September 2014 - Issue #15

Dordogne

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France is still the world’s favouriteWith more than 84 million visitors in 2013, France has cemented its place as the world’s favourite tourist destination >> Page 7

INSIDE > > >NEWS - Player banned for referee attackA local footballer has been banned for 10 years fol-lowing a vicious assault on a referee that resulted in a displaced vertebra >> Page 3

France was thrown into political tur-moil in late August after Prime Min-

ister Manuel Valls pre-sented his government’s resignation. The move followed bitter in-fighting within the cabinet and in-creasingly dire economic and poll figures. With President Hollande’s ap-proval ratings the lowest of any leader in more than half a century and with the popularity of Valls also plummeting to just 36%, a scathing attack from within the cabinet proved to be the last straw for a government that lasted just 147 days. That attack came from maverick economy minis-ter, Arnaud Montebourg,

who Valls claimed had “crossed a yellow line” when he publicly said that the country was on the wrong economic course. Montebourg called on the government to end auster-ity policies and focus on growth. “France is a free country which shouldn’t be aligning itself with the obsessions of the German right,” he said, urging a “just and sane resistance.” The now former econ-omy minister told a news conference following the dissolution of the cabinet that he thought it neces-sary to speak out to try to avert the European Un-ion’s “descent into hell”. “I informed the prime minister that if he deemed my convictions counter to the direction of the gov-

NEWS - Soluble Champagne tabletsA leading brand has developed a Champagne tablet that can be added to wa-ter... or have they? >> Page 8

Prime Minister Manuel Valls has presented his cabinet's resignation to President François Hollande after the economy minister publicly criticised the government and called for an end to the austerity policies being "imposed by Germany".

Government resigns after just 147 days

FEATURE - The Taxis of the Marne100 years ago, as the Germans advanced on Paris, a fleet of taxis set out from the capital to change the course of history. How important were Les Tax-is de la Marne? >> Page 12

>> continued on page 8

La Patrouille de France, the country's equivalent to the Red Arrows, will be in the skies of the Dordogne this month >> Page 5

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The Bugle Business Directory 3 pages of listings for local English-speaking business-es - your essential guide to finding just what you’re looking for >> Pages 17-19

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 20142 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

CONTACT usTel: 05.55.41.17.76

General:editor@thebugle.euAdvertising (EN):

sales24@thebugle.euPublicité (FR):

publicite@thebugle.euSubscriptions:

subscriptions24@thebugle.euEditor:

Steve MartindaleWrite to:

The Bugle Les Quatre Chemins

23150 St-Yrieix-les-BoisFrance

INSIDEthis edition

3-5 Local News6-9 National News10 Sport11 French Life12 Feature13 Bilingual14-15 Practical16 Language & Games17-19 Directory20-24 What's On

Welcome toThe BugleThe final days

of summer, the first beginnings of autumn, la rentrée...

September means many things to many people, but as long-term readers of The Bugle will be well aware, there is a far darker side to early September for me... the annual extended stay of the in-laws! I am going to try not to slip back into cliché this year and bad-mouth my well-meaning father-in-law, but as my wife will attest, I’m not aways great at keeping promises... I was very pleased to have been able to follow the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup (which was held in France - see pg 10) on French terrestrial TV as well as on Sky Sports. As a former (very amateur) player, rugby is dear to my heart and it is great that the women’s game is finally getting half decent exposure. I will watch any and all sport, but unfortunately my first forays into women’s rugby were somewhat underwhelming: the quality was often lacking

hedges and trees are literally dripping with it at the moment and we have been developing a slight obsession with blackberries, particularly when mixed with a few apples and sitting under a light, golden crumble. Mmmmmm...!! Walks round the lanes to collect these delicious berries are equally fun and I noticed something I do that is quite a good metaphor for life: I always want to pick the blackberries that are hardest to get to, thinking them likely to be the best, juiciest ones. A kind of “the berry is always blacker on the other side” philosophy. I don’t know why, but a blackberry winking out from behind a dangerous clump of stinging nettles is irresistible! I will literally ignore perfectly good berries, aiming for the one that’s just out of reach, inevitably cursing and swearing as brambles tear my clothes and welts appear on my stinging hands. I know that they will all taste the same, but either way it is worth it. The only thing nicer than a blackberry and apple crumble is a free blackberry and apple crumble!! Well, so far I’ve avoided lambasting my beau père, but if I’m completely honest, that’s mostly because he hasn’t yet done anything noteworthy in the week he’s been here. How very selfish and irritating of him, denying me my soapbox from which to complain. Oh well, the weather’s terrible and I need cheering up, so I’ll

compared to the professional men’s game (for obvious financial reasons) and matches were typically very one-sided. As an aside, possibly the most boring game of rugby I ever saw was England’s men putting well over 100 points past Holland in a Rugby World Cup qualifier. Happily, with increased funding opportunities and better training facilities, the women’s game has come on in leaps and bounds – some of the matches in August were truly gripping, with TV audiences topping 2 million in France!! The French ladies - Les Bleues - acquitted themselves very well, reaching the semis, and England lifted the trophy - 2 reasons to be happy!! It has since been announced that a core group of 20 English players are to receive centralised professional contracts, mirroring the women’s cricket team that also turned professional earlier this year. That can only be good for sport and will give me twice as much to watch of a weekend!! One big bonus of this time of year, when you live in the countryside, is free food. The

indulge in a bit of nostalgia instead... Shortly after we moved to France, the in-laws were over helping us do some work to the house. My father-in-law had been cleaning windows and he’d been doing a very fine job... as will become apparent. After mopping out one particularly dirty corner of the upstairs, he came in and asked if I’d finished with the now filthy water. “Yes”, I said and he very helpfully picked up the bucket for me, walked down the hall and launched the contents out of the open window. Can you guess what comes next...? Yes, he’d done such a good job that he hadn’t noticed someone else had in fact already closed it! Cue much hilarity, a lot more mopping and yet another story to add to the pantheon. Ah, that’s better!!

Until next month!

Steve Martindale, Editor

3 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu LOCAL NEWS ♦

Football attacker given 10-year ban

100% Made in Périgord

In June this year, a young referee was the victim of a violent at-tack by one of the players during a football match. The incident

shocked sportsmen and women across the country and brought to the fore once again the debate over violence in sport. On the day in question, a 37-year-old forward, playing in the number 9 jersey for Périgueux Foot, threw him-self at referee Jonathan Blondy. After knocking him to the ground with sev-eral kicks, he then proceeded to beat the 23-year-old until a number of other players finally pulled him off. The young referee was left battered and bruised, with knee and back injuries as well as a displaced vertebra. Under guidelines issued by the Fé-dération française de football (FFF), disciplinary actions are no longer made public, and even the victim of the assault did not until recently know what punishment, if any, had been handed out to his assailant. Sud Ouest newspaper, however, have revealed that the player in ques-tion has in fact been banned for 10 years, which at 37 years old is a de-cision that effectively ends his foot-

ball career, although the newspaper stressed that this information had not come from the football federation. Sud Ouest also tracked down Mr Blondy to inform him of the ban. “If that is confirmed, then it seems fitting,” said the young man from Bergerac. “I hope that this moves things forward and re-minds people that this kind of behav-iour is a scourge on our game. We go to football to have fun, not to fight.” Fortunately for Mr Blondy, he was able to pick up his whistle several weeks later and was given refereeing duties for the third division final. “The spectators who knew the story were very supportive during the match,” said the referee. “That helped me to get through this episode and move on.” Although the player in question has been dealt with by the football federa-tion, legal proceedings are still ongo-ing. A trial date has been set for 8th October, where the former player will have to answer for his violent outburst as well as alleged threatening behav-iour towards an assistant referee. For their part, Périgueux Foot were fined €350 and had 5 league points de-ducted from their final tally last year. ■

The government has long been urging us to buy French-made products - a principle President

Hollande recently fell foul of when he bought himself a flashy new pair of Danish glasses - but those wishing to purchase patri-otically can now take it one step further following the launch of a new website: www.made-in-perigord.net The site, which goes live on 1st September, offers a variety of products from local producers and artisans based in the Dor-dogne. The two creators of Made-in-Périgord are also the brains behind a previous website, Waza-biz.fr, that allows users to import products from abroad at cheap prices. “In both examples, we have the same basic idea,” said Cyril Kezzar, one of the site’s co-creators. “In the case of Wazabiz, it is to find the best prices; in the case of Made-in-Périgord, it is to find the best quality.” At launch, the site already had 5 local companies on board: a duck producer from Saint-Geniès; another producer of ducks and geese based in Prats-de-Carlux; a brewery from Marsac-sur-l’Isle; a

coffee company from Périgueux; and a jeweller working in Cubjac. “We all know the Périgord for its gastronomic delights, but the site is designed to also highlight the diversity this department has to offer. All the products you will find in this store are artisanal and fully prepared in the Dordogne.” The site is currently available in 5 languages: French, English and Spanish, but also Russian and Chinese, markets that the creators believe are potentially lucrative for local producers. “We are a de-partment blessed with culture and savoir faire, and we need to share

this with the rest of the world,” enthused Mr Kezzar who hopes to get Made-in-Périgord listed on Russian and Chinese search en-gines. One farmer from the Périgord noir was taken with the idea of the small businesses of the Dordogne uniting. “We often get the feel-ing, as small producers, that we are confined to our local markets. This opens up new doors. I am a big fan of the principle behind Made-in-Périgord. It is incredibly interesting to have an internet site that allows us, together, to break free from anonymity.” ■

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 20144 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

Pine martens removed from nuisance listThe Conseil d’Etat has reclassified which ani-

mals are considered as nuisance species in each department of France, removing a number from the list. In the Dordogne, the most nota-

ble changes are the removal of pine martens and stone martens. Those species that appear on the list are not protected in any way and may be hunted, trapped and killed. Since 2012, the government has defined, on a depart-mental level, which species fall into the nuisance cat-egory. The list is drawn up in conjunction with local authorities and species can be added “in the interests of public health and safety, to ensure the protection of flora and fauna, or to prevent significant damage to agricul-ture, forestry and river systems”. In effect, the Conseil no longer believes that pine mar-tens and stone martens pose enough of a risk under these criteria to be considered a nuisance in the Dordogne, a decision that has been welcomed by several environ-mental groups. “The decision of the Conseil d’Etat applies with im-mediate effect: these species can no longer be trapped or destroyed in these departments, without an amend-ment to the ministerial decree,” wrote France Nature Environnement (FNE) and Humanité et Biodiversité in a joint statement. “The principle of a ‘nuisance’ does not make any bio-logical sense for those species that play an important role in their ecosystem, in particular predators such as pine martens, stone martens and weasels,” said Chris-tophe Aubel, a spokesperson for Humanité et Biodiver-sité. “These species are important to agriculture as they greatly help to regulate the number of rodents.”

According to Dominique Py from FNE: “The entire regulation on nuisance species, which is outdated, needs to be reviewed in order to take into account biological realities and to prioritise preventative methods, with a view to stopping the unjustified deaths of tens of thou-

sands of animals each year.” Foxes continue to be regarded as a nuisance, and the classification of a number of common species such as wood pigeons, rabbits and wild boar remains the sole competence of the prefect of the department. ■

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5 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu LOCAL NEWS ♦

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Fund launched by local music festivalThe Festival du Périgord

Noir is an annual festival of classical music, showcas-

ing musical talent from the region and around the world. This year’s event is themed Rêves d’Orient (Dreams of the Orient) and fea-tures 150 artists of all different na-tionalities (see page 20 for details of upcoming concerts). In order to guarantee the con-tinued success of this event and to encourage similar events around the region, a fonds de dotation (en-dowment fund) has recently been established. The president of the fund, Jean-Luc Soulé, spoke to The Bugle to ex-plain his vision for the fund and to explain how the money raised would be put to best use. “Broadly speaking, we have three main objectives. Firstly, to pro-mote a general interest in music and help local young musicians. This would be in the form of scholarships, financial help with purchasing instruments or with travel, etc. We would like for young musicians to begin their career at the festival before going on to international suc-cess. Secondly, musical solidarity is important. We will be working with foundations for disadvantaged or disabled youngsters, particularly in the suburbs of the larger towns like Périgueux and Bergerac, and hold music courses. Lastly, there is the link with local Périgord heritage and culture. Where possible, concerts will be held at historical sites across the region, be they public spaces or privately owned.”

The Fonds de dotation du Périgord Noir has a stated aim of raising €100,000 in 2014, €300,000-€400,000 by 2016 and the ambitious goal of raising €1.2 million by 2019. Donations may be made by businesses or individuals, who in turn benefit from tax credits. Members thus contribute to the costs of eligible projects and commit to a regular financial contribution. Four categories of donor (ambassador, benefactor, major donor and donor) were estab-lished, based on a minimum amount of donation. The first level of dona-tion is set at 200 euros. To find out more about the Festival du Périgord Noir or the Fonds de Dotation du Périgord Noir, please visit their website: www.festivalmu-siqueperigordnoir.com ■

“French Red Arrows” to perform in Dordogne

Jean-Luc Soulé

France’s equivalent to the Red Arrows - la Patrouille de France - will be performing this month at Bergerac Airport as part of an air show being held on 7th September. In total, 45 aircraft, including a Spitfire, will be present at the meeting, which is being held as part of events to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Bergerac.

A number of famous aircraft will take to the skies, including the multi-purpose Rafale fighter jet and the Tiger combat helicopter. There will also be mock dogfights and aerobatic displays as well as races between planes and both cars and motorbikes. As part of the celebrations, a monument will be unveiled paying tribute to two local pilots from the Normandie-Niemen regiment who died during the Second World War. This regiment, which was formed largely from volunteers and was part of the Free French Forces, was notable as one of only two allied western European air combat units that fought alongside Russian forces on the Eastern Front during World War II. The day will begin at 9 am, when visitors can view the planes on the ground and put their flying skills to the test on a flight simulator. The aerial displays will open with 40 parachutists leaping from a Noratlas - the last plane of its type still flying in the world. Tickets cost 12 euros (free for Under 10s). For more information, visit the Aéroclub de Bergerac website: www.bergerac-aeroclub.com ■

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 20146 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

Supermarkets to give away unsold foodFrench supermarkets could soon

be forced to give away their un-sold food to charities after draft legislation was tabled by a cross

party group of MPs. If accepted, the bill would make it compulsory for supermar-kets with more than 1,000 m² of floor space to give their “unsold but still con-sumable food products” to at least one food charity. This would follow a similar move taken recently by Belgium, which became the first EU country to introduce such legislation. France has been looking at ways to reduce food waste in recent years and figures show that a typical French super-market throws away some 200 tonnes of food every year. The general public are also surprisingly wasteful, with the av-erage household throwing away between 20-30 kg of food each year, worth €400; an estimated one third of this food has never even been opened! “With logistical resources and a stock-pile of products, supermarkets can more easily make donations than individuals,” explained Jean-Pierre Decool, a UMP MP, speaking to Le Monde. “A more systematic, even mandatory, approach should be added to this process by chang-ing the legislation currently in force.” French supermarkets do currently do-nate some unused food to charities; an

estimated one third of the 32,000 tonnes donated to food banks already comes from the country's grandes surfaces. The industry is, not surprisingly, opposed to the proposed changes, however, as the lo-gistics of handling this unsold food will add costs to their business. “Why add the obligation when supermarkets already give daily?” asked food trade group Fé-dération des entreprises du commerce et de la distribution. “It’s absurd to do-nate everything that goes unsold. Lots of products like fish, shellfish, fresh pas-tries are subject to very specific health codes.” Food charities were cautiously opti-mistic about the proposals. “Donations already work very well in France thanks to tax break incentives, but this text is a good thing as it will enable us to gather even more unsold produce,” said Gaëtan Lassale, head of the French federation of food banks. He did, however, raise the question of who would pay for the increased infrastructure required. Speak-ing to Le Journal du Dimanche, he said that the proposed law would put chari-ties under financial strain as they would be forced to invest in “cold storage, re-frigerated lorries or hangars” to store the food. The EU is already looking into changes to “best before” and “use by” dates on

certain products in a bid to cut down on food wastage. Many foods, such as dried pasta for example, carry best before dates when they are perfectly safe to eat long after this date has expired. In better news for France's supermar-kets, they may soon be able to enter the lucrative market for non-prescription medicines. France's pharmacies have long enjoyed a monopoly on all medica-tion, a situation that many believe has led to artificially high prices for a number of

“basic” medicines. The influential Gen-eral Inspectorate of Finance has released a report recommending that the sale of non-prescription non-reimbursable drugs, such as painkillers, be opened up to competition. The report found that the cost of non-prescription drugs has risen by twice the cost of living in the last 15 years and said that allowing supermarkets to stock cer-tain drugs would keep prices lower for consumers. ■

Angry judge demands ride from police A French judge has been charged with “as-saulting persons in a position of public author-ity” after a drunken attack on policemen who refused to drive him home. After picking up his 3 young children from his estranged wife, the judge flagged down a car that he believed to be a taxi. When the officers inside the police car explained that they were not a taxi service, he declared: “I am a deputy presiding judge, take me home!” The judge then verbally abused the officers before striking one in the crotch and attempt-ing to bite the other. He was arrested and taken to a police station, where he tried to bite an-other two officers. After he was charged with assault the next day, he admitted that he was so intoxicated that he thought the blue light on the police car meant that it was a taxi. His children, aged 7, 8 and 10, were returned to the custody of their mother. The judge, who was not named, faces a maximum sentence of €7,500 and six months in prison. ■

Next-gen genuflection It would appear that with the help of modern technology the power of prayer can also travel over the mobile phone network. At least that is what the makers of the application Sanc-tuaires Notre-Dame de Lourdes believe. The app, which is available on Android and iPhone, allows the faithful to post a prayer or light a candle (for a small fee) at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes, where many pilgrims believe that miracles can occur and the sick can be healed. The free app allows the estimated 6 million pilgrims who make the trip each year to plan their journeys, look up the times of mass and even follow the ceremonies in real time on their tablet or mobile device. “The idea is first of all to communicate with those who are not at Lourdes, but who wish to

follow the life of the city, to create a Lourdes outside of Lourdes,” explained Mathias Terrier, the Sanctuary's director of communication. ■

MP avoids jail overgypsy comment A French MP has avoided jail after claiming that Hitler “did not kill enough” gypsies. Gilles Bourdouleix made the comments whilst visit-ing an illegal Roma camp in Cholet, western France, where he is the deputy mayor. Mr Bourdouleix was recorded by a local journalist saying in a hushed tone: “Just goes to show that Hitler maybe didn’t kill enough of them”. As a result of his comments, the MP was expelled from his centrist UDI party. “Praising crimes against humanity” in France carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a €45,000 fine, but his law-yers argued that he simply mumbled the words to nobody in particular. The politician was eventually fined €3,000 but escaped a prison sentence. ■

Woman survives 36-hour ordeal A 24-year-old Frenchwoman has been rescued unharmed after 36 hours drifting on a paddle board in stormy seas off the coast of Normandy. After spending an evening with her family, Clé-mence Lapeyre decided to go for a night-time paddle, but strong currents, wind and rough seas prevented her from getting back to shore. “It was a fine night and she decided to paddle under the moonlight without telling us,” her un-cle, Christophe Rémy-Nérys, told BFMTV. “It was not until later the next day that we realised she had disappeared.” After spending 2 nights clinging to her board, she was finally spotted by a Belgian fishing boat after drifting for 120 km. France’s national maritime rescue service, SNCM, said she faced four-metre high swells and winds of up to 40 knots and called her survival a “miracle”. ■

7 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu NATIONAL NEWS ♦

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A campaign has been launched by dog owners asking Eurostar to allow their furry friends to travel with them

through the Channel Tunnel. A petition organ-ised by PetsPyjamas, a website for pet gifts, hopes to get 100,000 signatures from members of the animal-loving public by the end of Sep-tember, in order for the issue to be discussed in the House of Commons. Supporters are asking for a dedicated car-riage for man's best friend. Eurostar do not currently allow any animals to travel on their trains, although an exception is made for guide dogs. A spokesperson for the campaign's organis-ers said: “Trains allow pets either side of the Channel and by car through Eurotunnel, but for those without a vehicle, there is little op-tion. A pet-friendly Eurostar carriage allowing pet owners to travel with their dog, without affecting the quality of travel for other pas-sengers, would provide a much requested ser-vice.” There are an estimated 18 million pets in the UK, an industry that is worth around ₤2.7 bil-

lion per year. Surveys suggest that as many as half of all households consider their pets as part of the family and the number of people travel-ling with pets is on the increase. The ferry com-pany LD Lines reported a 29 per cent increase in pet travel on its Portsmouth-Le Havre route in 2013, while P&O ferries carried 19,478 cats and dogs on its Dover-Calais route alone. If Eurostar can be convinced to include a ca-nine carriage, then passport carrying pooches will soon be able to go straight from London to Marseilles in just over 6 hours! Beginning in May 2015, Eurostar will be operating a high-speed service from London to Marseilles on the Mediterranean coast, with trains also stopping at Lyon and Avignon. This journey is only cur-rently possible by changing trains via a quick trip on Paris' Metro system, which is not always convenient when you have luggage. The return journey back to London will take an hour longer due to immigration and cus-toms checks that will take place in the northern city of Lille; Britain is not part of the European Union's visa-free Schengen zone. Tickets will go on sale from December. ■

D espite the doom and gloom in France sur-rounding a stagnant economy, l'Héxagone

has kept its title as the world's fa-vourite destination, attracting 84.7 million visitors in 2013. The figures were up 2% on 2012 showing that France has lost none of its appeal to the rest of the world. “With a growth similar to that of the previous year France maintains its position as the leading tourist destination in the world, far ahead of the United States (69.8 million) and Spain (60.7 million),” read the study compiled by the UN World Tourism Organization. Tourists spent over 600 million nights in France last year, with the average person staying for 7.1 nights. Some of the surprising entries into the top 10 include Turkey,

which took sixth place with 37.8 million visitors and Russia, which made it into ninth place with 28.4 million tourists visiting last year. Once again, the tourist industry in France was driven by demand from the Far East. The number of Chinese visiting France increased by nearly 25% in 2013 and has now doubled since 2009. The number of Japanese visitors dropped slightly, however, a decline that has been blamed on a weaker Yen. France is not resting on its laurels as the world's favourite destination, however, with Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius recently unveiling plans to boost the number of tour-ists to 100 million in the near fu-ture. Key to this, according to the government, is the need to eradicate France's unwelcome reputation for rudeness: “The logic is simple,” said Fabius. “An unhappy tourist is

a tourist that never comes back.” Other measures being taken to boost tourism include a high-speed train link from Charles de Gaulle Airport to the city centre, a huge re-vamp of the Gare du Nord train sta-tion and plans to open more shops on Sundays. ■

A new property price index is due to launch this month that will give more up-to-date and more accurate data about house sale prices in France. The new index, called “Les prix de l’immobilier” (LPI), was

developed by a French economics professor in response to con-tinued demand from French real estate professionals. Until recently, the only statistics publicly available came from French notaries, information that was always out of date by the time of release and criticised for being prone to inaccu-racy due to sellers and buyers doing deals on the side in order to avoid taxes. “The French Notaires have had a monopoly on house price data for a long time and when reports are published they are always six months behind,” commented Nicholas Leach from Athena Advisors. “Historical data is always useful but the lack of real-time market information has always been a frustration for non-resident buyers, especially when this type of information is so readily available in countries like the UK. This new index will be extremely helpful when dealing with foreign investors, especially if it’s their first purchase in the country.” LPI data will be published weekly and will be based on cur-rent transactions, which will allow industry groups to provide up-to-date monthly reports on the state of the housing market. The index will differentiate between houses and apartments and can also be filtered by region, department and even town. Unlike data from the notaires, LPI figures will also include sale prices for new-build properties. The data for the new index will come from various financial institutions including Crédit Foncier, Sogeprom, Gecina and the SNPI (the national syndicate for real estate prices), and will cover over a quarter of a million transactions each year - a fig-ure which represents around 35% of property sales in France. ■

New property index

Top 10 for Tourists France - 84.7 million US - 69.8 million Spain - 60.7 million China - 55.7 million Italy - 47.7 million Turkey - 37.8 million Germany - 31.5 million UK - 31.2 million Russia - 28.4 million Thailand - 26.5 million

France still world's favourite

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 20148 ♦ NATIONAL NEWS

In March this year, it was revealed that sales of Italian sparkling wine

Prosecco in 2013 had out-stripped those of Cham-pagne by 307 million bottles to 304 million. The news was a blow to France's proud wine industry which is al-ready conceding ground in international markets to New World wines. But the Twittersphere was alight recently with news of the next innovation that would propel France back to the top of the table... Veuve-Clicquot had developed soluble Champagne tablets! Dubbed “Shh...ampagne” and designed along similar lines to Alka-Selzer, you

simply drop a tablet of solu-ble Champagne into a glass of water to get a delicious flute of the luxury tipple at a fraction of the cost. It all sounded a bit too good (or bad, if you are a wine “purist”) to be true, and as is so often the case with such things, it was... the hoax was dreamt up by a Russian marketing company, but not before a number of websites had been duped by the story and eagerly published it to the world. “In 2014, after the invention of alcohol powder, Veuve Clicquot is trying it on - soluble Champagne tab-lets made of alcohol powder will turn water into magnifi-cent Champagne,” wrote one

website. Firma, the agency that created the “campaign”, was revealed to have no affilia-tion with Veuve-Clicquot, a luxury brand owned by the LVMH group, and did not have permission to use the company's name or brand-ing. LVMH moved quickly to distance itself from the hoax, releasing an official statement denying any in-volvement. The French organisation CIVB (Inter-professional Committee for Wine and Champange) has demanded the Russian ad agency remove the images and has launched an investi-gation to find out the origins of the pictures. ■

Everybody dreams of one day find-ing buried treasure. But what would you do if you found that treasure buried in someone else's

garden? The answer for three builders in the Eure department was to steal it and split the money among themselves! The men, aged between 20 and 40 were working at the property of an unnamed lady, using a mini excavator to level some land. The bucket of the digger struck something solid and before long the stunned workers had unearthed 16 gold bars weighing 1kg each, and 600 US $20 gold coins from 1924 and 1927. The stash, which was worth al-most €1 million, is believed to have been hidden for safekeeping during the Second World War. The workers gave in to temptation, made a pact and were soon in contact with a local coin collector in an attempt to sell on their treasure. For a while, it looked as though the men had successfully pulled off the heist, but the authorities finally caught up with them when one of the builders deposited sev-eral large cheques into his bank account,

including one for €270,000. The unusual deposits raised an alert within the Finance Ministry's Tracfin service, which aims to fight money laundering. When investigators caught up with them, the men instantly confessed to their crime, but not before they had treated themselves to a few luxury items including several cars and motorbikes. Despite their criminal inclinations, however, the men showed re-markable financial good sense by investing the lion's share of their ill-gotten gains on life insurance policies and home improve-ments. The three will appear at a court in Evreux, north-west of Paris, at an unspecified date. The coin collector has been charged with seeking to conceal the theft, a charge which he denies. The owner of the house said she and her husband wished to remain anonymous to avoid prying neighbours and other would-be gold diggers and had not even told her own children about the incident. She is re-ported as having told the workers jokingly as they started the work: “If you find any treasure, be sure to tell me!” ■

Make your own fizz!! Builders steal gold bullion

ernment he leads, then in that case I thought it necessary for me to be let go.” He was joined in his criticism by several other ministers, but it was not immediately clear whether other senior politicians who had called for a change in economic policy would also be fired. In the aftermath, how-ever, Benoît Hamon confirmed that he would not play any role in the new cabinet - the education minister never oversaw a single rentrée. The decision to dissolve the cabi-net appeared to have the backing of President Hollande, who immediately asked Mr Valls to form a new govern-ment. By accepting the government’s resignation, François Hollande is hoping to send a clear message: dis-senters within the party will not be tolerated at this difficult economic time.

Unemployment remains high (11%) and shows no signs of falling and France has suffered two consecutive quarters of zero growth. The prospect of no growth for the financial year, combined with a fall in tax revenues, means that the government will al-most certainly fail to meet its deficit target, despite the painful cuts and other austerity measures. With the popularity of Hollande and Valls perilously low - apparently even within their own party - it remains to be seen if they still have the political clout to pull France out of the current economic depression. National Front leader Marine Le Pen said the president should dis-solve the National Assembly and call elections, while left-wing Green poli-tician Eva Joly denounced the Social-ist government’s economic policies, arguing they were “governing against their majority”. ■

>> continued from pg 1

French government steps down

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World's most expensive apartment to go on sale An apartment in Monaco is due to go on the market shortly with an estimated price tag of €300 million. If the eye-watering guide price is reached, then the pent-house property on top of the 170-metre-high Odeon Tower will become the most ex-pensive in the world. It will include the top four floors of the tower and will boast 3,500 square metres of living space. Apart from the standard bedrooms, lounge, dining room and kitchen on each floor, the apartment will fea-ture a sauna, private cinema and a steam room. Not only that, but if you can get approved for the mort-gage, you will be able to slide down into your own private infinity pool via a water chute from the 47th floor. The developers have apparently already found buyers for 26 out of the 36 luxury apartments in the Odeon Tower, the first skyscraper to be built in the principality since the 1980s, which is costing more than €600 million to construct. ■

9 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu NATIONAL NEWS ♦

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 201410 ♦ SPORT

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French athlete loses his shirt... and gold

England lift Rugby World Cup in France

French athlete Mahiedine Mekh-issi-Benabbad has once again caused controversy, this time during the 3,000 metre stee-plechase final at the recent Eu-

ropean Championships. Coming into the home straight with a commanding lead, Mekhissi-Benabbad removed his shirt and gestured to the crowd. He then held his vest in his teeth as he cleared the final hur-dle before crossing the finishing line. After “winning” his third consecutive European title, his celebrations were cut short when it was later announced that he had been stripped of his medal. He ini-tially received a yellow card from a track official for “acting in an unsporting or im-proper manner” before he started his lap of honour, but was later disqualified after Spain, whose athletes finished fourth and fifth, made an official protest citing rules on “clothing, shoes and bibs”, organisers said. The rules in question state that athletes must display their bib numbers at all times. “When I took off my vest on the last me-tres, it was because of my joy, of course,” Mekhissi-Benabbad told the Champion-ship’s official website before the disquali-fication was announced. “It was the pleas-ure of winning. I was so happy to defend my title. The main thing was to win. I did not know that I was going to get a yellow card for that. But this yellow card, this is nothing. It was just the emotion. Today I will enjoy my victory and we have to see how this evening will finish.” French Athletics Federation president Bernard Amsalem described Mekhissi-Benabbad's behaviour as “unacceptable”, but also criticised the way the matter was

handled. “The action was unacceptable, you don't take off your vest during a race, it isn't done,” he said. “At the same time, he took off his vest and it didn't hurt anyone. He's impulsive. But it should have stopped there. Unfortunately, the Spanish lodged a protest. I would never have lodged a pro-test, the Spanish acted badly.” It was not all bad news for France, how-ever, as the second placed runner, Yoann Kowal, was also French and was promoted to the top step of the podium. He was over-joyed with what he believed to be a silver

medal and had yet another reason to cel-ebrate, telling IAAF interviewers: “After the lap of honour I asked my girlfriend to marry me and she said yes!” Kowal did not speak with the media after the disqualifica-tion was announced. Mekhissi-Benabbad has a history of courting controversy. He has twice as-saulted mascots, on one occasion slapping a promotional product from the hand of a 14-year-old girl, dressed in a large foam costume, before pushing her to the ground. On another, he was given a suspended

sentence by the French Federation, fined €1,500 and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service after getting into an on-track fist fight with fellow Frenchman Me-hdi Baala after a Diamond League 1,500 metre race in Monaco in 2011. “Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad just finds a way to make people hate him,” said the BBC's Allison Curbishley, speaking on Radio 5 Live. “He's got history and he just winds people up. Taking off his vest, swinging it around his head and taking the last hurdle was just out of order.” ■

August saw France host the 7th W o m e n ' s

Rugby World Cup as the popularity and ex-posure of the women's game increases across Europe and the world. France's crucial 17-3 victory over Australia in the pool phase, along with convincing wins over Wales and South Africa, saw Les Bleues progress unbeaten into the semi-finals - with-out conceding a try - despite starting the tournament as relative outsiders. Unfortunately, the home team missed out on a place in the final, losing 18-16 to the competition's sur-prise package, Canada. Trailing 18-6 early in the second half, 2 late tries set up a thrilling finish in Paris, but the France were unable to

complete the come-back. Despite the disap-pointment of missing out on a first World Cup final, France did beat Ireland 25-18 in the play-off to claim third place in the 12-team competition that occurs every four years. One of the biggest shocks of the tourna-ment came when Ire-land beat favourites New Zealand 17-14, effectively knocking out the team that have won the tournament on the last 4 occasions. That opened the door for England's women, who have finished run-ners up to New Zea-land at the previous 3 World Cups. With a comfortable 40-7 victory over the Irish in the semi-final, the Red Roses lifted their second World Cup in

Paris following a 21-9 win against Canada. England's only previ-ous World Cup win came back in 1994. The hosts, who en-tered the tournament as the reigning 6-Na-tions champions, are a big draw at home and the popularity of the women's game is on the increase. TV audiences on French terrestrial television peaked at over 2 mil-lion during the pool phase of the competi-tion and the final took place in front of a 20,000 sell-out inside the Stade Jean-Bouin - the home of Stade Français. “All this media at-tention is new for us, people wanting to know about us - it's new,” fullback Elodie Poublan told FRANCE 24 during the tourna-ment. ■

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Plus Vite! Moins Cher!

How “pé-n i b l e ” it is, as I write t h i s

in late August, to be thinking of the autumn, and then the winter just around the corner. Of course, the weather here is often glorious, with frequent Indian Summers, but what this means for the working gardener is much less time available outside during daylight hours. So the more you can do now, the better. Your flower garden has, hopefully, swathes of flowers still going strong: coreopsis, rud-beckias, echinaceas, asters, heleniums, dahlias, helianthus, crocosmia, salvias, etc. Keep deadheading to spread the flower-ing season out as long as possible, and check stakes are firm, if needed. Pick armfuls for the house! Wander round and ask yourself if any clumps will still have enough space next year. If they've already taken up the major-ity of the space avail-able to them, decide if you need to move a neighbour or divide the clump this autumn. Make a note! At the same time, consider if the various colour combinations you have work well, or if you fancy a change. It's a good time to dig up the self sowers if they are not in the right place - mine love to seed in my gravel paths - and then repot them. They'll make super presents, or swaps at seed exchang-es. Remember to label right away, especially if you have different colours. This also goes for young trees - many reproduce themselves. My Prunus padus must have 3 or 4 babies around it, all of which will go to new homes in the autumn, to beau-tify other spaces and gardens. Guard against over-crowding. While your

trees and bushes have their full set of leaves is the right time to cast a critical eye and see if they have the space they need. During the autumn, when the leaves shed, the frame-works lose all their volume, and it's easy to be led astray. Decide what needs pruning now, but wait a while before actually doing it. Coloured wool or string around branches that need to go can be a good reminder. Keep on top of the grass, which seems to have been growing with alarming speed recently, but leave a few corners with long grass for the wildlife. If you plan to natu-ralise bulbs, say, daf-fodils, then cut the area reasonably short from now on until you plant the bulbs. Weeding also needs doing, as the influx of weed seed is finding the warm/wet conditions ideal for germination. The nettles which were harvested for nettle tea are responding to these conditions by throwing up new growth, which will either make more tea, or get dried. Brambles are pr-oducing glossy berries for pies and jam, but make sure they don't sneakily root them-selves into borders. It's incredible how fast they can grow! Ditto for raspberries and es-pecially, loganberries. Every garden has its own complex of weeds, with some being more pernicious than others. In my garden, it's con-volvulus!! And at this time of year, more than other times, it's a real nuisance as it climbs over bushes and young trees. When I have a moment, I go round with the secateurs free-ing branches that are being pulled into ir-regular shapes, and dig up as much root at the base as possible. Any pernicious weeds should, clearly, not be

put onto the compost heap. To avoid dump-ing them dans la na-ture or taking them to the tip, I keep a barrel of water in a corner, and bung them in that. After a while, they rot down, and the mush can safely be emptied out from time to time. The veg garden should still be going strong - keep picking, weeding, watering, etc. If you've sown for win-ter veg, you are likely to have plenty of seed-lings to thin out or deal with. Start deciding what is to go where, if you have not sown di-rectly into the ground but in modules. Aim to regroup veg into man-ageable plots so that if you need to protect with fleece later it's do-able. Germination has been excellent recently so there are probably a reasonable number of new salad plants, etc. turning up by them-selves, if you left a par-ent plant to go to seed. While the weather is reasonable, see if your pond needs clean-

ing. A surfeit of oxy-genating plants clogs up the space and can have a negative effect when they rot down. Look to see that you have enough areas of clear water. If not, pull handfuls of weed out. This is much nicer to do now than on an icy November day! Leave any pondweed for 24 hours on the edge of the pond, to enable any insects or newts, etc. to find their way back to the water. After this time, put it on your compost heap. So lots to to, but it's so nice to take advan-tage of the season and collect the fruits of your labour.

Good gardening! ■

Many thanks to all those who sent in plum stones following my recent appeal - I al-ready have some sap-lings!!

I will be running a similar appeal again soon - more details next month!!

In the garden - jobs for Septemberby Michelle Pierce

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 201412 ♦ FEATURE

The Taxis of the MarneO ne hundred

years ago, Europe was at war with Germany and the future of

France hung in the balance. Following their lightening quick offensive, the German armies were just 50 kilometres from the gates of Paris, the city seemed all but lost and the government had already fled to the city of Bordeaux. The fall of Paris would almost certainly have heralded vic-tory for Germany on the West-ern front. The French commander-in-chief, General Joseph Joffre, had other plans. Following a mammoth retreat, he would counter attack at the Marne. The fighting that took place between the 5th and 12th Sep-tember 1914 - which became known as the First Battle of the Marne - halted the German advance, forced them into a retreat and ultimately created the conditions for the trench warfare that would come to define the Great War. One key feature of the coun-ter offensive was the mobi-lisation of the “Taxis of the Marne”, an event that may be unfamiliar to many British schoolchildren, but one that in France is considered as a turn-ing point in the war. On the night of September 6th, 1914, a fleet of taxis left Paris under the cover of darkness, carry-ing reinforcements to the front line and turning the tide of the battle against the Germans. The taxi drivers saved the city and demonstrated the un-faltering unity of the French people... or so the story goes. The Taxis of the Marne have gone down in legend, but many now argue that while they certainly had a huge im-pact in terms of morale, mili-tarily they had very little im-pact on the battle. So what role did these taxis actually play one hundred years ago and did they indeed turn the course of history?

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The story begins at the turn of the 20th century, with a Ger-man high command thought experiment on how a war with France could be won. The re-sult was the Schlieffen Plan, which advocated a rapid in-vasion through southern Bel-gium, committing the French army to battle and quickly en-circling and capturing Paris. They realised that if France were given enough time to form strong defensive lines, then their initiative would be lost. The Germans were pain-fully aware that fighting a war on two fronts would be catastrophic and the Schlief-fen Plan envisaged winning the war in the West before such a situation developed. “The Ger-mans gambled all on a brilliant operational concept,” wrote

historian Holger H. Herwick in his 2009 book, The Marne: 1914. “It was a single roll of the dice. There was no fall-back, no Plan B.” Many are familiar with the staggering loss of life that resulted from static trench warfare, but the early days of the war, known as the War of Movement, were even more deadly. Cavalry met airplane, officers wielding swords charged machine guns and heavy artillery. “Masses of men advanced against dev-astatingly powerful modern armaments in the same fash-ion as warriors since ancient times,” wrote Max Hastings in his 2013 book Catastrophe 1914: Europe Goes To War. “The consequences were un-surprising, save to some gen-erals.” On 22nd August 1914, 27,000 French soldiers were killed in just one day of fight-ing near the Belgian border in what became known as the Battle of the Frontiers. No oth-er nation had ever lost so many men in a single day of fight-ing, and even the more “fa-mous” battles that came later in the war, such as the Battle of the Somme, never saw a one-day death tally as high. Two weeks after the Battle of the Frontiers came the First Battle of the Marne. Many feared that Paris would shortly fall - the Schlieffen Plan ap-peared to be working. The French government had al-ready left the capital, heading for the relative safety of Bor-deaux in south-west France, along with an estimated 1 million refugees. Those that stayed were preparing for a deadly siege. As Hastings relates in his book, a British diplomat, be-fore burning his papers and himself fleeing the city, fired off a dispatch to London warn-ing that “the Germans seem sure to succeed in occupying Paris”. Seeing the French troops re-treating in such disarray, the British Expeditionary Force, under the command of Field Marshall Sir John French, were exhausted and demor-alised. Defeat looked certain and the British began to make contingency plans for a full retreat to the ports on the Eng-lish Channel followed by an immediate evacuation. At this point, France called on one of its greatest military men. The retired 65-year-old General Joseph Gallieni was brought back into ser-vice to organise the defence of Paris. “Gallieni’s physical appearance alone command-ed respect,” wrote Herwick. “Straight as an arrow and al-ways immaculate in full-dress uniform, he had a rugged, chiseled face with piercing eyes, a white droopy mous-tache and a pince-nez clamped on the bridge of his nose.” Gallieni realised that Jof-fre would need all the men he

could get to hold the city and began to commandeer any-thing that moved into shipping men to the front lines. Trucks, trains and bicycles were all pressed into service... as were the small army of taxis that had recently been introduced to Paris. Of the estimated 10,000 taxis operating in the capital at the start of the war, around 7,000 were out of service, with their drivers already fighting in the army. However, those that could respond did so, if not always willingly! “In every street in the capital po-lice had stopped taxis during working hours, turned out the passengers, and directed the vehicles towards the Military College, where they were as-sembled,” wrote Henri Isselin in his 1966 book The Battle of the Marne. On the night of September 6th, the first group of taxis assembled outside the mili-tary compound on the Place des Invalides. The Renault AG1 Landaulets could carry 5 passengers, but were only marginally quicker than a bi-cycle, boasting a top speed of just 40 km/h. The first con-voy of around 250 taxis left Paris, picked up their cargo of fresh fighting men, and head-ed through the night towards the distant rumble of artillery. Many more followed. Meanwhile, a dramatic turn of events was taking place less than 40 kilometres to the east. One of the German command-ers, Alexander von Kluck, using his own initiative and breaking from orders, pushed forward to chase a retreating French army that he believed was all but defeated - a view shared at the time by most of his colleagues. The move exposed his army's flank and separated it from the nearest other German army. This troop movement was spotted by French aerial re-connaissance planes and the counter attack began in ear-

nest, with General Joffre di-recting his troops into Kluck's flank. The battle was balanced on a knife-edge and in a fa-mous scene often recounted in histories of the Marne, Jof-fre visited the headquarters of his reluctant British allies and personally pleaded with them to join him, reminding them that the survival of France was at stake. The famously petu-lant British Field Marshall Sir John French agreed; the British Expeditionary Force joined the counter-offensive. The German high command was taken completely by sur-prise. “It dawned on them at long last that the Allies had not been defeated, that they had not been routed, that they were not in disarray,” wrote Lyn MacDonald in her 1987 book on the first year of the war, 1914. Far from defeated, Joffre and his British allies repulsed the German advance - aided in large part by the reinforce-ments rushed to the front - in what is now remembered as “The Miracle of the Marne.” The word “miracle” is fitting as even the Allies themselves seemed surprised at their suc-cess against the Germans. “Victory, victory,” wrote one British officer. “When we were so far from expecting it!” When the First Battle of the Marne was over, more than half a million men had been killed or wounded - a bloody prelude to what would take place over the next 4 years. The taxis almost instantly became a defining element of the Miracle. “Unique in its scale and speed,” wrote Ar-naud Berthonnet, a historian at the Sorbonne University in Paris, “the Taxis of the Marne had a real effect upon the mo-rale of both the troops and the civilian population, as well as upon the German command. More marginal and psycho-logical than operational and militaristic in importance,

this epic came to symbolize French unity and solidarity.” Despite becoming a defin-ing event in France's history, few now argue that the taxis provided anything more than a psychological and morale boost. The numbers involved were relatively low: no more than 10,000 men were trans-ported by taxi - a tiny number in a battle that involved well over 2 million soldiers on both sides. Further, while it is true that mobile troop deployments did play a key role in the bat-tle, it was those transported by train that ended up on the front lines; the troops trans-ported by taxi were largely held in reserve. What's more, while the taxi drivers came to represent France's unity and never-say-die attitude, in reality many of the drivers were decidedly unwilling to make the trip to the front. In a move that would probably bring a smile to modern-day Parisian taxi drivers - a group fiercely pro-tective of their industry - the heroes of 1914 read their me-ters when they returned to the capital and presented the army with a bill!! The image of the column of taxis heading bravely to the heart of the battle endures, however. “When we welcome schoolchildren to the muse-um, they don’t know anything about the First World War, but they know the Taxis of the Marne,” says Stephane Jo-nard, a cultural interpreter at France’s World War I museum located on the Marne battle-field where one of the actual taxis is still exhibited. How-ever, staff are quick to explain the truth of the taxis' role. “What’s important,” he says, “is that, at the moment we tell them about the real impact of the taxis, we also explain to them what a symbol is.” A symbol that has lasted 100 years and is sure to be re-membered for many years to come. ■

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Across:1. vaccines (7)5. horn (3)7. nephew (3)8. fire (3)9. active (5)10. ink (5)12. bruises (5)13. April (5)17. here (3)18. dog (5)19. street (3)20. sandal (7)

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Bilingual Crossword

Bilingual crossword solution can be found on page 23

G reat Britain and France may only be separated by as little as 33 kilometres,

but when it comes to the foods we eat, our two countries can be light years apart! You will find that you have a very difficult time persuading a Brit that the leg of a frog is an appetising treat. Similarly, for us north of the Channel, snails belong in the garden and most certainly not on a plate, covered in garlic butter! The differences go in both directions. A plate of chips smothered in thick gravy is many people's idea of heaven, but will have a Frenchman scratching his head in confusion. And as for jellied eels... Perhaps the one food that best highlights the different tastebuds of such close neighbours is Marmite. Marmite is a rich, dark brown spread made from yeast extract, a by-product of beer brewing, which is most commonly eaten on toast or crackers or spread in

a sandwich. Occasionally it can be mixed with hot water to make a drink. But be careful, Marmite has a very dense flavour and you do not need much. There are very few equivalents to Marmite in mainland Europe, although people from Switzerland may be familiar with Cenovis. Marmite has a very particular taste, one which even divides the British population; a famous advertising campaign for the spread uses the line “Love it or Hate it”. Being “a bit like Marmite” is used in everyday language to describe something or someone that polarises opinion. Those that love Marmite, however, REALLY love it. It will often be top of the list of things that family and friends are asked to bring out to France as a gift “from home”. Many people cannot live without it. One study revealed that as many as 25% of Britons take Marmite with them when traveling! Although most associated

with Britain, the name Marmite will be familiar to the French. In France, a marmite is a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot and Marmite was originally supplied in this type of earthenware pot, hence the name. Since the 1920s, however, Marmite has been sold in the familiar glass jar with the iconic yellow lid, but the label still bears the image of a marmite to this day. Not only is Marmite delicious (unless you hate it), it is also very good for you. The yeast extract used to make it is rich in folic acid and a number of B-vitamins. During World War I, British troops were even issued with Marmite as part of their rations! If reading this has made you curious, you will often find small jars of Marmite in the foreign food aisle of larger French supermarkets. Alternatively, just ask any British expat... they will almost certainly have some in their cupboard! ■

S euls 33 petits kilomètres séparent la Grande-Bretagne et la France mais

quand on en vient à parler de la nourriture, nos deux pays se retrouvent parfois à des années-lumière l’un de l’autre ! Vous aurez beaucoup de mal à convaincre un Britannique qu’une cuisse de grenouille est une friandise appétissante. Dans le même esprit, au nord de la Manche, on pense que la place d’un escargot est dans le jardin et certainement pas dans une assiette, beurré à l’ail ! Inversement, la même assiette de frites baignant dans une sauce « gravy » bien épaisse transportera le Britannique moyen au paradis

et plongera le Français dans un océan de perplexité. Sans parler des anguilles en gelée… S’il y a un aliment qui montre le mieux combien les papilles gustatives de si proches voisins sont différentes, c’est bien la Marmite. Extraite de la levure et sous-produit de la fabrication de la bière, c’est une pâte à tartiner riche et de couleur brun foncé. Elle est souvent étalée sur du pain grillé, un biscuit cracker ou bien dans un sandwich. Parfois on l’ajoute à de l’eau chaude pour en faire une boisson. Mais attention de ne pas en mettre beaucoup car la pâte a un goût très fort. Il existe très peu de produits

équivalents en Europe continentale, sauf chez les Suisses qui consomment le Cenovis. La Marmite a un goût très particulier, à tel point qu’elle divise la population britannique en deux camps. Une campagne publicitaire connue utilise le slogan « Marmite, tu l’aimes ou tu la détestes ». Désormais, « être un peu comme Marmite » est une expression familière qui décrit quelque chose ou quelqu’un qui polarise l’opinion publique. Par contre, ceux qui aiment la Marmite l’aiment VRAIMENT. C’est souvent le produit qui est en tête de liste lorsque la famille ou les amis doivent rapporter un cadeau du pays en France. Beaucoup

de gens ne peuvent pas s’en passer et une étude a montré que 25 % des Britanniques prennent un pot de Marmite avec eux quand ils voyagent ! Bien qu’il soit généralement associé à la Grande-Bretagne, le mot féminin “marmite” est familier aux Français. Il désigne un grand récipient métallique ou en faïence recouvert d’un couvercle et utilisé pour cuire les aliments. Il a donné son nom au produit britannique qui, à l’origine, était contenu dans un pot en faïence. Depuis les années 1920, la Marmite est vendue dans un petit pot en verre devenu familier avec son couvercle jaune emblématique mais il y a toujours une petite marmite

représentée sur l’étiquette. La Marmite n’est pas seulement délicieuse (à moins que vous ne la détestiez…), elle est aussi bonne pour votre santé. L’extrait de levure est riche en acide folique et en vitamines B. Durant la première guerre mondiale, on la trouvait même dans les rations des troupes britanniques ! Si la lecture de cet article a attisé votre curiosité, vous pourrez probablement trouver de petits pots de Marmite dans le rayon “Produits du monde” des grands supermarchés français. Vous pouvez aussi en demander à n’importe quel expatrié britannique, il en aura probablement un pot dans son placard ! ■

Marmite: Love it or Hate it

© 2

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- joe

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 201414 ♦ PRACTICAL

New €10 note in circulationD o not be alarmed if you

find an unfamiliar €10 banknote in your wallet in the near future, it is per-

fectly legal tender! September 23rd will see the new “Europa series” note enter circulation across the 23 coun-tries that use the Euro, joining the €5 note that was first introduced in 2013. The new Europa series notes, which are being introduced in ascending or-der of denomination, are so-called as they feature an image of Europa - a figure from Greek mythology and the origin of the name of the continent - which appears in the hologram and the watermark. The new notes are the same size and very similar in appearance to the existing ones, which will remain le-gal tender across the 17-member eu-rozone. The Europa series of banknotes includes new and enhanced security features which the ECB hopes will of-fer better protection against counter-feiting. Their durability has also been improved by virtue of a new coating which has been applied. Although the notes are more secure, counterfeiting has not proved to be a huge problem for the eurozone. In the first half of 2012 a total of 251,000 counterfeit euro banknotes were withdrawn from circulation. That is just 0.0017% of the 14.6 billion genuine banknotes in circulation during the same period. Although the number of counter-feit notes is low, there was a slight increase in 2013 and the ECB will be keen to introduce the newer, more

secure €20 and €50 notes in the near future; of the 353,000 counterfeit banknotes withdrawn from service in 2013, three quarters were either €20 or €50 denominations. European Central Bank president Mario Draghi said the Europa se-ries of notes would be “more intel-ligent and more secure than the first series”. Mr Draghi also said that the euro “has over the years become the most visible symbol of European in-

tegration”, adding that the new notes “continue to reflect the unity and di-versity of our continent”. The notes include some text in Cyrillic, follow-ing the arrival of Bulgaria in the Eu-ropean and Monetary Union in 2007. The image of Europa - who accord-ing to Greek mythology was seduced and abducted by Zeus disguised as a bull - is taken from a famous vase on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris. ■

NOTE: This article does not deal with the “auto entrepreneur” status modifications coming in force on the 1st of January 2015. These will be dealt with next year in another Bugle issue.

1. Work permit and registration to live in France for EU citizens

First of all, it might sound obvious, but you do not need to get a work permit to set up your business in France if you are an EU citizen.

Note also that you no longer need to register if you decide to live in France permanently.

2. Formalities to set up a business

No specific formalities are required from you to set up a business. The same rules apply to all individuals living and working in France.

However, you cannot live in France and work for yourself without being registered as an in-dependent worker, trader, craftsman, etc.

First of all you must decide in advance on the type of business you would like to set up.

3. “Auto-entrepreneur”: differentcharacteristics of this status

In order to set up a company in France you may either choose to play it safe and create an entity to separate your company’s assets from

your personal belongings (limited liability), in which case you will have to create a company (see last month’s issue), or alternatively you may wish to create a new business but also avoid heavy formalities; in this case you could choose to work as an “auto-entrepreneur”. Advantages of the auto-entrepreneur sta-tus: It is the simplest way to set up your busi-ness. It is interesting if little investment is needed and not much risk is taken.

Limits: Turnover cannot exceed:*€82,200 a year for buying and selling activi-ties (commerce)*€32,900 a year for craft/trade (services)

The new law coming into force at the begin-ning of 2015 seems to have left these thresh-olds unmodified.

Formalities and name of the business: The business will be registered under your own name. Registration can be done online.

PRACTICAL TIP:

I would strongly suggest, to be on the safe side, that for the initial formalities in setting up a business and when getting in touch with the French administration (URSSAF, RSI or CPAM, pension…), written correspondence should be sent via recorded delivery (LRAR - lettre recommandée avec avis de réception).

Social charges: Contributions towards pen-

sion, health and URSSAF are paid either monthly or every three months and represent a fixed percentage of turnover.

VAT: The business is not subject to VAT so it means simpler accounting and that you will charge less to customers.

IR: In June, you have to declare your business income as income revenue (IR - impôts sur le revenu).

Business tax: As far as taxes are concerned, as an auto-entrepreneur you do not pay business tax (CFE - cotisation foncière des entreprises) for 3 years (this will change in 2015). CFE is a type of professional council tax based on the business premises rented or owned in which the business is run.

Major disadvantage: As a sole trader, the owner of the business has unlimited liability for the debts of the business.

PRACTICAL INFO:

Note that as an “auto-entrepreneur” in France, if you have many personal debts, you cannot benefit from the help of the Commission de surendettement as they only help and handle debts that were created in one’s personal life. The exclusive competent court to handle business bankruptcy and professional debts is the commercial tribu-nal (Tribunal de Commerce).

If you have a lot of personal debts and are not able to refund your creditors, the Com-mission de surendettement might be able to help but not as long as you are still a registered “auto-entrepreneur”. You have to have ceased any trade activity and be officially struck off by the right registrar (notify the right CFE in accordance to your type of activity by LRAR - French recorded

delivery letter).

It is already complicated for French natives to deal with the administration required to set up a business in France. It is paramount that if you are not totally fluent, you seek legal ad-vice from a lawyer with company law expe-rience. Do not assume that you will manage on your own because you heard that so and so has managed. They might have made mistakes and do not even know it yet.

Do not assume that everybody speaks English!

A business lawyer is likely to have close bonds with a local, reliable accountant and therefore you will get practical advice on the law and the formalities that need to be done and how to do it right, but also on the best solution to fit your needs (business needs and how to protect your family in case the business is not going so well).

Starting a business the right way might be a bit more expensive and take longer that you thought but seeking the right piece of advice at the right time will mean that you are more likely to be successful and avoid some really tricky situations.■

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact:Prune CALONNE, Avocat au Barreau de Tou-louse,117 route d’Albi, 31200 Toulouse

Phone: 05 34 30 51 33Mobile: 06 74 16 11 12Email: scpcalonneadouedugast@hotmail.fr

My firm can arrange appointments in CA-HORS at our correspondent’s offices. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more details.

If you wish to settle in France, often one of the main issues in a success-ful relocation is to find work. Last month, Prune Calonne, an English-speaking French lawyer in Toulouse, informed readers on the different company types existing under French law. This month, tips on how to create your business under the auto-entrepreneur scheme and how to function when addressing the French administration are given.

How to create your dream job in France

UK to remove expat personal tax allowance?In recent years, the UK government has looked

to save money by ending winter fuel payments to British nationals living abroad and also with-drawn the S1 temporary healthcare forms. In its

latest cost-cutting move affecting expats, the govern-ment is now examining whether or not to remove the UK personal tax allowance from non-residents. The UK personal tax allowance - the amount of income that can be earned before tax is applied - is currently £10,000, a figure set to rise to £10,500 in April next year. Under current rules, this allowance is available to the UK earnings of British nationals living overseas, but could be removed following an ongoing Open Consultation entitled “Restricting non-residents’ entitlement to the UK personal allowance”. On the government's website, the consultation doc-ument states that the UK is “committed to ensuring that everybody benefitting from the UK’s economic and social environment pays a fair amount of tax in the UK. This consultation explores whether the UK should take steps to restrict non-residents’ entitlement to the Personal Allowance; the options for doing so and the impacts it would have.” As part of the consultation, the government will be examining whether to retain the allowance for certain kinds of UK income, for example government pen-sions. HMRC estimates that there are at least 400,000 people claiming personal tax allowances in the UK who are non-resident for tax purposes. Based on the data available, it claims that if non-residents were not entitled to the UK personal allowance, then most of them would face increased UK tax liabilities. For more information, or to give your view on the consultation, visit the UK government website http://www.gov.uk/ and search for “consultations”. ■

15 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu PRACTICAL ♦

La Rentrée – Time to Stop Putting off those Tricky Decisions

As summer visitors start to drift away and we get “our” regions back to

ourselves, thoughts turn to all those jobs that we have put off during the holidays. For those with children, late August is all about get-ting the list of books, pens and equipment needed for the new school year and getting to the local shops before they sell out. Gardeners will also start to think about the autumn jobs that need to be done before winter sets in. Why not also make this year’s “rentrée” the time when you finally put your finances in order? Just run through the follow-ing list and see whether you have ever said any of these things. If so, it might be worth having a rethink, as taking no action could be an expensive mistake for you and/or your family.

I am still resident in the UK, so don’t need to make any financial arrangements in

France

It is a common misconcep-tion that residence is a matter of choice. Whilst, of course, we can choose where to live, fiscal residence is also a mat-ter of fact. Many people split their time between the UK and France and could quite le-gitimately claim that they are still UK resident. However, there are also a large number of people who spend almost all of their time in France but are still “UK resident” for tax purposes.

Each country has its own set of rules regarding residence, but if more than one country can claim you are resident there, and if there is a tax treaty in place between the countries, it is this which will determine where you are fiscally resi-dent. Put simply, if you split your time between homes in the UK and France, where you spend more time is likely to be considered your place of resi-dence. Even if you are still resident in the UK and only use your property in France for holidays, this property will be subject to the French inheritance rules in the event of your death and it is therefore sensible to ensure that you understand who will inherit what when you die.

I will pay far more tax in France than Britain

France has long had a repu-tation for high taxation, which spends its taxes properly on its infrastructure. Whilst it is true that the cost of running a busi-ness here could be significantly higher than in other European countries, for individuals, French income tax compares favourably with its neighbours. One area which concerns British people is the “Impôt de Solidarité sur la Fortune” (ISF), or wealth tax. This is an annual tax on your capital as-sets, which is alien to British taxpayers. The tax is applied once assets exceed €1,300,000 and your “principal residence” benefits from a 30% discount when calculating the value of assets. However, for anyone hav-

ing taken up French residence since August 2008, you do not need to declare any “non French” assets for the five years after you become resi-dent. Of course, it is sensible to do your sums before making any decisions about moving to an-other country permanently, but to live in France on an almost permanent basis and not de-clare yourself resident because you are worried about the tax bills could not only be a mis-take but could land you in hot water with the authorities and could mean you are paying more tax than is necessary.

The French system is too complicated and I just want

an easy life

It does sometimes seem that everything in France was in-vented to keep the bureaucrats happy, but with proper advice and guidance, the French sys-tem need not be that daunting. In any case, ignoring a poten-tial problem because it seems too complicated to sort out generally just makes that prob-lem worse. Getting seemingly compli-cated technicalities explained in plain English could prove to be invaluable in the long run.

I have written a will in the UK and my family knows

my wishes

Living permanently in France means that your worldwide assets are subject to French inheritance rules and taxes in the event of your death. The only exception for

people with assets in the UK and France is any property (real estate) in the UK, which will still be subject to the rules and taxes that side of The Channel. If you do still have property in the UK, your UK will is still valid as far as that property is concerned. However, the rest of your assets will fall under the strict French rules, as origi-nally decreed by Napoleon un-der the “Code Civil”. Qualified professional ad-vice will help you to ensure that you understand the French rules and make use of them to suit your circumstances be-cause dying without making prior arrangements could leave your heirs with some very nas-ty surprises.

My money is all in Sterling and I don’t want to change it

to Euros

We would always advise people to have at least some income and/or capital in Euros, as that is the currency you use to buy your baguette and other essentials. However, whilst the recent weakening of the Euro has made the situation slightly better, it is understandable if people do not necessarily want to exchange Sterling for Euros currently. That does not mean that proper financial planning for life in France is not possi-ble. Tax-efficient options still exist for those not wishing to invest in Euros, so long-term decisions can be made now and currency decisions can be postponed if you wish.

What’s the point in bother-ing? I will eventually go

back to the UK

Whilst the longer term plan may well be to return eventu-ally to the UK, doing no plan-ning now could mean that you pay more in taxes on your in-come than you need to and you could land your heirs with big headaches if you die whilst still resident in France. It is perfectly possible to structure your affairs so that they are tax-efficient for life in France now, without having to undo all that planning if you move back to the UK in the fu-ture. ■

Seeking proper advice from

a qualified professional is the only way to be sure that you are getting things right. Siddalls offers a free initial consultation, which is the op-portunity for us to properly un-derstand your circumstances and requirements and present our services to you.

Peter Wakelin is Regional Manager of Siddalls France, Independent Financial Advis-ers, specialised in tax, inheri-tance, pension and investment planning for the British com-munity in the Dordogne since 1996.Telephone 05 56 34 75 51,bordeaux.office@siddalls.net.www.siddalls.fr

There have always been con artists, grifters and crooks, but the internet has given them a multitude of new ways

to target a much wider market. Most people will know at least one person who has been scammed by phone, email or over the internet. “How can people be so stupid?” is a phrase you often hear coming from more cynical, internet savvy people. Well, when you consider that 'phishing' scams alone in the UK earned the cyber criminals £600 million last year, plenty of people are caught unawares - it is much easier to fall foul of the scammers than you would think! It is not simply a case of being 'naïve' or 'stupid'... circumstance, timing and your emotional state of mind all come into it. If a scam artist sends an email to 1 million people saying that there has been 'unauthorised access' on their credit card, you can bet that a good number of them will have mislaid their card that very day and will panic. Sadly, at The Bugle we have heard quite a few stories over the years from readers who have fallen foul to these

attacks, so we have complied a list of a few of the more common scams that you are likely to come across in France, as well as tips on how to avoid them. This list is not exhaustive, and the scammers are constantly updating them, but it should give you an idea of the kind of thing to look out for.

Overdue Utilities/Unauthorised Access 'Phishing' Scam

This is one of the most common online scams. You receive an authentic-looking email from a trusted institution informing you there has been an 'unauthorised transaction' on your account, or that they couldn't 'verify your information'. In the case of a utility company, the email may appear to come from EDF or Orange saying that your invoice is overdue. The email will ask you to click on a link and ultimately enter your personal banking information somewhere. You have in fact been taken to a bogus website, where your information has been intercepted by criminals, who will then use it to try to withdraw funds from your account.

Microsoft Help Desk Scam

This scam involves people, often from Asian call centres, ringing up and saying that they are representatives from Microsoft Technical Support. They then tell you that they can see your computer on the internet and that it is running slowly, either because of viruses or because it needs an additional piece of software - at a cost, of course. Once the scammers have gained your trust, they will ask you to log onto your computer and then guide you through a series of steps that will ultimately give them access to your computer. They can then damage your computer with malicious software, including installing viruses and spyware. Occasionally, they will direct you to a website where you are asked to fill in your credit card details to pay for the 'fix'. Microsoft do not, never have and never will make unsolicited phone calls. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft Tech Support, or Microsoft, simply hang up. That, or tell them you only have Macs in your house and see how quickly they hang up!

Item for Sale Scam/Overpayment Scam

In its simplest form, this scam is

often a form of money laundering. The email will sound like a genuine reply to your ad. The tip-off is that the scammer will never actually refer to the item for sale by name. It will always be referred to as the ‘item’ or some similar term. When their cheque arrives in the mail, the amount on the cheque will be much more than the price you were asking for. If you email the person telling them of their error the scammer will respond and probably suggest that you just deposit the cheque in your account and send them back the overpaid amount. They may even offer you additional money for your honest response. After depositing the cheque and sending the overpayment back to the scammer, you will find out that the cheque was stolen or counterfeited - you may be liable to the bank for the full amount of the cheque if it cleared!

Nigerian Email Scam

This scam is reportedly Nigeria's third largest industry, bringing up to $1 million a day to fraudsters. You receive an emotional email from someone in Nigeria asking for help to get either themselves, or their money, out of the country. In return they will pay you a large percentage of the often huge amount of money. However, they first ask for your

bank details to pay for legal fees and transaction costs. In the end you lose a lot of money and get nothing in return. The scheme itself violates section 419 of the Nigerian criminal code, hence it is often known as the “419 fraud.”

Foreign Lottery Scam

Logically, if you haven't entered a lottery, you can't win it, so any letters or emails that tell you otherwise should be treated with the greatest suspicion. The 'winner' will be told to phone the prize line, which unsurprisingly is a premium-rate number, or asked to send off a cheque for a small amount to cover administration fees. The amounts on offer are often huge and the fee relatively small, but don't be fooled. If you send off any money, you will be placed on a 'suckers list' and the amount of spam you receive will explode!

The imagination and sheer audacity of the scammers never ceases to amaze, but there are 2 golden rules to follow that will help you to avoid most of them. Firstly, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Secondly, and most importantly, TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS! ■

Common scams and how to avoid themIf you use email and/or the internet, then you will al-most certainly come across one if not all of the follow-ing scams. Here we take a look at the most common and offer tips on how to avoid becoming a victim.

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 201416 ♦ LANGUAGE & GAMES

SEARCHWORDOKU © - by Anthony Parson

Complete the alphabetical Sudoku grid to the left using only the letters already shown, then use the result word-search grid to find: A type of tree

How does it work...?Complete the Sudoku grid in the usual manner, using only the 9 letters already shown. Once complete, you will be left with a 9x9 wordsearch grid, in which to find the final piece of the puzzle.

See the completed example to the right, the clue for which is "An English county".

Be careful not to jump to conclu-sions, as with the letters available, the answer could be SURREY, SUS-SEX, ESSEX, or as it turns out in this case... SOMERSET.

SUDOKU - EASY SUDOKU - MEDIUM SUDOKU - HARD

Solution on page 23

The solutions to this month’s sudokus can be found on page 23

CrosswordClues and answers in English - solution page 22

Across:1. Goddess of love (5)3. Revoke (7)7. Floor show (7)9. Oversight (5)10. Last letter of the Greek alphabet (5)11. Rising warm air current (7)13. Symbol of disgrace or infamy (6)14. Sour (6)18. Inscrutable (7)20. Type of snake (5)21. Photo book (5)23. Luxurious (7)24. Commotion (7)25. Restorative (5)

Down:1. Asinine (7)2. Satire (7)3. Turn on an axis (6)4. Unguent (5)5. Mischievous fairy (3)6. Live (5)8. Transience (7)12. Gruesome (7)15. Explanation (7)16. Forceful and extreme (7)17. Educational institution (6)18. Intone (5)19. Musical speed (5)22. Saloon (3)

Would you like to receive your copy of The Bugle by post each month?

Email us for more details - subscriptions24@thebugle.euor visit www.thebugle.eu

We can deliver a copy to your door, hot off the pressFrance, UK and Europe - €16 per year

17 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu DIRECTORY ♦

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CONTINUED NEXT PAGE...

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ADVERTORIAL

H ouses on Internet, the successful, fast-growing internet marketing compa-

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“An excellent Google rank-ing is crucial and so we keep optimizing our website and advertise all over the internet, literally worldwide. As we ad-vertise each property on other large, international sites as well, the total exposure is enor-mous.” Throughout France, Houses on Internet has over 90 pho-tographers who visit their cli-ents when they decide to sell their property through them. And of course, any summer photos these clients already have themselves can be copied too, in order to make the best possible presentation. Signing-up to sell your house through Houses on Internet is easy. Visit their website which is available in four languages; it contains all the information you need and everything is ex-

plained step by step. When you have decided to sell your prop-erty through them, one of their staff will then call you person-ally to start the process. ■

Property Market Activity on the Increase

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www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 201418 ♦ DIRECTORY

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05.55.68.67.5606.06.60.46.97

harlequindevelopments@live.comwww.harlequindevelopments.com

SIRET: 494.501.067.00016

Simon Carter

Montluc Painting& Decorating

Qualified craftsman with over 25 years UK experience, now based 24/87 border

Specialist services:Interior & exterior painting,

wallpapering, plastering & boarding, floor restoration, tiling.

FREE QUOTES

Tel: 05 87 19 91 50Mob: 07 81 26 88 65Web: www.sjcmontluc.fr

Email: sjcmontluc@yahoo.frsiret: 792.130.932.00017

BuildingServices

Painters/Decorators

Food & Drink

Karen’s KitchenCatering for you in

the DordogneSpecialising in home-made pastries:

Sausage rolls, Pasties - Cornish, Cheese & Onion, Steak & Stilton, Vegetarian & Chicken.

Eccles cakes. Scones made to order.All prepared and baked daily on the premises -

you cannot get fresher!Bacon, cheese, bread, tea bags & tinned

produce all in stock. Find me at your local market:

• Tue - Le Bugue • Thu - Eymet • Fri - Le Buisson • Sat - Villereal • Sun - Issigeac

www.karenskitchen24.comemail: karenskitchen24@gmail.com 05 53 74 01 91 or 06 01 31 07 47

David’s ServicesWhat can I offer you?

22 Years’ experience working in FranceA complete service of Repairs and

Maintenance (interior and exterior)A house opening and closing service

Good solid technical advice on future projectsTrustworthy, reliable and conscientious

Based in the North of Dordogne

Contact David: 06 12 63 05 86No Siret: 402 444 871 00022

Computers& Satellites

WiFi AnglaisSolve your Internet, wireless and

computer problemsExtended wired and wireless networks for

homes, gîtes and small businesses.VPN solutions. Windows and Mac OSX.

Email: Stephen@Wisedale.comTel: 05 53 30 23 96

Mob: 07 78 52 20 46Siret: 800 525 040 00013

Sat-ElecFormerly Electrosat

UK & French Satellite TVDishes & Freesat boxes always in stockTerrestrial digital aerial installationsFrom a single outlet to multi-point systems

TOOWAY BROADBANDApproved Supplier

Wi-Fi, Data Networks, CCTVFor sales, service or advice

call Mike G on:06 30 28 81 43

We only use our own qualified staff No call out charge Free quotations All areas covered

Quality work from qualified Staff5 Place de la Republique Sauviat-sur-Vige 87400

siret no 798 364 600 00014

ADVERTORIAL

A simple solar energy system that runs on its own, even when you

are not there! – And provides a free heat supplement in winter. The Solarventi air panel was invented more than 20 years ago by Hans Jørgen Chris-tensen, from Aidt Miljø, with the backing of the Danish government. He wanted to use the sun’s energy for airing and ventilation of the thousands of holiday homes on the West coast of Jutland, - houses that were left empty and unheated for long periods - houses with damp problems, mould and bad odours - houses that left their owners with discomfort, lots of work and expense. He wanted a system that would be safe, simple, without the need for radiators, water and/or mains electricity. Slowly but surely, the first Solarventi

model came together.

How it worksThe principle behind Solar-venti is simple: a small, built-in, solar cell powers a 12V fan that is connected to an air vent, a control unit and an on/ off switch. Whenever the sun shines, the air in the solar panel is heated and the fan, receiving power from the solar cell, introduces warm, dry air into your home at the rate of 20 to 100 cubic metres per hour. The initial models were more than capable of keeping the cottages dry (and ventilat-ed), even with the limited sun-shine hours available in Den-mark during the winter season. Since that time, the technology has really come along in leaps and bounds. Now, more than 20 years later, the 3rd and 4th

generation Solarventi have ex-ceeded all expectations. In Southern Europe, So-larventi is not only used for ventilation/dehumidification purposes; with far more winter sunshine hours, it also provides a substantial heating supple-ment. Several technical and governmental studies show that incoming air temperature can be increased by as much as 40°C.

A DIY Solution?The installation process is very straightforward and should only take two or three hours. All that is needed is a drill, hammer and chisel to make a hole in the wall. Roof installa-tions are also possible. In fact, the Solarventi was originally designed to be a DIY product - in Scandinavia it still is. There are no electrical or

water connections and it can be safely left running, even when the property is empty. Solar-venti requires no maintenance - if the property is unoccupied during the hot summer months, then it can be left running at low speeds for ventilation and dehumidification purposes or simply switched off. With a range of panel siz-es, and the option for wall or roof mounting, Solarventi is suitable for all types of build-ings, caravans or even boats!! Following the patenting of its design in 2001, Solarventi has only recently been actively commercialized. Over the last six years, Solarventi units have been installed in more than 24 countries and demand is in-creasing rapidly. From Green-land to Australia, Solarventi is finally getting the recognition it deserves. ■

SOLARVENTI - Available in the Dordogne and Lot from Harlequin DevelopmentsTel: 05 55 68 67 56Mobile: 06 06 60 46 97

“SolarVenti”- the solar solution to damp and humidity

The Dordogne Chippy

Traditional Fish & Chips in a town near you

All venues are in the eveningbetween 6pm & 8.30 pm

Monday: Le Champsac (every other week)

Tuesday: TremolatWednesday: Star Inn, Périgueux

Thursday: EymetFriday: Lauzun

(except the last Friday of the month when it is Daglan)

See our website for full details:

www.thedordognechippy.com05 53 74 01 91 or 06 19 99 25 62

siret: 444 925 630 00014

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

La PoutreBar & Restaurant

24400 Beaupouyet (N89 between Montpon & Mussidan)

French/International cuisine.Themed nights each Friday:

1st Friday - Curry night2nd Friday - Quiz night

3rd Friday - Fish n Chips night “best around”!!4th Friday - Live Music night

Open Tue - Fri: 11am - 9pm (except Wed eve)Saturday 6pm - 10pm

Sunday 12pm - 3pm, traditionalEnglish roasts served

For further details call Steve:05 53 80 29 54

or email: steve.francis24@gmail.comor facebook: Beaupouyet La Poutre

siret 537 415 903 00013

Youradverthere

05 55 41 17 76

sales@thebugle.eu 05.55.41.17.76

Please mentionThe Bugle when

responding to adverts

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

For more information on advertising in the

Bugle BusinessDirectory, give us

a call or send us an email:

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Youradverthere

05 55 41 17 76For more information on advertising in the

Bugle BusinessDirectory, give us

a call or send us an email:

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

19 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu DIRECTORY ♦

Ivan Petley

3D Puzzle MakerHandmade, fully interlocking,

multi-layered 3D puzzles from just €9.Keyrings €2 plus other unique gift ideas.

Customisation and personalisation possible.Postal delivery options across France.

Tel: 05.55.80.29.88Les Bregères, 23150 St-Martial-le-Mont

alison.petley@wanadoo.fr

Gifts & Crafts

WWW.CARDBUBBLE.COMBUY YOUR BRITISH

GREETINGS CARDS ONLINE!

QUALITY CARDS AT UK PRICES!

E: ANGI@CARDBUBBLE.COM

FREE DELIVERY ON ALLORDERS OVER €10 WORLDWIDE

siret: 751 978 917 00019

Franglais-Services

... exists to provide quality servicesto businesses and individualsin the Dordogne and beyond.

We deliver invaluable linguistic assistance, practical IT and audio-

visual assistance, web solutions and photographic services.To find out more call us on

+33 (0)6 77 38 58 56or visit

www.franglais-services.comsiret: 791 378 433 00019

HandholdingServices Your

adverthere

05 55 41 17 76

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Health & Beauty

Tel: 05 24 13 65 58sarldesouchevicente@sfr.fr

47, rue du Gén. de Gaulle, 24660 Coulounieix Chamiers

• Air-conditioned • Shiatsu massage chairTue - Fri: 9h - 19h, Sat 9h - 17h

● HAIRSTYLIST ● COSMETICIAN● MAKE-UP ● MASTER ARTISAN

ENGLISH SPOKEN

For more information on advertising in the

Bugle BusinessDirectory, give us

a call or send us an email:

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Central France Pest Control

Dératisation, Déinsectisation,Désinfection

02 48 60 83 72 / 06 74 33 02 38www.applicateur3d.com

Email: info@applicateur3d.com

Curative and preventativerats, mice, moles, flies, woodworm,

bed bugs, fleas, wasps, hornets

La Petite Barre, 18210 Bessais Le FromentalSIRET No. 498 544 741 00024

Pest Control

Youradverthere

05 55 41 17 76

Directory Advertising is available either in black and white or colour, and in either small (30 words max) or large (45 words max) format.Directory adverts may only contain text - no logos, images or artwork are allowed. The minimum contract length is 6 months. Advertising is payable on publication. All prices are HT.

For more information on any of our advertising options, please feel free to give us a call on 05 55 41 17 76 or send an email to sales24@thebugle.eu

Advertising your business couldn’t be easier. Text only, boxed listings are available in our Business Directory from just €13.50/month. Alternatively, why not spotlight your business with an Advertorial, available from 1/6 Page (€50 HT) up to Full Page (€300 HT). Both Directory Adverts and Ad-vertorials represent a cost effective way to put your brand in front of more than 20,000 pairs of eyes each month!!

Large Directory Ad46mm x 71mm(Actual Size)45 words max

Small Directory Ad46mm x 46mm(Actual Size)30 words max

6-Month Contract 12-Month Contract

Small b&w Directory Ad €108(€18/month)

€162 (€13.50/month)

Large b&w Directory Ad €144(€24/month)

€216(€18/month)

Small Colour Directory Ad €162(€27/month)

€243(€20.25/month)

Large Colour Directory Ad €216(€36/month)

€324(€27/month)

Advertising in The Bugle Business Directory

Dyal ConsultingYour partners for peace of mind

While you’re away, we canlook after your house,

check for weather damage,perform small maintenance jobs,

take care of the garden,get your home ready for winter.

On your return, we can prepareyour house, stock up on groceries, etc...

everything to make your arrival stress free.

We are here to keep your house alive throughout your absence

and to make your life easier!

Call your concierge today:07 77 95 31 36

PropertyMaintenance

Transport,Removals & Storage

Man & VanTransport

Genuine/Reliable/HonestLocal + Europe + UK runs

Now also available for House/Barn clearances!

14m3 capacity4.2m load length

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05 55 33 21 5987150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

www.frenchvanman.euSiret 530 213 644 00012

Parking ForLimoges AirportEfficient parking for all types of vehicles

Book now!!www.parkinglimoges.com

06 13 38 59 6805 55 14 49 45

General

SOS Helpanxious? stressed?

feeling down?call us up!

01 46 21 46 463 - 11pm daily

Confidential & Non-profitwww.soshelpline.org

sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Eco Entrepotaka The Shed

32,000ft2 of great products incl. British Groceries, DIY, Housewares, Furniture, Clothing, Toiletries plus

loads more!!

05 55 68 74 73Open every day except Monday

CARPET /UPHOLSTERY

CLEANINGSpecialists in all carpet and

upholstery cleaningPROCHEM trained and Qualified

10 years UK experience - Covering depts 24/47/3306 32 32 64 54 / 05 53 58 00 98email lucidservices24@gmail.com

siret: 512 614 306 00011

Please mentionThe Bugle when

responding to adverts

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 201420 ♦ WHAT’S ON

WHAT’S

ON

CHATEAUX OPEN DAYS6 & 7 september

17 wine producers open their properties for free tastings and tours

Sunday 7 septemberCountryside Lunch at Château Franc Lafleur

«Saint Magne de Castillon»

Wine tastings * Workshops Exhibitions * Wine and product sales

Jazz Band

The «Maison du Vin» located in the centre of Castillon La Bataille, offers a

selection of approximately 60 wines from Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux at châteaux

prices. Free tastings every day.

Open Monday to Friday 9h - 12h30, 14h - 18h30

Saturday from June to September10h - 13h, 14h30 - 18h30

6 Allée de la République 33350 Castillon contact@castillon-cotesdebordeaux.com

05 57 40 00 88

The biggest medieval show in Aquitaine

Come and meet thewinemakers of

Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux and taste their wines on

their stand in the village of Aliénor before the show.

1 - 2 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 14 - 15 - 16 August 2014

For more details contact 05 57 40 00 88 www.castillon-cotesdebordeaux.com

THE festival of classical music, the Périgord Noir Festival showcases musical talent from France and around the world. Every year the Festival provides a huge range of great music performed at the highest level, drawing new audiences and committed Festival spectators into the world of the great classics, rare repertory and exciting innovations. The 2014 programme, under the theme Rêves d’Orient (Dreams of the Orient), is packed with exciting music. The Festival runs from 5th of August and this month hosts the following recitals:

Thursday 4th September - Harpsichord recital by Yasuko Bouvard (programme: Bach – The Goldberg Variations) at the Chapelle Saint-Benoit, Sarlat at 18h. Tickets €10.

Friday 5th September – Organ recital by Michel Bouvard (programme: Bach) at the Eglise de Saint-Cyprien at 20h30. Tickets €10.

Saturday 6th September – Harpsichord recital at the Chapelle Saint-Benoit, Sarlat at 18h and Organ recital at the Cathédrale Saint-Sacerdos, Sarlat at 21h. Free entry.

Saturday 20th September – Organ recital by Paul Goussot as part of the European Her-itage Days at the Cathédrale Saint-Sacerdos, Sarlat at 23h. Free entry.

For more information visit www.festivalmusiqueperigordnoir.comBergerac Air Show - see page 5 for more details

21 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu WHAT’S ON ♦

Do you want to advertise your event in The Bugle?

To find out more:sales24@thebugle.eu

05 55 41 17 76

Chantemonde was formed in September 2006 by Michèle Lhopiteau, a then recently retired professer of music who had previously founded and directed professional and amateur choirs in Houston-Texas, Chad, Equador and Bordeaux. Author of several books on classical music, she is an acknowledged expert on the music and life of

Mozart. The choir, based at Villamblard, started with 23 members and quickly grew to over 60, greatly outstripping Michèle’s expectations.

The programme changes annually and includes classical works, notably by Mozart, Pergolesi, Vivaldi, Jenkins (a renowned modern Welsh composer), plus many songs from around the world in their original languages. Hence our name “Chantemonde”.

The classics are always accompanied by young professional musicians from Bor-deaux.

This year’s programme is dedicated to Italian music. Chantemonde will be perform-ing the following concerts in September:

Saturday 13th September - Le Bugue (in the church) at 21h

Sunday 14th September - Vanxains (near Ribérac in the church) at 16h

Saturday 27th September - Bergerac (in the Protestant ‘Temple’) at 21h

Sunday 28th September - Chancelade Abbey (near Périgueux) at 16h

Tickets: €10 (advance bookings); €12 (on the door); €5 for students,handicapped & job seekers; Free for Under 15s.

For more information tel 05 53 82 90 07 or visit http://www.chantemonde.org/

MADS production of “From Pirates to Phantom” in 2013was the high point of a great year, with packed houses

containing many new faces, all of them happy and smiling.It was the proverbial “good time had by all”.

How do we follow that?With the same team that so royally entertained you all last year, back with a rip-roaring evening of songs for all tastes

and ages to enjoy.

Tickets sold out early last year so don’t be disappointed - book your tickets early!

BOX OFFICE 05 53 24 56 11mads.bookings@gmail.com

“Music Box” - 11th, 12th, 13th September 2014

FestiVillars - Concert of Renaissance musicChâteau de Puyguilhem, Villars 13th September Concert commemorating the 400th anniversary of the death of Pierre de Bourdeilles, pen-

name Brantôme, Abbé de Brantôme. In partnership with Les Amis de Brantôme.

Concert of music from the reign of Louis XIII, by Eustache DU CAURROY, Etienne MOULINIE, Antoine BOESSET, John DOWLAND, Tobias HULME and John PLAY-

FORD given by Les Festes d’Euterpe (www.lesfestesdeuterpe.com)

The Artistes: Jean-Miguel Aristizabal (harpsichord), Mathilde Vialle (viola da gamba), Céline Destruhaut (recorder), plus Caroline Dangin-Bardot (soprano).

Tickets: €15, free for children under 16.Reservations: tel 09 64 09 95 91

For more information go to: www.festivillarsenperigordvert.com

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 201422 ♦ WHAT’S ON

Managing Editor: Steve MartindaleEditor-in-Chief: Steve MartindaleRegistered Address: Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois FranceSIRET: 514 989 748 00017Printed by: Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac FranceMonthly circulation: 12,000 copiesAll copyright, unless stated otherwise, is re-served to The Bugle. Reproduction in whole or part of any text without permission is prohibited.Dépôt légal à parution.

Directeur: Steve MartindaleRédacteur-en-chef: Steve MartindaleSiège Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois FranceSIRET: 514 989 748 00017Imprimé par: Charente Libre 16340, L’Isle d’Espagnac FranceTirage mensuel: 12,000 copiesTous droits réservés. Toute reproduction, totale ou partielle, des articles et illustrations du présent numéro est strictement interdite.Dépôt légal à parution.

The Bugle cannot accept responsibility for the claims of advertisers or their professionalism. We strongly advise readers to verify that the company you are dealing with is a registered trading company in France or elsewhere in the world.

The town hall in Lalinde has welcomed a new na-ture photography exhibition that will please nature lovers and impress young and all. The town usually displays local artists but Olivier de Laveleye, who was originally born in Belgium, has deep connections with the region. As the photographer explains, he started coming to Trémolat during the holidays with his parents but now spends up to six months here every year. He can often be found lying down in the undergrowth of woods, in clearings or in the water, pressing his shutter release button. Olivier de Laveleye has chosen to arrange his work in triptychs, so as to tell the story of the insects he spends his time with. All the insects shown are from the Dordogne region but as he says “people often don’t take the time to notice what is right in front of them”. The 60-year-old studied biology before working as a professional diver. It is by chance that de Laveleye started working in the film industry over 30 years ago.

He has worked on over 420 feature films as a special effects technician and has worked on a few series such as Parade’s End and The White Queen. As he grew older, he developed a passion for mac-rophotography and soon specialised in insects al-though he also loves underwater photography, a way for him to combine his studies, passion and old job. The photographer has recently published a book about the turtles on the island of Boa Vista in Cape Verde. The town hall exhibition is only a part of the art-ist’s collection as some of his work can be seen in the restaurant Les Petits Plats, in Couze-et-Saint-Front. However, the complete collection will be shown at the Lalinde town hall for the next European Heritage Days on 20th and 21st September. A short film de Laveleye directed and produced will also be projected. Further information can be found on the photogra-pher’s website: www.olivierdelaveleye.com

by Surya Jonckheere

It is the centenary of the beginning of WW1, reminding us of the horrors of that terrible conflict. It is also the centenary of Emmeline Pankhurst’s halt to her Suffragette campaign for the duration of the war. 1914 saw the start of tremendous change in the lives of women: 100 years on, we can send our daughters out into the world on the same footing as men. Surely in 1914, no one could have anticipated that women would be doing traditionally male jobs or indeed be managing their own lives and affairs. To celebrate this alternative centenary an exhibition of fans is being staged in Castillonnès on the week before the Journées du Patrimoine, from Mon-day 15th - Sunday 21st September.

Why? There are still women within our own Western European society for whom the last 100 years have made absolutely no dif-ference. Fans have been used for political propaganda, sending messages, in espionage. This exhibition, as well as celebrating this century of women, aims to raise public awareness of the plight of the SILENT WOMAN, the woman who is not heard, the woman who only too often lives without dignity, self-respect or hope, within a virtual prison of fear and despair.

The exhibition is open from 10h-12h and 14h-18h. Entry is free. For further information visit www.decoursdethomazeau.com

The Journées européennes du patrimoine (European Heritage Days) take place this month on 20th and 21st September. This is a popular event

throughout France, which sees many state buildings and museums open their doors to visitors.

There is not enough space in these pages to list everything going on so pop down to your local tourist office or visit:

http://www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr/to find out what is happening in your area.

One of the first cricket clubs to exist in the French provinces, Ey-met Cricket Club (Club Eymetois de Cricket) was founded in 1983 by a group of expats who were seriously missing their favourite sport. For the first season they played on coconut matting laid on the town’s football pitch, but the following year the Mayor kindly offered use of our present ground at Eymet - complete with stand and all necessary facilities.

The club plays an average of twenty matches per season - south-west league games, national competitions, and against several over-seas touring sides.

Our home ground in Eymet is at Stade Bretou, hard by the gendar-merie. Drinks and teas available.

New members, playing or social, are very welcome!

Upcoming fixtures:Sunday 7/9 Friendly at homeSunday 21/9 Friendly at home against Great DurnfordSunday 28/9 League Final TBC

For more information about the club and upcoming fixutres call Tim Smith on 05 53 24 15 22 or David Horlock on 05 53 24 11 40 or visit http://eymetcricket.com/

A bug’s life

EXHIBITIONThe Language of the Fan

15th - 21st SeptemberHôtel de Cours de Thomazeau,

Promenade de la Mouthe, 47330 CASTILLONNÈS

23 SEPTEMBER 2014 ○ THE BUGLE ○ www.thebugle.eu WHAT’S ON ♦

MondayBeynacLe FleixLes EyziesSte-Alvère

TuesdayBeaumont du PérigordBergeracBrantômeCénac-et-Saint-JulienLanouailleLe BugueMareuilNeuvicRibéracSalignac EyviguesThenonTrémolat Villefranche-de-Lonchat

WednesdayBergeracHautefortJumilhac-le-GrandLa Tour BlancheMontpon-MénestérolMontignacPérigueux

Piégut PluviersRazacSarlatSiorac-en-PérigordVélines

ThursdayDommeExcideuilEymetLa Coquille LalindeMonpazierSt AstierSt-Julien-de-LamponTerrasson

FridayBergeracBrantômeCubjacLe BuissonRibéracSarlatSigoulèsVergt

SaturdayAgonacBeaumont du Périgord

BelvèsBergeracLalindeLa Roche ChalaisLe BugueMontignacMussidanNeuvicNontronPérigueuxRazacSarlatSt AulayeThiviersVerteillacVillefranche du Périgord

SundayBergeracCouze St FrontDaglanIssigeacPontoursPressignac-VicqRouffignacSarlatSorgesSt CyprienSt GéniesSt Pardoux la Rivière

Market Days

EASY MEDIUM HARD

We understand that life can be difficult for expats living away from the UK and that sometimes as-sistance is needed. We will listen and try to help

when that help is needed. As I am sure you realise, there seems to be this popular misconception that expats living outside of the UK live in large houses with hectares of ground and that nobody ever has problems. As we all know this is far from the truth and even the best laid plans can fall apart due to sudden changes in health, bereavement, family

breakdown or a host of other unforeseen problems.

Registered charity Elizabeth Finn Care is able to offer direct financial assistance to British and Irish

nationals or residents who live overseas. We ensure

that our help does not affect any means-tested payments.

Briefly we can consider assisting those who:

1. Are British or Irish residents or nationals.2. Are living on a low income or means-tested

benefits.3. Have formerly been employed in one of a wide

range of qualifying occupations. Have, or have had, a partner employed in a qualifying occupation.

We are able to consider assisting financially in numerous ways.

For more information contact: Mary Hughes - Case worker France, Elizabeth Finn Care

tel: 04 68 23 43 79or visit: www.elizabethfinncare.org.uk

and: www.turn2us.org.uk

Phoenix Appeal for BESS - 4-month-old kitten needs a homeBess is a friendly little girl, who was born in April to tabby-point Siamese mum, Sissy, in the grounds of a hotel. Safely in Phoenix care, she is seeking a home.

She’s a happy kitten who gets on well with other cats and humans. She adores fuss so if cuddles are your thing, she’s your girl! She has an inquisitive, impish side too and will no doubt bring a smile to your face!

Bess is chipped (250268500709860) and vaccinated.

Please contact Lynda at lapuille@gmail.com or call 05 53 81 30 44 for more information.www.phoenixasso.comwww.facebook.com/PhoenixAssociationFrance

www.thebugle.eu ○ THE BUGLE ○ SEPTEMBER 201424 ♦ WHAT’S ON