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FREEGRATUITpublishers of August 2011 - Issue 30

DORDOGNEADVERTISER

Tourism hit asriver levels dropand pools dry up

More rain please

Wine harvestunder threat ifdrought continues

Winners and losersfrom an exceptionallydry spring and summer

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PAGES 2-3

What’s OnThe pick of the top events

For childrenTeach them to be gourmetsp14 p8

Try ridingPonies, horsesand festivals p12

2 News Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

What is more, Météo France has predictedthat the remainder of the summer will be hotand dry, rivalling the notorious drought of1976. Even if their predictions prove incorrect,for many the damage has already been done.

A shortage of grass and hay means farmersare struggling to feed their livestock and manyare choosing to sell their animals rather thanface paying high food bills for them.

In the north of the department, arablefarmers watch their crops of wheat and maizedry up, while further south, sunflowerfarmers can do little more than look on withcrossed fingers at their stunted flowers.

News that the government is to offer farmerscompensation – totalling around €1bn to bespread across the country – has lifted spiritsslightly. But how has the drought affectedother members of the Dordogne populationand has it really been bad news for everyone?

FARMERS, winemakers and tourism leadersare seriously concerned for their businesses,as, despite heavy rainstorms in the middle oflast month, the Dordogne remains in a state ofdrought with strict water restrictions in place.

It is estimated that crop yields could be asmuch as 70% lower than usual. Winemakersare praying for more rain this month if the2011 vintage is to be a successs, and the watershortage has also had a knock-on effect on giteowners and the organisers of river activities.

Despite some downpours in June and July,meteorological experts are warning that thewater table remains dangerously low. TheBureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières(BRGM) says that nearly 80% of reservoirs

across France and all of those in Aquitaine areat critical levels.

Meanwhile, much of the rain that has fallenin the department has proved ineffective. Ithas often been accompanied by high tempera-tures and about half of the rain is lost straightaway through evaporation, while much of therest is sucked up by thirsty plants.

According to Météo France, less than 40% ofthe average rainfall fell during the first sixmonths of the year and April and May wereamong the driest ever recorded. The amountof rainfall varied from one part of theDordogne to the other – Bergerac had just143.5mm between January and June whileCoulounieix near Périgueux had 248.1mm.

Exceptionallydry weatherand waterrestrictionsare havingan impacton morethan justfarms.LUCYSTUBBSinvestigates

Canoe tours on the Dordogne are becoming

Welcometo yournew-lookAdvertiser

The Advertiser is published by:English Language Media Sarl, Le Vedra, 38 rue Grimaldi, 98000 Monaco. Directrice de la publication: Sarah Smith. Printed at Nice-Matin, 214 Route de Grenoble, 06290 Nice Cedex 3. Mensuel Depôt légal – a parutionISSN: 2100-9147To contact a reporter, email:dordogne@connexionfrance.comSubscription or advert queries callFrom France:0800 91 77 56 (freephone)From UK: 0844 256 9881 – 4p/min

The Feelys’ organic vinyard has fared better

GITE owners with swimming pools andtourist businesses that rely on the river havebeen adversely hit by this year’s dry weatherand water restrictions.

Earlier this year, the Dordogne regionaltourist office said that the unseasonably dryspring had been good news for thedepartment, with visitor numbers fromEurope and other parts of France muchhigher than usual.

Tourism provides almost a quarter of theDordogne’s annual revenue and remains avery important source of work forexpatriates who have set up gites, campsitesand bars to cater for visitors.

However, for people whose businesses relyon the river, the dry weather is causingserious concern.

Jacques Watremez, who runs CanoëDordogne Explorando in Groléjac, nearSarlat, said: “The river is low, lower than Ihave ever seen it.

“If it continues then we will have problemsrunning canoeing tours this August.

“I know tourists don’t like rain but wereally need it, otherwise anyone who relies

on the river for an income will be affected.“I’m really hoping for rain; and a lot of it.”The water restrictions are also causing

problems for gite owners, who are bannedfrom refilling their pools.

Chris and Alexandra Billing, who run agite complex in Angoisse, have found therestrictions tough but have managed.

“The hosepipe restrictions have been a bitof a nightmare but we’ve got another watersource – a well – so I’ve used that to top thepool up,” said Mrs Billing.

“If you run gites, you have to have yourpool open and ready for use all the time – itis what people have come on holiday for –but it does lose quite a bit of water throughevaporation, especially when it is hot.

“As far as watering plants goes, I use thewater source when I need to. Luckily for us,I’ve planted lots of plants like box andlavender that don’t really need a lot ofwatering and I’m being as careful so as notto use more water than I need to.

“On the upside, we haven’t had to get themower out as often so that has saved onpetrol and carbon emissions.”

‘Tourists don’t likerain but we need it’

Dear reader, Welcome to your new-look DordogneAdvertiser!

From this edition wehave changed our printersand have used the oppor-tunity to give the newspa-per a revamp. You will stillfind the same popularmixture of news, featuresand community articlesand contacts inside butwith a fresh new design.

We hope you enjoy theedition and, as always,welcome your feedback.Email us at dordogne@connexionfrance.com

Drought spellstough summer for tourismand vineyards

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News 3Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

GROWING organically and takingpreventative steps to save water has helpedsome of the Dordogne’s fruit and wineproducers protect themselves from the effectsof the drought.

While the plight of livestock and arablefarmers has been well documented, othersectors could still do well this summer,although a lot depends on August rainfall.

For the many apple farmers in the north ofthe Dordogne, on the famous route despommes du Limousin, the drought has actuallyhad some benefits.

A spokesman for the Maison de la Pommed’Or in Lanouaille said: “A few years ago, theapple farmers in our area switched to a goutteà goutte (drip irrigation) system of wateringand they all have good systems of rain watercollection which has meant they have beenable to keep the apples adequately watered.

“The drought and the accompanying hightemperatures have also meant the apples arehealthier, because the heat has cut down on fun-gal infections and other damp-related diseases.

“This year the apples will be sweeter and willmature quicker than usual – but the yieldshould be unaffected.”

In Saussignac, in the south of the department,organic red wine producers Caroline and SeánFeely from Château Haut Garrigue are veryconcerned about the lack of rain, but organicgrowing has helped them to some extent.

“We’ve definitely seen an impact,” says MrsFeely. “The vines are ripening early – by aboutthree weeks. That’s a direct result of the

drought; the vines fear they’re not going tomake it so have speeded up.

“The drought doesn’t necessarily mean a badvintage, though if the water shortage continuesup to harvest time – around about the firstweek of September – then there will be asmaller yield because you really need the rainto make the fruit juicy.”

The Feelys say that growing organically hasproved a big advantage in the drought: “Usingchemical fertilisers means the vine root sys-tems are shallow, whereas our roots go verydeep. Unlike a lot of vineyards around here,our vines are still green. That said, we still doneed more rain.

“How your vines have fared will vary fromone place to another but if the drought contin-ues up until the harvest, it will be a real blowfor the local wine industry.”

THE DORDOGNE is on thehighest alert for waterrestrictions – and consumersare being urged to cut theiruse as much as possible.

A colour-coded alert systemis in place across the countryand the Dordogne is on redalert. Restrictions includewhen you can water plants, aban on re-filling swimmingpools and a ban on takingwater from rivers and otherwater sources.

However, the restrictionsvary from one commune toanother and are updatedweekly, so the best advice isto ask your local mairie.

Drought or no drought,conserving water makesenvironmental and economicsense. France uses about 32billion cubic metres of waterevery year, according to theCentre d’Information surl’Eau. Following the tipsbelow will save you money aswell as ensuring you aredoing your bit.

IndoorsWhen turning on a hot tap,

collect the cold water thatcomes out first in a containerand use it to flush the toiletor water your plants.

Take a daily five-minuteshower instead of bathing –you will save around 400 litres of water per week.

Don’t leave the tap runningwhen brushing your teeth.

Wash vegetables in a bowlrather than under a stream of

water and then re-use thewater on your flower beds.

Check for leaky pipes andtaps and fix them. A drippingtap can lose as much as 90 litres of water per week.

OutdoorsWater plants early in the

morning or late in theevening to avoid losing waterthrough evaporation.

Install a water butt tocollect rain water.

Put mulch around the baseof your plants to hold inmoisture.

Choose plants which donot need a lot of wateringsuch as succulents or shrubslike lavender or rosemary.

If you have a pool, put thecover on when it is not in useto avoid losing water throughevaporation and keep thewater level fairly low tominimise water loss throughsplashing.

more difficult as the river is at the lowest level that local experts have seen it in years

Dordogne onred alert: howyou can help

than some other local producers, and gite owners Alexandra and Chris Billing are getting by

‘Weatherhas helpedlocal fruitproducers’

Install a water butt to collect rain for watering your plants

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4 News Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

New prefectwill have hishands full

Fish showriver is clean

Shop growthcreates jobs

Mall site isbulldozed

Jobs free forsummer

Childrencan ‘walk on water’

PROOF the Dordogne riverhas been cleaned up comes asmore than 300 adult salmonpassed through the Tuilièresdam at Bergerac, making itone of the best years so far.

Just 30 years ago pollutionmeant salmon had almostdisappeared from south-westrivers and a clean-up wasstarted along with the build-ing of installations to allowfish migration.

Now river group MigrateursGaronne-Dordogne hope thework, with backing from EDFand politicians, will see moresalmon return.

EXPANSION of Sarlat’sCarrefour Market has created21 new permanent jobs andwork for 17 young people ona job-seekers programme.

Director Yann Olivier hasdefended the need for thesupermarket in the town andsaid that it was complementa-ry to what was being offeredin shops in the town centre;they responded to differentneeds.

DEMOLITION has startedon the site of Périgueux’s newPrivèlege commercial centre.

Fabrice Faure, the owner ofthe town’s Leclerc supermar-kets, owns the site at thejunction of Voie des Stadesand the Route d’Angoulêmeand plans a drive-in Leclercstore and 16,000m2 commer-cial zone with petrol station,shopping mall and offices. Anew access roundabout willbe built on Voie des Stades.

Plans can be viewed atPérigueux town hall but nodate has yet been set for workto start.

LACK of lodgings for passingworkers means that manysummer jobs are still avail-able as restaurants and otherseasonal trades are havingdifficulty recruiting.A full list available is on thesite www.pole-emploi.com

SMALL businesses can apply for up to €4,000 of aid towardspurchase or long-term lease of a light goods vehicle.

Safety group CARSAT Aquitaine has such grants for vehiclesmeeting stringent safety requirements including a speed limiterand overload indicator. It is for firms with fewer than 50 staffand a professional light good vehicles course is mandatory.

Details: www.carsat-aquitaine.fr

Firms get aid to buy trucks

PENFRIENDS of 66 yearsChristiane Trouillet andOdette Thomazeau havefinally met after spendingtheir lives 20,000km apart.

Odette, from Montpon-Ménestérol, first got in touchafter World War II when aNouvelle-Calédonie nun ather catechism class asked forpen pals for island children.

Monthly letters grew into avirtual friendship and regularphone calls until Christianemade it to France this sum-mer. Surrounded by all theirletters they looked back at thedecades of events and nowOdette hopes to visit herfriend in the Pacific.

Penfriendsmeet at last

SIXTEEN communes in theDordogne have declared awar on rabbits due to thedamage they are causing.

The river banks of theDordogne between Bergeracand the border with theGironde department haveseen a such a huge increase inthe rabbit population that

measures are being taken tocontrol the invasion. SinceJune 6 it has been legal to layrabbit traps all year round.Ferrets are also being used tohelp chase them out of theirwarrens and they are thencaught in nets and released inless populated regions.

The drought is being

blamed for part of the rise inpopulation with rabbitsgrouping together near waterpoints such as river banksand on cereal farms.

People in the valley of theriver Isle have also beenwarned to be ready for actionas rabbits could soon be con-gregating there too.

The communes concernedby the order to trap are:Lamothe-Montravel, Mont-caret, Saint Seurin de Prats,Vélines, Saint-Antoine-de-Breuilh, Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt, Le Fleix, SaintPierre d’Eyraud, La Force,Prigonrieux, Bergerac,Gardonne, Lamonzie-Saint-Martin, Saint Laurent desVignes, Monbazillac andRouffignac de Sigoules.

A RIDING school owner who saw her horsesconfiscated last January after one was founddead and others starving has been jailed for 12months with 11 months suspended.

Patricia Pavan was accused of neglecting thehorses at her stables after the French animalcharity, the SPA, went to investigate whensomeone alerted them about the horses’ condi-tion and treatment.

They were horrified to discover 27 horsescompletely emaciated and on the verge ofdehydration, one had already died and anotherwas in such poor state of health that it had tobe put down.

Mrs Pavan tried in vainto reclaim the horses say-ing that she loved herhorses and had a specialbond with them but thejudge remained sceptical.

In addition to her prisonsentence the owner of theranch, near Villefranche-de-Lonchat, was orderedto pay €30,000 damages to

the various associations that had taken in herhorses. The horses have now been rehomed inother stables around the Dordogne.

Rabbit invasion targeted

THE NEW prefect of theDordogne, Jacques Billant, ispromising to carry on wherehis predecessor, BéatriceAbollivier, left off.

That means he will be look-ing at projects such asthe development of aParis-Périgueux TGVlink but also, moreimmediately, helpingfarmers to cope withthe drought.

He said: “I hope tobe a man on theground to betterunderstand the regionand get to know thework I have to do.”

Mr Billant, 51, willspend his first fewmonths on visitsthroughout thedepartment to makecontact with localgroups, politicians and asso-ciations. He says he is partic-ularly looking forward to thisas he is an avid sportsmanand a lover of prehistory.

He served in the army aftergraduating from Saint-Cyr

military school and was withthe UN in 1993 in the formerYugoslavia.

He joined the prefectoralcorps at 38 and was chief ofstaff for the former justice

minister, Rachida Dati beforebecoming prefect of Ariège in2009.

Mme Abollivier has movedto Charente-Maritime after30 months as the Dordogne’sfirst woman préfète.

New prefect, Jacques Billant

NEVER mind that theDordogne was at its lowest level for years,hundreds of youngstersand families still enjoyeda glorious day to markBig Jump 2011 and theEuropean RiverSwimming Day.

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HUNTING for big game and wild boar has been autho-rised from August 15 by the prefecture.

Other key opening dates in the hunting season are: General hunting – September 11 at 8.00 (closes on

February 29, 2012). Stag hunting – October 1Hare hunting – October 9For further details visit www.dordogne.pref.gouv.fr and

click on “Agriculture et forêt”.

Hunt season dates set

Horse owner sent to jail

From our frontpage in March

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News 5Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

OWNERS of a joinery firmin the north of the depart-ment could face beingbanned from having anyinvolvement in running busi-nesses after being accused ofdefrauding clients by notdoing work.

Patrick Mignot and his sonBenjamin, who ran PérigordMenuiserie and its affiliatesat Antonne-et-Trigonant,near Périgueux, are accusedof a string of offences includ-ing bankruptcy, misuse ofcorporate assets, breach oftrust, and misuse of deposits.

The court heard that thefirm’s accounts had been mis-managed as far back as 2005and, with no proper account-ing, jobs were taken on justto get money to keep going.

Prosecutor Stéphane Bérèssaid the men’s sole objectivewas to make money and notto carry out any work.

After quoting for work tobe done such as windows,verandahs and other wood-working jobs, they would askfor a 40% deposit which they

banked immediately insteadof waiting for the legal sevendays’ cooling-off period toend and gave no contract orguarantee of when the workwould be carried out.

The hearing was attendedby victims who had set upthe Association des Victimesde Périgord Menuiserie sup-port group. There were saidto be around 50 peopleinvolved, many of them old.

Mr Bérès asked that PatrickMignot be jailed for 24months with 16 months’ sus-pended sentence; be bannedfrom any activity related tothe offences committed andbe banned from ever manag-ing another business. Hecalled for an eight-monthsuspended sentence and aban from running businesseson son, Benjamin.

The defence lawyer calledfor all the charges to be dismissed.

A decision will be returnedon September 21. Procedureshave already started to liqui-date Périgord Menuiserie.

Father andson face banon business

Town hallcosts rising

Roman site is uncoveredRESEARCHERS have started an archaeological dig under theold swimming pool at the Bertran-de-Born school in Périgueuxin a bid to find artefacts uncovering more of the town’s history.

Ruins including an underfloor heating system were seenbefore the pool was built but they were not dated. The site is atthe edge of the Roman city and archaeologists hope they willfind clues about the town’s infrastructure and housing.

Tasty timeplannedWINE-tasting and cream teaswill be held side-by-side atthe annual Franco-Britishweek at Sainte-Foy-la-Grande, on August 20-27.

Events include exhibitions,theatre, sports, concerts, pic-nics and guided visits. Call 05 57 46 03 00 or check atwww.francobritishweek.com

Drink doctorsent to jailA DOCTOR has been jailedfor three months for drinkdriving and causing an acci-dent while wearing an elec-tronic tag for a previousdrink-drive offence.

The 41 year old father offour caused a crash at Saint-Méard-de-Drône then verbal-ly and physically attacked theinjured other driver beforerunning into a field then try-ing to flee on a farmer’s bike.

He was jailed as a danger tohis own life and others andbanned for 18 months.

RENOVATION work hasnot started on the newPérigueux town hall butit is already predictedcosts will be €400,000more than planned.

The former Chamber ofCommerce needs work tostrengthen the floors andother work to bring thebuilding up to safetystandards. It should beready by January 2013.

IF YOU decide to get married in the Dordogneand you have Périgourdinfriends then be prepared forrude awakening.

Tradition has it that a soupcalled Le Tourin should betaken to the newly-wedsearly in the morning afterthe ceremony, normallybetween 4.00-6.00.

However, as nowadayswedding parties generallylast until the early hours ithas become the norm forthe friends to plan a surprisevisit with this soup, some-times weeks later, in themiddle of the night.

The soup is made fromgarlic, goose or duck fat,suet, flour, egg, vinegar,bread and vermicelli.

A group of friends will gettogether on the eve of theirvisit to make the soup whilstenjoying a meal togetherthen descend upon the poorunsuspecting couple in themiddle of the night.

The couple are thenexpected to sit down andshare the soup with thefriends for good luck.

The tradition is thought tohave stemmed from the dayswhen it was traditional toaccompany the newly wedsto their bedroom to witnesstheir union.

This intrusion into theirprivacy then turned into agame of hunt the bride andgroom where the couple

would try to keep the loca-tion of their wedding nightsecret.

Friends would then visit allpossible houses in the areato try and find them whilstmaking a lot of noise.

The hunt would finishwith the group offering thecouple the soup.

Soup partyis a wake-upcall for newly-weds

Did you know?

Newly-weds are newly-awake and keen to try the soup

At Port-Sainte-Foy peoplewere keen to try the newsport of stand-up paddle –and just as keen not to fallin the water – but at SaintPierre d’Eyraud theHydrobulle (seen here)was the big draw until ithit problems. Youngsters

and adults climbed intothe plastic bubble to “walkon water”. Disappointedfans get another chanceon September 17 for theJournées Européennes duPatrimoine when twoHydrobulles will be set upon the St Pierre riverside.

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6 News Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

MONTHS of hard work haspaid off in a big way for theMeyrals English Librarywhich has seen an increase inmembership, books andactivities in its new premises.

The library was built withgreat enthusiasm and perse-verance in the grounds of thehome of Em and RogerBoiling who had housed theoriginal library in a convertedbarn in the house next door.They took the chance tobuild a new library as theybuilt a new house themselves.

Now, the new premises havegiven extra storage space forbooks as well as an area foractivities which has alreadyseen crafts group and a writ-ing group making use of thespace.

Em said she was delightedwith the results: “It was a lotof hard work; especially formy husband, Roger, who withthe help of a mason did mostof the building himself. But Iam very pleased with theresults.

“It is bigger than the lastone and there’s a lot moreroom for people to movearound and to stay and chat.

“I wanted to keep thelibrary going when we moved

because it had proved such asuccess.

“There is a great communi-ty spirit and a really nicegroup of people who have gotinvolved and we’ve had a lotof fun together.”

The idea of the librarybegan some years agobecause Mrs Boiling hadalways dreamed of running asecondhand book shop: “Ijust love books, the feel ofthem, the turning of the page– so much better than inter-net and I had always wantedto have a book shop.

“But when I looked into ithere I found that it would bejust too complicated and tooexpensive to set up. I thenheard of two women whowere setting up a library inthe south of France and theidea was born.

“I put the word out that Iwas looking for secondhandbooks and donations juststarted flooding in.”

The library opened in 2003and now houses a collectionof nearly 4,000 books, DVDsand videos and is open toanyone who wants to read inEnglish and pay the modestannual membership fee of€15 for a single membershipand €18 for a family.

There are more than 100members who enjoy a cup ofcoffee and a chat when theycome and choose their nextgood read. Em said: “We dolike it to be both a library anda meeting place and we findthat members often meetother people they might notsee otherwise.

“There is often an exchangeof information – perhaps tofind out where to get hold ofa plumber – and we have anoticeboard which memberscan use. We have severalnationalities, not just theBritish. There are also thelocal French, who want toimprove their English; Dutch,German, American and evenone Israeli. So it is all verylively and relaxed.”

Cindy Fernyhough, whomoved to the Dordogneseven years ago, says she

New library is proving

WASTE fat and oil frommore than 50 restaurants andthe agricultural college inCoulounieix-Chamiers havebeen turned into 20,000 litresof clean-burning biodiesel bytwo Dordogne men, in a firstfor the department.

Jules Charmoy and Jean-Marc Dubois came up with away to transform animal fatinto biodiesel two years aftersetting out to find an envi-ronmentally friendly way ofrunning farm machinery.

Their 100% biodiesel is100% in keeping with localcuisine as it is a mix of cook-ing oil and duck or pork fat.

Based at the Gaec-des-

Charmes farm in Saint-Aquilin, Jules Charmoy said:“It was never about earningmoney or even saving on fuelcosts but about looking afterthe environment. Biodiesel isunique in that it doesn’t pol-lute the atmosphere.”

It has cost €70,000 so farand although they believe itwas worth it they regret nothaving more backing fromofficial bodies. Mr Charmoysaid: “We can’t do this alone.Duck by-products are a hugeresource in the Dordogne, itwould be interesting to tapinto it so it isn’t wasted. We’dlike a partnership with theconseil général and others.”

A 19 year old chemistrystudent, Eméline Miramon,has been brought in to try toimprove product quality. Shesaid high humidity levelsmeant it could only be usedin old agricultural machinery,adding: “We need to dry thefuel out as much as possible.”

Once completed, the menhope to collect the fat pro-duced in the various duckproduct factories.

Mr Charmoy said it was justanother positive step for theenvironment. “When youlook at the deterioration ofour planet over the past 40 or50 years you can’t remainindifferent. We collect plastic

VOLUNTEER firefighters areneeded across the Dordogne,and especially in more ruralareas and non-French resi-dents have been asked toapply if interested.

A plea for volunteers waslaunched by the pompiers but,unlike for full-time paid fire-fighters, any nationality canvolunteer if they are perma-nent French residents andaged between 18 to 55.

Once medical and aptitudetest have been passed the vol-unteer signs up for five yearswhich is tacitly renewed, thefirst year being a trial period.

All volunteers are given fulltraining that corresponds tothe kind of interventionstheir particular centre carriesout and training continuesthroughout their career.

Youngsters can also getinvolved and those aged from11 to 18 years old can bejeune sapeur-pompiers. Whileobviously not called out tofires, this experience is oneway to train to become a pro-fessional or volunteer fire-fighter but also gives trainingin first aid, dealing with firesand prevention.

Get details at 05 53 53 65 16or at www.pompiers.fr

Inventors transform

“It’s great that inspite of theKindle peoplestill love to reada good bookEm Boiling

Expatscan helpfight fires

Follow the sign for the new English library at Meyrals

by JANE HANKS

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The hard work is over and Maria Lacheze, Norman Holness, Elsbeth Prins, Polly Checkley and

News 7Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

a big success

found it was the answer tothe only thing she reallymissed about leaving the UK.

“When I came here it reallystruck me that I couldn’t easi-ly get hold of books to readand so this was the perfectanswer. It’s also great beingable to borrow rather thanbuy because you can be moredaring about the books youchoose and try somethingyou might not be prepared topay for. I also love the sec-ondhand bookshop feel aboutthe place.”

Elsbeth Prins is Dutch andhas been involved with theproject from the outset. “Ilove reading English and Iwas keen on the idea fromthe very start. It’s such goodfun and people are veryenthusiastic. You meet verynice people here and I thinkit’s socially very important.”

Em said most books werestill donated but sometimesthey will purchase new ones:“For example, when theBooker Prize is coming up wehave enough in our budget tobuy some that are on the listand the members are veryinterested in reading them.”

Once a year they gothrough the stock and anythat have not been taken outfor two years or which are in

poor condition or doubles arepassed on to the PhoenixAssociation or the AquitaineChaplaincy to be sold to raisefunds.

There is a wide range of cat-egories available, coveringfiction and non-fiction withlots of history, autobiography,a mind/body/spirit section,children’s books and a Francecategory which includes nov-els and information.

However, the best-readbooks are still crime-murder-mystery novels: “Anythingwith blood” as Em put it.

“Stieg Larsson’s Millenniumtrilogy has been enormouslysuccessful and we are just try-ing out a new Scandinavianauthor – Jo Nesbø, who hasbeen hailed as the nextLarsson – to see how readerslike her books.

“It’s great that in spite of theKindle people still love toread a good book.”

A bar-code scanner has justbeen bought to make therecord-keeping easier andwill be introduced shortly butEm said that, while they hadrules, nobody would berapped too harshly over theknuckles if a book was givenback late. There are no fines.

Members can keep their

three books or DVDs for amonth.

The library is shut thismonth but will reopen onSeptember 5 and openingtimes will remain Mondayafternoons and Wednesdaymornings although Em saidthey were considering anevening session “if thedemand is there – with a nicebottle of wine – it could bevery convivial!”

They have also been hold-ing quiz nights which havebeen very popular.

Its craft group is meetingregularly and makes quilts tobe sold to support a school inSouth Africa. The proceedsgo to helping women withHIV at the school to earnmoney so they in turn canhelp the orphans at theVhutshilo Mountain School.Recently they helped buy anursery with 50,000 seedlingswhich will ensure an incomefor three women for years.

The library is always keento welcome new membersand Em is also keen to seemore people join the writinggroup, which she says is veryinformal but fun.

If you are interested, contactEm Boiling on 05 53 30 30 23email bibliotheque.anglaise@gmail.com

and take it to Bergerac forrecycling, we use the manure,ash from our boilers is usedto make compost and ofcourse we use duck fat for thebiodiesel.”

Already his work has caughtthe eye of local waste disposalorganisation SMD3, whichpersuaded him to take part ina poster campaign for recy-cling and now his face isposted around the Dordogne.

He said: “It’s for a goodcause and I wanted to be ableto encourage people andfarmers to recycle. It’s just astart and, with initiatives else-where, that’s when we’ll startto make a difference.”

waste into biodiesel

AN ALLEGED member ofthe Basque separatist groupETA was arrested by chancenear Jumilhac-le-Grand aftera car theft led to local farm-ers giving chase.

Two men had stopped theircar, a Peugeot 308, at a farmnear the town when onejumped out and into thefarmer’s Peugeot 307, Thepair drove off in both carsand the farmer and his son-in-law gave chase in the latter’s car as they realisedwhat had happened.

The driver of the 308 lostcontrol after trying a U-turnin the road and hit the othervehicle before slamming intoa rock face.

As the two farmers went topull him out of the car arevolver fell on the floor.

The driver of the stolenPeugeot 307 drove at the twofarmers before fleeing butthey managed to hold on tothe crash victim until thegendarmes arrived.

Jumilhac-le-Grand mayor,Yves Congé, had by this timearrived at the scene and said,“The car then caught fire andwhat I suppose to be ammu-nition exploding set off a real

firework display. The manthat had been pulled from thecar didn’t want to speakFrench only Spanish orBasque which made usimmediately suspect that hecould be a member of ETA.”

After the fire had been putout the police found equip-

ment to make fake numberplates in the boot of the car,which also turned out to bestolen.

The man was taken toPérigueux hospital underarrest before later being takento a local gendarmerie.

He was named by Spanishpolice as Oier ArdanazArmendariz, 24.

The stolen 307 was later

found near Limoges but therewas no trace of the driver andpolice have started a searchfor him.

Two other suspected ETAmembers have been arrestedsince the incident – DanielDerguy in Cahors and EnekoGogeaskoetxea Arronateguiin Cambridge – although thecases are not thought to belinked.

ETA has been held respon-sible for 829 deaths in the 40years it has fought for Basqueindependence. After a Frenchpoliceman was killed by ETAin March 2010 PresidentSarkozy promised to elimi-nate all ETA bases in France.

The terror group declared aceasefire in January this year.

Created in the 1960s as astudent resistance movementagainst the Spanish dictatorFranco, ETA’s name EuskadiTa Azkatasuna means BasqueHomeland and Freedom.

On Franco's death theBasques gained their ownparliament, police and educa-tion system as well as collect-ing their own taxes.

This pushed ETA to becomemore militant in a bid for fullindependence.

Suspected terroristheld after farm raid

“The man didn’twant to speakFrench, onlySpanish orBasqueMayor Yves Congé

Jules Charmoy created biodiesel with Jean-Marc Dubois

Pam Morgan join Em and Roger Boiling in celebrating the re-opening of the Meyrals library

Phot

o: w

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.sud

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t.fr

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8 Food Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

SUMMER holidays should be the perfect timefor relaxed, happy, al fresco meals, a time tointroduce your children, grandchildren andother assorted small people to healthy, abundant seasonal produce and your regionalspecialities.

But unless they are long-time gourmets, yourefforts are unlikely to elicit coos of apprecia-tion, rather groans of disgust.

“Don’t like that.”“Yuck! I want baked beans.”“I hate tomatoes.”“What’s that funny stuff on the lettuce?”Until they were about four years old, our

children and grandchildren ate just about any-thing, from snails to quails and olives.

Everything we offered was tried and enjoyed.Then their tastes seemed to change.

We tried to fight back in a subtle way, starting with getting them to help Grandad inthe potager.

At Easter they dug, planted and sowed seeds,and when summer came they reaped therewards of their efforts, picking and diggingup all the produce.

We extended this education to market visits

where they chose less familiar things. At the the fish stall it was gambas or squid, at

the cheese stall there was “mouldy” cheese orcreamy goat cheeses.

Then they moved on to the fruit stall wherewe encouraged them to try nectarines if thepeaches were too “furry”.

Apricots were “cool” and melons were alwayspopular. What about reine-claudes? They looksour but taste like honey. Sometimes closingyour eyes and trusting helps.

In France we are lucky because merchantsrealise the importance of encouraging futurecustomers. Samples and smiles are always onoffer for nervous young palates.

Here, with patience and imagination, fussykids can be turned into shoppers and cooksand even real foodies.

Simple things such as allowing children asyoung as two to make dressing for a salad,tossing it messily and serving it on their own,make them feel good.

I must confess that, having been a teacher for30 years, I rely on my training and instinctswhen it comes to helping children to be braveand creative with food.

Of course this usually involves a bit of riskand a lot of mess, but what fun it is to beallowed to wear a chef ’s hat and to be trustedwith Granny’s big knife and, with carefulsupervision, to be allowed to cut up the veg-etables they have picked or bought for a rata-touille inspired by the film.

Suddenly, you find that a child who has beenunable to look at an aubergine becomes anaddict.

Let them cook what they have picked or cho-sen, let them taste what you have chosen wheneating out – and remember that we all have totry a new taste about 15 times before weaccept it.

How to turnyour childreninto gourmets

After she was chosen asfirst BBC Masterchef in1990 JOAN BUNTING wassoon writing a foodcolumn and doing BBClocal radio. Now the former advisory teacherhas retired and hasmoved permanently toher home in France but isstill keen to tell Advertiserreaders about good food

Quick, easy and delicious corn cobsJoan’s grandson Haydon was already playing his part in the kitchen at the age of seven

Now for a recipe loved by all ages in thishousehold. Fun and simple to do, it can becooked in the oven or under the grill aswell as on the barbecue.

Barbie Sweetcorn(serves 8)

8 corn cobs with husks250g butter1 tsp Dijon mustard2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs2 tbsp lemon juiceSeasoning

Method

Mix together all the butter ingredients(clean hands are fine).

Peel back the corn husks but leaveintact, remove the silk and soak the cobsin water.

Rub a tablespoon of the butter on eachcob.

Cover with the husks then wrap in foil.Cook on the coals, or in the oven, for

10-15 minutes or until tender, unwrapcarefully as they are hot and serve withany remaining butter.

HOME-MADE food, eaux-de-vieand knitted garments, made withwool from prize-winning sheep kepton site, will be on sale as Terrasson’smonastery opens its own shop.

The produce on sale includes sea-sonal jams, chutneys and walnutproducts made from fruit grown by

the nuns at the Monastery of theTransfiguration (Orthodox).

The shop, named Athos Agora, issituated at Le-Clos-Bourret, on theRD 6089 between Brive la Gaillardeand Terrasson.

As well as their own goods, whichoften win prizes at agricultural

shows, the sisters will sell productsfrom monasteries around the world.

There will be cheese fromEchourgnac, Spanish olive oil, paint-ed eggs from Romania as well ascakes, organic food, toiletries andgarden decorations.

There will also be foods and other

goods from Cameroon. All produce bears a label of quality

used by the monastic community toidentify goods produced by monas-teries in France and abroad.

The shop will be decorated withreligious artwork, including sculptedcrosses from the Balkans and a mag-

nificent fresco showing everyday lifeat the monastery.

Athos Agora is open Wednesday,Thursday and Friday 14.00-17.30,

Saturdays 9.30-12.00 and 14.00-17.30

Call 05 53 50 22 76

Prize-winning monastery opens shop to sell food treats

Wine 9Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

Maison des Vins de Bergerac 1 rue des Récollets

24100 Bergerac

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

Visit the Maison des Vins

and local vineyards

BERGERACPECHARMANTMONBAZILLAC SAUSSIGNACMONTRAVEL

ROSETTE

The non-stop programme ofevents for Bergerac winescontinues this month withwine-tasting evenings, jazzconcerts and initiation towine-tasting courses both in the town and out of townwith guided tours of somenotable vineyards. JANICE MOODY looks at whatis going on

Les Mercredis Gourmets – apéritifs and music in old townWednesdays, August 3, 10, 17 from 18.00-18.30The covered market in the centre ofBergerac continues to be the venueearly on Wednesday evenings thismonth for a glass of Bergerac wineand some light music. The event is afavourite among locals and touristsand is completely free although youwill need to obtain a ticket from anyone of the participating shops in thecentre of town that are identified bya poster advertising the event.

Les Mercredis du Jazz, Cloîtredes Récollets, Maison des VinsWednesdays, August 3, 10, 17, 24starts around 21.00If you feel like prolonging yourevening in town and you like jazz,then make your way to the magnifi-cent cloisters at the Maison des Vinsfor an open-air concert given by jazzand blues bands.

Open air concert by In CantoVeritas, Maison des VinsFridays, August 5, 12, 19 from 18.30-20.00 Wonderful music in beautiful sur-roundings on Fridays with this

superb open-air choral concert inBergerac’s old town.

La Maison des Vins introduction to wine tasting (in English)Monday to Friday from 16.00-17.30The Maison des Vins in the old partof Bergerac town is open seven daysa week in August. Introduction towine tasting sessions.

The sessions are in English onTuesdays and Thursdays and Frenchon Mondays, Wednesdays andFridays although this program isflexible. Final session on WednesdayAugust 30. The session costs €5.

There will also be a different winegrower present every day of theweek in the wine shop who will

present his/her wines for tasting.If you don’t fancy wine tasting, a

visit to the building itself is wellworth it. Dating back to the 17thcentury, it is of a monastic architec-ture with a superb vaulted roomwhich houses a wine exhibition (freeentry) that extends into the beauti-ful cloisters.

Call 05 53 63 57 55

La Route des VinsDuring the month of August manylocal vineyards offer guided tourswith wine tasting as follows. Thereis something on each day of theweek:

Château de Tiregand at CreysseMonday to Friday, August 1 to 31

Guided tours at 10.30 (in French)and 14.30 (in English). Lasts onehour. €3 fee. English spoken.

Call 05 53 23 21 08

Château Haut-Garrigue at SaussignacThursdays and Saturdays in AugustDiscovery walk through Seán Feely’sorganic vineyards at Haut-Garrigue 17.00. Free. English spoken.

Call 05 53 22 72 71

Château Masburel at FougueyrollesSaturdays August 6, 13, 20, 27Walks though the vineyards at 14.30and 16.30 pm (lasts one hour) €2entrance fee.

The vineyard will also be hosting a

picnic from 19.00-23.30 on SaturdayAugust 27 with a concert that startsat 19.30. €6 entrance fee for adults,€2 children. English spoken.

Call 05 53 24 77 73

Domaine de l’Ancienne Curéat ColombierMondays, August 1, 8, 15, 22, 29Presentation of an organic vineyardfrom 10-11.30 am. Free. Englishspoken.

Call 05 53 58 27 90

Domaine de Siorac at St-Aubin-de-CadelechTuesdays August 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Guided visits from 10.00 to midday.Costs €2, which entitles you to a 5%discount at the vineyard’s shop. Thevisit is presented in French.

Call 05 53 74 52 90

Château la Renaudie at LembrasWednesdays August 3, 10, 17, 24, 31Walk through the vineyard at 10.30.The one-hour visit is free andEnglish is spoken.

Call 05 53 27 05 75.

Château Ladesvignesat PomportThursdays August 4, 11, 18, 25All day wine and cheese tasting.Free. No English spoken but theysay they get by!

Call 05 53 58 30 67

Domaine de Coutancieat PrigonrieuxThursdays August 4, 11, 18, 15Wine tasting with fruit from 17.00-18.00. Entrance fee for the visit is€3 and this is discounted off anywine you buy at the vineyard.English spoken.

Call 05 53 57 52 26

Day and night, something to enjoy

Prepare the main part of thecocktail the day before orin the morning if servingthe cocktail in the evening.

METHODCrush 12 fresh raspberries

and add 16cl of Périgordstrawberry purée.

Cut a “piment oiseau”* intopieces and add to the restof the ingredients.

Add a twist of milled “poivrede Séchouan”**.

Add 12cl of Monbazillacwine and allow to infusefor 30 minutes.

Pass the cocktail preparationthrough a fine strainer.Throw away the pepperand its seeds. Cover thepreparation and place inthe fridge.

To serve, pour 7cl of cocktail juice into wine glasses thenadd 8 cl of Monbazillac.

Decorate with a strawberry, araspberry and a “pimentoiseau”.

*Small pepper or capsicum, red or green

** Asian spice often used in desserts

Here’s how to make your ownTHE Happy Bergerac cocktailwas created by Victor Delpierre,head bartender and manager ofrestaurants at the luxury Edouard7 hotel in Paris.

He describes it as “a newapproach” where the sweetness ofthe wine works well with thefreshness of the strawberries tocreate a drink worth discovering.

All the cocktail recipes featuredon these pages, as well as recipesfor starters, main courses anddesserts are available on Bergeracwine’s mini website www.bergeracgourmet.com

Try this featured recipe:Chicory with prawns and chorizoand smoked salmon wrapped incarrot strips.

CELEBRATEthis summer with a festive cocktail based on freshly-picked local raspberries andBergerac's mostfamous wine,Monbazillac..

Photo: © N

icolas Edwige

Happy Bergerac – your cocktail choice More infoTHE Route des Vins map showswhere these vineyards are situatedand is available at the Maison desVins or Bergerac tourist office.For a full list of events go to:www.route-des-vins-de-bergerac.com.

Destination VignoblesWINE tourists can find a networkof vineyards, restaurants, localfood producers, hotels and touristsites that ensure a quality level: www.destination-vignobles-bergerac.fr

Useful websites:www.vins-bergerac.frwww.bergerac.frwww.bergerac-tourisme.com

News from the Dordogne’s wine region

10 Business Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

FINANCEALEXANDRA THEVENEThas more than 20 years of international businessexperience, four of which were dedicated to setting up and developing the Franco-British Chamber of Commerce & Industryin the Dordogne, from 2005 to 2009

Sponsored by

alex@thelinkservices.fr - +33 (0)6 70 11 58 88 www.thelinkservices.fr

WITH this in mind, and having recentlywatched the extraordinary Terence Malickmovie, The Tree of Life, I talked toPhilippe François, head of François-Tourisme-Consultants, a Dordogne-basedcompany and a key player in the sustain-able tourism field nationwide, about howto reconcile tourism and environmentalawareness.

What is sustainable tourism?Over the years, the tourism industry hasliterally destroyed numerous beaches, nat-ural landscapes, villages and much more.

We have become increasingly aware ofthe necessity to develop tomorrow’stourism as one that will respect the planetour children will be left with; which iswhy we have chosen to help shape andfurther the concept of responsibletourism. We will all benefit from it: cus-tomers, employees and shareholders alike.

How do you go about it?We are France’s leading consultancy firmwith regards to sustainable developmentapplied to the tourism industry, hotels andrestaurants. We set up the company in theDordogne in 1994. Prior to that, I hadfounded the Savignac School, one ofFrance’s highest-ranking hospitality man-agement business schools.

We have an 18-strong team, all expertsin environmental issues, sustainable econ-

omy or social and human resources. Wework with businesses and tourist areasalike.

Within the Dordogne, we are regularlycalled upon by investors in the hotelindustry or mairies. We get involved inprojects nationwide, though, and in anincreasing number of foreign countriessince we introduced the ECORISMOenvironmental trade fair in 2007.

Tell us about ECORISMO…ECORISMO came about after our con-

sulants found industryprofessionals were facedwith an ever-increasingawareness of sustainableand responsible develop-ment issues, but there wasa lack of relevant services

and products to support the process. Wedeveloped a range of services to providethem with pragmatic answers: ECORISMO was born.

First and foremost, ECORISMO is botha forum and a trade show where suppliersof environmental solutions are gathered,along with experts in ergonomics, accessi-bility and professional risk prevention.

The first three events took place inArles, in partnership with the ProvenceAlpes Côte d’Azur region (PACA, cover-ing Provence, Alps and Riviera areas) andenjoyed immediate success gatheringmore than 2,000 professionals from the

word go! Having been approached byvarious other regions and organisations,we decided to implement ECORISMOnationwide, like in Central France or theLoire areas for instance, as well as abroad,starting with Morocco.

The ECORISMO Forum offers profes-sional networking, conferences, and semi-nars led by sustainable developmentexperts. These usually take place withinthe framework of the ECORISMO tradeshow but can also be organised ondemand, wherever and whenever.

The ECORISMO Academy providestraining for tourism professionals in allaspects of the implementation of a sus-tainable development process, whilst theECORISMO Clubs allow professionals todiscuss and review daily good-practiceinitiatives with their fellow professionals.

Last but not least, the quality labelECORISMO Lauriers is awarded to themost interesting and fruitful initiativestaken by either hotels, restaurants, camp-sites, tourist boards etc.

When and where is the next ECORISMO taking place?Because the needs of the tourism professionals are not the same every-where, we have several trade fairs in thepipeline both in France and abroad in thenext three years.

The next event will be on January 18and 19 in Nantes during the annual con-ference of the Fédération Nationale del’Hôtellerie de Plein Air (the national fed-eration for the camping and caravanningindustries). Entry is free.

How about ECORISMO in the Dordogne ?We would love to organise an ECORIS-MO event in the Dordogne and will do soas and when we are invited either by localauthorities or businesses, or another tradeshow for example.

This is how we have worked so far and ithas proved successful for all involved thatway!

For more information:www.ecorismo.comwww.francoistourismeconsultants.com

THE tourism industry in theDordogne represents a directturnover of €1 billion a year andabout a quarter of the department’s economy as it welcomes around three milliontourists each year.

Our extraordinary landscapesand the array of tourist attractions mean each visitorstays an average of nine days.

To cater for them, the Dordognehas 228 hotels, 209 campsites,5,500 gîtes and some 3,000 bed& breakfasts.

Tax shield is droppedto make fair system

INDEED the bouclier fiscal or “tax shield” has come to theend of its life, so one might wonder why one should still beinterested in understanding its workings; however, it maynot yet have breathed its last breath.

President Sarkozy has never been a fan of wealth tax andhas made no secret of it; publicly declaring to French rocksinger Johnny Hallyday, who is a tax exile, that he wouldsoon be coming home. He hasn’t done so, of course,because Sarkozy never really dealt with wealth tax in theway he seemingly promised. The bouclier was as far as hegot and now this is vanishing.

The bouclier meant your total tax bills could not be morethan 50% of your “taxable” income and although it was notdesigned specifically for wealth tax, but covered all taxes,dealing with wealth tax was (arguably) its objective.

This was to prevent property and national treasures goingto rack and ruin due to people not being able to afford theupkeep due to their tax bill being more than their income(at least this was the argument).

With the right planning, as we at Kentingtons knew well, it is perfectly possible to have a significant incomewhere much of it was considered not “taxable” and therefore not part of the calculation, so people who werewell advised were earning fantastic incomes and paying relatively little tax.

The problem is that, in times of crisis, this is not accept-able. Moreover, the bouclier fiscal meant that those usingthis tax shield were no worse off as a result of tax increases,as the shield acted as …well, a shield! This meant that youhad people on very low incomes suffering higher taxes andthe wealthy paying no more at all.

The result was that the bouclier was effectively dumpedwith great haste, with no idea as to what doing so wouldmean. The main French papers went crazy printing variouspossible outcomes, mainly a mass exodus of wealthy peoplefrom France and what that would mean for the ailing economy, so there was confusion all round.

By April 21 finance and economy minister FrançoisBaroin was forced to write a letter stating the government’sintent. He said the bouclier would not be coming back, butthat wealth tax rates would be changed considerably andthose this year with taxable estates below €1,300,000would not have to pay it.

The date for payment was to be deferred until Septemberto allow law changes to be introduced.

Wealth tax will now be levied at 0.25% from the first euroon tax estates from €1.3 million to €3m and 0.5% forthose with €3m upwards ... and the bouclier is gone.

I have heard that the bouclier fiscal is being abolished this year. Can you explain why this is?

Photo: © R

ob Byron - Fotolia.com

Eco events offer vital help

(source: Observatoire Départemental du Tourisme de Dordogne, 2010)

Philippe François

Food 11Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

A collection of restaurants in the Dordogne

Advertising Feature

To advertiseyour

restaurantwith us call

0800 91 77 56

AS The Advertiser went to press, the foxcub Zouzou was still mising having dis-appeared from its cage three days after acourt ruled it should be removed fromthe family looking after it and sent to ananimal centre in Normandy.Officials from the national office for

hunting and wild animals (ONCFS)who arrived at the Delanes' home inGardonne to collect the fox were con-fronted by protesters and an emptycage. The family claim someone musthave taken the cub during the night.ONCFS staff searched the house and

demanded that Zouzou be handed overbut the fox could not be found.Among protestors asking authorities

to allow the family to keep the fox are

animal protection foundation 30Millions d'Amis and actress BridgetBardot, in sympathy with more than6,500 people who have signed anonline petition. Didier Delanes, partner Anna-Paule

Rodrigues and their two children Rudy,15, and Maeva,13, had reared the foxafter finding it close to his mother whodied of unknown causes on the road-side a year ago. However, French law states that any-

one wishing to keep a wild animalmust hold a certificat de capacité toshow they have the knowledge neededto care for the animal, ensure the safetyof others and are aware of diseases theanimal may carry. The family do not

have this certificate. Anyone foundkeeping an animal unlawfully faces a€15,000 fine and one year in prison.The ONCFS says injured or vulnerable

wild animals should be taken to a spe-cialized animal centre (call 05 65 87 0731 for details.) The petition for thefamily can still be signed electronicallyat: tinyurl.com/signforZouzou

Fox cub Zouzou goes missing from his cage

MISSING: Zouzou’s family claim he was taken in the night

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KEEPERS: Rudy, 15 and Maeva,13

12 Horses Dordogne Advertiser Month 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

THE PAST 20 years have seen equestrianismenjoying a huge surge in popularity through-out France, with the numbers of registeredriders increasing by almost 400%. The FrenchEquestrian Federation (FFE) now has morethan 650,000 riders on its books. For Britishresidents who wish to take up riding seriously,however, it is worth bearing in mind that therules governing the sport here are differentfrom those in the UK.

The first port of call is the local poney club,which will generally welcome children asyoung as four. Anyone attending a riding clubis required to have a licence pratiquant, whichcosts €25 for children and €36 for adults.

Sarah Pugh runs a riding club at Saumort inthe Poitou-Charentes region. She says:“Children join a pony club at any age fromfour upwards, starting on Shetland ponies,often riding without stirrups for some timeuntil their balance is sound.

“The clubs link in with the school calendarand lesson costs include an annual subscrip-tion, an FFE licence and a fee for the term.During the holidays, the clubs run daycourses, but normal lessons stop. Annual costscan vary immensely from region to region, butin my area the cost would be around €1,000.”

Most clubs provide the pony and tack, butyou will need to hire or borrow a riding hatand wear suitable footwear. Riders in Franceare quickly taught how to groom a pony orhorse, as they are expected to get their horsegroomed and tacked for lessons, unlike in theUK, where it is done for you.

More experienced riders who wish to partici-pate in one of the many competitions that takeplace all over the country need a licence com-pétition from the FFE and are expected to passriding tests. “The FFE have a fantastic country-wide system called Galop tests,” says Ms Pugh.“The main ones are Galop 1-7, which most

people take. In order to compete at a higherlevel you have to have passed these tests.”

In theory, riders taking the Galop 7 shouldpass practical and theory tests in French, butmany riding clubs simply watch them to verifytheir skills and, if they are satisfied, apply for acompetition licence.

Alternatively, British residents in France whoare experienced riders can ask the BritishHorse Society for documentation showing thatthey have competed in affiliated competitionsin the UK.

“There is no such thing as an unaffiliatedevent in France,” explains Ms Pugh, “otherwisethe showjumping competitions are very simi-lar to the UK.”

A competition licence costs €80 and youapply through your riding club. You mustprovide a medical certificate and, for children,a parental permission form must be signed.

For youngsters, there is no shortage of localpony competitions and they can lead to partic-ipation in national events for under-18s, suchthe annual competition held in July at the ParcEquestre Lamotte-Beuvron in the Sologne.

Xavier Bourdon, PR manager for Pixizone,an equestrian events company, says: “TheFrench national pony championships cover alldisciplines – showjumping, eventing and dres-sage – with many categories depending on theage of riders and the level of skill.”

In August, Lamotte-Beuvron is host to theSologn’Pony French national breeding champi-onship, featuring pedigree breeds such as NewForest, Shetland, Welsh Cob and Connemara,and also some competitions. This year’s cham-pionship takes place on August 18-21.

Young riders with talent who wish toprogress to senior showjumping events willneed parents with deep pockets.

A good three-year-old pony with showjump-ing potential will cost between €20,000 and€50,000, while the very best will commandprices up to €100,000, or even more for ananimal with a proven record in competition.On top of that, there are the costs involved instabling and transporting animals to events.That is why many competitors are children offormer riders and landowners. On the other

hand, showjumping horses can still be com-peting at 10 years old or more.

Sarah Pugh, though, points out: “You can doa lot more competing here without your ownhorse than in the UK. Some people do chooseto buy their own, but not all.

“Many have their own land so can keep ahorse at home, but if they want to competethey have the horse in livery at the club, andthat can be quite expensive.”

Equestrianism is extremely well-organised inFrance, but it is also true that it is quite tightlyregulated. Even Ms Pugh, a very experiencedriding instructor who set up a small livery andriding club at Saumort eight years ago, hadofficial hurdles to overcome.

“The main problem was that initially myEnglish qualifications were not recognisedhere, so all I could do was hire horses to peo-ple to ride alone,” she said.

“The regulations here were enormously strictand complicated. Over the years, my husbandZak and I have managed to establish a smallloyal customer base of liveries and riders by

HorsesenseRiding and competing in equestrian eventsare becoming increasingly popular in France,but in order to enjoy them to the full, you haveto stick to the rules, as JOHN GILMORE explains

RIDING in France is en plein boom, saysthe Fédération Française d’Equitationwith an increasing number of licenceseach year and it the country’s third mostpopular sport.

Nearly one person in three rides regu-larly or occasionally and surveys showriding is parents’ preferred pastime fortheir children. Half the population saythey would consider a horseback holiday.

You can get information on riding onthe French Horse and Country site, aimedat the English-speaking community,www.frenchhorseandcountry.com

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Jump to it

Horses 13Dordogne Advertiser Month 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

word of mouth. Now, though, I have the rightto teach, the right to run shows and to awardGalop tests. The insurance costs are not tooscary, so we are hoping the business willexpand and we’ll be able to do some ridingholidays too.”

It is important that anyone thinking aboutinvesting in riding, and especially of buying ahorse, is aware of the commitments involved,particularly the costs. Otherwise, things cango badly wrong.

Ann Heighington, who runs the Anglo-French equestrian charity Epona Trust in LaLucerne d’Outremer, near Avranches,Normandy, says: “Ponies and horses arrive atour trust as a result of financial difficulties or afamily split. Sometimes the animal is neglectedand may have to be removed from the owners.

“We provide hay to animals that are leftwithout feed and we also pay for vets to visit asick animal if the owners have no money orrefuse to pay. Any equine that comes to therefuge will be provided with housing, feed andmedication.”

THERE are 75 riding clubs spread across theDordogne, with 4,342 people taking part inthe sport regularly and 1,272 competitiveriders, including world youth endurancechampion Julien Lafaure.

These numbers are boosted in the summerwith a number of gites offer riding lessonsand hire ponies and horses to tourists, withtrekking being a popular pastime.

Louise Bowles and her husband John haverun gites at Creysse, near Bergerac, for thepast eight years, offering self-catering accom-modation for up to 16 people and ridingfacilities with two ponies and three horsesstabled.

“We are open all the year round,” saysLouise, “and as a qualified riding instructor Igive lessons to local children during the year.For holiday visitors I can offer week-longcourses in riding and taking care of horses,except during the peak holiday periods inJuly and August, when we just hire the horsesout for riding.”

Claude Huiez is president of Pince, a 50-strong association at Le Bugue that organiseshorse rallies and ronds for the entire region.

“It’s just for pleasure and all our members

take it in turn during the year to organise aday’s rally on horseback, with sandwichesand drinks prepared.

“It’s a very convivial time with friends, butsome of us are getting a bit old and saddlesore for this game!

“As we all get older, I am thinking of intro-ducing attelage (carriage driving), which isvery popular in the south of the region.”

Claude mentioned a couple of good ridingclubs in the area for both beginners andadvanced-level riders:

“Catherine Jacques runs a good pony clubat Arc-en-Ciel in Campagne, which organis-es competitions for beginners, and for thestep up to senior level there is Maeva andDavid Poillion’s Au Bos Cheval Rouge, atBelvès.”

What’s On this monthAugust 27-28: Fête du Cheval at Saint-Astiersees the Cavaliers du Vern et de la Valléehosting the biggest equestrian event in thedepartment. There’s a street parade of thehorses and riders plus a rodeo.

This month also sees club events at LaRoche Chalais on August 6, Rouffignac on

August 28 and Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchaptthe same day.

Useful contactsLouise and John Bowles, La Ferme De Grand Jean, 24100 Creyssewww.lafermedegrandjean.moonfruit.com

Tel 05 53 74 02 18The Poney-Club of Arc-En-Ciel, Le Peyrat 24260 Campagne

Tel 05 53 07 23 66Maeva and David Poillion,Au Bos Cheval Rouge, 24170 Belvès,

Tel 06 89 72 93 89Corinne Terral, Centre Equestre la Vallée desChâteaux, 24520 Castelnaud-la-Chapelle

Tel 05 53 29 51 86Comite Départemental d’EquitationDordogne, 24752 Trélissac www.cde24.ffe.com

Tel 06 72 54 64 94 France Jumping Promotion (with list of ponyclubs in the Dordogne), 11 rue du JardinPublic, 24260 Le Bugue-sur-Vézère

Tel 05 53 08 11 14

Where to go riding in the DordognePhoto: FFE PSV

A competitor clears afence at the

Sologn’Pony event,held in August

Right: youngsters areintroduced to ridingwith the Fédération

Française d’Equitation

August 5-6 – Festival Flamenco Pourpre The colours and sounds of Spain come to Bergerac again this

year for the highly successful Flamenco Festival.Starting on Friday August 5 at 18.00 and finishinglate on Saturday August 6, Bergerac will be filled

with shows, concerts, rumba workshops anddancing.

All shows are FREE.www.flamencopourpre.

canalblog.com/Call 05 53 57 03 11

14 What’s On Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

notice boardAugust 8-13 – A week of New Orleans jazz musicwith the Festival de Musiques Nouvelle Orléans àPérigueux. Each night a different band will play in a different area of the city.There are also Indian Slamworkshops for the nine to 13 year olds and the“fringe” will come alive on August 11 when cafésthroughout the town will welcome bands plus manyother activities. Prices range from €25-€50, under12s FREE if accompanied by an adult. For the full programme visit www.mnop-festival.comCall 05 53 53 66 11

MUSICPérigueux

Périgord Blanc

Photo: © gérardm

illet

MUSICPérigueux

August 23-28 – Sinfonia en PérigordA baroque music festival based in the Périgueux area with renowned

musicians, orchestras and singers.This year it looks mainly at the worksof Johann Sebastian Bach but also looks to other horizons with

accents from the orients, and the exuberance of Italy. In total there are14 concerts of all styles and tastes. Some with FREE entry.

Call 05 53 08 69 81 or www.sinfonia-en-perigord.com

FESTIVALBergerac

Périgord Pourpre

FAMILYVallée du Dropt

August 1-28 – Itinérance Médievale enVallée du Dropt.The Dropt river in theDordogne was once the political frontierwhich separated the French and Englisharmies during the Middle Ages. Grand remains survive from this era such as thecastles and fortified towns, but the Droptholds other treasures as well.

Every year associations and professionals

work together to create events in a festive,cultural and convivial way. See how medievalcamps functioned and watch the joustingand falconry displays.You can also attendconcerts, workshops and watch plays.Thisfestival is jam packed with events in uniquelocations.Call 05 53 27 11 46www.medieval.dropt.org

Photo: © www.sinfonia-en-perigord.com

Phot

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Photo: © www.medieval.dropt.org

MEMBERS of the Star Inn book clubwill be tackling some harrowing issueswhen they settle down to read Room,a novel by the Irish-born author,Emma Donoghue.

The book, which was last year short-listed for the Man Booker Prize, wasseemingly inspired by Josef Fritzl, theAustrian who imprisoned his daughterin a cellar for 24 years.

The case, which came to light in2008, was described as one of theworst in Austria's criminal history.

Room is written from the perspec-

tive of a five-year-old boy who isimprisoned in a small room with hismother.

He was conceived and born in theroom and for five years believes theroom is the only 'real' thing there is.

Club members will meet on August10 from 2pm at the Star Inn on 17 ruedes Drapeaux, Périgueux, to discussthe book.

The group meets once a month.Contact Tania Rogers for more infor-mation: Tania.rogers@live.com

New members are welcome.

A haunting reading of ‘Room’

Try sculpture classesORGANIC food, an Italian eveningand arts workshops are just someof the treats to enjoy this summerat a café set up by two benevolentassociations in Léguillac-de-Cercles.

Budding artists aged 10 years andover are invited to try their hand atsculpture, or landscape paintingand drawing, in a series of work-shops organized at the CaféAssociatif, as part of their summerprogramme.

The painting and drawing work-shop, with tuition, will take placeon August 6, 15.00-18.00 and costs€10. Participants should bringtheir own utensils and paper.

The sculpture workshop takesplace on August 13 15.00-18.00,price €10, all equipment provided.An Italian themed evening withspeciality dishes takes place onAugust 20 at 19.30.

The Café, which opened at thestart of the year, is run by two non-profit making associations, withthe aim of providing a communityforum to bring people togetherthrough creative workshops, goodfood and cultural shows. Weavingworkshops were organised earlierthis year and can be staged againthis summer if there is enoughdemand. In September conversa-tional French classes for non-nativespeakers will be held on Thursdaysat 15.00. French tuition for moreadvanced levels is also available, on

Tuesdays at 16.00 from September. For more adventurous language

learners, a Café Occitan is anevening of conversation for Occitanspeakers which takes place on thesecond Tuesday of every month,starting again in September.

The Café is run by volunteerswho work to support the two localassociations - Lézidéfuz whichorganises music, theatre and cul-tural events and the ecologicalgroup Le Circle Vert which runsnature walks for all ages.

The Café at Le Bourg (oppositethe church) is open Thursday-Saturday from 11.00-23.00 andSundays 11.00-19.00, and serveslunches and evening meals pre-pared with all organic produce, atthe price of €7 for a main course.

Visitors are invited to relax in thegarden during summer and enjoybarbecue sausages, spare ribs andsteaks from the farm. A vegetariandish is available everyday and sal-ads are prepared with fresh vegeta-bles from the garden. Ice-creamand home-made fruit tarts are notto be missed for dessert at the veryreasonable price of €2.50. Coffee,tea and wine costs just €1-2. Pizzas,quiches, crêpes and home-madecakes are on sale at weekends.

For more information aboutSummer events at the Café visitwww.cafeasso.fr. Booking is recom-mended for workshops;

Call 05 53 60 48 06.

Photo: © Association Lézidéfuz

ENTHUSIASTIC: Volunteers at The Café Associatif’s opening this year

Promote your community event, send details to dordogne@dordogneadvertiser.com

What’s On 15Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

August

Périgord Vert

Périgord Noir

These pages show events across the four ‘colour’regions of the Dordogne. If you are a visitor to the area

please use the map above to help you identify the location of events

EXHIBITIONSaint Aulaye

August 13-28 – Pastel en Périgord, International Pastel exhibition.Above are just some of the examples of the workson show at the exhibition which includes artists from all overthe world; France, Poland, Great Britain,America, Spain,Russia. Guest of honour is Claude Texier. Conferences andworkshops are also programmed. Centre de Loisirs, 10.00-12.30 & 14.00-19.00, FREE entrance Call 06 81 19 90 34 www.pastelenperigord.com

August 6-7, 13-14 – Medieval jousting and games, Château de Laxion.This castlehas a long history but was left to fall into ruin until Gaëlle and François Dumybought it in 2008. It is now a work in progress open to the public and they also welcome volunteers to their association to help restore the château.

It is open from 10.00-12.30 and 13.30-18.00 but this month is open non-stop onits jousting weekends. Normal entrance: €5 for adults, €3 for 5-16 year olds, FREEfor under 5s; Jousting weekend: €10 adults, €5 5-16 year olds, FREE for under 5sCall 05 53 54 57 36

FAMILY

Corgnac-sur-l’Isle

FAMILYNontron

August 6-7 – Fête du Couteau. Nontron’s annual knife festival attracts professionals in the knife industry from allover the world.This year more than 100 knife makers andblacksmiths will be present, including Elsa Fantino one ofthe only women blacksmiths in Europe. During the twodays she will demonstrate how she makes her knives. Oneof the blades will then be tested for its cut and resistanceby master knife-maker Frédéric Perrin.Various other activities and demonstrations will also take place. Open10.00-19.00. Entrance €5 for one day €7 for two days.www.feteducouteau.typepad.fr

FAMILYSalignac-Eyvigues

August 1 & 8 – Fête des Vieux Métiers. Fair to celebrate oldand forgotten trades, this year’s theme is geese. On site arereconstructed traditional buildings such as forges, breadovens and barns, all trades are demonstrated.11.00-19.00,Entrance fee: €5 for adults, FREE for under 11 Call 05 53 28 81 93 www.vieux-metiers.case-salignac.fr

August 4 – Rando à la Noix.A walk that takes you roundone of the most beautiful villages of the Périgord Noir andwhich also gives you the opportunity to learn about andunderstand about walnut production in the area.Tasting sessions are included, meet 13.45 at Château deLacypierre. Call 05 53 28 81 93

OUT AND ABOUTSaint-Crépin-et-Carlucet

Arpèges en Gascogne opened their 12th classicalmusic festival with the first performance in Franceof Czerny's arrangement for four handed piano ofMozart's Requiem. Since then the musicians havekept up the high standard and this month play theChurch at Tillac with Classics at Tillac.Sunday August 7 at 17.00 – The trio of DorianGable, first violin at the Paris Opera; Julien Gernay,piano, and Emmanuel Petit, cello, will playBeethoven's Archduke Trio Piano Trio No. 7 in B-flatmajor, Op. 97 and Schubert's Trio opus 100

All concerts in Tillac are €15 (FREE for under16s and music students) and most are followed byaperitifs, allowing the audience to meet and talkwith the artists.This concert at Tillac is followed bya buffet dinner under the arches of the old housesof Tillac (€10).

For information, or to book Call 05 62 70 00 43or email arpegesengascogne@free.frwww.arpegesengascogne.online.fr

CONCERTArpèges en Gascogne

Other events...All Périgord

WORTH A VISITThroughout the month night markets will be happening everywhere and they are really worth visiting.The big marketsoffer activities, meals and dancing, while the smaller villages areless tourist orientated giving you a taste of village life in ruralFrance. Some also take place actually on the farms, such at theMarché Campagnards at the Valadou goat farm in Saint-Agne, nearLalinde, on August 11. Here are some others this month.

Regular Night MarketsTuesdays: Eymet; Bouzic;Varaignes; Le-PizouWednesdays: Saint-Geniès,BourdeillesThursdays: Issigeac, Badefols-sur-Dordogne, Hautefort

Fridays: Le-Buisson-de-Cadouin; Les-Eyzies, Salignac-Eyvigues; SigoulèsSaturdays: Saint-Pompont,Veyrines-de-DommeSundays: Monbazillac

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Photos: © SWIATECKI Marek

Photos: © YERNAUX Marie-Hélène

Photos: © CARVIN Claude

Photo: © tourisme salignac

16 Directory Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

Find registered tradespeople quickly and easily

English-speaking firms near you

DORDOGNEADVERTISER

For your security, we check that the French businesses in this section are officially registered with the authorities

ArchitectRenovation - new construction.

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05 53 82 44 75 - 06 17 51 26 00besse_archi@yahoo.fr

PARKES et DUCELIER

ArchitectesUK and French Registered

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HHOOUUSSEE PPLLAANNSSPlans drawn & submittedfor as little as €1,500 HT

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Landscape ArchitectFREE CONSULTATION

Site analysis, schematic designs,construction plans, cost estimates

construction observation, Contact Michael Stanton

Tel : 05 53 54 63 65www.landplan.fr - E-mail: mike@landplan.fr

Animal CareHouse Sitting Yours/mine

First Aid 4Animals Cert, Referencesestablished Animal Charities

Tel: 06 43 28 32 32animalcarer1@hotmail.fr

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The Cats InnLuxury Cattery - Cales near Lalinde - Very

Spacious - Lots of Love and Attention

Tel: Paula 05 53 24 14 42www.thecatsinncattery.com

paulaL24150@aol.comSiret No.520 980 269 00010

La Creme de la CremeSmall, Caring, purpose

built DOG FREE catterynear Nontron.

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

GOLDENWAYINTERNATIONAL PETS

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No. 61195004 – 61195001Offices CDG Airport Paris

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

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ANIMAL COURIERSExperienced couriers specialisingin pet travel between France / UK /

Spain or within France. Pet passport advice.

Tel: 0044 (0) 1483200123Email: animals@animalcouriers.com

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THE DORDOGNE CATTERY

PENSION POUR CHATS NEARSARLAT, OPEN-AIR, INSULATED

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05 53 31 95 88 / 06 86 94 85 78p.maslen@wanadoo.fr

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WAGS AND WHISKERS

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CLOS FLEURILuxury Cattery

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Tel: 05 53 24 16 08Susan.fairweather@sfr.fr

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Top Quality food and exerciseOnly 45 minutes south of Caen

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DORDOGNE DIRECTORY

Directory 17Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

BOUCHERIEA LA FERME

Traditional English family butchers andfarmers in France.

British style Beef,bacon, Sausages,

gammons pork & lambBespoke insulated packaging used for

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AGENCE CLASSICFRENCH HOMESExclusively Prestige Property

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AK Electrical30 years experience/Fully insured

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Kennedy Electricite ServicesInstallation, rewires and repairs.

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Contact Justin or Melissa Kennedy.Tel: 05 55 56 37 36

Email: justin.kennedy@orange.frRegions 87/24 Siret 503 417 04000014

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ti lingall wall & floor tiling, pool surrounds, terraces,

concrete & sand / cement work, plasterboardingTel: 06 19 50 34 28 or 05 53 23 24 54

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MGF CounsellingServices

English Speaking Counselor. M. Glenys Forrester

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Regions Covered 24,16,87 - Siret: 51913926500010

GENERAL BUILDERChris Danaher

20 Years ExperienceFREE ESTIMATES

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BergeracRenovation & Building

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Free estimates & adviceTel: 05 53 81 60 73

christopher.jarrett@wanadoo.fr

3D CONSTRUCTIONFamily run building company with

over 30 yrs experience

All construction worksundertaken large orsmall incl. masonry,

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Free estimates - References availableTel: 06 31 21 32 04

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

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in the Perigord NoirEmail: creation.ex@gmail.com

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* Specialised in waterproofingtimber roofs, green roofs and

terraces.______________

Tel: 06-72-01-11-06info@boisdarbreconstruction.comwww.boisdarbreconstruction.com

SIRET: 4899 5394 30011

BÂTI-TOP SARL

CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATIONMEDIUM/LARGE PROJECTS

UNDERTAKEN10 YEAR INSURED GUARANTEE

www.bati-top.com05 53 73 02 88 - Siret: 9868562700016

C&C CONSTRUCTION SARLQualified Builder

15 Years Experience10 Years Insurance Guarantee

All Building/Groundworks undertakenTel: 05 53 62 13 38 / 06 63 84 79 99Email: cc-construction@orange.fr

www.cc-construction.fr

RON HARRISONGeneral Builder

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

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

Email: angelaharrisson@orange.fr25km radius Mussidan(24) Siret: 51352715000017

ABPRenovation & Construction

Swimming pools and buildingsAll trades including new timber frame buildings

Tel/Fax: 05 53 56 68 87Email: abp.renov@orange.fr

Website: abpiscines.netSiret: 387 471 394 000 24

Paul GentFully Qualified & Insured Builder

including:• Renovation • Masonry

• Plastering • Plus Hard LandscapingTel: 05 53 29 08 86 Mob: 07 60 52 43 40

email: barbgent@gmail.com30km radius Sarlat ( 24 ) Siret : 513 209 189

PLASTERING POINTINGRENDERING &

GENERAL BUILDING“Quality & Reliability” 35 Years Experience

Tel : 05 57 47 48 19Email : pessacweb@yahoo.co.uk

Areas 24,33 Other areas Considered. Based St Foy La GrandeSiret: 482 710 175

18 Directory Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

AAccccoommmmooddaattiioonn MMaannaaggeemmeennttSSeerrvviicceess

SSeerrvviicceess IInncclluuddee::

• CCoommpplleettee pprrooppeerrttyy mmaannaaggeemmeenntt

• CChhaannggee oovveerrss

• PPrrooffeessssiioonnaall llaauunnddrryy sseerrvviicceess

• GGaarrddeenniinngg//PPooooll SSeerrvviicceess

• KKeeyyhhoollddiinngg

• SSeeccuurriittyy cchheecckkss

wwwwww..aaccccmmoonnlliinnee..ccoommTTeell:: ++3333 ((00))555533779933556644

EEccooPPoowweerrThe World's

Leading SolarSystems

Tel: 05 53 62 31 35

www.ecopower.eu.com

MAKE YOUR OWNELECTRICTY & SELL IT,

USE ITBE SELF-SUFFICIENT/INDEPENDENT

YOUR POWERSOLAR-WIND-HYBRID KITSWWW.everkinetiq.frinfo@everkinetiq.fr

SECURITY SYSTEMS

Alarm calls up to 4 numbers ifactivated.

NO ANNUAL CONTRACTSOR MONTHLY PAYMENTS.

Wireless or wired.Cameras with 24/7 recording +

Internet access. Security lighting.Tel: 06 27 76 95 91

E: contact@aquitainealarmes.comW: www.aquitainealarmes.com

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

LOCKES GROUNDWORKS& LANDSCAPING

Digger / driver hire Fosse septiquesExcavations, Building, Renovations

Driveways, Fencing, Decking, Pergolas Tel: 05 53 79 77 61 or 06 42 86 85 31

Email: lockes@orange.frWebsite: www.lockes47.com

DIGITAL INSTALLATIONSWe do not only sell & install

We also repair digiboxesNOW!! All freesat systems available

WITHOUT CARD For more information call00 33 (0)5 45 98 25 37

FINNINGER & HELBACH GmbhLe Petit Fouine, 16210 Curac

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

www.digitalsatellitefrance.comSiret: 400 415 246 00026

PEST CONTROLDOMESTIC,COMMERCIAL

& RURALDept 19 & adjoining

Robin Loten0555 736918/0615186308lotenrobin@yahoo.fr

Siret: 523 767 705 00016

General BuildingRoofing, loft and barn conversion andproperty renovations. Depts 24, 19, 87

Full team of skilled registered tradesmencharles@hautefortrenovation.com

www.hautefortrenovation.comTel/fax: 05 53 50 12 39Mobile: 06 84 53 08 39

Balcony & Stair Railings

Window & Door Grills.

Manufacture/Repair/Installation.williamsonsteel.com

williamson_steel@yahoo.com05 53 90 20 17

Mini digger hire from100 Euros per day HT

Hammer, auger, dumper,roller etc available

Sarlat, Gourdon and Souillac areas

SARL MaximaTel April on 0613232249

or 0553312115see rates at

www.maximalocation.comSiret no. 498 524 032 00022

SURFACESPolished Concrete Floors, Walls, Worktops

Sinks & Furniture

STONE & TILERestoration, Colouring, Sealing.

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

Tel: 06 82 38 21 12 Siret 51500573400014

SAND AND BLASTSandblasting service for Wood,Metal and Stone. Floor sanding

service / hire available. Tel: 05 55 78 43 71 /

06 67 81 63 46www.sandandblast.com

Areas: 87, 16, 24 Siret: 488 522 921 00029

Experienced and registeredCeramic floor and wall tiler

For a professional Service / QuotationContact 2447 CarrelageTel: 05 53 57 12 19

Email: occitane6@orange.frRegions 24/47 and surroundingSIRET: 4844699200014

Phil B EntrepriseAll Building Works Undertaken

Inc Electrical, Plumbing and HeatingBased 47, 24

Email: enquiries@stoves.frTel: 05 53 84 36 81

Mobile: 06 72 02 88 29

www.swansolar.euSupply & Installation of :

• Solar domestic hot water systems • Solar swimming pool systems

• Wood boiler stoves • Plumbing services Tel : 05 53 63 43 87 / 06 06 41 08 85

Email : maswan@live.co.ukAll depts covered Siret 50406233200011

PROPERTY ODD JOBS

Painting + Decorator, General PropertyMaintenance, 25 years experience,

Registered Artisan Tel: 05 53 23 77 05 (Rob)

Regions: Dept 24 - Siret: 501 098 883 00017

E B CreationsMetalwork

All interior and exterior ironwork.Dept 47,33,24 covered.

www.ebcreations.net.Tel: 05 53 83 68 15

email: edward@ebcreations.netSiret No. 452 215 403 00018

Plastering Servicesover 20 years experience in france

we undertakePlastering - Partitioning - Plasterboarding

COMPETITIVE PRICESTel: 05 53 56 27 58

Mobile: 06 02 26 17 75Siret: 381 076 967

BOUCARA CHAUFFAGEPLOMBERIE

PLUMBING - HEATING - BATH-ROOMS - GEOTHERMIE AND

ALTERNTIVE - ENERGY INSTALLA-TIONS - GAS INSTALLATIONS

QUALIFIED ARTISAN - QUALIGAZREGISTERED - FRENCH REGIS-

TERED BUSINESS12 MONTH WARRANTY

ON ALL WORK FULLY INSUREDDEPT 24, 33 AND 47

Contact. Morris WhiteheadTel. 05 53 58 38 62

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

PLUMBING & HEATINGINSTALLATIONS

SERVICING & REPAIRSRENOVATIONS, AIR-CONDITIONING SOLAR

SYSTEMS - TOTALGAZ APPROVED INSTALLERContact: Wayne MerryMob: 06 85 58 64 65Tel: 05 53 64 34 05

Email:wayne.merry@sfr.fr

www.realheating.cominfo@realheating.com

Tél: 05 53 90 46 34Siret: 4119 419 830

Plumbing, Central & Underfloor HeatingBathrooms, Solar systems,

Woodburners.GAS QUALIFIED INSTALLERS.

HEATHROW LEFT HANDDRIVE CENTRE LTD

Rear Of 55 Cowley Road,Uxbridge UB8 2AE

Tel: +44 (0)208 8487407Tel: +44 (0)1895 81 23 23

Mobile: +44 (0)7811 784766We Specialise in buying

and selling Left HandDrive quality vehicles.

We have a variety of cars mostly onFrench/Spanish and English registrations.

We have over 11 years of professional experiencein the motor trade.

Web: Heathrowlhdcentre.comE: info@heathrowlhdcentre.com

LANDROVER*MG*ROVER*JAGUAR*

AUSTIN-MORRIS PARTSELECTRONIC DIAGNOSTICS &

GEARBOX REPAIRSWWW.LANDYPOINT.NET

0545622720

''MMaassssaaggeess aanndd wweellll bbeeiinngg aatt CCaasstteellnnaauudd llaa CChhaappeellllee''

With

Sophie NALIN, massage practitioner- Relaxing massage with organic oils

- Wave and vibration massage techniques- Energising massage- Shiatsu Amma Assis

Tel: 06 79 67 38 06

DDiissccoovveerr aallll 77 GGoollff CCoouurrsseess

RReedduucceedd ffaarreessbbeettwweeeenn 2200 -- 3300%%

GGoollff PPaassss DDoorrddooggnneeAvailable on line

wwwwww..ggoollff--ddoorrddooggnnee--ppeerriiggoorrdd..ccoomm

G. W.Makeovers & Design

English Kitchens/ Bathrooms/appli-ances direct from UK manufacturersFull range of French kitchens sup-plied Free design/planning service

Installations/Makeovers/Installations Only/Tiling

Granite and Stoneworksurfaces available

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

06 58 92 09 97siret: 510 011 554 00019

One stop for all your renovation works. Specialistsin kitchens and bathrooms.

Free devis/quotes.Contact details.

Phone: 06 12 36 33 18 / 06 85 16 35 69e-mail: renovation4u@hotmail.com

Siret: 50281715800012 / 51110545400017

LIMEUILCHURCH

(at Limeuil Haut)ANGLICAN SERVICES

EVERY SUNDAY10.30 AM

Everyone is warmly welcomedTEL: 05 53 31 18 04

www.churchinaquitaine.org

Café ChurchBergerac

An English speaking approachto contemporary Christianity

NEW FOR 2011

SUMMER CHURCHJune 26 & every Sunday in July & August

Sponsored by and held at L'EgliseEvangelique Libre de Bergerac, 5 Rue Durou

For more details contact Reverend Derek & Pam Cook

derekcook3@sky.com 01.53.57.83.30

www.christiansindordogne.com

MOLE CATCHERNO MOLE - NO FEE!

Call johnthemoleman

tel 05 53 22 07 32 mob 06 06 40 92 97e-mail johnthemoleman@aol.com

siret 51249460000012

Prêt à Plonger Piscine installation, repairs &

maintenance. Bespoke pools, noproject too big or small.

Complete package includinggroundwork, terracing/decking

and pool security.

Simon & Julia Holt0619 071121 or 0553 620152

simon.holt@wanadoo.frwww.pretaplongerpools.com

Siret: 49397835700017

IN DEEPPISCINES

Maintenance, leak detection, servicing, repairs

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

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

TIP TOPGarden &

Property ServicesGarden Maintenance

Hedge Trimming - TreesCutting - Strimming

General Property MaintenanceProperty checks/Keyholding

Photo updatesContact Barry OnTel: 05 53 29 03 52

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

Siret: 49372365400015

Jardins du Périgord- Design - Creation

- Garden management

High quality work by qualified gardeners

www.jardinsduperigord.com

PISCINE AMBIANCEMore than 20 years

as regional leader in reinforcedconcrete pools.

Thanks to exclusive technologyand no outsourcing, 98% of ourclients readily recommend us!

With PISCINE AMBIANCEinvest in happiness!

PISCINE AMBIANCE - ZAC du Mazaud19100 BRIVE - + 33 (0)5 55 18 98 18

contact@piscineambiance.comwww.piscineambiance.com

24 SERVICESComplete Home and Garden Maintenance

Bourdeilles 24310Tel: 06 02 34 85 38

www.24services.frSiret: 52841725600013

pools-piscines.comSwimming pool construction and repairs

Natural pools - Replacement liners standardand liner 'armé' 150/100

NW Dordogne/South Charentetel 06 89 46 15 08 / 09 77 90 94 51

www.pools-piscines.comsiret 322 963 190 000 36

Roots & ShootsProfessional tree surgeryCall Mark for a free quote

05 53 75 05 48 - 06 89 79 05 02rootsandshoots.fr@gmail.com.

www.roots-shoots.frSiret number 452-803-539-00017

Directory 19Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

Améliorer nos connaissances : cher-chons un anglais avec qui converser àdomicile(Beaumont)mlemasson@wanadoo.fr

Caves & CastlesGuided Tours

with professional archaeologist Steve Burman

Lascaux II, Font de Gaume & more!www.cavesandcastles.com

cavesandcastles@gmail.comTel: 05 53 50 31 21 - 06 76 46 67 38

KKAANNGGAARROOOO KKAARRDDSSLeaps Ahead!

High QualityGreeting Cards300+ Designs

FREE DELIVERYin Europe

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

*Money Back Guarantee**Many Exclusive Designs*

kangarookards.co.uk

OAKWOOD FLOORINGWide boards

Large stocks availablePrime & Character grades

Oiled & waxed finishesSpecial offersfrom 12 € / m²

www.oakwood-import.fremail: franceoak@gmail.com

tel: 06 80 33 93 57siret 49426348

PPAAIINNTT -- BBRRAANNDD NNAAMMEETop Quality Uk Emulsion White &

Magnolia 10LTS - Unbeatable PriceLocal Drop Off Points - Dept 24

Ring or Email for Further Details &Prices - Tel: 09 62 21 46 27/

06 78 17 47 53Email:paint4less@me.com

Furniturefor France

A wide range of quality indoor furniture and sofas

supplied and delivered directto your French property saving

you time and money.New showroom

"Meubles New Ideas"near Brive(19) now open.

For full colour brochureplease e-mail

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

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

OAKWOOD FLOORINGWide boards

Large stocks availablePrime & Character grades

Oiled & waxed finishesSpecial offersfrom 12 € / m²

www.oakwood-import.fremail: franceoak@gmail.com

tel: 06 80 33 93 57siret 49426348

WOODBURNERS.FRTraditional cast iron

multifuel and woodburningstoves. Option for fireback boilers on most

models. Delivered to yourdoor or installed. Also coal

now available.Contact us for renewableenergy air source pumps

to replace your gas oroil fired systems.See our website on

www.woodburners.frTel/fax or Email05 53 84 36 81

Mob 06 72 02 88 29enq@woodburners.fr

Siret no 45204687300017

FRENCH-MODE LtdClassic furniture

made in Italy by Retigritti- Anti-rust treated steel

outdoor Tables and Chairs- Natural quarry cut marble tables

with black cast iron legs, the typicalFrench Bistro and Cafe table.

Brian + Cheri Hewitt Lalinde Affaires

1 Rue Des Martyrs, Lalinde 24150Telephone: 05 53 57 54 06

Brian Mobile: 06 82 09 24 24Cheri Mobile: 06 48 42 04 93

www.french-mode.netemail: french-mode@orange.fr

U.K. WOODBURNERSAARROWYEOMAN STOVAX

VILLAGERFrance Agent - P.E.P Leisure Ltd

UK 08717174097FR 0553732521

www.pepleisure.comemail: fires@pepleisure.com

Regions All France

Loca PlastowTrading Since 2005

Tool & Plant HireFrom Diggers, Dumpers Rollers

To Small DIY ProjectsFloor Sanders - Rotavators

Scaffolding towers - Mixers

Tel: 05 53 83 40 67Email: loca.plastow@wanadoo.fr

D933 Between Eymet & MiramontSiret 483 433 264

DESIGNERDÉCOR

direct to the Dordogne- curtains, fabric, soft

furnishings, wallpaper- made to measure- delivered direct- top UK brands- competitive pricing- friendly, expert advice

www.fabricgallery.co.uk+44-1904-481101

www.magasinanglais.comBritish food, cards, baby products,

sweets at FANTASTIC PRICES;order online - FREE local delivery!

tel. number 06 45 36 64 90

SIMPLY BRITISHINDEPENDENT BRITISH GROCERS

Large range of food - fresh and frozen,books, greetings cards and gifts

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

Web: simplybritish.frREGION: Shop 09, mail order throughout France

MOVINGTO OR FROM

FRANCE?Weekly services to

& from FranceFull or part loads, 4wks free storage,

25 Yearsexperience

Contact:Anglo French RemovalsTel: +44 (0) 1622 690 653

Email: info@anglofrench.co.ukwww.anglofrench.co.uk

SELF STORAGEDOVER

Convenient Flexible Consolidation PointWorking with the Movers Tel: +44(0) 1304 822844

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

All France

George White European TransportSpecial rates to S/W France

13.6m/45ft trailer - Full/Part loadsRemovals/materials/vehiclesOwner driver. RHA memberTel: +44 (0)7768 867 360Fax: +44 (0)1773 570 090

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

MOVE IN EUROPEThe removal company even the furniture recommendsUK - Europe - Europe - UKwww.moveineurope.com

contact@moveineurope.comTel: +44 121 3503111

Home Tel: 05 53 93 75 52

REFLEX MOODYS LTDSALISBURY

REMOVALSUK - FRANCE - UK

• Weekly Service • Full & Part Loads• Container Storage

• BAR Members• On-line Quotation

• Internet Shopping Deliveries00 44 1722 414350

info@reflexmoodys.comwww.reflexmoodys.comCompany Regn No: UK 5186435TVA / VAT No: UK 864 7217 04

REMOVALS & STORAGEMurray HarperEuropean transport

& storageENGLAND, FRANCE, SPAIN

Scheduled collection anddelivery service guaranteed

Established 30 yearsin the industry

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

(0034) 952 807 692info@murrayharper.com

Alcoholics AnonymousPérigueux. Ewen: 05 53 05 76 62info@aafrancesud-ouest.com www.aafrancesud-ouest.com

Anglican Church of AquitaineServices: Bertric Burée, Chancelade, Limeuil Haut,Ste Nathalène and Sorges, also in 47, 33. ChaplainRevd Dr Paul Vrolijk 05 53 23 40 73aquitainechaplain@gmail.com

Association Culturelle Franco-Anglaise AquitaineFrom French lessons to bridge, plus monthly socialget-togethers.www.acfaa.com

Association Culturelle Internationale du PérigordACIP aims to promote integration.Lycette Schouten Hoogendyk: 05 53 29 27 96 louisa.schoutenhoogendyk@orange.frwww.acip24.com

Association Française des SolosMonthly meetings after divorce, bereavement orseparation. Social events for members.Corinne: 05 53 22 68 52 (evenings) or Claire: 05 53 08 55 13 (evenings) afs.bergerac@orange.frwww.asso-des-solos.fr

Bergerac Photo Club

Meets Wed at 20.30, Maison des Associations, PlaceJules Ferry, Bergerac. photoclub-bergerac@orange.frwww.photoclub-bergerac.com

Bibliothèque Anglaise MeyralsEnglish books and DVDs. Mon 14.00 to 16.00 andWed 10.00 to noon in 24220 Meyrals.Em Boiling: 05 53 30 30 23bibliotheque.anglaise@gmail.com

Cancer Support France Dordogne Est/LotMargaret York: 05 65 22 96 37 or 06 35 90 03 41 (24 hrs)csfdordognelot@yahoo.com

Cancer Support France Ribérac (Charente Southand Dordogne West)Valerie Wareham: 06 43 67 86 11csfriberac@gmail.com

Chabrelle Computer ClubCharlie Nott: La Roche Chabrelle24320 St Just Tel: 05 53 90 50 39

Centre de Golf BergeracoisPhilippa Thornton: 05 53 58 87 18centredegolfbergeracois@orange.fr

Golf Public de Périgueux

05 53 53 02 35 golfpgx@wanadoo.frwww.golfdeperigueux.com

The Interesting Gardening ClubCarol Temple: 05 53 91 34 96carolawt@aol.comwww.theinterestinggardeningclub.org

Maquiz'ArtMusic festivals in Eymet. Laurent Pasquon: 05 53 23 82 37maquizart@maquizart.com

North Eastern Dordogne Women's AssociationLunches on last Tuesday of month.Angela Martyn05 53 50 54 66nedwa24@gmail.com

Perigord Lawn Bowls ClubCarol Biss: 05 53 56 29 90alan.biss@hotmail.comwww.bowlsinfrance.com

Phoenix Animal RescueIn 24380 Vergt. Sheelagh and Richard Johnson 05 53 54 94 81 sheerik@wanadoo.frwww.phoenixasso.com

Royal Air Forces Association Sud-Ouest BranchBeryl Dennett Stannard:05 46 95 38 89 rafasof@orange.frrafasudouest.googlepages.com

Aquitaine Branch Royal Naval AssociationKen Napier: 05 53 01 72 80napier.chazarem@wanadoo.fr

La Société Musicale de RiberacThursdays, 8.30pm, Ecole de Musique. Michel Lorin: 05 53 90 87 50 michel.lorin@yahoo.fr

St Aulaye CricketWynford Hicks, 05 53 91 32 57 wynford@hicksinfrance.net or secretaire@st-aulaye-cricket.orgwww.st-aulaye-cricket.org

Music group known as VariationsVilletoreix, Riberac.Teresa Rekowska05 45 67 24 05teresakowska@yahoo.co.uk

Alliance Aquitaine EcosseMartin Neish: 05 56 81 38 97aae33@hotmail.fr

Dordogne Clubs and Associations

20 Directory Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

Is le job dating for you?LE JOB dating is a recent phenomenon in France that hascaught on to the extent that the Pôle Emploi have started offer-ing sessions. The formula is simple, recruiting businesses take their place at

tables then potential employees visit each company and areallocated mini interviews of no more than 10 minutes. Thissystem allows the businesses to pack in a maximum of inter-views and the candidates to meet several companies withouthaving to go through the classic route of sending out a CV andmotivation letters.

Generally job dating sessions are held at job fairs or specifi-cally organised ones by the job centre. Following on from thisfirst point of contact candidates can be called back for a secondlonger interview.

The advantages of these events for job seekers are that there isnot the CV, motivation letter filter meaning that you can pres-

ent yourself and your competences directly. However you mustbe careful and get straight to the point, giving a brief but com-plete summary of yourself. Some recruiters may have specificjobs on offer others may just be doing a general recruitingdrive, candidates must be able to adapt to these different situa-tions and be able to answer diverse questions without havingtime to think. The most important factor in these interviews inthe way the candidate comes across and speaks.

There are no national sites to look for these events they areusually advertised near to the date via local media. Most will beorganised to target specific profiles; management, universityleavers, seasonal workers and so on.

The Pôle Emploi offers a service to help candidates preparefor this kind of interview, to take advantage of it ring your localbranch to make an appointment. Visit www.pôle-emploi.comto look for job-dating events.

POLE EMPLOI JOBSCAR SALES PERSON, BBoouullaazzaacc,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo:: 887711007766LL,, PPeerrmmaanneenntt ccoonnttrraacctt..Must have at least 4 years experience in sales of luxury items in this case lux-ury cars. Must have your own car. Fixed salary plus commission and bonuses.35H week. Send your CV and motivation letter including job offer number to:christophe.constantin@madronet.net.bmw.frENGLISH TEACHER, PPéérriigguueeuuxx,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo:: 990033229955LL,, PPeerrmmaanneenntt ccoonnttrraacctt..50 hour contract of 2hour lessons twice a week. One to one teaching for per-son with elementary level English wishing to work on everyday language.Musthave 1 - 3 years experience. Salary 16 to 17 Euros per hourWAITER/WAITRESS, SSaaiinnttee-FFooyy-ddee-BBeellvveess,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo:: 557711223366VV,, 22 mmoonntthhccoonnttrraacctt.. Waiting in and setting up dining room and at the bar. Experience pre-ferred of at least two years. Minimum wage, 35H weekLANGUAGE TEACHER, PPéérriigguueeuuxx,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo:: 5599116644VV,, PPeerrmmaanneenntt ccoonnttrraacctt.Language teacher required to teach English, Spanish and French toBaccalaureat students and BTS. Must be fluent in all languages. Salary€1750 per month, 35 hour working week.GARDEN CENTRE ASSISTANT, BBeerrggeerraacc,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo:: 559911559988VV,, PPeerrmmaanneennttccoonnttrraacctt. Established garden centre looking for sales person to welcomeclients, sales and general upkeep of store. Large English clientèle. Must havegood knowledge of plants and professional qualification. Experience pre-ferred. Salary €1500-€1650 plus bonuses. 37.30 hour week includingSaturdays and Sundays.ENGLISH TEACHER, SSaarrllaatt,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo:: 996600889966WW,, 22 mmoonntthh ccoonnttrraacctt. Hometutoring business run by the government is looking for an English teacher forpupils in their home. Beginner accepted, must drive and have own car. Salary€15-€16 per hour, 2 hours per week.WINE AND SPIRITS SALES PERSON, SSaaiinntt-LLaauurreenntt-ddeess-CCoommbbeess,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo::559900116644VV,, 44 mmoonntthh ccoonnttrraacctt. You will be in charge of visiting chateaux and sell-ing in a shop. A good knowledge of wine would be an advantage with prefer-ably 6 months experience. Salary €9 per hour, 35 hour weekCLEANER, MMoonnppllaaiissaanntt,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo:: 888800880066CC,, 11 mmoonntthh ccoonnttrraacctt. Cleanerrequired for one of our clients in the village of Monpalisant. Experience prefer-able. Salary €9, 6 hours per week.WAITER/WAITRESS, LLaa-RRooqquuee-GGaaggeeaacc,, JJoobb ooffffeerr nnoo:: 559922774477VV,, 22 mmoonntthh ccoonn-ttrraacctt. You will work to a rota. You must have experience, be organised, inde-pendent and know how to work in a team. Salary €9.10 per hour, 39 hourworking week.

BACCHUS IMMOBILIER

recruitsFrance-based estate agency seeks repre-

sentatives for ALL regions of France. Carte Blanche Agent

Commercial Immobilier and generous(up to 70%) commission rates offered.

Contact Ivan Tredinnick.Tel: 00 33 (0)5 45 82 42 93Fax: 00 33 (0)5 45 36 27 95E: property@bacchus-french-property.comW: www.bacchus-french-property.com

Siret: 48034462100010

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Car boot sale dates for the month:

August 1 - Hautefort

August 3 - Cénac-et-Saint-Julien

August 4 - Saint-Amand-de-Coly

August 6 - Thiviers

August 5 - Saint-Front-la-Rivière, Siorac-en-Périgord

August 7 - Brouchaud, Busserolles, Excideuil,Grèzes, La Douze, Le Change, Le Fleix,Manzac-sur-Vern, Milhac-de-Nontron,Pazayac, Saint-Antoine-Cumond, Saint-Astier, Saint-Cybranet, Saint-Louis-en-l'Isle,Savignac-de-Nontron, Verteillac

August 10 - Montignac-sur-Vézère

August 11 - Paunat

August 13 - Saint-Raphaël, Thenon

August 14 - Biras, Fleurac, Les Lèches, Saint-Astier, Saint-Vivien

August 15 - Capdrot, Cherveix-Cubas,Coulaures, Eymet, Jumilhac-le-Grand, Lamothe-Montravel, Nontron, Périgueux, Plazac,Saint-Pierre-de-Côle, Sainte-Marie-de-Chignac, Vendoire, Villamblard

August 19 - Saint-Cyprien, Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière

August 20 - Lisle

August 21 - Augignac, Besse, Champagnac-de-Bélair, Étouars, Excideuil, La Franquie,Montignac-sur-Vézère, Nailhac, Parcoul,Saint-Pardoux-la-Rivière, Saint-Sulpice-d'Excideuil, Saint-Vincent-de-Connezac

August 28 - Besse, Corgnac-sur-l'Isle,Creyssac, La Chapelle-Faucher, Mensignac,Montignac-sur-Vézère, Saint-Geniès, Sainte-Sabine-Born, Varaignes

Car boot sales around the area this month

Directory 21Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

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August 2011 Issue 106

22 Property Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

AUGUST is a month whenwe would all like to be out onthe terrace but mosquitoes,wasps, ants and flying insectscan take the pleasure of agarden barbecue away. Here are a few tips to claim

your patio area back fromnuisance insects.

WaspsIf you are eating outside thelast thing you want is to haveto wear or do anything spe-cial to protect yourself frominsects. Instead we suggestthree easy tips: Use simpletraps, apply repellent toexposed body parts and elim-inate any nests you find.

You can buy ‘lure traps’ sothe pests are more likely to gofor these than your food. Ifyou use a trap, add a coupleof drops of washing-upliquid. This reduces the sur-face tension of the water sowasps actually sink in andcannot skate on it.

Also, look for nests underthe tiles on your - and yourneighbour’s - roof. Use anexpert to get any removed.AntsPest control experts adviseputting sugar in an area so

the ants go there instead of toyour patio.

A glass of elderflower cor-dial, for example, left to standaround for a few hours willcatch a lot of black ants.MosquitoesIt makes sense to keep the

grass cut as short as possibleand remove any containerswith stagnant water in whichmosquitoes love to breed.

Used alone, no method islikely to be effective. Plantsaround your terrace willattract insects so you could

move these on to your lawn ifyou have visitors.

Mosquitoes pick up onbody functions such as lacticacid, CO² output and bodyheat so there is very little wecan do other than usingrepellent. You can usecitronella candles and amixture of different productson the market. Lemongrass isanother natural mosquitorepellent which can be plant-ed around the patio.

For a more environmentallyfriendly option, you couldbuild a bat house. Batsnaturally control mosquitoesand the houses are oftenavailable from garden centresand bird box suppliers.

You can also build yourown using scrap wood. Seetinyurl.com/bathouseguide

Follow the instructions toput the houses up at thecorrect height and amount ofsunlight, then sit back andwatch in the sunset as thebats do their work.FliesElectronic fly killers buzz inthe corner of the patio butavoid those which have anelectric current as the insectswill explode. This isunpleasant to look at andsmell and you can end upwith bits of leg and body in

your food. Glue boards whichyou buy in a hardware orcamping shop are probablythe most effective.

Fleas and tics If you suddenly start gettingbitten in the garden or grasssurrounding your patio, a foxor other wild animal may beregularly following the sametrack through your garden. Aprofessional would spray aresidual chemical on to thearea and you can make surethe animal doesn’t return byputting something in its way.

Tips compiled with help fromSimon Berenyi of Wasp Kill UK– www.waspkilluk.co.uk

Reclaim your garden and enjoy the great outdoors withoutbeing troubled by mosquitoes. Follow our tips.

Tell nuisance insects tobuzz off this summer

Photo: Kzenon - Fotolia.com

Photo: LaurenWebb14

- Flickr.com

Build your own bat house

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ern tiling, have a go at restoring the tiles and bringing themback to their former glory.

The first step is to get rid of any old dirt and watermarks.There is only one way to achieve this and that is throughelbow grease and scrubbing. Use either a stone floor cleaneror black soap and warm water. Apply the soap or solutionand leave for at least 15 minutes, then go back over the areawith a scrubbing brush. If marks are stubborn, apply puresoap to them, wait and scrub again. Finish this step bymopping up the residue and rinsing the floor with warmwater, then dry mop the floor.

Next, prepare the floor for oiling. The tiles must becompletely dry after the first step – it is worth waiting atleast a couple of days to make sure this is the case – and thefloor should be protected during this period. Once dry, thefloors must be as free from dust as possible.

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Once the two coats have been applied and have dried, it isa good idea to apply a coat of oil-based stone floor sealer.

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Maintain the floor by mopping up any spills straight away,hoover and mop when needed and every year test forwater-tightness.

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Property 23Dordogne Advertiser August 2011 www.dordogneadvertiser.com

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JARDILAND ROUTE D'AGEN BERGERAC

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€€159,000

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ThiviersA lovingly restored and extended house in a magnificent setting. 2 large bathrooms with 2showers including a walk inshower and a bath. Large gardenwith gravelled driveway.

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€€160,000

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Champs-RomainThe house offers a living room, astudy, a fitted kitchen, 4 bedrooms, a bathroom and ashower room. The basementhouses the garage.

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RibéracIdeal 3/4 bedroom holiday homewith shared swimming pool &tennis court. The house has a‘pierre apparent’ exterior andwooden shutters. The barns havebeen renovated.

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€€241,000

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BaussacBeautiful 4 bedroom house, century XVIII. well restored, sitting room with wonderfulfireplace, garage. Land of 650 m².

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€€357,000

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NeuvicMagnificent 6 bedroom singlestorey modern villa, immaculatecondition throughout, ultramodern fully equipped kitchen,heated swimming pool, landscaped garden of 3078m².

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€€310,000

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Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Lot-et-GaronneVery charming 3 bedroom cottage in mint condition andlocation with views over therolling hills, woodland and forest for long walks.

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€€330,000

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Troyes, Aube4 bedrooms all en suite and a further study/bedroom above thegarage (also with shower room/w.c.). Kitchen/Dining room, sitting room and outside terracewith fabulous views.

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€€205,000

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Saint-AulayeFarrmhouse offers a sociableopen-plan space for cooking,dining and living. Wood burneroffers cosiness and comfort inwinter. Large master and 2 further double bedrooms.

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€€320,000

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VerteillacThis 4 bedroom country house isset in more than 3 hectares ofgardens. 1 bedroom and en-suitebathroom is on the ground floor,with direct access to the patio.

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€€268,000

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RiberacLovely 6 bedroom house withunderfloor heating. Land of5000 m². Large swimming pool,beautiful views.

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Vic-Fezensac, GersThe villa comprises 2 bedrooms,2 bathrooms, living room of 31 m² and kitchen. Adjoininggarage of approx 41m² whichcould be easily converted to provide additional bedrooms.

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€€250,000

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Bailli the Renaissance Cottagenext to Château de Bellenavesnow has a modern kitchen, largebathroom with shower and tub, 3bedrooms, lounge with fireplace,central heating and ADSL internet connection

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Vence, Alpes-MaritimesBeautiful 72m² 2 bedroom flat.Located on the first floor of aresidence of good standing, theliving/dining room and one bedroom have direct access to a13m² terrace.

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Brantome, DordogneA fabulous historical 2 bedroomproperty set over 3 floors, formerly part of a 17th centuryconvent, overlooking a medievalChateau.

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AFTER a year of hard work, August is the month when gar-deners can take a rest and enjoy the rewards – with flowersin bloom and an abundance of fruit and vegetables ready toconsume.

Courgettes, aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, beans, onions,radishes, cucumbers, cabbages, spinach and potatoes shouldall have reached maturity by now, and figs, oranges, peach-es, pears and prunes will also be ready for a delicious sum-mer fruit salad.

The hot, dry weather is certainly a better time for lazingaround in the garden than working hard in it, but there area few tasks that can be done this month to keep the gardenin good shape and prepare for the autumn.

Plants will need watering and tidying – but you shouldcheck about water restrictions in your area beforehand. Ifyou are heading away on holiday, consider moving pottedplants to the shade so that they do not suffer in yourabsence, especially with the exceptionally dry weatherFrance has had so far this year.

Keep a daily eye on remontant roses and cut off any wiltedflowers to give others the best chance of flowering later thismonth and through September.

Also on a tidying theme, remember to remove dead leavesand other plant matter on a regular basis. This is particular-ly important if you live near woodland – there are strict ruleson débrousaillement that are designed to prevent forest fires,as too much vegetation on the ground helps fires to spread.There also limits on when you can burn vegetation on yourland, and how close tree foliage can be to buildings. Checkwith your local mairie.

The hot weather encourages aphids and other nasty bugsto spread. Treat your plants regularly and look out for earlysigns of mildew and other fungi and parasites.

Finally, late August is the time to plant spinach, radishes,turnips and parsley.

French August weather proverbs

Temps trop beau en août, annonce hiver en courroux (if theweather is too good in August, prepare for wrath of winter).

Tels les trois premiers jours d’août, tel le temps de l'automne(the first three days of August are a sign of the autumn tocome).

Jamais d’août la sécheresse, n'amène la richesse (a droughtin August will never bring richness).

Enjoy the fruitsof your labour

August brings an abundance of fruit and vegetables

24 News Dordogne Advertiser August 2011www.dordogneadvertiser.com

IN HIS beret and bluetrousers, Yves Reyrol is thevery model of the Frenchcountryman. He is also theliving symbol of a vanishedway of life.

At 84, he has spent his lifein Saint-Saud-Lacoussière, inthe lush, green valley of theriver Dronne, and he remainsguardian of the place wherehe was born, Moulin du Pont,the watermill that has been inhis family for two centuries.

“My great-great-grandfather bought it at thebeginning of the 1800s,” hesays proudly, “and my familyhas kept it going since then.We ground flour and madewalnut and colza [rapeseed]oil and cider.”

Looking nostalgically overthe courtyard, he adds: “Iremember that being full of

horse and carts. Localsbrought grain or apples andwe’d turn them into flour,cider or eau de vie and thenwe’d all sit together and havea meal. There’s no communi-ty like that any more.”

Mr Reyrol started work atthe mill at just 12 years old:

“There was no health andsafety in those days. You justused your common sense.You knew not to put yourhand under the grindingwheel or to wear clothes thatgot in the way.”

The setting might soundidyllic, but life was hard. The

mill was, and still is, quitedark inside. The massive millstones, oil presses and firepits were dangerous andthrough this Mr Reyrol hadto carry heavy sacks of grainand flour. He recalls that dur-ing World War II they wereordered to close the mill, but

the locals still needed flourand oil: “We would work themill at night,” he chuckled.“As soon as night fell we tookthe bars off and started thewheel. Nobody complained.”

He did have a life awayfrom the mill when, at 27, hemarried and moved to his

own farm just up the valley.He returned when his fatherdied and kept the mill goinguntil his own retirement.

“I could have kept it openbut there are hardly anyfarms left here.

“Young people don’t evenhave a vegetable garden, letalone crops, and on top ofthat I was getting paid hardly anything.”

He might no longer pro-duce flour or oil, but he stillmaintains the waterwheel toprovide his electricity. Mostof his days are spent tendinghis vegetable garden, lookingafter his beehives and fishing.“I’ve only a small pension,” hesays. “Even though I startedwork at 12, those first yearsdidn’t count – nothing waspaid towards a pension forme – but I get by thanks tomy garden.”

Mr Reyrol is uncertainabout the mill’s future: “Mythree children don’t liveround here. Why should they,there are no jobs.

“My cousin works with anassociation to preserve thefew mills that are left somaybe it will become a muse-um. I don’t know how,though,” he adds with a twin-kle. “They can’t seem to doanything without asking mefirst!”

Story of a life behind the wheelAmid the seclusion andtranquillity of the Dronnevalley, a little piece ofrural history survives andcontinues to function.

In our series featuringlocal characters whomake a difference,KIRSTEN STROUD meetsYves Reyrol, keeper ofthe old watermill

Yves Reyrol beside the mill wheel that he keeps going even though it has long ceased to fulfil its original purpose