grinswen will beexhibiting sculptures anddesigns along with of paintingsby UK artist Gillian Myers.

Chateau opens up to markplace in heritage of France

From prehistoric times to Descartes

Learn Occitan if youwish, but Spanish wouldmake much more sense

CHALLENGE: Joris van Grinswen opens up Chateau de Clérans as part of the national event celebrating French heritage

THE Journées du Patrimoine is a nationwideOpen Doors event with thousands of sitesopen across the country. It gives people thechance to visit historic buildings, monumentsand sites that are not normally accessible.

In the Dordogne, one of the most spectacu-lar is the Abri du Poisson at Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, which contains a sculpture of a salmonthat dates back 25,000 years.

It is one of only about 10 representations offish in prehistoric artwork, and was nearlychopped out in 1912 to be displayed in theBerlin Museum.

One of France’s leading restoration compa-nies will also be showing its work at theChâteau de Monbazillac, where Socra fromMarsac sur l’Isle will be displaying worksincluding mosaics and sculptures which it hasrestored.

There will also be guided and go-as-you-please visits to the Gallo-Roman museum atVesunna in Périgueux.

Elsewhere, the old Cité de Clairvivre sanito-rium at Salagnac will open for guided visitsto see the Art Deco exteriors and discovermore about the medical work that went oninside the leading lung rehabilitation centre.

Les Jardins de l’Imaginaire will have specialdisplays at Terrasson-Lavilledieu showinghow the remarkable displays were created.Entry cost €€5.50, €€4 for 10-16 years.

The tower of Montaigne at St-Michel-deMontaigne was the home of Michel Eyquemand is where he wrote the essays that inspiredDescartes and Rousseau. See what gave himinspiration. Entry €€4.50.

Further afield, visitors can see Henri IV’schateau at Nerac in Lot-et-Garronne.

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Point of View

This month sees thousands of children across theDordogne return to school. It is a time of change forall, as children adjust to new classes, new classmatesand even new schools. But for some, the changeswill also include adjusting to a new language. InSarlat, children starting in the bilingual class in theEcole Maternelle Pignol will be taught in Frenchand Occitan, something that is already on offer inSarlat primary schools.

For British children in Sarlat, theseOccitan/French schools could prove to be a majorcoup; providing the children are keeping up withtheir English language skills at home, these schoolswill provide a chance for British pupils to becometrilingual and to become fully immersed in theroots of Perigourdine culture.

I have to admit, though, I do have some concernsfor French pupils. It is undoubtedly valuable to befluent in more than one language and great forpupils to get to grips with their regional language.Sarlat pupils will benefit in comparison with theirpeers who are being taught exclusively in French.However, I can't help thinking that, when these chil-dren grow up, they may well reflect on the fact thatit would have even more advantageous if they hadbecome properly bilingual in a more mainstreamlanguage, such as Spanish or English.

I'm not critcising the rise in interest in Occitan inthe Dordogne, or parent's wishes for their childrento learn it. I'm just being realistic. Speaking anothermajor global language opens the world up to you; ifyou're going to pick a second language to teach achild, then one spoken by a large percentage of theworld’s population would obviously be more usefulto them. But, of course, there is no reason whySarlat schools can’t become trilingual. L.S.

SNAILS are a well-knownsymbol of French cuisine andthey have gone from beingpeasant food to a delicacy in recent years.

The Romans are said to havebrought them to theDordogne, and they havebeen actively farmed here forhundreds of years.

They also have a specialplace in the hearts of the vil-lagers of Bertric Burée, nearRibérac. In 732BC – as legendhas it – the village was suffer-ing from a terrible faminewhen a violent storm eruptedand snails fell like hailstones,allowing the inhabitants togorge themselves.

Divine intervention wascredited and the village hashosted a memorial snail mealevery year since. Snails “à laBertricoise” are prepared to

an ancient and highly secret(and delicious) recipe and themeal attracts about 2,000from all over France.

Held on May bank holiday,preparations take days andthis year a tonne of snails wasused, many collected fromsurrounding vineyards.

The majority of snails eatenin France, though, are notgathered from the wild. Mostare commercially bred at oneof France’s 200 snail farms;those gathered from the wildtend to come from Greece.

The Fouquet family inVaunac have been runningL’Escargot du Périgord for 20years and sell from their farmshop, at Thiviers andBrantôme markets, directly torestaurants and by post tocustomers all over France.They encourage visits to their

farm and kitchen, and evenhave their own learning cen-tre for children, as well asoffering tastings.

Terre d’Escargots nearRouffignac is a new snailfarm, set up by Jean-Marc andElisabeth Guillemot. Theyalso run tastings and visits,and sell from their farm shop.Their passion for their work isevident.

Both the Fouquets and theGuillemots prepare most oftheir snails, so they are readyto be made into tasty dishes;only a small percentage aresold alive. They also sell imag-inative snail products, such asthe Fouquets’ Sautéd’Escargots with oyster mush-rooms and tarragon or theGuillemots’ apéritif snails inoil, herbs and mustard.

The preparation to make snailsedible and palatable is lengthy.They are killed by beingplunged into boiling water. Iasked Béatrice Fouquet if thatcaused problems from visi-tors: “What kind of problems?Worry about being unkind tothe snails?” She laughed at myEnglish sensibilities, andexplained it was very quick,

and better than the slowdeaths of the olden days,when snails were smotheredin salt and vinegar and left toooze to death.

Next, the snails have theirgut ends pulled off, beforebeing washed in salt and vine-gar, and boiled in stock for atleast an hour and a half.

Some snails go into thepâtés, preserves, hors d’œu-vres and re-heatable dishes,while others are stuffed backinto shells and covered withgarlic and parsley butter, forbaking in a hot oven untilbubbling and browned – thisclassic way to serve them.

On a farm visit you willlearn that snails are hermaph-rodites, and that they mate forsome 12 hours. Their sexualorgans are where you mightexpect their ears to be. Threeweeks after mating, they sticktheir head into some mud andspend a further 12 hours lay-ing their 100 or so eggs.

After three weeks, the eggs,rather than hatching, morphinto snails. Finally, after aweek of snaildom, the tinybabies are taken to nettedpens, where they live for fourmonths, until they are fullymature adults, ready to beeaten.

Radishes are sown in thepens, and their leaves serve asboth food and hiding placesfor the snails, and the wholeecosystem is sprayed withwater once a day.

If you collect wild ones athome, you will need to putthem in an escape-proof con-tainer with airholes and purgethem by feeding on bread or awater-and-flour paste, spray-ing them with water regularly.Do this for a couple of weeksbefore cooking them.

You can add to this purge bystarving them for a furthercouple of days to ensure thereis no bitterness left in themfrom their previous diet ofwild vegetation.

One bit of advice if prepar-ing wild snails: do not cut anycorners in the preparationprocess.

I tried to once and the resultwas inedible – a huge waste ofpotentially delicious creatures.

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 20108 Food

Classically French and irresistible

L’Escargot du Périgord Tel: 05 53 62 06 39 www.escargotduperigord.comTerre d’Escargots Tel: 05 53 53 73 14/06 80 85 16 36www.terre-d-escargots.fr

Tourists order snails for their novelty value butthe French reportedly eat 900g each, every year.Gemma Driver looks at a thriving industry

TASTYMORSELS: Thesnail producesabout 100 eggsand after threeweeks thesebecome tinybaby snailswhich, fourmonths laterare ready to beturned into thisclassic escargot dish,right, with garlic and parsley

BEATRICE FOUQUET: Her family have been raising and selling snails for 20 years andhave come up with innovative and delicious ready-made meals, as well as selling thesnails ready to go straight into the oven

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EXCLUSIVE READER OFFER

BORDEAUX WORLDHERITAGE & ITSWINESby Laurent MoujonThis new guide takes you on a tour ofthe city of Bordeaux, the UNESCOWorld Heritage site, and five winetrails around the region: Entre-deux-

Mers, St-Emilion, Médoc, Graves &Sauternais plus Côtes de Bourg & Blaye.

Laurent Moujon gives you his personal recommendations of what to see and do,

where to stay and eat out and where to go shopping.

There's no other English guide book which gives such extensive information about Bordeaux and its adjacent vineyards, packed full ofcolour photos of places which have all been personally visited andinspected.

WORTH

€€12P&P to French

address included

How do you choose a wineout of the vast array pro-duced by the Bergeracvineyards? Janice Moodylooks at award-winningvineyards and speaks tothe winemakers

ONE WAY to find fine wine is to follow the medal-winners in theConcours des Vins des VigneronsIndépendants (CCVI), a competitionfor independent winemakers (thosenot producing grapes to be sold to aco-operative).

The CVVI, the only national federation of its kind in France, aimsto share information and deal withproblems in the industry. It hasabout 50,000 members, with 140 inthe Dordogne.

Its latest Paris contest saw morethan 5,000 wines judged, with 240 ofthe 1,390 medals awarded going toAquitaine wines. The Dordognebranch claimed 56, including 21golds, 23 silver and 12 bronze. Twovineyards even managed to bag twogold medals each: Château lesMarnières and Domaine du HautMontlong.

The 32-hectare Château lesMarnières vineyard, near Bergeracairport, has belonged to the Genestefamily for six generations.

Now under Christophe Geneste,the president of the CVVI inDordogne, it won gold for theBergerac red 2009 and Côtes deBergerac red l’Eglantier 2008(eglantier is a wild flower growingwhere the grapes were harvested).

Christophe Geneste says: “Thejudges are wine industry profession-als, so these medals give us recogni-tion and prove we are producingwhat the consumer wants. It gives usa really good idea of where we arepositioned in the market.”

He advises leaving the 2009 tomature for another 18 months (it canbe kept for up to 10 years), but sayssimilar wines should be served slight-ly chilled (15C) with a starter such ascold meats or a salade de gesiers. Itcan equally be served with cheese.

The Côtes de Bergerac l’Eglantier2008 should also be left to maturefor 12 months and can be kept for upto 10 years. However, it is more of awinter wine and should be served at17C with a red meat such as such asduck or game.

Prices range from €5.20 for theBergerac red to €9 for the Côtes deBergerac l’Eglantier red 2008. Theycan be tasted and bought at the vine-yard, restaurants and wine shops.

Alain Sergenton’s family haveowned the 70-hectare Domaine duHaut Montlong since the 16th centu-ry; he runs the business with hiswife, two daughters and sons-in-law.

Sited on north-facing slopes over-looking the Dordogne valley, it isworth a visit not only to sample thewines but also for the views.

This year they won gold for theBergerac dry white Elevage sur lies2009, which has an unusual produc-tion method. “Once the sedimenthas dropped to the bottom of thebarrel, we turn it every eight days fortwo to three months to reintegratethe sediment into the wine,” saysAlain. “It gives interesting resultsand a more concentrated aroma.”

The second gold was for a Côtes deBergerac medium sweet P’titsSémillons 2009. Alain Sergenton said:“The medals are a great recompensefor all the family, but just as importantis that it offers the consumer the guar-antee of a good quality wine.”

Domaine du Haut Montlong’saward-winning dry white 2009 isbest with seafood or fish, or as anaperitif. The medium sweet can alsobe served as an aperitif, with foiegras or even melon. It is also deli-cious with strawberries after a meal.

“It’s a good wine for people whodon’t like very sweet wine,” suggestsAlain “and perfect for an Englishafternoon tea.”

Prices range from €4.50 for the dry

white to €14 for the medium sweet(prices based on boxes of 12 bottles).They can be bought at the vineyard,or in restaurants and wine shops.

Below is a list of the gold medal-winners; you can find the completelist of medals awarded to Dordognevineyards on our website www.dordogneadvertiser.com orfind the national list on the CVVIsite www.vigneron-independant.com

Gold medalsBergerac dry whiteChâteau Poulvère 2009Château la Rayre 2009Château le Tap 2009Domaine du Haut Montlong Elevage sur lies 2009Bergerac roséChâteau les Grimard 2009Château le Raz 2009Bergerac redChâteau les Marnières 2009Château Moulin Caresse Magied'Automne 2008Domaine de Moulin-Pouzy 2009Château Moulin de Bel Air 2008Côtes de Bergerac white medium sweetChâteau les Brandeaux Le Nectar des Brandeaux 2009Château les Fontenelles 2009Clos la Selmonie 2009Domaine du Haut Montlong P'titsSémillons 2009Moulin de la Tuilière 2009Côtes de Bergerac redChâteau les Marnières L'Eglantier 2008Domaine de Bois de Pourquié fût chêne 2007MonbazillacChâteau Combet 2007Château le Fagé 2007Montravel dry whiteChâteau Masburel fût chêne 2008PécharmantChâteau Terre Vieille fût chêne 2008

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 Wine 9

Maison des Vins de Bergerac 1 rue des Récollets

24100 Bergerac

Tel 05 53 63 57 55 www.vins-bergerac.fr

News from the Dordogne’s wine regionBERGERAC

PECHARMANTMONBAZILLAC SAUSSIGNACMONTRAVEL

ROSETTE

Visit the Maison des Vins

and local vineyards

BECAUSE the Bergerac wine industry plays animportant part in the local heritage, three separateevents take place on September 18 as part of theJournées du Patrimoine national heritage days.

The day kicks off at 10am in Place de la Mirpe withan all-day wine-tasting session where you can dis-cover the local wines and talk to the people whomake them. The event goes on all day until 18.00.

Be ready for a lot of noise at 10.30, as the rouleursdes barriques take over the town centre to show theirtechnique of rolling wine barrels as fast as possiblearound a course. The event is repeated on the QuaiSalvette by the river at 15.30.

The final event, at 19.00, is at the riverside for LaTable des Gabarriers, a feast of quality food whereyou can taste fish straight from the Dordogne, localham and meat pie, all washed down with localwines. There is also a free, open-air, musical show.

Winemakers roll out thebarrel for heritage days

Bergerac wines win double golds

Christophe Geneste shows the gold-winning wines fromChâteau les Marnières, Les Brandines, 24520 Saint NexansTel: 06 74 45 48 18 or 06 71 82 62 82

Alain Sergenton is proud of the double award for Domaine duHaut Montlong. The vineyard, at 24240 Pomport, telephone05 53 58 81 60 has a website at www.chambre-bergerac.com

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 201010

Franco British Chamber of CommerceDordogne Delegation, c/o Périgord Développement

Cré@vallée Nord - 24060 Périgueux Cedex Tel.: 05 53 35 80 73

Email: c.lemonnier@dordogne.cci.fr - www.francobritishchamber.comOpération cofinancée par l'Union Européenne - L'Europe s'engage en Aquitaine avec le Fonds Européen de Développement Régional

ASSUMPTIONS, GUESSES, GUESTIMATESAND RISK-TAKING IN BUSINESS …

We all make assumptions about how the futurewill go in business ("no way are the competitiongoing to do that, it's too expensive"), we take a"guess" at the figures because we can't possiblyknow ("well, if last time we did that, maybe thistime, we could develop that"), we "guestimate"how long it will take us to complete that report(usually, based on that last disastrous time whenyou ended up working until 11 p.m. the nightbefore the meeting!), and we take risks when wedon't have total control over the event ("yes, ofcourse I can get that part, which will be deliveredto me on October 10th, to you by October 11th "),but how GOOD are we at this particular, and ratherpeculiar, aspect of business?

We have to rely to a certain extent on different setsof assumptions in business in order to plan for con-tinuity in business, to keep our businesses going, tokeep them profitable and functional. But that, aswith all aspects of running a business, has to be aconsidered risk, i.e. if you had to explain or evenjustify that decision to someone else, a sleepingpartner, a wife or husband or an employee, wouldyou be able to convince them with the argumentsyou used to make that decision?

When you make a decision, whether it be adminis-trative and/or financial ("Should I buy that newcomputer?"), or strategic ("Should I open a newbranch this year or next?"), you have to gather allthe elements in your possession, or in the posses-sion of your friends and colleagues. And here Ihave to cut in on myself and say that, when I sayelements, I mean that 80% of the elements shouldbe concrete, provable elements -- not guesses, notopinions, you can listen to the "Well, I think that …"but dose that with a healthy dose of cynicismunless your friend is a specialist in that area, or hassome specialist knowledge that you don't have.

Once you have done the brainstorming thing, thenyou need to draw up a list, preferably on a large A3-sized sheet of paper stuck to a wall somewhere, ofpros and cons, and give each element a number ofpoints so that you can add the value of the ele-ments up and make a decision based on actualfacts - remember, you still have the 20% element ofgut feeling and your experience on which to draw.

For example, if you are in the service industry - say,a hotel with a restaurant - and there is a flu epi-demic - what happens if you have staff off sick with'flu, who's going to cover for these staff, where willthis extra staff come from and how much will you

have to pay them (remembering you still have topay the sick staff), and so on … Are there fewerguests, because they have the 'flu and couldn'tcome away, or what about your vegetable supplier,is he OK?? How is Chef feeling - is his brow morefevered than normal?! How dependent are you onOTHER PEOPLE? These days, there is a tendency tosay, "well, if I can't get it in town, I'll just order itover the Internet, and, hey!, it's cheaper on the net,anyway …" - fine, to a point, but that is no alterna-tive for personal contact. In fact, if we were to lookinto the future, we have to ask ourselves whatplace will the Internet have in our lives, but that, asMoustache would say, "is another story" or anotherarticle!!

Acceptance or, on the contrary, ignorance of statedand unstated assumptions will ultimately deter-mine the longevity of your business or the successof your project. Keep in mind the usefulness of theplanning process and remember to plan for theunplannable!

Gotta go, I've got to get back to planning forSuccess in the Dordogne -- another planning week-end ahead, get the coffee on, Phil!!

HOW CLOSE IS THE PERIGORD TO THE U.K.?

At time of writing, stands, conference slots and places for the Dinner are still available for Success inthe Dordogne and can be reserved by calling 0553 35 8073 or by e-mailing c.lemonnier@dordogne.cci.fror clairelem@hotmail.com. Given the media coverage already given to the Salon and the planned presspresence in September and October, the number of visitors is expected to be very high, as the Salongrows in importance, so if you want to benefit from the advantages that such a salon can bring, thenplease don't hesitate to contact Claire Le Monnier at any time.

Périgord Développement hosts the DordogneDelegation of the Franco-British Chamber ofCommerce and Industry - what do PérigordDéveloppement and the FBCCI bring to thePérigord?

Well, apart from providing a vital network link forthe English who are running businesses in the area,the two structures offer valuable advice for thosewishing to come to the area and add their econom-ic input to that already here … but, in order tounderstand the economic interest of the area, let'stake a step in the other direction …

The U.K. represents 15% of the exports from thedepartment, reducing by 9% in 2008 (one has toassume, first part of this article notwithstanding!,because of the falling exchange rate), and 60% ofthe exported products are paper pulp, cardboard,plastic products and organic chemistry products,with 16% represented by "biens d'équipement"(absolutely untranslateable!) and 14% by agricultur-al products (information from the Customs Office,2008).

So, with the U.K. market representing this percent-age and a figure of around 800 British companieslocated in the Dordogne, with Bergerac Airport pro-viding regular links with different cities in the U.K.

(and don't forget the other airports nearby,Limoges, Angouleme, Poitiers and not forgettingthe new airport in the neighbouring Corrèze, butjust a few kilometres from the Dordogne borders,and so named Brive-Vallée de la Dordogne …), andmembers of the Franco-British Chamber ofCommerce dealing with suppliers and customers inthe U.K. and vice-versa, the dynamic exchangewhich is facilitated by Périgord Développement andthe Franco-British Chamber of Commerce and theforward-thinking policy the Region pursues, makesthe Périgord a great place to set up in business -TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT NOW!

SUCCESS IN THE DORDOGNE

Advertisement

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 Property 11

MORE than 4,000 Britonsbought a property in Francelast year, remaining the topnationality for foreign propertysales. The market is well-regu-lated and the procedure clearlydefined, but it can still appeardaunting if you are not familiarwith the language.

Many estate agents speakEnglish, but contracts are inFrench so if you are in anydoubt about terminology it isvital that you check what youare agreeing to and seek helpfrom a translator or interpreter.

The other key issue to bear inmind with French property salesis that the agreement becomesbinding at a relatively earlystage, with the signature of acompromis de vente. This hasget-out clauses but is not anagreement that should be signedunless you are certain you wantto go ahead and buy.

You should allow three to fourmonths for the whole process.

BEFORE starting out on the househunt, build up a realistic idea of howmuch you can afford to spend.Calculate your net monthly incomeand deduct any loan repayments andother commitments. This is yourrevenu disponible, and mortgagelenders will typically not allow yourmonthly repayments to exceed athird of this.

The advertised price of a propertywill, in some cases, include estateagency fees (frais d’agence inclus,check for FAI next to a property ad).Otherwise, fees can add between 4%and 10% depending on the agent andthe value of the home.

You will also need to factor in thefrais de mutation – notaire fees,transfer taxes and stamp duty whichcan add another 7-10% to the price.

When budgeting for your first year in your new French home, thereis a lot that needs to be included: ontop of the mortgage and bills youmay have renovation costs, gardening, local taxes, repaymentson other loans and copropriété

fees if you live in a shared building. Think about currency fluctuations:

if you are transferring funds fromthe UK for the deposit, the purchaseor the regular monthly mortgagerepayment, can you still afford it ifthe exchange rate worsens?

You will have to pay two types ofresidential tax for every year that youown and occupy the house. Theseare the taxe foncière and taxe d’habi-tation. The estate agent, seller oryour mairie should be able to give anindication of how much these cost.

HOMES are sold in one of two ways:either privately through a notaire orvia estate agents (agences immobil-ières). For a selection of local properties for sale, see page 23 or the “property for sale” section on ourwebsite, which allows you to searchby town or department. The site lists a mixture of private and agency sales.

If you are used to buying and sell-ing property in the UK, you mightfind going via an estate agent to be amore familiar approach than going

directly to a notaire. Many agenciesemploy staff trained to deal withEnglish-speakers. You should checkthat the agency is properly accredit-ed. The biggest estate agents’ body,Fnaim (www.fnaim.fr) has a profes-sional code of conduct that everymember must follow.

There are other, smaller, bodiesthat also regulate the sector includ-ing SNPI (www.snpi.com) and UNPI(www.unpi.org).

Once you are settled on an areayou would like to move to, shoparound and look at several agenciesto get a feel for the market and typi-cal prices.

If you like the look of a propertyand ask an estate agent to see it, youmight be asked to sign a bon de visitebefore looking round. This is just aformality: a written confirmationthat you found the property throughthat agency and not a rival.

Estate agents’ fees are not regulat-ed; agents are free to charge as theywish. The fees must be prominentlydisplayed to the public in the win-dow or by the door.

Check whether the prices quotedon ads include the agency fees (fraisd’agence inclus). The fees are the

buyer’s responsibility to pay and youshould receive a full itemised bill.

VISIT the property several timesbefore making a decision, preferablyat different times of the day for a bet-ter idea of what the area is like, thelight and the noise. Take a camera.

Make a visit with a local builder,architect or expert immobilier to assessany work that needs doing. Allow amargin of error in your budget forrenovation and repair work.

The seller has a legal responsibilityto point out any known problemswith the property. Failing to do socan give rise to legal action at a later date for vices cachés (hiddendefects).

Check the roof, the walls, the heat-ing, the electrics, the toilets andplumbing. Is the property connectedto a sewer network or is there a sep-tic tank (fosse septique)? If the latter,does it conform to the correct stan-dards and when was it last checked?

If you are buying a flat in an apart-ment block, check about the com-munal areas. Are there any major

Notaire or agency?

Complete checks

What’s your budget?

Buying yourhome inFrance: ourstep-by-stephelpguide

Looking to buy ahouse?See page 23 for a wide range of properties

page pullout

4

The Advertiser, Dordo12 Propertyworks planned, such as replacing alift or fitting new windows? Howmuch is this likely to cost? Howmuch are the copropriété fees?

You should also ask to see thecadastral plans from the agent or thelocal mairie to check whether plan-ning permission has been grantedfor any neighbouring properties orany new developments in the area.

Once you are satisfied that every-thing is in order, do not be afraid tomake an offer. This should be verbal:under no circumstances should yoube expected to sign a contract suchas a compromis de vente on the spot.

Finding out how long the propertyhas been on the market for will givean indication of how likely the seller isto accept a lower price. Notaires alsohave a good knowledge of the localproperty market and might be able toprovide some advice on pricing.

SELLERS have a legal obligation toprovide various diagnostic reportsabout the property before a compro-mis is signed, covering areas includ-ing asbestos, lead, termites, energyefficiency, natural risks and gas andelectricity installations.

These reports are for informationpurposes and do not bring withthem any obligation to get the prob-lems fixed, with the exception of thereport on the presence of lead.

The reports are compiled in a cen-tral dossier de diagnostic techniquewhich needs to be annexed to thecompromis de vente that you sign toformally make an offer on a house.

If any of the reports is missing, theseller remains legally responsible forany problems detected in the houserelating to that particular risk.

If the natural risk report is missing,the buyer can ask a judge to cancelthe contract or seek a price cut. Theenergy efficiency report is obligatorybut if it is missing there are no legalrepercussions for the seller – it isthere for information.

All the reports, with the exceptionof the natural risks assessment, arecompiled by a professional diagnos-tiqueur who must be accredited byCofrac. Some are qualified to carryout all of the tests while others spe-cialise in certain areas. The naturalrisks report comes from your localpréfecture.

The reports that need to be includ-ed in the dossier depend on the ageof the property and its location.

Lead: This report is required for allhomes built before January 1, 1949,anywhere in France. The study mustbe no more than a year old, but if itcomes back with no traces of leadfound (or small amounts below thelegal limit) the report can be reusedfor an indefinite period and does not

need to be reissued with each newsale of the property.

If potentially dangerous levels oflead are detected, the seller has aresponsibility to inform the buyerand fix the problem. It is importantthat these measures to remove thelead are included in the compromisde vente. Once the sale goes through,the responsibility switches to thebuyer.

If the lead report is not included inthe diagnostic pack and the problemis detected at a later date, the sellerhas a legal responsibility.

Asbestos: Required for all build-ings that received planning permis-sion before July 1, 1997. The reportshould include details of any build-ing materials that might containasbestos, their location and how wellprotected the materials are.

Termites: This only applies to cer-tain departments. Check with yourpréfecture, mairie or local ADIL(Agence Départementale pourl’Information sur le Logement). Theassessment must be fewer than sixmonths old and should clearlyexplain which parts of the house areinfested. Other wood-eating crea-tures and fungi are not covered inthe report but it is still advisable tocarry out checks.

The seller cannot be held responsi-ble for them if the problem was notapparent at the moment of the sale.

Gas installations: All boilers andpipes that are more than 15 years oldneed to be checked. The report mustbe no more than three years old.

Natural risks report: This shouldclearly set out whether the propertyis at risk of flooding, forest fires,landslides or in a zone of seismicactivity. The report annexed to thecompromis de vente should be nomore than six months old.

The seller is also legally required togive written details of any incidentsthat have given rise to insurancepayouts since 1982, such as fires orflooding. This should be include inthe final contract of sale, the acteauthentique.

Energy efficiency: This report iscompulsory unless the total surfacearea of your home is less than 50m2

and independent, ie: not part of alarger copropriété. The assessment isvalid for 10 years. It only has aninformative value – the buyer has nolegal grounds to pull out of a salebecause of its contents.

Electricity installations: Requiredfor all properties where the electricsupply was installed more than 15years ago.

THE COMPROMIS de vente is thefirst of two legally-binding docu-ments in the sale process. It sets outthe terms on which the buyer and theseller agree to the transaction, whilealso clearly defining the conditionsunder which the sale can be aban-doned, such as refusal of a mortgage.

It is strongly advised to have thedocument written by a notaire orany other legal expert agreedbetween the two sides. Notaires inFrance often act for both buyer andthe seller, making sure both sides areaware of what they are signing.

However there is nothing prevent-ing you from hiring your ownnotaire or English-speaking Frenchproperty expert to contribute to thedrafting of the contract, althoughthis will increase the costs.

The notaire will check the land reg-istry and assess both parties’ rightsto buy and sell the property. They actas a middleman between the twosides, handling the funds andinstructing the estate agent to handover the keys once the procedure iscomplete.

Take plenty of time to read the

contract and make sure you fullyunderstand it before signing. Seek alegal translation from a traducteurassermenté if in any doubt.

The compromis should include as abare minimum:

The full details of the seller andthe property they are offering

The agreed priceA detailed description of the

home, its location, fixtures, fittingsand any outbuildings and land thatcome with it.

The surface area of the propertyDetails of any rights of way,

underground pipes or cablingA target completion date for the

final contract to be signed in front ofa notaire, although this is not legallybinding

The legal fees and who is respon-sible for paying them

A full breakdown of the estateagents’ fees

It is advisable to ask for a plan ofthe property and its land, to beincluded in the document.

The contract will also include anynumber of clauses suspensives – get-out clauses if certain conditions are not met. You can addas many as you like, provided theseller agrees to them. If any of theseclauses are triggered, the buyer is

Diagnostic reports

The compromis

ogne September 2010 Property 13

entitled to their full deposit back.As a legal default, the sale is void if

the buyer cannot obtain a mortgagewithin an agreed time, usually amonth or 45 days.

You might also wish to includeclauses relating to the contents of thediagnostic reports. For example, aclause might be added explainingthat the sale is void if the seller doesnot fix a termite or lead problem.

The clause should be very clearabout who is responsible for anyrepairs or treatment.

You might be able to agree a dis-count if it is agreed that some of therepair work will be carried out bythe buyer.

Check there is not a clause exoner-ating the seller if any hidden defects(vices cachés) are found in the houseat a later date.

If you are buying a house in a big-ger building, a copropriété, the com-promis must make it very clearwhich parts of the building are beingsold and which are communal. Anexact surface area is required.

If the final contract you sign, theacte authentique, has a lower surfacearea mentioned and the differencebetween the two is more than 5%you may be legally eligible to a pro-rata discount on the price.

TO RESERVE the house, the sellerwill typically ask for a deposit of 10%of the net price, however this is notfixed by law and you might be ableto negotiate a smaller deposit.

You should never pay the sellerdirectly. If you sought help from anotaire or estate agent to draw upthe compromis, they should act asthe middlemen.

Even if you did not seek any helpwith the contract and sealed the dealbetween the two of you, you shouldstill hire an intermediary such as anotaire or estate agent to handle thetransaction.

The deposit is due within sevendays of the compromis being signed.

This is the legal seven-day coolingoff period (called a délai de retraction) which allows you to makesure you definitely wish to proceed.

The period begins from the dateyou receive confirmation by regis-tered post that the compromis hasbeen signed.

Some notaires and estate agentswill ask that the deposit is paid at thesame time as the compromis issigned. This is normal and has no

impact on your rights to a seven-daycooling-off period.

The deposit must be refunded infull if you change your mind withinthe seven days.

Stay in regular contact with yournotaire between the period of sign-ing the compromis and the finalcontract, the acte de vente, to checkhow the process is going.

APPLYING for a mortgage can bevery time-consuming, so you need tomake initial inquiries as soon as youpossibly can. A lot of documentationis required.

Closely compare the offers in sev-eral banks and beware of promotion-al rates that only last for a brief peri-od. Compare everything: the interestrate, length, insurance costs, theapplication fees and any penaltiesthat might apply for early repayment.

You will need to supply threemonths of payslips, your latestincome tax statement, three monthsof bank statements and any otherstatements relating to borrowing youhave. You should also supply thesigned compromis de vente.

Once your application has been

Paying the deposit

Getting thecompromisright is vital

Getting a mortgage

AGREEING to buy a house inFrance is not to be taken lightlybut if you are buying with amortgage then there should be a clause suspensive in the compromis.

This clause allows the purchaserto pull out of the sale if they don'tget their loan.

However, what does this meanspecifically, and what stages areinvolved?

It means that if you have had arequest for a loan refused by thebank you have the right to with-draw from the sale, though you arenot forcedto if you canfind anotherway to buy.

That is theonly waythat theterms ofthis clausewould befulfilled,otherwisethe pur-chaserremainsunder theobligationto go through with the purchase.

If you are a cash buyer – that isyou do not need a mortgage orloan – you will be required tohand-write on to the compromisthat you understand that you are abuyer who will not need a mort-gage. Should anything change lateron during the sales process – sothat you need to change plans andorganise a mortgage – you will notbe able to use the clause suspensiveto get out of the sale.

Regarding the time limit and thesteps involved: there are a numberof time limits and deadlines relat-ing to loans and mortgages.

Firstly, you will be given a mini-mum of a month to find a loan,often, in practice, it is six weeks.

Once your request has been con-sidered you will received an “attestation”, a confirmation, thatyour request has been agreed inprinciple or refused.

You would need to supply thisattestation if your loan is refused for this clause suspensiveto be fulfilled.

Some time later you will receivethe full document with the termsand conditions set out.

This comes by recorded delivery(LRAR) and once you receive this

you are required to wait a mini-mum of 11 days before signing forthe house.

In the compromis you are usuallygiven a limited time for the sale,generally three months.

This date is not legally limitingand can be extended.

However, after that date eitherparty can force the other one tosign by sending a recorded deliveryletter (LRAR) requesting this totake place.

If the signature does not thentake place it goes to the Tribunalwho will decide the matter, unlessthe parties can agree betweenthemselves.

Answer prepared by Philippa Weitz and Yves Beuzen, of DelamarcheImmobilier. Philippa can be contacted on 06 19 17 34 61 or emailinfo@normandyandbrittanyhousesforsale.com.

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 201014 Propertythoroughly checked by an under-writer, you will receive an offer inthe post which by law includes astandard set of information: theamount and length of the loan, thetotal cost and the equivalent annualinterest rate (the taux effectif global).The quote is valid for a minimum of30 days from the date you receive it.

If you opt for a fixed-rate loan, thequote should include a breakdown ofthe monthly payments and showhow much of each instalment goes topaying off the interest and howmuch repays the original capital.

For variable rate mortgages, thebank should provide a simulationshowing what would happen if therate changed and how it would affectthe size of the monthly repayment,the length of the loan or both.

If you have not yet sold your oldhome, you can apply for a bridgingloan (prêt relais) for a fixed, shortperiod.

You should not pay any mortgagefees until you have accepted, signedand returned an offre de crédit (oroffre de prêt). You have a legal periodof 10 days to reflect on the quotesbefore you are allowed to go aheadand say yes. The bank is not allowedto go ahead if you say yes too early.

Refusing a quote at this stageshould not incur any fees. If youchoose to accept, you need to com-plete and send back the offre de prêt,signed and dated.

Banks reserve the right to with-draw their offer if, after four months,you have still not signed the finalsale contract, the acte authentique.At this stage the bank is allowed tocharge application fees frais d’étude.

Once you have accepted, a full con-tract will follow explaining yourrights and obligations during thewhole term of the loan. It is drawnup by the bank and sent to yournotaire. Read it carefully and seekclarification from the bank on anypoints that seem unclear.

The mortgage contract shouldinclude clear details of how to payoff the loan early and any fees thatmight apply.

Life assurance is required with themajority of mortgages in France andthe bank will usually require you totake out its own policy instead ofone from another provider. Youmight also wish to apply for extrainsurance to cover you in the eventof unemployment. Check the costand level of coverage.

If you come into financial difficul-ty, you must tell your mortgagelender immediately. Ask your localADIL what help is availale. If all elsefails, you can make a declaration desurendettement at your department'sCommission Départementald’Examen des Situation deSurendettement, to arrange a debtrecovery plan.

Interest-free loan (prêt à taux zéro)This is a state-backed loan for peopleon a relatively low income who wishto become first-time buyers inFrance. You will be required to pro-vide proof that you have not owneda home in France in the past twoyears and the application process canbe long and complicated.

The loan is designed to pay up to30% of the cost of buying a newhome or 20% of the cost of an exist-ing one. This percentage can beincreased to 50% (old) or 100%(new) for buildings that meet thebest energy efficiency standards.

The loans are available through anumber of banks that have an agree-ment with the state.

Your eligibility is based on joint household income in the previ-ous tax year.

It must not exceed €23,688 for asingle person, €31,588 for a coupleand €40,488 for a couple with two

children. The house must be yourprimary residence.

Prêt d’épargne logementMost banks offer a state-backed tax-free savings account called a plan d’é-pargne logement or compte d’épargnelogement. These are designed to helpyou save money for a deposit on ahouse. Keeping up regular paymentsover the term (typically four to 10years) gives the saver a higher rate ofinterest on the account and entitlesthem to a special low-rate home loanfrom the bank.

The PEL can be mixed with othertypes of loan to make up the full costof the property. It can be used to buya new or old primary residence. Italso applies to secondary residencesbut only if the property is new.

Prêt Action LogementAction Logement is the name for anemployer-backed home loan schemeformerly called 1% Logement. If youwork for a private company inFrance that employs more than 10people, your employer should have a

fund set up into which an annualsum equal to 0.45% of the total wagebill is paid (previously 1%, hence thename). This fund is made availableto employees to help any first-timebuyers get on the property ladder aswell as anybody who has to move toa new area for work.

There are no formal means teststhat apply, provided the property youare buying is either new or at least 20years old and in need of a largeamount of renovation work to get itback up to standard.

The cost of the renovations mustamount to more than 20% of theproperty price to be eligible. Thehouse must be your primary resi-dence, ie: you must live there for atleast eight months a year. Interestrates vary between 1.5% and 3% andrepayments can be spread over fiveto 20 years.

There is no guarantee the employerwill accept. They have a right to offerloans to priority groups such asunder-30s and, equally, can say no ifthe fund is running low that year.

Prêt d’Accession SocialeThis is a state backed loan for low-earners to buy a primary residenceor carry out renovation work on anexisting home totalling at least€4,000. You are eligible if your 2009tax-assessable income was less than€18,955 if you live alone, €25,313 asa couple or €36,478 for a couplewith two children.

SINCE 2007, first-time buyers inFrance can claim a tax credit equalto 40% of their first-year mortgageinterest and 20% for the next four

years. The credit is capped at €3,750for a single person, €7,500 for a cou-ple and an extra €500 for each childor other dependent.

If you meet the eligibility criteriafor some of the non-commercialmortgages listed in the previous sec-tion, you might also be entitled toclaim aide personnalisée au logement(APL) from your local Caissed’Allocations Familiales.

APL is designed to help relativelylow earners who have built, boughtor improved a home to meet therepayments on their loans.

The benefit is paid directly to thelender, meaning your part of therepayment is reduced.

Eligibility depends on your familysituation and income, and the bene-fit is renewed for each year you meetthe criteria.

More information is available fromyour CAF or the DirectionDépartmentale de l’Equipement(DDE) – ask your mairie for details.

Various local and regional councilshave their own schemes to helphome owners make improvements,introduce energy efficient measuresor adapt their property for disabledaccess. You can get more informa-tion from your local ADIL.

ONCE your mortgage and otherloans are confirmed, you can arrangea date for completion: the signatureof the acte authentique.

You should have been sent a draftof the acte a few weeks before, whichshould be checked thoroughly.

If you are moving into the housemid-year, the seller might ask that aclause be included in the acte shar-ing the cost of the residential taxesfor that year.

Normally taxe d’habitation andtaxe foncière apply to the owner andoccupant on January 1. The actemight require that the tax be sharedon a pro-rata basis.

You will need to apply for buildingsinsurance on the new property tostart from the date the acte is signed.

It is advisable to attend the comple-tion in person but if this is not possi-ble you can give a power of attorneyto a trusted person.

The acte is signed by both partiesin front of a notaire. You will also beasked to bring your birth certificateand passport and a marriage certifi-cate, where applicable.

You must also make sure thatcleared funds are with the notaire bythe completion date.

Once the acte is signed, the notairewill settle all the accounts: payingthe seller, the estate agent, the tax-man and himself. The notaire willthen inform the estate agent to handover the keys.

Benefits

Other loans

The acte de vente

Pre-approval willgive you the edgeJo Cowling is a French mortgage expert at InternationalPrivate Finance (www.international-privatefinance.com)

IT IS a good idea to get yourself pre-approved for your French mortgageto ensure you are in the strongestposition to negotiate with the ven-dor, and also to make sure that yourproperty purchase is completed asquickly as possible.

You can even arrange an agreementin principle before you have foundyour dream property. This provides

a number of significant advantages:It provides you with the peace of

mind of knowing you have the fundsin place to complete your purchase

It shows the vendor that you are aserious buyer

For an agreement in principle tobe provided you will have completeda large proportion of the mortgageapplication process.

As a result you will be in a positionto complete the process and theproperty purchase in minimal timeonce the compromis has beensigned.

A MORTGAGE EXPERT ADVISES...

THE authoritative guide tobuying a home in France

Available in English from The Connexion, priced €7.50 or £7(plus postage and packaging)

Written by the Notaires de France and published by Conseils des Notaires.

See our website www.connexionfrance.com

BROCANTE dates for yourdiary in September4 – Clothes sale, Beauronne5 – Bergerac old town;

Lalinde; Monestier;Monpazier; St-Jory-de-Chalais; Verteillac; Bassillac;La-Roche-Chalais;Périgueux; Peyrignac; St-Michel-de-Montaigne

12 – Bergerac; Bourdeilles; Le-Buisson-de-Cadouin; Neuvic;Nojals-et-Clottes; Savignac-de-Miremont; Tocane-St-Apre; Carsac-Aillac; LaCoquille; Les-Versannes;Périgueux; Prigonrieux; St-Raphaël; Vélines

17 – Sarlat19 – Bergerac; Monsac; Paysac;

Prats-du-Périgord; St-Vincent-Jalmouthiers; Sarlat;St-Antoine-d’Auberoche; St-Georges-de-Montclard; St-Geyrac; Vergt

25 – Cherveix-Cubas; La-Chapelle-Gonaguet

26 – Bourgnac; Campagne;Sarlat; St-Astier; Liorac-sur-Louyre; St-Caprise-de-La-linde; St-Laurent-sur-Man-oire; St-Michel-de-Villadeix

Speciality Markets5 – Potters market, Beaumont-

du-Périgord25 – Farmers’ Market,

Cherveix-Cubas

September 3 – Local fête with vari-ous activities, La-Roche-Chalais

Call 06 72 88 84 63September 4 – fun fair, fireworks

and various activities, ExcideuilCall 05 53 62 46 10

Fête, roundabouts and activities, St-Martial-Viveyrol

Call 05 53 91 54 66Sports afternoon, possibility to try

out many different sports; Nordicwalking, rock climbing, archery andmany others, Prats-du-Périgord

Call 05 53 29 98 37September 5 – Un Gout de

Millefeuille, visual theatre, puppetsand short films, 16.00, Théâtre du Fondu Loup, Carves

Call 05 53 29 10 20Sports fair to present all the differ-

ent sports available to young people inthe area, Montignac

Call 05 53 51 72 00September 11-13 – Decorated

floats, fun fair, fireworks, ball, activi-ties, Badefols-d’Ans

Call 05 53 50 89 05September 12 – Exhibition and sale

of local products, demonstration oftraditional cider making, bread mak-ing, pig race, horse drawn carriagerides and various other activities, Placedu Champ de Foire, Thiviers

Call 05 53 55 12 50September 18-19 – Free visits to

have a look round old paper mill withworkshops, Moulin de la Rouzique,Couze-et-St-Front

Call 05 53 57 52 64September 19 – Horse fair, from

11.00, Tocane-St-ApreCall 06 25 15 04 05

September 25 – Astronomyevening, 20.00, St-Pierre-de-Frugie

Farm Chêne de Greletti Open day atdonkey farm, Chaleix

Call 05 53 62 07 69September 26 – Fête de l’Arbre,

organised by the Franco-British associ-ation, various activities for adults andchildren based around plants andtrees, Eymet

Call 05 53 74 86 64September 30 – Circus, Place du

Foirail, BergeracCall 05 53 74 66 66

September 2 – Torch-lit guidedvisit, 21.30, Beaumont-du-Périgord

Call 05 53 22 39 12September 4 – Walk with gourmet

stops, 18.00, BironSeptember 18 – walk to discover

old train tracks and wells with a histo-rian, meal optional; Ajat

Call 05 53 06 35 10September 19 – Mushroom picking

walk with picnic and identification ofdifferent types found, 9.30 PontLaveyras, Payzac

Call 05 53 08 18 36

September 2 – Painters in the street,Place de la Mirpe, Bergerac

Call 05 53 58 08 81September 4 – Paintings in the

Park, open air art exhibition, ParcGabriel Forestier, Eymet

Call 05 53 74 07 57September 15-October 30 – exhibi-

tion of photos of the Isle river, Moulindu Duellas, St-Martial-d’Artenset

Call 05 53 81 73 87Until September 23 – exhibition of

modern-day cabinet makers, PôleExpérimental des Métiers, Nontron

Call 05 53 60 74 17Until September 26 – exhibition of

19th century wear, St-Amand-de-ColyCall 06 70 20 63 48

Until end of September –Exhibition of copies of Lascaux cavepaintings by Monique Peytral allowingthe public to see the most famous pre-historic cave paintings, Atelier des Fac-Similés, Montignac

Call 05 53 05 65 65

September 3 – Festival of modernday music, Centre Victor Hugo,Mussidan

Call 05 53 82 15 47September 4 – Café concert with

group Don’t Forget, 20.00, PMU, La-Coquille,

Call 05 53 53 03 52

September 11 – Piano recital byMaguy Djaheli, 20.30, at the church,Besse

September 16 – Jazz concert withthe group Manège, 20.30, Chapelle deTresséroux, Les-Lèches

Call 05 53 81 17 34September 17 – Organ and soprano

concert, 20.30, church of Ménestérol,Montpon-Ménestérol

Call 05 53 82 23 77Jazz concert, 20.30, church, Sarrazac

Call 05 53 62 50 18September 18 – Jazz with the

Michel Herblin quartet, Auberge de laSalvetat, Cadouin

Call 05 53 23 86 22September 26 – Jazz night, aperitif,

concert, meal, professional groups,La-Rochebeaucourt-et-Argentine

Call 05 53 60 56 93September 30 – Chopin and

Schumann recital, 19.30, Saint-Jaqueschurch, Bergerac

Call 05 53 27 34 79

Antique book fair, exhibitions andworkshops, 10.00-18.00, Salle desFêtes, Montignac

September 5 – Giant picnic, Sportsfield, St-Front-de-Pradoux

Call 05 53 81 73 87Crayfish festival, vide-grenier, giant

market, folk music, walks, bicycle ridesand activities, St-Jory-de-Chalais

Call 06 85 47 74 11

September 11 – Wine fair, PlaceMypre, Bergerac

Call 05 53 74 66 66100 Morgan cars on display in

Beaumont-du-Périgord for the day.Call 05 53 22 39 12

September 17 – Open day atChâteau Masburel. Visit the barrelstore and taste wines while having apicnic and enjoying entertainment inthe château grounds, Fougueyrolles

Call 05 53 24 77 73September 18-19 – Ecofestival,

renewable energies and the garden arethe focus of this festival. Everythingfrom eco-homes to permaculture, thefestival will have a full programme oftalks and activities with 80 exhibitorson site to give information and advice.Ecocentre, St-Pierre-de-Frugie.

Call 05 53 52 59 50September 19 – Open day at

Château Bruzac, calligraphy demon-stration and guided tours, 10.00-18.00,St-Pierre-de-Côle

Call 05 53 56 96 70September 25 – Festival of Savoir

Faire, artists, artisans offer workshopsand advice, Veyrines-de-Vergt

Call 05 53 54 19 19Demonstrations by skilled artisans,

all day, Hôtel Plamon, SarlatCall 05 53 31 45 45

All month – 70th anniversary of thebirth of Free France 1940-2010.Ongoing exhibition in the militarymuseum, Périgueux

Call 05 53 53 47 36

Others

Music

Art

Out and about

Family

THE END of summer is notthe end of the festivites in theDordogne. September is animportant month, as it is thetime of the grape harvest andtherefore an opportunemoment to celebrate.

Alongside the traditionalmeals in the villages, wineproducers, locals, associa-tions and official bodies havegot together in the Graind’Automne festival inSeptember and October.

The programme is culturaland eclectic, offering showsand activities varying fromconcerts and theatre to exhi-bitions and conferences.

Starting with jazz inCreysse on September 5 atChâteau Tiregand, it also hasblues, world music and classi-cal music - plus an exhibitionon wine labels at theMédiathèque in Prigonrieux

www.graindautomne.com

Event listings are free in The Advertiser. Send details to events24@connexionfrance.com Check out what events are happening

every day at twitter.com/whatsondordogne

Markets

Harvest isgood timefor a festival

FullsteamaheadA WEEKEND ofevents is beingorganised for the150th anniversaryof the Périgueux-Brive rail line.

Chemins de FerTouristiques duLimoges Périgordwill run steam-train trips betweenthe two towns onSeptember 18 and19 at a price of€30.

There will also bea full programmeof activities inboth towns

05 53 05 10 74 Phot

o: J

ean

Porc

her

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 What’s On 15

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 201016 Classifieds

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To pay by credit card please call(free from France) 0800 91 77 56 orfrom UK 0844 246 9881 (4p/min).

Deadlines for adverts is the fifthof the month prior to followingmonth’s edition i.e. May 5 for ourJune edition. Adverts should appear within oneworking day on our website.

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GREAT NEW SERVICE! Do you have a car or unwanted item to sell? Would you like to rent out a property - or meetnew friends? Reach people local to youfor FREE with The Dordogne Advertiser IF you have an item to sell or give away, if you are looking to buy or sell a home or acar or are offering accommodation, we can help. The Advertiser, the English-language community newspaper for the Dordogne, offersgreat visibility with our small adverts appearing in print and also online at our websitewww.dordogneadvertiser.com All readers offering items of a value of under €250 on a non-commercial basis canplace an advert of up to 150 characters COMPLETELY FREE. Personal adverts, com-munity items, job adverts and items involving animals and pets are also FREE for 150characters. The maximum time for free adverts to run is 3 months.Adverts can be placed online at www.dordogneadvertiser.com and should appear onthe site within one working day and in the next edition of the Dordogne Advertiser (thedeadline is the fifth of the month for the next month’s print edition). If you are selling an item whose value is over €250 or are placing a commercial classified, you have three options for paid advertising.

1: Lineage. Up to 150 characters = €25 TTC. Up to 300 characters = €50 2: Bold lineage. Up to 150 characters in bold = €30 TTC. Up to 300 characters = €60 3: A special feature box: this is an ideal way to sell a property or a car. This comprises up to 150 (or 300) characters in a box with a colour photograph =€50TTC (or €75TTC for 300 characters).* See examples on the facing page.

Rates are for one print edition and 45 days online. To place a paid-for advert of morethan 150 characters please email the text to smallads@dordogneadvertiser.com and call us to make payment.*Item is not boxed but runs with a photograph on our website

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YOUR ADVERT AS IT APPEARS ON THE WEB

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The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 Classifieds 17

NOT everybody wants tobecome self employed if theyneed to earn a living inFrance but how do you goabout looking for a job onceyou have arrived here?In the next few months

representatives of differentemployment agencies includ-ing the Pôle Emploi - theFrench equivalent of the jobcentre - as well as tempingand other recruitment agen-cies will be offering adviceand practical information.Topics covered will include:

How to register as a job seek-er, the administration neededand how to re-train. Also each month you will

find job offers in and aroundthe Dordogne in our classifiedsection from the variousagencies and individuals.

However, please be awarethat finding a job in France isnot easy - there is moderatelyhigh unemployment here andthe French system holds a lotof value to qualifications anddiplomas. Your level ofFrench will have to be rela-

tively good unless you man-age to find a job in anEnglish-speaking company orin an executive internationalpost. So if you really do wantto work try not to limit your-self to one type of job or roleand be prepared to start fur-ther down the ladder and per-haps in a job you would nothave considered back home.

This month we look at thebasics to help you on yourway. In France there are twomain contract types:

CDD: Contrat à DuréeDéterminée - a short termcontract for a specific periodof time. In most cases thesecontracts can be renewedtwice before your employer isobliged to turn it into a per-manent contract.

CDI: Contrat à duréeindéterminée - a permanentcontract with usually a three-month trial period

The legal minimum salaryin France is the SMIC. InJanuary 2010 this was

1343,80� gross per monthThe best place to start look-

ing is your local Pôle Emploi.It is also at the Pôle Emploithat you need to register as ajob-seeker if you wish toclaim unemployment benefit.

Below is a list of the mainones but if you visit their siteyou will find a comprehensivelist of all their branches.

Pole Emploi Périgueux1 Rue Littré24000, PérigueuxCall 05 53 46 79 27

Pole Emploi Bergerac123 Rue Valette24100, BergeracCall 05 53 27 45 77

Pole Emploi Sarlat89 Avenue Selves,24120, SarlatCall 05 53 29 44 69

Pole Emploi Terrasson58 Av Jean Jaurès, 24120, TerrassonCall 05 53 51 14 88

Pole Emploi St AstierRue Bateau24110, St AstierCall 05 53 07 90 37

Pole Emploi NontronPlace Droits de l'Homme24300, NontronCall 39 49

Pole Emploi Ribérac36 Rue 26 Mars 194424600, RibéracCall 05 53 91 39 07

Published right are somecurrent job offers from thePôle Emploi website.

For more information visitwww.pole-emploi.fr and inthe red box click onrecherchez des offres d'emploi,then on the tab Par numérod'offre and enter the jobreference number.

POLE EMPLOI JOBSEENNGGLLIISSHH TTEEAACCHHEERR, Chancelade,10 month contract, Experiencerequired - Job offer number 512418VSSHHOOPP AASSSSIISSTTAANNTT, Bergerac, Permanentcontract, 20 hpw, 2 years experiencerequired - Job offer number 514305VBBIILLIINNGGUUAALL SSEECCRREETTAARRYY, Pomport,Permanent contract, 39hpw, Beginneraccepted - Job offer number 512577VWWAAIITTEERR//WWAAIITTRREESSSS, Meyrals, Short termcontract, 20 hpw, Some experience need-ed - Job offer number 511305VHHIIGGHH SSCCHHOOOOLL French/English teacher,Sarlat, 10 month contract, minimum 18hpw, Degree or equivalent required - Joboffer number 509161VTTEELLEESSAALLEESS in equestrian equipment,Nontron, Permanent contract, 35hpw - Job offer number 508704VMMAATTHHSS//FFRREENNCCHH//EENNGGLLIISSHH teacher,Proissans, 10 month contract, 4.30hpw, Beginner accepted - Job offernumber 918787WRREECCEEPPTTIIOONNIISSTT, Montpon Ménest-érol, 4-month contract, 35 hpw,Qualification or experience needed -Job offer number 483068VGGEERRMMAANN TTEEAACCHHEERR, St-Michel-de-Montaigne, 3-month contract, 2 hpw,Beginner accepted - Job offer number810733LJJOOIINNEERR:: CCAARRPPEENNTTEERR, Chanterac, 3month contract to start, 35 hpw, Atleast 2 years experience required.Job offer number 514226VFFRR//EENNGG//GGEERRMMAANN speaking salesrep, Brive, 6 month contract, 39hpw,5 yrs experience required - Job offernumber 288017D

JOB OFFERS FROM YOUR LOCAL POLE EMPLOI Harvesting jobs

Apple pickingQuinsac, Gironde Call Mme Bezies, 05 57 77 31 00

Pellegrue, GirondeCall Mr Lataste 06 87 51 36 34

St-Laurent-des-Vignes. Call PôleEmploi Bergerac 05 53 27 45 77

Lamonzie-Saint-Martin. Call PôleEmploi Bergerac 05 53 27 45 77

Saint-Seurin-de-Prats Call PôleEmploi Bergerac 05 53 27 45 77

Cherveix-CubasCall M Bugeaud 05 53 62 95 16

Saint-Priest-les-FougeresCall Pole Emploi Thivier 05 53 52 33 36

Grape PickingSt-Emilion, Château ChavinCall 05 57 24 76 25

Sauternes - Call Mr Couthures06 31 59 92 26

Listrac-Medoc - Call Château FourcasDupre 05 56 58 01 07

St-Emilion - Call Pole EmploiLibourne 05 57 25 52 63

Pomerol - Call Pole Emploi Libourne05 57 25 52 63

St-Emilion /Pomerol/ MontussanCall Mr Alberi 05 57 74 82 07

Libournais, GirondeCall Mr Perez 05 57 84 09 40

Margaux, Château La GalianeCall 05 57 88 35 27

JOBS OFFERED WWAAIITTEERR//WWAAIITTRREESSSS, Le Buisson-de-Cadouin, 3-month contract, startasap. Manpower Bergerac.Call: 05 53 22 13 00BBIILLIINNGGUUAALL RREECCEEPPTTIIOONNIISSTT, BordeauxLong term temporary contract, 35hpw, Manpower Bordeaux. TertiareCall: 05 57 57 00 90SSAALLEESS AADDMMIINN AASSSSIISSTTAANNTT, Mont deMarsan. Must speak German, English,French, Temporary contract AdeccoMont-de-Marsan. Call: 05 58 06 50 60BBIILLIINNGGUUAALL SSAALLEESS AASSSSIISSTTAANNTT,Blanquefort Short term contract tobegin. Kelly Services, Bordeaux.Call: 05 56 00 79 00BBIILLIINNGGUUAALL FFIINNAANNCCIIAALL AADDVVIISSOORR,Dordogne. See www.stepstone.fr,Job offer number BSR1571033Call: 01 44 70 06 86

JOBS WANTEDLLOOOOKKIINNGG FFOORR WWOORRKK?? Promote your-self to the English-speaking communi-ty by placing a classified here listingyour skills and experience. It’s free!

COMMUNITYCC AA NN CC EE RR SS UU PP PP OO RR TT FF RR AA NN CC EE nnaattiioonnaall aawwaarreenneessss wweeeekk ffrroommSSeepptteemmbbeerr 2200.. DDiiffffeerreenntt eevveennttsstthhrroouugghhoouutt FFrraannccee.. FFoorr iinnffoo eemmaaiill ccssff..ddoorrddooggnneessuudd@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm oorr cc ss ff dd oo rr dd oo gg nn ee ll oo tt @@ yy aa hh oo oo .. cc oo mm

COMMERCIALSFFOORR SSAALLEE - LLAARRGGEE EENNGGLLIISSHHBookshop in the Dordogne, due to ill-ness. 1 euro. Stock and fittings at val-uation. Genuine interested partiesphone 09 63 52 52 03

PROPERTY FOR SALE

LLOOVVEELLYY 33 BBEEDDRROOOOMM HHOOUUSSEE welllocated on 2000m2 of land. -€140,000 Location: Riberac, Ref:R6692 Tel: +44 207 135 222211 BBEEDDRROOOOMM,, 110000MM22 LLIIVVIINNGG SSPPAACCEE,- €108,000 Location: Dordogne,Riberac, Ref: R6547Call: +44 207 135 2222

CCHHAARRMMIINNGG SSTTOONNEE CCOOTTTTAAGGEE with gite

fully renovated. Quiet hamlet situa-tion - €246,000 Location: Tocane StApre, Ref: R6569Tel: +44 207 135 2222

TTRRAADDIITTIIOONNAALL 22 BBEEDDRROOOOMM SSTTOONNEE cot-tage offers privacy and spectacularviews - €135,000 Location: Verteillac, Ref:BV00005243 Tell: +44 207 135 2222PPRREETTTTYY LLIITTTTLLEE HHOOLLIIDDAAYY HHOOMMEE iinneexxcceelllleenntt ccoonnddiittiioonn,, 11 bbeeddrroooomm -€117700,,000000 LLooccaattiioonn:: SSaarrllaatt-llaa-CCaannééddaa,, RReeff:: bbbb33110077TTeell:: ++4444 220077 113355 22222222

VEHICLESIIDDEEAALL FFAAMMIILLYY CCAARR.. MMEERRCCEEDDEESS Classa 2, silver metallic colour, Model II180 CDI Avantgarde 5P. Diesel, 1owner, 59,700km, 2008. 12 monthguarantee. €16,500 Ref E5473700Call Garage Patrick Launay,Périgueux. Tel: 05 53 02 34 12

PPEERRFFEECCTT RRUUNNAARROOUUNNDD MMEERRCCEEDDEESSClass a 2, brown metallic colour,Model II 180 CDI. Diesel, 1 owner,51,600 km, 2008. 12 month guar-natee. €16,900 Ref E5473710 CallGarage Patrick Launay, PérigueuxTel: 05 53 02 34 12

ITEMS UNDER €250UUNNDDEERR CCOOUUNNTTEERR freezer, white,good condition, 50€ Call 05 53 8103 78

TTWWOO PPAAIIRRSS of converse typesequinned trainers, one silver, oneblack, size 39, 15€ per pair Call 0646 47 21 95

''GGAARRDDEENN CCHHEEFF'' gas BBQ/Broiler +sep burner. used twice. 130 euros.Tel 05 55 91 50 62 (Brivezac)

DDEEEEPP RREEDD Leather sofa 1.94m wide.250 euros Tel 05 55 91 50 62(Brivezac)

CCHHAAIISSEE LLOONNGGUUEE, beige, suit bed-room, hallway. 150 euros Tel 05 5591 50 62 (Brivezac)

TTEEAAKK SSLLAATTTTEEDD Garden Table80cm/150cm 120 euros Tel 05 5591 50 62 (Brivezac)

LLAARRGGEE WWOOOODD and White CottonGarden Umbrella 40 euros Tel 05 5591 50 62 (Brivezac)

OOCCTTAAGGOONNAALL OOLLDD WWOOOODDoccasional table 80 euros Tel 05 55 91 50 62 (Brivezac)

3 BUILDING COMPLEX Main 2 bed-room house and 2nd 2 bedroomhouse, 344m2 living space. -€300,000 Location: Ribérac, Ref:IFPC20134 Tel: +44 207 135 2222

Make cash from your unwanted items. Classified adverts are FREE for private sales of items under €€250. Place your advert via our website ww.dordogneadvertiser.comCLASSIFIEDS

THE Bridge Hotel, Helmsdale, locatedin the Highlands of Scotland, is lookingfor a couple to run this small country-side hotel, with a French touch.

After several changes in management,the hotel has gone from strength tostrength in the last three years and isnow breaking even. The owners wouldlike to take it to the next higher level.

If you are experienced in running aboutique hotel and are interested in thechallenge of pushing a small business tobecome a profitable venture, then youcould also receive shares in the enter-prise.

The hotel has 18 en suite rooms, two

restaurants, a bar and a residents’lounge. It is open all year round with thesummer being the busiest time.

The bar has over 200 whiskies – one ofthe largest collection in northernScotland. The owners would like to fur-

ther improve thetwo restaurants,The Green Stagand The RedLobster to even-tually rankamong the bestin the north ofScotland.

The hotel hasits own lobster tanks, while also avail-able locally are crabs, scallops, oystersmussels, langoustines and all the NorthSea fish.

From the hills and the woods thekitchen can receive grouse, woodcock,

snipe, pheasant, partridge, duck,pigeons, red deer, white hare and rab-bits, as well as prime beef and lamb.

The hotel would like to continue topromote its restaurants to reach thehighest possible level of eating in theHighlands. The Green Stag has beenshortlisted to host a Chaine desRotisseurs dinner in spring next year.

The successful applicants should haveseveral years experience in running smallhotels, with one preferably being a chef.They must be fluent in spoken English,have great communication and presenta-tion skills, plenty of charm, as well as apassion and keen interest in food. They

must be pro-active, client-focused andwill be in charge of the whole operation,including the team of five to ten co-work-ers depending on the season.

If you are interested in hunting and flyfishing for salmon or trout yourself, thenthe northern Highlands is the rightplace for you and we will help you tofind the right contacts for you to pursueyour hobbies.

The hotel maintains a picturesque,furnished, two bedroom cottage nearby,overlooking the village, the Helmsdalevalley and the North Sea which is avail-able to the successful applicants to rentat £350 per month, plus council tax,

electricity, water and heating at approxi-mately £120.

The combined salary will depend onthe experience and skills of both appli-cants and ranges between £35,000 and£40,000. The managing couple may eatfree at the hotel, either with the staff orin one of the restaurants if they wish.Successful applicants will be invited topropose how they would partake in theshare of the profit in the future. Formore information, visit www.bridgeho-tel.net

Please send CVs and photos tomail@bridgehotel.net Starting date is atthe earliest convenience.

Wanted: Managers to run top Scottish hotelFORWARD: Thehotel owners arelooking for acouple toincrease thequality of foodand service tobe among thebest in Scotland

Job Advertisement

Adverts placed here appear in print in the DordogneAdvertiser and on our website www.dordogneadvertiser.comCheck the website daily to see what’s newAds are FREE for any private individual wanting to sell an item under €250

EXCELLENT CONDITION MERCEDESClass C 3, silver metallic colour, ModelIII 220 CDI Avantgarde. Diesel, 1owner, 34,700km, 2009. 12 monthguarantee. €27,900. Ref E5018962.Call Garage Patrick Launay,Périgueux. Tel: 05 53 02 34 12

2 BEDROOM DETACHED HOUSELarge house, bright and airy, 186m2living space, large garden - €278,200Location: Near Bergerac Ref:APS1788 Tel: +44 207 135 2222

IMMACULATE 3 BEDROOMFERMETTE Quiet hamlet situation -€120,000 (Private sale) Location:Nontron, Ref: IFPC18344Tel: +44 207 135 2222

2 BEDROOM BUNGALOW Easy reachof airports and motorways, lovely tran-quil setting. - €165,000 Location:Montpon-Ménestérol, Ref:IFPC19980 Tel: +44 207 135 2222

2 BEDROOM DETACHED BUNGA-LOW set in a beautiful garden -€128,000 (Offers) Location: Smallhamlet near Ribérac, Ref: IFPC20134Tel: +44 207 135 2222

GREAT VALUE MERCEDES CLASS A2, cubanite silver metallic colour,Model II 180 CDI Classic 5P. Diesel, 1owner, 63,300km, 2007. 12 monthguarantee. €13,900 Ref E5442090Call Garage Patrick Launay,Périgueux. Tel: 05 53 02 34 12

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 Directory 19

Exclusive online and print listings of tradesmen andbusinesses across the Dordogne that speak English

THE ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

Organised by servicetype - it’s quick and easy to find English-speaking businesses near you

“I have been advertising with the The Dordogne Advertiserfor a year. I have met some great people and now findmyself travelling to the Dordogne most weeks. I am verypleased with the service and find it great value for money!Justin Kennedy KENNEDY ELECTRICITE SERVICES Tel: 05 55 56 37 36. Email: justin.kennedy@orange.fr

Advertise here all year from just €165HT

Read what our advertisers say about the results

AUTHENTICCURRIESThe real thing at Abul's

Eymet TandooriRue du Couvent

Eymet, Dordogne05 53 58 65 35

BOUCHERIEA LA FERME

Traditional English familybutchers and farmers in France.Sausages, bacon,gammons, beef,pork and lambProduce sent to your door

throughout franceRaymond and Sophie Hicks

www.boucheriealaferme.comTel: 05 55 97 95 66

Mob: 06 45 51 34 58Siret: 509 528 014 00012

Ambiance MarqueesFramed Marquees and

Accessories, Portables Toiletsfor hire. Weddings, Private

and Corporate Events.Tel: 09 63 29 02 69 / 05 57 69 63 81

Mob: 06 30 94 78 28Email: cjtapping@gmail.com

Dep 33, 24, 47, 16, 17Siret: 50997567800012

FRENCH MORTGAGESERVICES

Rates from 1.9%Professional & Independent

sample, 100k, equity releasefrom 200euros per month*

Tel FR: 05 53 79 43 62 / 06 84 47 62 76UK: 0044 ( 0)1491 571 955

E: martinporter@frenchmortgageservices.co.uk* subject to terms

EXECO PARTNERSCertified Accountants (FR)

Serving English Clients in France

Accounting, Payroll, Business Setup and

registration, Individual& Business Taxation

and more...Please feel welcome to contact:

Mr Pierre CHERON(Expert-Comptable)

on Tél: 05.53.54.48.91Email: contact@execopartners.com

AXA INSURANCE

J. LECLUZEST HILAIRE DU HARCOUET

50600

HOME - CAR - HEALTHWe insure UK registered cars

ENGLISH SPOKEN(call Angeline)

02 33 49 12 34agence.lecluze@axa.fr

FRENCH INSURANCE - IN ENGLISH

For peoplewho live in / own

property in FranceStraight-forward, honest

advice on the besthouse, car, life & health

insurance policies for youOver 15 years

experience in Frenchinsurance marketsEnglish, Dutch & German spoken.

Philippe Schreinemacherswww.insurance.fr

Tel: 00 33 05 62 29 20 00Email: cover@insurance.frRCS Auch B479 400 657

Regions: All France

Cours àCucugnan

Yes, you canLEARN FRENCH !

At your own speed, in private lessonswith professionalteacher (British).Study-holidays in

stunning scenery: tuition plus self-cateringaccommodation.

Tel: 06 78 15 19 29http://www.cours-a-cucugnan.com Email: campbellclaire53@yahoo.fr

Regions Covered: All france Siret In progress

CERTIFIED TRANSLATIONS

All legal translationsby French-

English speaking

sworn translator

Property-legal-birthcert., driving licencesAdministrative help

Expat assistanceValid everywhere

with 25 years of experience

Regions : All FRANCEKaren RENEL-KINGTel: 06 18 03 18 38

Email: karen.king@wanadoo.frWeb: www.certified

frenchtranslation.comFast and affordableSiret: 38058374000028

LOST IN FRANCE???Professional Administration,

Translation and Management Servicesfor individuals and businesses.

Highly recommended

Please contact Giles Rothwell BSc on05 53 52 66 20 or rothwell.giles@neuf.fr

Siret: 45390376700011 APE: 6820AAll of France

La Petite Maison des Langues

38, rue Jean Jaurès, 24800 THIVIERSTel: 05 53 52 49 91

E: lapetitemaisondeslangues@orange.frW: www.lapetitemaisondeslangues.comLearn French and feel at home again !

Small groups, 1to1, weekly orintensive courses and translations

LE FRANCAISCHEZ VOUS

Tailor made tuition in French (all levels)

Fully qualified,bilingual teacherTel: 05 53 50 04 68

www.lefrancaischezvous.comDordogne

WEBSITESBoost your business with anaffordable, high-performance

website that you canedit yourself

www.rob-tomlinson.comTel: 05 62 67 39 98

rt@rob-tomlinson.comRegions: All France Siret: 419 490 297 00027

PC-TECHNICA Solutions to all yourcomputing needs...

PC Support/Sales & Website Design

Tel: 05 53 59 48 54 Email: contact@pc-technica.fr

www.pc-technica.fr

GitecompareFor

Accommodationand TouristBusinessesIncludingHoliday

Auctionswww.gitecompare.com

france 4 savvy people

Penny Graphicswebsites

from

75€€including design, hosting

and domain name

pennygraphics.net02 33 90 92 15

For aWELL-CARED

and HAPPY dog

LE POUGETHigh Quality Kennel

Airport Bergerac 35 kmBeaumont du Périgord 6 km

Contact us or visitour Web-site

Tel: 06 30 58 41 7905 53 58 20 12

info@lepouget-dordogne.frwww.lepouget-dordogne.fr

Regions Covered:Dordogne/Lot et Garonne/Lot

Siret: 494 122 468 00023

The Cats InnLuxury Cattery

Cales near LalindeVery Spacious

Lots of Love and AttentionTel: Paula 05 53 24 14 42

paulaL24150@aol.comSiret No.520 980 269 00010

DOG FOODPremium Quality

Complete Dog Food

Costs less than topbrand equivalentsNo Beef Bio Diet

Full range of productsfrom puppy to senior,sensitive & overweightDelivered to your door

Lot-et-Garonne &Southern Dordogne

TEL: 05 53 36 78 23carina.penny@orange.fr

SIRET: 503056061 00016

A sponsor of the charityASHA

for horses in needwww.ashafrance.org

PATTES ET GRIFFESEnglish owned Boarding

Kennels & CatteryFamily run with 20 years experience

Tel 05 53 91 37 08Email kennels@pattesetgriffes.com

Web www.pattesetgriffes.comSiret No 49991024800024

GOLDENWAYINTERNATIONAL PETS

World Wide Pet Transporter /

RelocatorMinistry approved

No. 61195004 – 61195001Offices CDG Airport Paris

Offices and Kennels NormandyTel: 01 48 62 87 25 CDG ParisTel: 02 33 38 41 32 Normandy

www.goldenwaypets.comSiret: 397549551

POORPAWSDOG RESCUE

Many rescue dogsseeking happy homes,from puppies to adults

Call Sue on 0565245303www.poorpaws.com

La Creme de la CremeSmall, Caring, purpose

built DOG FREE catterynear Nontron.

Tel: 05 53 56 05 17email: colfi.day@gmail.com

www.la-creme-de-la-creme.comsiret 51963554400017

WAGS AND WHISKERSBritish owned boarding

kennels and cattery35 years experience

Tel: 05.65 35.46.51tina.wagsandwhiskers@googlemail.com

SIRET: 500607858

ANIMAL COURIERSExperienced couriers

specialising in pettravel between France / UK /

Spain or within France. Pet passport advice.Tel: 0044 (0) 1483200123

Email: animals@animalcouriers.comWeb: www.animalcouriers.com

Chenil Les Mille CalinsEnglish Run

5 Star accommodationfor Dogs/Cats

Comprising of underfloor heated kennels Qualified staff

Top Quality food and exercise

Only 45 minutes south of Caen

Convenient Ferry AccessSAFETY COMFORT ANDCARE FOR YOUR PET,

PEACE OF MIND FOR YOUwww.goldenwaypets.comTelephone 02 33 37 49 19Emergency 02 33 38 41 32

Fax 02 33 38 44 16

THE DORDOGNE CATTERY

PENSION POUR CHATSNEAR SARLAT

OPEN-AIR, INSULATED AND HEATED

CONTACT ANNA MASLEN05 53 31 95 88 / 06 86 94 85 78

p.maslen@wanadoo.frwww.dordognecattery.fr

Mini digger hire from100 euros per day HTHammer and accessories available.

Sarlat area.SARL Maxima

Tel April on: 06 13 23 22 49Fax: 05 53 29 62 65

sarlmaxima@yahoo.frSiret no. 498 524 032 000 14

I/AMI/AMA Man With a Digger

I/DOI/DO>>>> Terracement

DrivewaysFoundations etc >>>>||

ii/do@hotmail.fr0555851105/0685520157

siret no: 400564266

BEAMRENOVATIONS

The viablealternative tosandblasting or stripping.Email: renaissance-

beams@live.frwww.renaissance-

beams.com

SURFACESPolished Concrete

Floors, Walls, WorktopsSinks & Furniture

STONE & TILERestoration, Colouring, Sealing.

Web: www.surfaces24.comEmail: info@surfaces24.com

Tel: 06 82 38 21 12Siret 51500573400014

SAND AND BLASTSandblasting service

for Wood, Metal and Stone.Floor sanding service /

hire available. Tel: 05 55 78 43 71 /

06 67 81 63 46www.sandandblast.com

Areas: 87, 16, 24

Masters EnergySolutions

The One Stop Shop forall your energy needs

www.masters-energies.comTel:05 55 78 66 35

Siret 451 371 579

MINI DIGGERWITH DRIVER

More convenient andCheaper than plant hire

ROY SEVIERTel: 05 65 23 56 84

Mob: 06 78 47 97 17

Departement 46 (LOT) And adjoining

SIRET: 49320210500026

IN DEEPPISCINES

Maintenance, leak detection,servicing, repairs

tel: 05 53 22 79 18 / 06 84 68 84 92email: indeeppiscines@gmail.com

regions: 47, 32, 82, 24, 33siret: 504576802100020

Phil B EntrepriseAll Building Works

UndertakenInc Electrical, Plumbing and Heating

Based 47, 24Email: enquiries@stoves.fr

Tel: 05 53 84 36 81Mobile: 06 72 02 88 29

TW ServicesSPECIALIST RENOVATIONS /

CONVERSIONSComplete start to finish service.

All work undertakenSpecialist Plumbing

FREE QUOTATIONSe.mail tony.wickert1@gmail.com

Tel: 05 53 55 08 95 / 06 42 38 91 35

www.swansolar.euSupply & Installation of :

• Solar domestic hot water systems • Solar swimming pool systems

• Wood boiler stoves• Plumbing services

Tel : 05 53 63 43 87 / 06 06 41 08 85Email : maswan@live.co.uk

All depts coveredSiret 50406233200011

SAND BLASTINGAll Types of Sand blasting carried out

Timber, Stone & MetalTel: 05 53 58 92 13

Mobile: 06 79 05 98 85Email: hewitt.Chris@wanadoo.frWeb: www.hewittbuilders.com

Depts: 24, 46 & 47Siret: 49899034000016

Lot andDordogne Fencing

Fencing, Paving, Patios,Decking, Garden clearance,

Tree Felling, RepointingStonework.

Tel : 05 65 27 17 60 / 06 14 58 15 86Email: philip.gould@neuf.fr

Siret No 453 419 236 00022

TIP TOP Garden &

Property ServicesGarden Maintenance

Hedge Trimming - TreesCutting - Strimming

General PropertyMaintenance

Property checks/KeyholdingPhoto updates

Contact Barry OnTel: 05 53 29 03 52

Mobile: 06 24 07 31 14E: paula.grainger@wanadoo.frDept 24 - Radius 50 kms Sarlat

Siret: 49372365400015

AGENCE CLASSIC FRENCH

HOMESExclusively Prestige Property

€750,000 plus.

Knight Frank Representative For Dordogne, N Lot-et-Garonne

and E Gironde

Floor Plans, VirtualTours, Elevated

Photography as standard

Contact Michelle or Anick05 53 23 32 13

www.classic-french-homes.comSiret: 491 449 328 00021

DORDOGNEPROPERTY AGENCYwww.dordognepropertyagency.com

The premier Britishowned estate agencyfor buying or selling

a property inthe Dordogne

Périgord region.30 years combined experience

of French Property

Tel: 0033 (0) 5 53 80 62 62www.dordognepropertyagency.cominfo@dordognepropertyagency.com

HOUSES ONINTERNETDo you wantto sell your

house quickly?Our fee is only 2.5%

Find out how on:

WWW.HOUSESONINTERNET.

COM

Tel: 05 55 65 12 19

THE ADVERTISER DIRECTORY

THIS ADVERTISEMENT COSTS€€231HT for a year

Call our sales teamFreephone in France

0800 91 77 56From UK 0844 256 9881 (4p/min)

Email: directory@connexionfrance.com

www.connexionfrance.com

www.realheating.cominfo@realheating.com

Tél: 05 53 90 46 34Siret: 4119 419 830Plumbing, Central &Underfloor Heating

Bathrooms, Solar systems,Woodburners.

GAS QUALIFIED INSTALLERS.

BOUCARA CHAUFFAGEPLOMBERIE

PLUMBINGHEATING

BATHROOMSGEOTHERMIE AND

ALTERNTIVE ENERGY INSTALLATIONS

GAS INSTALLATIONSQUALIFIED ARTISAN

QUALIGAZ REGISTEREDFRENCH REGISTERED

BUSINESS12 MONTH WARRANTY

ON ALL WORKFULLY INSUREDDEPT 24, 33 AND 47

Contact. Morris WhiteheadTel. 05 53 58 38 62

Email: morriswhitehead@wanadoo.frSiret No. 480 789 197 00013

PLUMBING & HEATINGINSTALLATIONS

SERVICING & REPAIRSRENOVATIONS, AIR-CONDITIONING

SOLAR SYSTEMSTOTALGAZ APPROVED INSTALLER

Contact: Wayne MerryMob: 06 85 58 64 65Tel: 05 53 64 34 05

Email:wayne.merry@sfr.fr

PLUMBER(city & guilds)

35 years experience.Bathrooms, kitchens, central

heating. Based St Foy le Grand. Depts. 24, 33.

Tel: 05 53 57 00 16. Mob: 06 61 53 13 50

Email: stephen.howe@wanadoo.frSiret:4974 1837 200019

Kennedy Electricite Services

Installation, rewires and repairs.18 years experience.

Fully insured. No job too small.Contact Justin or Melissa Kennedy.

Tel: 05 55 56 37 36Email: justin.kennedy@orange.fr

Regions 87/24 Siret 503 417 04000014

alan keenan

ti lingall wall & floor tiling, pool surrounds,

terraces, concrete & sand / cement work, plasterboarding

Tel: 06 19 50 34 28Email: alankeenano@gmail.com

Regions Covered: 24,47 Siret: 47794615600015

PERFECTIONPAINTERS ANDDECORATORS

Interior, exteriors - High gloss finishesWallpapering - Specialist effects

15 YEARS EXPERIENCETel: 05 45 65 38 15

Email: darrylnorth@hotmail.comRegions Covered: 05Siret: 51106548400012

AMC DECORATORSInterior and exterior painting, Carpentry, Tiling, Partitioning, Dry lining, Wood restoration

28 years experienceTel/Fax: 05 49 67 85 93 Mobile: 06 70 01 47 69

Email: sallyclark2009@yahoo.frDepts 16, 17, 24, 31, 33, 37, 49, 79, 85, 86

SIRET 480 493 352 000 29

SivaliPainting & Decorating,

Inside & Out,30 years Experience.

Tel: 06 71 04 85 19Regions: 24

Siret: 452 220 015 00021

OAK FLOORING

AND DOORSPre-finished, oiled

and varnished.Wide boards up

to 215mm.Skirting and architraves.Ledged Oak

cottage doors.www.oakwood-import.fr

email: info@french-oak.comtel: 06 80 33 93 57

siret 49426348

SMALLBUILDING WORKS

Repointing, Plasterboarding,windows, doors installed.

Translations, planning permissions.Tel: 05 53 60 58 62

Email: daveindordogne@orange.fr www.dordognedave.webs.com

Regions Covered 24,16,87 Siret 51913926500010

GENERAL BUILDERChris Danaher

20 Years ExperienceFREE ESTIMATESTel : 05 53 05 80 17

Mobile : 06 71 40 35 39Email : danaherone@aol.com

Siret: 51064303400018

RON HARRISONGeneral Builder

City & Guilds qualified,35yrs experience, reliable,ALL WORK GUARANTEED

Tel: 05 53 80 42 91 Mob: +44 759 286 5010

Email: angelaharrisson@orange.fr25km radius Mussidan(24)

Siret: 51352715000017

PLASTERINGEnglish and French

Decorating, Pointing and Rendering.GENERAL BUILDING

“Quality & Reliability”35 Years ExperienceTel : 05 57 47 48 19

Email : pessacweb@yahoo.co.ukSiret 48271017500019

JUST PLASTERINGCeilings, walls, floors

Time served tradesman24, 33, 47, other regions possible

Contact Mike Tel: 05 53 58 17 19

Mob: 06 67 03 30 48Email: thewebbsonweb@free.fr

Siret no: 42424381400011

J-C-T Buildingand RenovationNo job to small Free Estimate

James Taylor 06 73 30 37 53

n°siret: 51381108300015

3D CONSTRUCTIONFamily run building companywith over 30 yrs experience

All constructionworks undertaken

large or smallincl. masonry,carpentry and

roofingBased nr. SarlatFree estimates

References availableTel: 06 31 21 32 04

Email: simon.dobson@neuf.frsiret: 505 346 676 00016

CT HEWITTGENERAL BUILDER

RenovationNew BuildPlastering

Fosse septicRoofing

GutteringMaintenance &

RepairsAll aspects of building

work carried out.Established in the UK

for over 20 years.Tel: 06 79 05 98 85 /

05 53 58 92 13Email: Hewitt.chris@wanadoo.frWeb: www.hewittbuilders.com

Depts: 24, 46 & 47Siret: 49899034000016

C&C CONSTRUCTION SARL

Qualified Builder15 Years Experience

10 Years Insurance GuaranteeAll Building/Groundworks undertaken

Tel: 05 53 62 13 38 / 06 63 84 79 99Email: cc-construction@itcsd.demon.co.uk

www.cc-construction.fr

RICHARD STIRRUPARCHITECTE DPLG

Design, Planning Applications,Full Service, Project Management,Property Surveys, Expert Advice

Tel: 05 65 21 11 45 / 06 85 53 02 32Email: richard.stirrup@btinternet.com

GermanArchitect

Speaks good Englishand French, with newideas concerning allyour comprehensive

renovations.Simply call:

05 53 56 52 27Email: info.archides@gmx.net

Siret: 508 895 372Regions Covered: Aquitaine

CHARTEREDSTRUCTURAL

ENGINEERBased in Northern Dordogne

Pre-purchase &Structual Surveys.

Verbal & writtenreports.

Structual calculations& drawings.

Redevelopment ideas& solutions.

Tim HawB.Eng C.Eng. M.I.Struct.E

Tel: 05 53 56 72 59Email: enquiries@versineer.com

Siret: 49884305100018

ArchitectRenovation - new construction.

Projects, all phases of construction.Sarl d'Architecture

David Besse Architecte dplgGrange Neuve

24140 Saint Martin des Combes.05 53 82 44 75 - 06 17 51 26 00

besse_archi@yahoo.fr

PARKES et DUCELIER

ArchitectesUK and French

Registered ArchitectsDossiers for Permis

de ConstruireInterior and

Landscape designOrdre des Architectes No. 1867

Tel: 05 53 09 33 45E: mail@parkes-ducellier.comW: www.parkes-ducellier.com

Depts: 16,19,24,33,87 Siret: 488 165 564 00011

HEATHROW LEFT HANDDRIVE CENTRE LTD

75 Laburnum Road,Hayes MiddxUB3 4JY

Tel: +44 (0)208 8487407Mobile: +44 (0)7811 784766

We Specialise inbuying and selling

Left Hand Drivequality vehicles.

We have a variety of cars mostlyon French/Spanish andEnglish registrations.

We have over 11 years of professionalexperience in the motor trade.Web: Heathrowlhdcentre.co.uk

E: heathrowcarcentre@blueyonder.co.uk

LAND ROVER &JAGUAR PARTS

ELECTRONICDIAGNOSTICS

GEARBOX REPAIRSTel: 05 45 62 27 20www.landypoint.netmailorder welcome

Siret: 477 897 565 000 16

MOLECATCHING10 years experience

All SurfacesEcological Treatments

Free QuotesTel: 05 53 31 41 89

Siret: 39750264200010

CCaafféé CChhuurrcchhiinn BBeerrggeerraacc

An English speaking approachto contemporary Christianity

SPECIAL CHRISTIAN EVENTSSuunnddaayyss AAuugg 2222 && SSeepptt 2266

NNEEWW TTIIMMEE OOFF 55PPMMTea and cake from 5pmCafé Church until 6:30

Sponsored by and held atL'Eglise Evangelique Librede Bergerac, 5 Rue Durou.

Tuesday CCafé CChurch!Sept 114

Coffee and Croissant from 10amCafé Church until 11:30

For more details contact Rev. Derek & Pam Cook derekcook3@sky.com

05.53.57.83.30

www.churchindordogne.com

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 201020 Directory

TO PLACE A CLASSIFIED

ADVERTlog on to

www.connexionfrance.comand click on

‘classified ads’

BACCHUS IMMOBILIER

recruitsFrance based estate

agency seeks representativesfor ALL regions of France.

Carte Blanche Agent Commercial Immobilier and

generous (up to 70%) commission rates offered.Contact Ivan Tredinnick.

Tel: 00 33 (0)5 45 82 42 93Fax: 00 33 (0)5 45 36 27 95

E: property@bacchus-french-property.comW: www.bacchus-french-property.com

Siret: 48034462100010

JOBS OFFERED

MGFCounselling

ServicesEnglish Speaking Counselor.

M. Glenys Forrester(B.Sc.psych.) (M.Sc. psych.)

Offering individual /couples counselling.(Depression, Stress, illness,

bereavement etc).FREE 1/2 hour

consultation-In Office or by Telephone

without further obligation.Tel: 05 53 50 07 28

Mob: 06 47 17 60 78Email: glenysforrester@gmail.com

Web: www.mgfcounselling.comRegions Covered: All

Siret: 520 314 824

LOSE WEIGHTFEEL GREAT!

Our program includes:• Personal Weight Loss Coach• Continuing Support• Long Term Coaching• Nutrition Education• Great Key Tips & Advice• Personalised W8Loss ProfileFor FREE Sample Pack

Call or Text ‘W8L’ to06 26 54 98 77Shape-Up-Now.Net

LoseW8FeelGr8@Yahoo.com

Yoga ClassesIn English

British Wheel of Yoga TeacherTuesday – Bergerac 1930-2100

Wednesday – Cuneges 1030-1200Agnac 1930-2100

Friday – Cuneges 1030-1200Niamh Dempsey BWY (DIP)

Tel: 05 53 22 45 60Email: niamhdempsey05@yahoo.co.uk

Siret: 44004478200017

HEALTH

PRIVATEHOMECARE

Experienced British Carers. Genuinely caring people who provide

a better quality of life.Call Joyce on - 05 53 23 44 38

Email - adeleadams@talktalk.net

GENERAL

CLASSIFIEDS

Regular collection /deliveries from

UK, and S/W France.Removals, on-line shopping,

DIY products.Friendly professional service.

Tel: 06 04 01 73 59Email: info@aclighthaulage.comWeb: www.aclighthaulage.com

WOODBURNERS.FRTraditional cast

iron multifuel and woodburning stoves.

Option for fireback boilers onmost models.

Delivered to yourdoor or installed.

Also coal nowavailable.

Contact us forrenewable energy

air source pumps toreplace your gas oroil fired systems.

See our website onwww.woodburners.fr

Tel/fax or Email05 53 84 36 81

Mob 06 72 02 88 29enq@woodburners.fr

Siret no 45204687300017

POOL SLAVE?

Are you a slaveto your pool?

POOLGOBBLER will set you free.

PoolGobbler Pro automaticallyremoves all floating debris fromyour upper pool surface, for just

€129,95. It is easy to install, easy to order at

www.poolgoods.euor contact

pure-piscines, le bourg, 46700 Sérignactel: 05 65 31 96 23 (EN, FR, NL)

email: pure-piscines@hotmail.com

U.K. WOODBURNERS

AARROWYEOMAN STOVAX

VILLAGERFrance Agent

P.E.P Leisure LtdUK 08717174097FR 0553732521

www.pepleisure.comemail: fires@pepleisure.com

Regions All France

SAUSAGELANDHomemade English

sausages & Dry cure baconGammon

Mail Order Now Availablewww.sausage-land.com

Tel:05 53 56 58 26

www.magasinanglais.comBritish food, cards, baby

products, sweets atFANTASTIC PRICES;

order online - FREE local delivery!

tel. number 06 45 36 64 90

Branded makeupand skincare

at huge discounts Secure ordering & fast

delivery. English speaking. www.discount-cosmetics.netinfo@discount-cosmetics.net

siret 518850649

ONLINE SHOPPING DELIVERY

UK stores to your door in France.Asda, Sainsburys, B&Q, Screwfit, etc.

+44(0)7919 288 759shopping@blt-removals.co.uk

www.shopping.blt-removals.co.ukPoitou-Charentes, Limousin, Aquitaine

Furniturefor FranceA wide range of quality indoor furniture andsofas supplied and

delivered direct to yourFrench property savingyou time and money.

New showroom "Meubles New Ideas"

near Brive(19) now open.

For full colour brochureplease e-mail

info@furnitureforfrance.co.uk or call 0033 (0) 6 46 49 73 45

or 0033 (0) 5 55 25 02 68www.furnitureforfrance.co.uk

SIMPLY BRITISHINDEPENDENT BRITISH GROCERSLarge range of food including

fresh/frozen. Plus books, greetings cards and gifts

Tel: 05 61 64 98 89Email: simplybritfoix@aol.com

Web: simplybritish.frREGION: Shop 09,

mail order throughout France

KANGAROO KARDS

High QualityGreetings CardsFREE DELIVERY

*Award Winning Website**Pay Securely Online**Outstanding Service*

*Money Back Guarantee**Many Exclusive Designs*

kangarookards.co.uk

MOVE IN EUROPEThe removal company even the furniture recommendsUK - Europe - Europe - UK

www.moveineurope.comcontact@moveineurope.com

Tel: +44 121 3503111Home Tel: 05 53 93 75 52

REMOVALS & STORAGEMurray HarperEuropean transport & storage

ENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN

Scheduled collection anddelivery service guaranteed

Established 30 yearsin the industry

www.murrayharper.comTel: (0034) 952 793 422 or

(0034) 952 807 692info@murrayharper.com

MOVING TO OR FROM FRANCE?

Weekly services to & from FranceFull or part loads, 4 wks free storage,

25 Years experienceContact: Anglo French Removals

Tel: +44 (0)1233 660 963Email: anglofrench333@aol.com

www.anglofrench.co.uksiret : 48777270900019

REFLEX MOODYS LTDSALISBURY

REMOVALSUK - FRANCE - UK

• Weekly Service • Full & Part Loads• Container Storage

• BAR Members• On-line Quotation• Internet Shopping

Deliveries00 44 1722 414350

info@reflexmoodys.comwww.reflexmoodys.com

Company Regn No: UK 5186435TVA / VAT No: UK 864 7217 04

SELF STORAGEDOVER

Convenient FlexibleConsolidation Point

Working with the Movers Tel: +44(0) 1304 822844

doverinfo@aandsselfstorage.co.ukwww.doverstorage.co.uk

All France

George White EuropeanTransport

Special rates to S/W France13.6m/45ft trailer - Full/Part loads

Removals/materials/vehiclesOwner driver. RHA memberTel: +44 (0)7768 867 360Fax: +44 (0)1773 570 090

Fr Mobile: +33 (0)6 23 03 85 59www.georgewhiteeuropean.co.uk

G. W.Makeovers & Design

English Kitchens/Bathrooms/appliances

direct from UK manufacturersFull range of French

kitchens suppliedFree design/planning service

Installations/Makeovers/Installations Only/Tiling

Granite and Stoneworksurfaces available

Areas: 24 33 47Call 05 53 58 09 32 or

06 58 92 09 97siret: 510 011 554 00019

EEccooPPoowweerrThe World's

LeadingSolar

SystemsTel: 05 53 62 31 35

www.ecopower.eu.com

EAST DORDOGNE All work considered to solvePROPERTY PROBLEMS

French registered artisan.English speaking management.06 27 27 68 56 / 05 53 51 20 23

marieannickmoore@hotmail.co.uk

Energie 33Solar panelinstallationsTop of the range solar systems

• Pool and Domestic water heating• PV systems (selling back to EDF)

• Underfloor heating

Fitted by a qualified engineer(French "Qualisol" and

"QualiPV" trained)

05 57 46 41 36 (Office) / 06 31 90 64 27 (Mob)sam@energie33.com

www.energie33.comSiret 514 504 570 00011

LOCKES GROUNDWORKS& LANDSCAPINGDigger / driver hireFosse septiques

Excavations, Building, RenovationsDriveways, Fencing, Decking, Pergolas

Tel: 05 53 79 77 61 or 06 42 86 85 31Email: lockes@orange.fr

Website: www.lockes47.com

PEPINIERES DE JUMILHACENGLISH-OWNED

PLANT NURSERY

Over 250 varieties offlowering shrubs, trees,fruit trees, ground-cover

plants and conifers. Stockists of vast quantities

of leylandii and laurels. Delivery available.

Tel: 05 53 52 56 90.www.pepinieres-de-jumilhac.cominfo@pepinieres-de-jumilhac.com

Dept 24, between Perigueux and Limoges, Fouilloux

(D79E between Jumilhac and Ladignac), 24630

Jumilhac-le-Grand.

General BuildingRoofing, loft and barn conversion

and property renovations.Depts 24, 19, 87

Full team of skilled registeredtradesmen

charles@hautefortrenovation.comwww.hautefortrenovation.com

Tel/fax: 05 53 50 12 39Mobile: 06 84 53 08 39

STAR DÉCORDulux Paint

Colour MixingCollection Points across the

Dordogne and surrounding depts.Call Sara & Terry

05 53 80 63 93 / 06 84 09 54 80www.stardecor.frsiret : 51126834400013

CDRCONSTRUCTION

DESIGNRENOVATION

ECO Timber Framed Houses

Renovation a SpecialtyLow Energy Consumer

EQUALSIncome Tax Rebates

JULIAN WILKESTel: 05 53 53 96 97

Mobile: 06 72 16 46 26Email:cdrwilkes@neuf.fr

www.construction-design-renovation-24.com

Siret: 403926702

NEW UPVC WINDOWS & DOORSFACIAS & SOFFITS

SUPPLIED & FITTEDCALL FOR FREE QUOTE

Depts 24, 46 & 47Tel 05 53 58 92 13 / 06 79 05 98 85

Email: Hewitt.chris@wanadoo.frWebsite www.hewittbuilders.com

Siret 49899034000016

Prêt à Plonger Piscine installation,

repairs & maintenance.Bespoke pools, no project

too big or small.

Complete packageincluding groundwork,terracing/decking and

pool security.

Simon & Julia Holt0619 071121 or

0553 620152simon.holt@wanadoo.fr

Siret: 49397835700017

SECURITY SYSTEMS

Alarm calls up to4 numbers if activated.

NO ANNUAL CONTRACTSOR MONTHLY PAYMENTS.

Wireless or wired.Cameras with 24/7

recording + Internetaccess. Security lighting.

Tel: 06 34 16 47 09 E: peter@aquitainealarmes.comW: www.aquitainealarmes.com

Regions Covered: 24, 33, 17, 16SIRET 50793843900019

S.A.R.L St Pool Piscineset ConstructionConcrete Piscines.

Cost effectively engineered.No expensive over design,

expertly constructedOrder now for 2011.

stpoolsfrance@gmail.comStuart Roberts B.Sc (c.eng)Phone: 05 53 91 45 18

Siret 503932857

DIGITAL INSTALLATIONSWe do not only sell & install

We also repair digiboxesNOW!!

All freesat systems available WITHOUT CARD

For more information call00 33 (0)5 45 98 25 37

FINNINGER & HELBACH GmbhLe Petit Fouine, 16210 Curac

Tel/Fax: 00 33 (0)5 45 98 25 37email: FinnHans@aol.com

www.digitalsatellitefrance.comSiret: 400 415 246 00026

STAR SATELLITEBritish TV in France

BskyB QualifiedFor All Your Satellite Needs

Tel: 05 53 80 63 93Email: contact @starsatellite.fr

Web: www.starsatellite.frRegions: Dordogne and

surrounding DepartmentsSiret: 50196266600019

Balcony & Stair Railings

Window & Door Grills.

Manufacture/Repair/Installation.williamsonsteel.com

williamson_steel@yahoo.com05 53 90 20 17

BergeracRenovation & BuildingFrom groundwork, fosse

septiques, masonary,interiors, to rooves.

Free estimates & adviceTel: 05 53 81 60 73

christopher.jarrett@wanadoo.fr

solaire powerrenewable energiessolar systemswood boilerswww.solaire-power.euinfo@solaire-power.eu05 53 56 26 36Regions: Aquitaine Siret: FR 64493914576

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 Directory 21

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 201022 Property

FINDING out how much your homeis likely to sell for, or what yourdream property is really worth,could be made much simpler fromlater this year.

The government has announcedplans to bring together and tidy upthe wealth of information currentlypublished by separate groups aboutthe state of the housing market.

It says the current set-up, where dif-ferent sets of figures come out withindays of each other, often with contra-dictory findings, lacks credibility.

It is working to collate and stan-dardise all the data to get a morereliable picture on prices.

A spokesman for housing ministerBenoist Apparu said the first changescould be made this month, and thefirst set of improved data should beavailable in the first quarter of 2011.

The ultimate aim is to publishaccurate house price information atstreet level, giving buyers, sellers andestate agents access to a wealth offigures to help the transaction.

Until then, there appears to be noconsensus on what is happening tohouse prices. Estate agencyCentury21 claimed last month thatprices had soared by 8.5% year onyear in the first half of 2010. Fnaim,the estate agents’ trade body, by con-

trast, claimed prices were broadlystable, up just 0.1%.

The reason for the big differencesis because of different methods andsample sizes.

Century21 bases its figures on thenumber of compromis de vente (pre-sale contracts) signed in its networkof estate agencies, some 23,000transactions in six months. The priceis divided by the property size insquare metres. Similar figures arecompiled by SeLoger.com,MeilleursAgents.com and Laforêt.

Fnaim’s data is also based on thecompromis and comes from a sampleof 10% of agencies, representing

about 5,000 sales a month. Itsmethod has been criticised in thepast: Fnaim delegate Henry Buzy-Cazaux resigned last summer in arow over the reliability of the data.He said the sample was too smalland was giving the organisation abad reputation.

Fnaim insists today that its statisticsare reliable and carefully compiled.Director general Nicolas Thouveninsays: “We take into account every-thing, including the house’s size, loca-tion and level of comfort.”

However, the most complete set ofdata comes from France’s network ofnotaires, who bring out figures every

two months which are backed bynational statistics body Insee. Theydo not systematically collect data onevery sale, but claim to record atleast 85% nationwide, a bigger sam-ple size than the others.

The notaires’ statistics are based onthe price in the final acte de vente (salecontract), not the compromis. Thismeans that last-minute price changesare taken into account, but the figuresare much slower to appear: they canbe up to three months behind the rest.The government wants the notaires topublish the number of pre-sale con-tracts signed as well as actes de venteto speed up the flow of information.

For what it’sworth, houseprice infoneeds caution

VARIETY: A wide range of property price figures are published in France, but they often contradict

The French government wants to givebuyers and sellers access to credible figures on house prices at street level: untilthen, can any of the numbers be trusted?

Name: ____________________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Postcode: ________________Town: ___________________________________________

Telephone: ____________________________________Email: ____________________

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door for the next 12 monthsA 12-edition annual subscription to the Dordogne Advertiser to your French homecosts €12* (£11.50). To become a subscriber, complete the form here and return witha cheque payable to The Advertiser to:

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The Advertiser, Dordogne September 2010 Directory 23

CumondStone and tiled property, with alot of character, situated on theedge of a village, not too far fromthe shops, with a lovely view overthe countryside, with a gardenarea of 3 000 m2.REF: CUMOND5285

€€278,200

RiberacIn the hamlet in the middle ofthe forest, large 6 bedroom houseto renovated with 2 bedroom,ensuite bathroom apartment,Garage, fruit and nut trees onland of 3690 m2.REF: R6562

€€162,000

Dordogne This pretty little 1 bedroom cot-tage dates from the 16th centuryand is located in a small hamlet(4 houses), in northernDordogne not far from theCorrèze. REF: B 735

€€92,000BrantômeAt the heart of the village withshops, village house to restorewith enclosed garden. 7 roomsincluding 4 with fireplace for atotal area of 187m2. Garden ofapproximately 150m2.REF: 5216087

€€59,400

Perigueux Delightful stone house with 2bedrooms and a small manage-able garden situated close to a vil-lage with all basic needs. With alarge living room with fireplace,small kitchen, and a shower.REF: 11081

€€110,000Riberac150m2 building in the centre of asmall town includes 4 apparte-ments and studio. 5 bedroomsand private parking.

REF: R6568

€€129,000

Near Beaupouyet A lovely three bedroom familystone house completely renovatedto a high standard but leavingmany original features includingexposed oak beams and stonewalls.REF: BV00004780

€€222,600

Buying or selling a property in or around the Dordogne?We can help. Our website www.connexionfrance.com carriesdetails of more than 14,000 homes for sale across France. We also feature properties for sale in this dedicated section of

The Advertiser every month. Use the code under each property tofind out more on the website. For sellers, the adverts are also dis-played across a range of popular English-speaking websites which

ensures they are seen by thousands of potential buyers every day. Prices start at just €119TTC for 12 months’ online advertising.

Online advertisers can also place their adverts in The Advertiserfor an additional €60TTC for one month, €150TTC for three editionsand €275TTC for six editions. Contact our sales team for free inFrance on 0800 91 77 56, from the UK on 0844 256 9881(4p/min) or email sales@connexionfrance.com to find out more.

REF: 27835

€€75,600ThiviersThis traditional Perigordinestone house to renovate is set in1 acre of land and comes with anadjoining barn.

REF: DOM1215

€€349,500LalindeCharming large 3 bed Dordognevillage house with guest house.Very well located with views ofthe Dordogne river. Heated pool.Large stone Barn comprisingStudio house with shower room.

REF: R6720

€€145,000RiberacCharming house with 3 largebedrooms. With 2 levels andkitchen and large sitting room,land of 562m2.

REF: IFPC19422

€€450,000SaulieuAn oasis of striking beauty andsoothing natural calm. Discovera beautifully restored farmhousesurrounded by a mature forest,fresh air and clear runningstreams.

More details of the homes here - and 14,000 other properties for sale across France - can be seen atwww.connexionfrance.com

Enter the code listed with the property to take you straight to the information

More details on all these properties - and how to contact the seller directly - can be found in the Property for Sale section of www.connexionfrance.com. Simply enter the code under each home to find out more

Houses for sale in and around the Dordogne

Brantôme 2006 bungalow built on a land of2330m2. Living/Dining room of38m2 opened American kitchen,3 bedrooms, bathroom withbathtub and walk-in shower,cellar and terraces.REF: 5047200

€€191,700

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Name: ________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________

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We would like to send you a weekly email with news and practical information about life in France. If you do NOT wish to receive this, pleasetick here. You can unsubscribe at any time. We will never pass your details onto a third party.Postage (see above) ___________ Total number of helpguides _____________

Income tax forms NEW! 2010 €€5

French wealth tax 2010 NEW! €€5

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Auto-entrepreneur NEW! €€5

CESU - employing people at your home €€5

Death in France €€5

Residential taxes €€5

Buying property in France - the SCI option, produced in exclusive association with theConseils des Notaires de France €€7.50

Role of a Notaire and their fees, produced in exclusive association with the Conseils des Notaires de France €€7.50

Buying or selling a home, produced in exclusive associa-tion with the Conseils des Notaires de France €€7.50

Tax rebates for environmentally-friendly products €€5

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Independent helpguideson healthcare, tax andother important topics

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Got a query about life in France?

The Advertiser, Dordogne September 201024 News

RECENT storms haveprompted many stories ofcomputers, TVs, hi-fis andother electrical equipmentbeing blasted in lightningstrikes, but Corinne Howesand Charles Shoolbred inNegrondes saw the destruc-tion at first hand.

They had just been sittingdown to lunch when a pierc-ing crack of thunder madethem jump from their chairs.

Corinne said they thoughtthe explosion had come frominside the house, and added:“It was like an incredibly loudgunshot. Truly frightening.”

They found there was nopower in the house and theirmeter cupboard smelled ofburning. When they lookedoutside, they saw that one oftheir fir trees had beenexploded by the blast.

Corinne said: “Shards ofbranches and trunk had beenthrown 40 yards in all direc-tions. It was as if a bomb hadgone off inside it. It is just aswell that we were inside, asthe sharp wood was every-where. The thunder had beenrumbling for a while, butthere was no real lightning towarn us not to go outside.”

Bank set to repay€2m con victims

Fir tree isblasted by bolt oflightning

VICTIMS of conman GrahamTempleton are in sight of get-ting the vast bulk of theirlosses repaid after suingSociété Générale for failing tostop his €2 million fraud.

Although the bank’s pressoffice says it is still in negotia-tions, it is thought to haveagreed a deal with lawyers forthe 16 Dordogne victims whosued after Templeton wasjailed last June in Bordeaux.

The victims are making nocomment.

No details are available, butthe bank’s most recent offer of85% of the losses was thrownout. The victims were angrythat it wanted to pay just 75%to the only French victim.

Templeton claimed he was afinancial adviser for aninvestment fund that wasbacked by Société Généraleand persuaded the victims tomake out cheques to the bankand lodge them with him.

However, he had spotted aloophole in French bankinglaw that allowed him – andstill allows any other fraudster– to countersign the back ofthe cheque and pay themoney into his own account.

The bank has admitted itschecks did not spot thefrauds, which started in 1999.

Templeton served fivemonths – plus five months injail before trial. He had beensentenced to two years. Hehad already served two jailterms for fraud under his orig-inal name, Graham Briggs.

His Dordogne victims lostas much as €700,000 in thescam: Templeton claimed hisinvestment fund could getreturns of 15%.

His French frauds started atthe end of the 1990s, when hepersuaded former operasinger Elizabeth Dickinson to

give him €170,000 to invest.Templeton, who claimed tolook like actor Hugh Grant,was soon picking up new victims and persuading themto invest in his fund – andhelp him pay for a lifestylethat included a chateau inCoux-et-Bigarroque, fiveAston Martins, a JaguarXK120 and a luxury yachtmoored at Marbella.

In 2004, it all fell apart andTempleton fled to England,where he was picked up on a European arrest warrantand returned to France to face trial.

Speaking on Radio 4’s Youand Yours programme recent-ly, he said he was remorsefulover what happened, butbelieved he could have tradedhis way out of the problem,although he was said to bespending €40,000 a month.

An idea of the scale of hisfrauds can be gathered fromthe fact that the French tax authorities took €1.7mwhen it sold off his estate topay tax debts. He complainedthat his chateau had been val-ued at €1m, but was sold forjust €350,000.

Graham Templeton

EXPLODED: Corinne said shards were blasted 40 yards