the deux-sevres monthly, june 2013

THE DEUX-SÈVRES MONTHLY

CONTENTS

Welcome! to Issue 28 of ‘The Deux-Sèvres Monthly’ magazine.

As I write this on a bank holiday in May the rain is pouring and my terrace pots are water-‐logged! With Rob’s help I did find time to pot up some lettuces and other salad leaves, so we shall see how they develop. At least I don’t need to remember to water them at the moment!

I had a list of many things to do during the May bank holidays’ but unfortunately plans were halted as I fell and broke

my foot early in the month! All these wonderful ideas of renovating bedroom furniture, finishing the decorating in our kitchen plus of course, exploring the Vendée further for our new magazine.......all are still waiting to be done! It’s very frustrating, but perhaps the rest will do me some good!

When I write this piece next month, I will be counting down the hours until the cast is removed. Happy June!

Email: [email protected] or Tel: 05 49 70 26 21website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

THIS MONTH’S ADVERTISERS

Caniclôture (Hidden fencing)...............................................................................Centre de Beauregard..........................................................................................Chimney Sweep Service.......................................................................................Chris Bassett Construction..................................................................................Christies (English Book Shop and Tea Room)......................................................Cleaning Services by Karen..................................................................................Cottage Services..................................................................................................CSB Construction.................................................................................................Currencies Direct (Money Transfers)...................................................................Cut 46 (Hair Salon)..............................................................................................Dave Bowring (Electrician)..................................................................................David Cropper (Stump Grinding & Jungle Busting)............................................DJ Jeff (Professional DJ).......................................................................................D J Maintenance (Handyman)............................................................................Electricien Anglais en France..............................................................................Energie-‐79...........................................................................................................Garage Planchet (Renault Garage)......................................................................Gardens & Stuff....................................................................................................George Rayner Computers..................................................................................Give the Dog a Comb (Dog Grooming)...............................................................Glass 2 France......................................................................................................Hallmark Electronique (Electricians & Sat. Engineers)........................................Heather’s Pet Care Services................................................................................Home and Garden Care.......................................................................................Homes In France (Tony Murdoch).......................................................................Insink Plumbing...................................................................................................Keith Hall Renovations.........................................................................................James Harris (Plasterer).......................................................................................Jenny Wren (Textile & Mixed Media Artist)........................................................John Snee (Groundworks & Septic Tanks)...........................................................John Spray Maçonnerie (Stonemason)...............................................................Jon Crocker Photography.....................................................................................La Deuxieme Chance (Annie Sloan chalk paint supplier)....................................L’Étable Gastronomique (Restaurant).................................................................Leggett Immobilier..............................................................................................Les Bons Voisins...................................................................................................Le Petit Cadeau....................................................................................................Le Petit Logis (B&B and Chambre d’Hotes).........................................................Man & Van (Keith McNie)....................................................................................Man for Hire........................................................................................................Mad Hatter’s Kitchen..........................................................................................Mark Sabestini Renovation & Construction........................................................MB Plumbing & Building Services.......................................................................MCH Groundworks/Construction.......................................................................Michael Glover (Plasterer, Renderer & Tiler)......................................................Michael Hobson (Painter & Decorator)...............................................................Michael William Hairdressing..............................................................................ML Computers.....................................................................................................Mutuelle de Poitiers Assurances.........................................................................Nathan Foster Building Services..........................................................................Needa Hand Services...........................................................................................Pamela Irving (Massage & Reflexology)..............................................................Pascale Terry (French Lessons)............................................................................Philip Irving (Mini Digger hire).............................................................................Polar Express (Frozen Foods)..............................................................................Premier Autos (Mechanic)..................................................................................Reflets de campagne...........................................................................................Restaurant des Canards.......................................................................................Rob Berry (Plasterer)...........................................................................................Robert Walker Plomberie....................................................................................Ross Hendry (Interface Consulting & Engineering).............................................Satellite TV (Nigel Gubb)......................................................................................sarl Down to Earth (Groundwork & Construction).............................................Sawmill -‐ Alain Miot.............................................................................................Sentinel Security Systems....................................................................................Siddalls (Financial Advisors).................................................................................Simon Bienz (Carpenter / Joiner)........................................................................Simon The Tiler....................................................................................................Spectrum IFA Group (Amanda Johnson).............................................................Steve Enderby......................................................................................................Sue Burgess (French Courses & Translation).......................................................The English Mechanic & Son -‐ Tony Eyre............................................................The Market..........................................................................................................Total Renovation Services (Michael Dominey)...................................................Tracey Bowring (Hairdressing & Nails)................................................................Vendée Carriers...................................................................................................Vendée Houses....................................................................................................Vendée Pools.......................................................................................................

Emergency Numbers:15 SAMU, Medical17 Gendarmes, Police18 Pompiers, Fire

112 European emergency113 Drugs and alcohol

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<<The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly>> est édité par Sarah Berry, La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Tél: 05 49 70 26 21. Directeur de la publication et rédacteur en chef: Sarah Berry. Crédits photos: Sarah Berry, Clkr et morgeufile.com. Impression: Raynaud Imprimeurs, zone industrielle, BP13, 79160, Coulonges-‐sur-‐l’Autize. Dépôt légal: juin 2013 -‐ Tirage: 5000 exemplaires. Siret: 515 249 738 00011 ISSN: 2115-‐4848

© Sarah Berry 2013. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission. While care is taken to ensure that articles and features are accurate, Sarah Berry accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction. The opinions expressed and experiences shared are given by individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the publisher. Please ensure you verify that the company you are dealing with is a registered trading company in France and/or elsewhere.

à plus, Sarah.

What’s On.....................................................................................4Hobbies, Clubs & Associations.....................................................6Getting Out & About....................................................................7Take a Break...............................................................................14A-‐Z of the Communes in the Deux-‐Sèvres.................................15Health, Beauty & Fitness............................................................16Our Furry Friends.......................................................................17The Great Outdoors...................................................................19French Life, Food & Drink..........................................................22Motoring....................................................................................24Communications........................................................................26French Adventures.....................................................................28Building & Renovation...............................................................29Business, Finance & Property.....................................................35

79 Renovations.....................................................................................................A2B Food Services...............................................................................................A La Bonne Vie (Restaurant)................................................................................Ace Pneus (Tyre Supplier & Fitter)......................................................................Affordable UK Designs (Kitchens & UPVC D/Glazing).........................................AKE Petits Travaux (Builder)................................................................................Alan Pearce (Plumbing & Heating).....................................................................Andrew Longman (Plumber)...............................................................................Angie Weston (Mosaic Workshops).....................................................................An English Nursery in France (Garden Centre)....................................................A.P.S. Automobiles (FORD Garage)......................................................................Arbrecadabra.com (Tree surgery)........................................................................Belle Maison (Construction & Cleaning Services)...............................................Blue Bicycle B&B / Chambre d’Hôtes..................................................................British Mobile Mechanic (John Purchase)...........................................................Café des Belles Fleurs..........................................................................................

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...continued.


Monthly services at the English speaking Church in Deux-‐Sèvres

JassayThe Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-‐Charentes, has a Home Group Service at Jassay commencing at 11.00am every 2nd Sunday in the month. It is held at the home of Ann White, where a warm welcome awaits everyone for a time of worship and fellowship.

Chef BoutonneChurch Services on the 1st Sunday of each month at 10.30am at the Parish Church in St Leger. After each service tea or coffee is served and an opportunity to meet other people in the area.

ParthenayThe Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-‐Charentes, also holds services on the 4th Sunday of each month at 10.30am in the Presbytery Rooms, rue de la Citadelle, Parthenay, opposite St Croix Church. After each service, tea or coffee is served and everyone is invited to a 'bring and share' lunch.

For further informaòn about locaòn of churches and about what else is happening near you, please take a look at our website www.church-‐in-‐france.com or contact us at [email protected]

What’s On... June 20131st June -‐ Card Making WorkshopAt The Market, Luché sur Brioux. See advert on P.9 for info1st & 2nd June: Exhibition of Lace and Embroidery, Arc en FilAt the Salle at Soulièvres, Airvault. Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. Exhibitions and stalls selling threads, materials and crafts made with lace and thread.2nd June -‐ Jazz & Traditional Sunday RoastAt Restaurant des Canards, Chef Boutonne. See advert on P.223rd June -‐ Top Hat Quiz & Curry at LimalongesSee www.tophatquizzes.com for more information.6th June -‐ Top Hat Quiz & Curry at Chef BoutonneSee www.tophatquizzes.com for more information.8th June -‐ Segora Writing Competition Deadline8th & 9th June -‐ Fête des Plantes et du JardinAt Domaine de Péré, Prissé la Charrière. More information can be found at www.fetedesplantespere.fr9th June -‐ Summer Market by Aidez AssociationTo be held at la Salle des Fêtes, St Germain-‐de-‐Longue-‐Chaume. See P.5 for information.12th June -‐ Book Signing‘The DSM’ contributor Alison Morton will be talking about her thriller, INCEPTIO, and signing copies afterwards at Le Petit Cadeau, 39 rue Jean-‐Jaurès, Parthenay. 2pm for 2.15pm start.12th June -‐ Top Hat Quiz & Curry at AigreSee www.tophatquizzes.com for more information.13th June -‐ Top Hat Quiz & Curry at ChampniersSee www.tophatquizzes.com for more information.16th June -‐ Fathers Day LunchAt A La Bonne Vie Restaurant, Le Beugnon. See advert on P.2321st June -‐ Fête de la MusiqueAt the Cafe Cour du Miracle in Vouvant. Live Music by ‘The French Connection’ starting around 8pm. For more details please call 02 51 00 54 93.21st June -‐ Live Music NightAt Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux. See advert on P.23 for info.21st June -‐ Solstice Night Feast & Live MusicAt Mad Hatter’s Kitchen, Caunay. Please find contact details on P.2222nd & 23rd June -‐ Art Festival -‐ Les Nouvelles MétamorphosesAt l’Orangerie, La Mothe St Héray. For details see article on P.1124th June -‐ Workshop: Create a Canvas in a DayAt PFC!, Civray. Please see article on P.8 for further info26th June -‐ Book & Coffee MorningAt Mauze Thouarsais, 10am-‐12.30pm. See P.12 for further information.26th June -‐ PC Course “All About Microsoft Office”At Pause! Cafe L’Absie. Please contact Ross on [email protected] June -‐ Pub Games NightAt Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux. Please see advert on P.23 for info.29th June -‐ Summer FairAt la Salle des Fetes, 86400 Linazay from 10.30am-‐3pm. A Traditional summer fair with many stalls & attractions. Teas & coffee all day, beer tent and cooked lunches from 12noon. www.church-‐in-‐france.com29th June -‐ Summer FairAt The Market, Luché sur Brioux. Lots of stalls and activities young and old. Please see advert on P.930th June -‐ BBQ and QuizAt St Pardoux, 79310 from 2.30pm. Tickets and info on 05 49 69 86 16 or see advert on P.5

Naònal Day (Fête Na-onale de France)Assumpòn of Mary (Assomp-on)All Saint’s Day (Toussaint)Armis`ce Day (Armistace 1918)Christmas Day (Noël)

Sunday 14th July...............Thursday 15th August.......Friday 1st November.........Monday 11th November...Wednesday 25th December.

The National Holidays, Religious and Feast Days 2013

What’s Coming Up...20th & 21st July -‐ British WeekendIn La Mothe St. Héray. Numerous activities will be on offer: an English breakfast, afternoon tea, tug of war, british market etc. For information please call 05 49 05 06 05.27th July -‐ The Royal British Legion Summer FairAt Linazay, situated just of the RN10 between Chaunay and Maison Blanches. Trade stands, Brocante, Music, Classic cars, Food, and much more. Trades or Brocante phone 05 45 29 02 59 or 05 49 87 20 17 to make booking or find more info on www.rblpoitou-‐charentes.fr28th July -‐ Horse & Dog Fun ShowFrom 8.30am at Centre de Beauregard, 86250 Asmois. For information, please see advert on P.9

Contact ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny.Telephone: 05 49 70 26 21

or email: [email protected]

RACE FOR LIFE

Ladies 5km community walk/run to raise money for cancer charity. 5€ joining fee and sponsors if possible!

Date: Saturday 15th JuneTime: 11amStarting from the car park on Boulevard de le Rivière, 79300 Bressuire, (behind the abbatoir) The walk will be along la Coulée verte and finish at the bottom of the château.Dress Code: wear something PINK!ALL LADIES WELCOME!

Bar Vue du Château, Bressuire will be open for the men if they fancy a drink whilst waiting for the ladies. For further information or sponsor forms please visit the LIFT page on Facebook or email: [email protected]

http://www.church-in-france.com/

http://www.church-in-france.com/


*+ Quiz & Fish and Chips

Mr T’s Friterie

With regular venues at:• Aulnay (Open from 6pm) • Gourville • Loulay• Matha

+ Fri 28th June: Aulnay PMU, David Williams Band. 7pm till late

+ Sat 29th June, Michael Jones Concert, Dampierre-sur-Boutonne. 6pm till lateSee www.frying2nite.com for details or call 06 02 22 44 74

Open 6.30-9pm

• Rouillac Foire (27th month)• St Hilaire de Villefranche• St Jean d’Angély

SUMMER MARKETSUNDAY 9th JUNE

Organised by Aidez Association (Terves)Salles des Fetes

St Germain-de-Longue-Chaume (79200) Open from 1pm - 6pm

Good variety of 30 plus stallsRed White and Blue, Plants, Honey, Iceland Frozen foods, Books, Curry experience, RBL with Tombola, Ceramic Pots,

Avon, Jewellery, Bags,

Cake Stall and Refreshment area.Money raised will benefit local French Charities Entrance,

Free of Charge

Reel Fish & Chips Traditional English style Fish & Chips 2nd June - Etusson (randonée & vide grenier)12H30 - 15H005th June - The Canteen, Etusson 18H30 - 21H30

All weekend 8/9th June - Highland Games, Bressuire14th June - Bar Tabac, Bouille-Loretz 18H30 - 21H0015th June - Bar Vue du Chateau, Bressuire 18H30 - 21H0019th June - The Canteen, Etusson 18H30 - 21H0020th June - St Martin de Sanzay 18H30 - 21H0022nd June - Café des Sports, L’Absie 18H30 - 22H0023rd June - La Coudre, Arts Festival 12H00 onwards30th June - Gizeau Chateau (39) Band Fesival12H00 onwards

Tel: 06 04 14 23 94 or visit: www.reelfishandchips.net

Fish 4 Chip Fish, Chips & mushy peas!

Mondays: Bar Tilleuls, Champniers (near Civray)Tuesdays: Sauzé-Vaussais (Main square & can be eaten in local bar)Wednesdays:Chef Boutonne (near Chateau)Thursdays: Sauzé-Vaussais - Lunchtime & Evening. (Main square & can be eaten in local bar)Fridays: Mansle (Car park of Simply Supermarket)

Tel: 06 37 53 56 20or visit: www.mobilefishandchipsfrance.com

Open 6-8pm

BBQ & QUIZSUNDAY 30th JUNE

at Chez Brennan, Les Metairies, 79310

St Pardoux2.30pm start

Fun Quiz , Raffle, Cold buffet & BBQ12€ per person

(vegetarians catered for)Bring your own drinks

Tickets available from Beryl Brennan: 05 49 69 86 16

email: [email protected]

Proceeds in aid of 112carlotagalgos www.112carlotagalgos.com

Paperback Jan Books in English

2nd June: Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux 79160. 2pm -‐ 4pm5th June: Café Cour du Miracle, Vouvant 85120. 2.30pm-‐4.30pm6th June: Bar le Palais, St Aubin le Cloud 79450 2pm -‐ 5pm6th June: Bar La Cabane de Vouhé, Vouhé 79310. 6.30pm -‐ 8pm*7th June: Bar de la Paix, Thouars 79100. 12pm -‐ 2pm7th June: Le Tipsy Bar, Coulonges-‐sur-‐l’Autize 79160. 4pm -‐ 6pm8th June: Cafe Le Chauray, St Maixent l’Ecole 79400. 10am -‐ 1pm9th June: Summer Fete, St Germain de Longue Chaume. 1pm -‐ 6pm13th June: Pause! Cafe, L’Absie 79240. 2pm-‐ 5pm14th June: Jan’s home, La Ferrière-‐en-‐Parthenay. 11am -‐ 4pm28th June: Le P’tit Bar Boucard, Ménigoute. 4pm -‐ 6pm

For more info contact Jan on:06 08 30 73 29 or email: [email protected]


Alone in France? We are a group of people living alone in the L'Absie area who meet regularly for coffee and lunches. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 11am for coffee at the Pause cafe in L'Absie. Our lunches are at different venues each month. There's a warm welcome if you'd like to join us. More details from Frank 05 49 69 80 47.

Association Meridien GreenWe are an Anglo-‐French group which was founded in 2001 for mutual understanding of each other's language and culture. We meet twice weekly in the Salle des Associations in St Coutant, 79120. The best way to find out more is to visit our website -‐ www.meridiengreen.asso.fr or contact Maureen Dalby: 05 49 29 94 50. The name of our group comes from the fact that St Coutant is on the Greenwich Meridian!

Hobbies, Clubs & Associations...

The Filling Station ~ Poitou-CharentesThe Filling Station is a network of local Christians of all denominations who meet together regularly for spiritual renewal & evangelism purposes. ALL WELCOME.Please see our website for details of meetings and spring programmes www.the=illingstation.org.uk or locally contact 05 49 87 18 58 or email:[email protected]

Franglais ThouarsThe Thouars ‘Franglais’ group meets every Wednesday from 19.30h to 21.00h, in the Association’s centre at 7 rue Anne Desrays, Thouars, for conversation in English and French.We welcome those of all nationalities who would like to participate. Either come along to see us one evening, or contact us at: Mobile: 06 52 21 92 34 ~ Email: [email protected]

The Harmonics Singing Group. Based in the Salle d'Annexe behind the mairie in Civray. We meet each Wednesday from 2.00pm to 4.00pm. No experience necessary just a willingness and commitment to learn. We sing all sorts of music and in several languages, whatever the music dictates. We are a small and friendly group who would love to meet you.Contact: Dolly Ait Boualou: 05 45 22 89 32 or [email protected] or Margaret Gomersall on 05 49 48 09 02 or [email protected]

Book Group....meeting 2nd Thursday of the month from 3pm at Christies Tea Room & Bookshop, Gençay, 86160.Take a look at the Book Group page on the website: www.chezchristies.com for more information.

Secondigny Running Club...Put the bounce back in your step. Join our friendly and supportive running group. All abilities welcome.Email Kelly for more details: [email protected]

Through the Lens GroupLocal photography group meets on the last Monday in each month to chat about all things photography! New members welcome. For further information contact:Ian Gawn: 02 51 00 84 52 or Brian Preece: 05 49 72 09 94

Les Amis Solitaires

We are a group of people living alone in France. We meet up for coffee mornings from 11am.1st Tuesday: The Gallery, Civray (coinciding with market day).Every 2nd & 4th Thursday, The Lemon Tree, Sauzé Vaussais.Every 3rd Thursday in Ruffec. More details from Gwen on 05 49 87 91 79 ~ email [email protected]

Le Tallud Boules en bois are offering sessions every Wednesday from 16h to 18h from April through to September 2013 at the parc de Loisirs, Le Tallud. Everyone is welcome to

come and play or learn the game of boules en bois. We have all the equipment, just turn up for half an hour or more for a bit of exercise and socialising. Details from Rosemary Williamson [email protected]

2nd Sunday Motorcycle Clubwww.2ndsundayclub.fr

If you would like to attend our coffee mornings please contact us via the website........New members always welcome!

Open Door Lending LibraryOver 7000 fiction and non-fiction books and DVDsOpen Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from

10h00 to midday at 18 rue Pierre Pestureau, Civray (86400)Individual membership 6€, family membership 10€

www.opendoor-civray.com

Book Club Thouars. Do you enjoy reading a cracking good story? And talking to others about it? Do you live in north 79, south 49 or north 86? Come along to our book club.....Contact Alison Morton at [email protected] for more details.

A R E Y O U A M O D E L R A I L W A Y ENTHUSIAST? If so, join a group of like-

minded modellers who meet on a monthly basis to visit members' layouts and swap

information. We are based on the Deux-Sevres/Vendee border but also have members in the Vienne and Charente. If you are interested please contact Gerry Riley for more information on 05 49 63 34 01.

Rubber Bridge:would any of you bridge players out there in the Deux-Sèvres, be interested in making up an occasional 4? Email David Rowe:

[email protected] or ' phone 05 49 63 26 57.

Cycling GroupDo you enjoy cycling? I am a keen cyclist and looking for others to meet up with me for outings once or twice a week. Purely for leisure and very informal with

a coffee stop en route. I live at Pamplie, near Secondigny.Contact: [email protected] / 05 49 28 24 06

http://www.opendoor-civray.com/

http://www.thefillingstation.org.uk/

http://www.thefillingstation.org.uk/

mailto:[email protected]







RencontresPhotographer, Françoise Badoux exhibits her work from her journey through Southern India, Burma and Vietnam where she encountered many people while travelling alone with just a camera and backpack!

You can discover this exhibition until the end of August at: La Tour des Laudes, 85120 Breuil Barret

For further informa.on, please contact Françoise Badoux on Tel: 05 49 95 80 93.

A Journey through Music...Mathieu Touzot is pleased to announce the release of his album ‘My Guitar Poitevine’, which conta ins or ig ina l compositions of guitar, violin, voice, flute and oboe.

Through words and music and using his childhood memories as inspiration, guitarist Mathieu takes you on a boat ride through the heart of the Marais Poitevin.

Mathieu Touzot invites us to share his love of beautiful things. Past, present and future are in harmony in the palm of his hands. This album invites everyone to close their eyes and enjoy this unforgettable ride on the roads of a poet and singer to eternity.

More information and tracks of the album can be found on Mathieu’s website: www.mathieutouzot.com

Getting Out & About...

Small C

olour advert only 34€

Association Aidez (Terves) would like to thank everyone who donated to their charities. The total amount raised was 350€ and a great time was had by all! Winning numbers were: 13, 49, 112 & 165.

Mary Robson says” I was the 'Animal Charity' stall and raising funds for both TWILIGHT (the old doggies home) and ASSOCIATION ORFEE. It was a really enjoyable day -‐ great fun and I'm absolutely thrilled to announce that we raised 120€ from selling the clutter and another 30€ from our 'brown stuff' collection bucket!

I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to everybody who supported us by buying our clutter and also to those people who generously donated MORE clutter for me to sell! And a massive THANK YOU has to go to Jan for all her hard work, organisation and sheer effort -‐ without her none of it would happened!! CHEERS JAN!!!

Clear Your Clutter For CharityLa Ferriére-‐en-‐Parthenay

12th May 2013

UPDATE


Jenny WrenTextile & Mixed Media Artist

My passion for surface pattern and a Textile Art Diploma allowed me to follow my dream to become a Designer for Home Interiors for many years in North West England, working my way up through the booming Textile Industry of the 1990s with companies such

as Coloroll, John Lewis, and John Wilman. Following the trends in industry towards the simple, plain dyed fabrics of the 21st century, I travelled to various printing companies in

Europe, Dubai & Pakistan.

As my personal life and career progressed, I explored the possibilities of working for myself. After successfully completing a BA(Hons) Degree in Contemporary Textiles, I was driven towards creating unique pieces reflecting my own interests. An ongoing collection of unique canvases, wall hangings, furnishings and gifts using vintage fabrics, lace and treasured finds are the end results, although my Textile Art will continue to develop & grow.

The venture now continues here in Vernoux-‐en-‐Gatîne. We bought la maison in 2009 as a ‘doer-‐upper’. Of course, these things don’t always go to plan and it’s still a ‘doer-‐upper’, but the time had come to make the move. We arrived last August. My husband, James is a qualified, registered plasterer here and thanks to the informative ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ magazine and kind recommendations he is now making himself known in the area.

So, I now have a makeshift studio in the dining room, with crates for shelves and lots of ‘publicite’ to paint on. France is so inspirational -‐ my sewing machine has never worked so hard! I am really enjoying meeting new people and discovering local shops, cafe’s & galleries to promote my creations. The reaction so far has been wonderful and following the success of my first workshop ‘Create A Canvas In A Day’ at Pause!

Café in L’Absie, another workshop & exhibition has been organised in the chic boutique/gallery, ‘Pierre Feuille Ciseaux’ in the lovely old market town of Civray.

Please come along to one of the following events & say hello :

• 3rd June -‐ 31st July. Exhibition at ‘Pierre Feuille Ciseaux’, Civray.Jenny will be exhibiting a varied selection of her work along with 2 other local designers.

• 14th June 6 -‐ 8pm. Open Evening at ‘Pierre Feuille Ciseaux’, Civray.Everyone is invited to the open evening of the exhibition – nibbles & drinks supplied.

• 13th June 2 -‐ 4pm. Traders Afternoon at Pause! Café L’Absie.An opportunity to buy a unique gift or have a chat with Jenny about future workshops.

• 24th June 10.30 -‐ 4pm. Workshop ‘Create a Canvas In a Day’ at ‘Pierre Feuille Ciseaux’, Civray.Create your very own canvas using vintage fabrics, lace, paint & contemporary stitch in the lovely boutique. Morning & Afternoon tea/coffee & biscuits included. Lunch can be arranged.

Jenny can be contacted by email on [email protected] or follow her ‘Jennywren’ page on Facebook for ongoing updates of new creations, events and commissions.

Jenny’s work can also be seen in the brand new ‘Loulesbelles’ shop in L’Absie as well as Fresco Interiors shop in Vouvant.


Local Markets

Mondays:

Tuesdays:

Wednesdays:Thursdays:

• Benet 85490

• Lencloître (1st Monday in month) 86140

• Lezay 79120

• Coulonges-sur-l’Autize 79160

• Thouars 79100• Parthenay 79200• Sauzé-Vaussais 79190

• Niort 79000

• Thouars 79100

• Melle 79500

• Chef-Boutonne 79110

• Airvault 79600

• Niort 79000• Coulon 79510

• Saint-Maixent-l’École 79400

• Neuville-de-Poitou 86170

Fridays:

Saturdays:

Sundays:


Ins and OutsSortir basically means to go out.

Are you going out tonight ? “Tu sors ce soir ?” You can also use it to mean to go out with someone. “Tu sors avec lui ?” Are you going out with him ?

If the lights go out, use “s'éteindre”. “Soudain, les lumières se sont éteintes.” Suddenly the lights went out. When the tide goes out “la marée descend”. A company that goes out of business “fait faillite”. To go out of fashion is “se démoder”.

Sortir de (informal) means to have just done something “On sort de manger” We just ate. “On sort de table” we just got up from the table.

If your cat comes in looking as though it has been dragged through a hedge backwards you might want to ask D'où sort-‐il ? Where (on earth) has he been? If you need to take the dog for a walk, then your wife will probably say “Tu dois sortir le chien”.

Se sortir means to get out of or to extricate oneself from. “J'espère qu'il va pouvoir s'en sortir” I hope he'll be able to get out of that situation.

The French verb entrer literally means to enter and is also used in many idiomatic expressions. Other meanings of “entrer” are to enter, to come in, to fit into, to go in, to import, smuggle in.

When the weather is bad, you will probably prefer to “rester à l'intérieur” -‐ stay inside, rather than get involved in outdoor activities “activités à l'extérieur” or “activités de plein air”.

If you are already packing for your holidays then you will be putting your clothes “dans votre valise” or your things “dans le camping car”. When you want to take them out again you will “sortir les affaires de la valise / du camping car”.

by Sue BurgessVocabulary / Vocabulaire :

entrer à pied to walk in

entrer à l'université to go to college / university

entrer dans la danse to get involved, join in

entrer dans les détails to go into details

entrer dans la légende to go down in legend

entrer dans la quarantaine, cinquantaine

to turn forty, fifty

entrer dans le vif du sujet to get to the heart of the matter

entrer dans une colère noire to fly into a terrible rage

entrer en contact get in touch

entrer en vigueur to come into effect

sortir de l'eau to get out of the water

sortez de chez moi ! Get out of my house

Je veux sortir en vélo I want to go out on my bike

Il est sorti en courant He ran out

Je me suis sorti d'un mauvais pas I got out of a tight spot

Tu t'en es bien sorti You've done really well


ARTicles

‘When the real is no longer what it used to be; nostalgia assumes its full meaning. There is a proliferation of myths, of origins and signs of reality; of secondhand truth, objectivity and authenticity’ Jean Baudrillard

To continue the discussion about this notion of cultural theft in art I have chosen to look at two artists, Sherrie Levine and Cindy Sherman.

Sherrie Levine’s body of work called ‘After Walker Evans’ has not just borrowed an image but on first glance it looks like she has blatantly plagiarised it, inciting secondhand truths and a whole lot of questioning about authenticity. I think her work is mocking the genre and style of photography. Can she claim this work as her own? Levine is this cultural theft or vandalism? The problem concerning postmodern photography is that postmodern photography is all about concept, and Levine has made a representation of a representation. The acknowledgement of the medium used is important because the photograph becomes conceptually framed.

Plato’s theory can be applied when looking at photography. We each harbour an image of what we think is the truth and the image in front of us confirms our thoughts. Through acknowledging and having faith in the medium of photography we trust what we see to be true. The challenges brought to the so-‐called immediacy and transparency of photography is where Levine and postmodernism provoke our set of assumptions. We are never in the real presence of the object; we are looking at an image of an image, a cropped, faded, tonal fabrication and confection of an image.

Levine’s critique and appropriation of photography is kitsch and too simplistic and I think can only be understood within the institutional framework of the art world. Visibly, a Levine photograph is not different from the ‘original’ work. Through my research and studies I have began to appreciate the importance of her work, and appreciate how the act of photographing a photograph and presenting the work as her own challenged the models of modernity.

I can fully understand and appreciate why Levine’s work caused an outrage, because I didn’t get it at first either. Which reaffirms the importance of her criticisms, a decade or so later, the practice of photographing or simulating an image has become common practice. The commonality of this practice begins to delve into the postmodern paradox in theory and in photography.

Cindy Sherman’s untitled film series (1977 -‐ 1980) consists of black and white photographs where she simulates an array of different female roles, transforming her persona and identity. Sherman’s untitled still series is emblematic of postmodern art, dealing with politics, gender and the idea of representation. Postmodernist photographers tended to embellish, fabricate, lie and deceive through appropriation, confecting not reflecting reality.

Modernism and postmodernism both contrast and overlap with one another. It would be correct to say that postmodernism describes a set of conditions and practices occurring in late modernity. Appropriation and parody are the two main foundations of postmodernity; not only are parodies entertaining, but they also promote a greater understanding of the original work.

by Josie Bounds

Is This Cultural Theft? II

Cindy Sherman’s untitled film series (1977 - 1980)

Sherri Levine ‘After Walker Evans’ (1981)

Find Josie Bounds at Le Studio, 79240 Le Busseauwww.monpeptcoeur.info

Nouvelles Métamorphoses is an artists’ collective and more information can be found at:

www.nouvellesmetamorphoses.fr

This art festival will take place in the Orangery at La Mothe St Héray over the weekend of 22nd and 23rd June, although the Exhibition itself will continue until 14 July. This year’s theme is le corps liberé. The artists come from all over France, and further afield, and usually include a number of British participants, especially from amongst those living in France.

During the two-‐day festival period there will be an additional village de toile outside the Orangery, where around thirty artists will be on hand to discuss their work. There will be lectures and a discussion group and a dinner on the Saturday evening. I should add that apart from the dinner, entry to the exhibitions, lectures, etc is entirely free!

On the Sunday entertainment will be provided by ‘le trẻs grand conseil mondial des clowns’ www.clownsmatapeste.com/categories/view/6/tres-‐grand-‐conseil.

http://www.monpetitcoeur.info

http://www.monpetitcoeur.info


More from local writer Alison Morton... Please see back issues of ‘The DSM’ if you would like to see previous articles.

Something Stopping You Writing That Book?What? Oh, yes. I just have to finish my coffee, load the dishwasher, clean the cat’s bowl, check my Facebook page, nip on to Twitter -‐ but only for five minutes -‐ do the filing, have a Skype with my friend…Um, what book?

Even writing this article is a distraction. So why don’t I settle down and do what I love and lose myself in my book’s imaginary world for hours on end? This is a question that burns into every writer’s consciousness.

Facts:• Books will not write themselves; whatever fantasy you conjure up, the writing elves do not visit overnight.

• Editors and agents get cheesed off with undisciplined writers.• Your fans repeatedly ask when your next book is out.• The only way to sell more books is to write more books.

Making timeEven if it’s only half an hour or an hour, everybody is entitled to some “me time”. Be ruthless during that time – no Internet or other interruptions. I was cheered when a famous author admitted to me that she wrote one paragraph at a time, flitting back and forth to the computer for intense bursts of half an hour at a time in between doing a million other things. She dismissed the idea of x words per day with a wave of her hand. Yet her output is prolific.

Lack of confidencePerhaps you ask yourself, ‘Am I churning out rubbish or is there a possibility that somebody, somewhere will love my work?’ If you’ve had feedback through a writing group, a writers’ organisation, a reputable on-‐line critique site, an agent/editor or published author, you can probably answer that question. And have some idea about what to improve on.

Even if you think your latest work is total rubbish, give yourself permission to write badly -‐ you have the luxury of going back and fixing it by rewriting it. Again and again. And it will improve. And sometimes, doubt about your beauteous prose can make you look at it with a sharp eye. Perhaps you do need to change that character’s story arc, or inject some emotional punch into that beige scene.

GuiltDoes the doubt about whether writing is a proper thing to do hammer away in the back of your brain? Many writers are prey to this one. Yes, it is a proper and fit occupation. How do you think all those books you love to read come to exist?

Many people can’t string a sentence together. It’s a great skill, as is the gift of being able to weave a coherent story of tens of thousands of words that can make people’s spirits soar, take them on an emotional journey, put them in the middle of a struggle for survival, or a famous battle of antiquity. Like any other art form, it’s difficult to make a living, but what is produced brings enormous pleasure individually to many and makes the world a far better place.*Alison will be signing copies of INCEPTIO at Le Petit Cadeau, Parthenay on 12th June at 2.15pm


Alison Morton writes alternate history thrillers, blogs about wri.ng and Romans at hSp://alison-‐morton.com/blog/

Combined Services Support Group (CSSG)What a month we have had, two local commemoration events in Parthenay, Paperback Jan’s event in Le Ferrière-‐sur-‐Parthenay and our group meeting at the Café des Belles Fleurs in Fenioux with breakfast. Who said retirement was a tranquil time of life?

The first event on 28th April was the Deportation ceremony, held like all other commemorations in Le Jardin Public in Parthenay. It was a miserable, chilly day but several members of the ex-‐pat community turned out to show their support. Secondly many of us attended the V.E. Day celebrations on 8th May. This is always a huge ceremony in Parthenay where many standards are on parade and the event incorporates the presentation of medals to local personages along with the traditional wreath laying. Local school children also join in to present flowers at the memorial; always a moving tribute.

On 12th May, we served tea, coffee and cakes at Jan’s Charity “Bring and Buy” event in Le Ferriere-‐sur-‐Parthenay. It was a very successful and entertaining day. I think I can say all of us there, whether working or not, had an enjoyable experience and we raised 251€ which is now on its way to SSAFA France. May we take this opportunity to thank those of you who contributed prizes for the tombola stand, goods for sale and last but by no means least, those of you who provided cakes. They were delicious, although I only managed to try one!

Our meeting on 18th May at the Cafe des Belles Fleurs was preceded by a full breakfast, always much appreciated, and several more events were discussed. The first being a tombola at the Salles des Fete, St Germain-‐de-‐Longue-‐Chaume on 9th June 2013. We are also in the process of organising an October Fest, but more about that at a later date, just keep 19th October 2013 free in your diary.

If you would like to join us at any time, a warm welcome is assured . For contact p lease emai l Ross Hendry : [email protected]

by Terri Laverick

BOOK AND COFFEE MORNING2 Books for 1 Euro! Hundreds of books to choose from...45 RUE DU BOIS BAUDRON, 79100 MAUZE THOUARSAIS10.00am to 12.30pm, Wednesday 26th June

Our first book morning of the year in March was a great success even though the temperature was freezing! Our thanks to all those who braved the cold. It was a different story in April when we woke to a lovely warm and sunny day. We sold nearly 200 books and saw one or two new faces as well. All money raised is donated to The Helianthus Association animal charity and your generosity at the two mornings this year has meant we have been able to send off a cheque for 270 euros.

Don't forget, Jo from Phoenix Cards and Heather with her gemstone and fashion jewellery will also be here in June.

Look forward to seeing you! Steve and Theresa Tel: 05 49 66 03 73 Helianthuis Association -‐ www.helianthus-‐asso.org

http://alison-morton.com/blog/

http://alison-morton.com/blog/

http://www.helianthus-asso.org/

http://www.helianthus-asso.org/


The highly successful production of the Calendar Girls is now behind us but the drive to sell more and more calendars is still very much underway. As the calendar covers May to December 2013 and the whole of 2014 it is still a very good buy and would make a great birthday or Christmas present for

those family members who it is often so difficult to find a gift for. They are still for sale through our website or at the following four venues and will remain so for the rest of the year.

• Restaurant A La Bonne Vie at Le Beugnon• Cafe des Belles Fleurs at Fenioux• The Pause Cafe at L’Absie• Cafe Cour du Miracle at Vouvant

Please give generously and remember that ALL proceeds from the sale of the calendar goes to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Research Foundation in the UK and La Fondation de France: La Recherche contre Leucemie et Lymphome here in France.

To date we have sold around 500 calendars with over 5000€ raised. A very good start but still more to be sold to reach our target for the donations to the cancer research organizations.

Those of you who came to see ‘Calendar Girls’ will, I’m sure, agree with me whenI say what a brilliant job everyone did. The actors received the applause of the audiences on the night but we all realize that without the fantastic support of the backstage and front of house members there would be no performances. We also realize that without your support in coming to our performances and hearing your laughter, applause and, for the Calendar Girls, seeing a few tears it would all have been in vain.

Reaction Theatre is taking part in Tim Firth’s show as part of an international effort to smash the record for the most productions of a play in one calendar year which will eventually go into the Guinness Book of Records if successful. Samuel French London, which holds the amateur rights, has received 520 applications from groups wanting to perform the play to date and have issued 322 licenses. Vivien Goodwin, the managing director, said the company had "never experienced a demand like this" for a play.

Best wishes to you all and thank you for your continued support.John Blair: [email protected]

News from the Pays de Gâtine!

Taking up French NationalityHaving recently had several enquiries about taking out French Nationality, the Pays de Gâtine decided to do some research and this is what we found out.

Your address in le Deux-‐Sèvres will determine where you start in this long and interesting learning curve and we would recommend you telephoning the Préfecture in Niort (08 99 10 74 23) to find out if you start with them or in Bressuire.

There are 3 ways of gaining French nationality :1. You have the right if you were born in France of French

parents. 2. By declaration: this applies if you were born in France, but of

foreign parents or you have been married (minimum 4 years) to a French person. This does not automatically give you the right to nationality and both of these are on condition that certain requirements are fulfilled.

3. By decree: your request is at the discretion of the administration, which can be refused even if all the conditions are filled. Amongst the points taken into consideration are: age, length and frequencies of stay in France (minimum 5 years), income, your integration in the French community and the absence of a police record.

At the first interview be prepared for general questions about your background and circumstances and take with you your passport and if possible, proof of the date that you entered France.

You will then be given the appropriate paperwork to proceed with your request and a list of the documents that you will have to provide. These will include: your original birth certificate (with translation) and those of your parents; documents concerning your personal situation, fiscal stamps and a signed charter of the rights and duties of a French citizen.

You will have to take an exam to determine your level of French, the details of which will be explained to you in person during the first visit. Having returned the completed documents you will then be requested to attend a further interview. Please note that taking French nationality does not mean that you have to give up your British nationality, you can have both. Vive l’integration!

For further information please consult: www.gatine.org ‘Taking out French Nationality’.

by Julia Salvat

Julia SALVAT, Pays de Gâtine. Tel: 05 49 64 25 49 ~ Email: [email protected]

Website: www.gatine.org

Annual Subscription Costs: 28€ within France, 18€ UK addresses.(Unfortunately the cheaper ‘printed papers’ rate cannot be applied to addresses within France, only when sending abroad)

Full Name:

Postal Address:

Please make cheques payable to SARAH BERRY.

Postcode: Country:

Tel:

Email:

‘The Deux-Sèvres Monthly’ ‘The Vendée Monthly’Please tick:

http://www.gatine.org/

http://www.gatine.org/


Across:8. Irresponsible person had other side missing for a change (7)9. Secret number not there for the start, that’s obvious (5)10. PR changeover gives a fishy result from hunt under cover (5)11. Formerly obvious way to elucidate? (7)12. What a nun does to conceal what is open (4)13. Theoretical ending for brat cast in play? (8)16. Fly very low from dance on the border? (8)19. Let them make a hideout for a literary heroine (4)22. Head boy needs to change very slightly to become ideal (7)23. Here is a good place for a stall, or is that just sales talk? (5)24. A swelling could be cured by a clean break (5)25. Ran awkwardly in vain struggle to find perfect happiness (7)

Across:8. Cake Topping (5)9. Very sore (7)10. Crazy person (7)11. Sweeping tool (5)12. Combatant who tries to throw opponent to the ground (8)13. Prepare for publication (4)15. Make a sudden surprise attack on (4)17. A positive feeling of liking (8)21. Long narrow range of hills (5)22. Parcel (7)24 & 5 Down. Character in ‘The Hobbit’ (5,7)25. Time of life between the ages of 12 and 20 (5)

Down:1. Cause to die (4)2. A man who is engaged to be married (6)3. Try to stir up public opinion (7)4. Military helicopter (6)5. See 24 Across6. Be able to spare or give up (6)7. Ornamental climbing plant (8)12. Tall piece of furniture (8)14. Teach (7)16. Colour between blue and violet (6)18. Be against 6)19. Full of high spirited delight (6)20. Start (5)23. Compass point (4)

With thanks to M.Morris

Down:1. Not a good hour for weird goth to get together to be meticulous (8)2. A short road leads to the beach when foreign currency is applied (6)3. Article overturned in manuscript; that’s the spirit! (5)4. Braved turmoil to deliver part of the speech (6)5. Reckon to arrive outside place (7)6. Nave altered by US lawyer; what a state! (6)7. Vast, unknown territory holds stocks for solvers (4)14. Exceptional rate observed in each irregularity. Could be your air passages? (8)15. First lady involved with strange gent in finding way to have revenge (3,4)17. Dearest with amount subtracted is audacious (6)18. Revealing someone’s true colours on a day trip? (6)20. Our friend lacks something common to make a literary classic (6)21. A kind of seed found in exotic parks? (5)22. Batter animal skin? (4)

Take a Break...

DSM Toughie Crossword

DSM Easy Crossword

1.What form of carbon is the hardest substance currently known?

2.Name the device used to regulate temperature or control another device or system when a pre-‐set temperature is reached.

3. What are chanterelles, morels and ceps types of?

4. In Shakespeares Henry 4th, what is the name of the fat knight, friend of the Prince of Wales?

5. Name the politician who was deputy P.M. and Home Secretary in Thatchers first government 1979 to 1983.

6. In Star Wars Episode IV (the 1st. and best) what did Lando Calrissian lose to Han Solo in a game of Sabacc?

7. Who was U.S. president from 1969 to 1974?

8. Who was imprisoned at Robben Island from 1962 to 1982?

9. Which Canadian province, capital Toronto, has a 1600 mile border with the U.S.?

10. Which Austrian musical family had 2 Johanns, 1 Eduard and a Josef?

11. Which English scientist published the "Principiae Mathematica" in 1687?

12. Which Beatles song, according to the Guinness Book of Records (1986), has been recorded by over 1600 artistes?

Award yourself a bonus point if you can spot the connection between the answers or parts of the answers, assuming you have 12 answers.

Find the answers on our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

Quiz-tastic! New monthly quiz by Roland Sco�.....how many can you get?

Copyright RJS 2013.

NEW!


A-Z of the Communes of the Deux-Sèvres.

CHIZÈThe commune of Chizé is irrigated by the river Boutonne. The commune also boasts a forest of 4 800 hectares. Chizé is well known in the scientific and ecological world because of the laboratory of Biological Studies. The centre has its base in the forest of Chizé and employs about 70 research workers. The forest welcomes many visitors, walkers, bike riders, school parties and scientists. The GR36 hiking path passes through the forest.

The local economy of Chizé today depends mainly on agriculture. The geographical situation of Chizé has attracted settlers from early times. It would seem that the forest was inhabited in prehistoric times. The Romans built a villa here. Later the village grew around a medieval castle of which only the mound still remains. In 1363, the town of Chizé was handed over to Thomas de Wodestock, the son of Edward III of England in application of the treaty of Brétigny which had been signed three years earlier. Then in 1373 Chizé was the scene of a battle against the English during the Hundred Years War.

Several kings have stayed in Chizé including Louis XIV who had a hospice built in the XVIIth century. The hospice is now the old people's home.

A VOIR / MUST SEE• Zoodyssée an animal park at Villiers en Bois. 25 hectares of walk in the forest. The animals presented in the park are all European animals.

Amongst the numerous activities throughout the year the most famous are probably a walk/ramble in spring, the Foulées Chizéenes race in July and the huge vide grenier/brocante at Availles the second weekend in August.

CIRIÈRESCirières is situated close to Bretignolles, le Pin, Cerizay and la Forêt-‐sur-‐Sèvre. There are 950 inhabitants known as Ciriéros and Ciriéroises. Cirières appears in writings in 1092. At that time there were two churches, Saint George and Saint Radegonde. The church of Saint Radegonde was a priory church which was connected to Saint Jouin de Marnes before the revolution.

Cirières was a major player in the Vendée wars with people like Louis Richard or François Guignard. It is a village which is made of two distinct geographical entities, the «Haut Bourg» on the road to Brétignolles and the «Bas Bourg» which is today crossed by the D road which links Cerizay to Bressuire. The new houses and the new district near this road will be called «le Quartier de la Paix» in memory of the Vendée wars.

A VOIR / MUST SEEThe stained glass window by Lobin in the church and the statue of the infant Jesus of Prague

CLAVÉClavé is a small commune situated near St Georges de Noisné and the dam at Touche Poupard. The inhabitants of Clavé are the Clavéens. There are 324 inhabitants living on a commune of 1903 hectares.

A VOIR / MUST SEE• Clavé is mentioned in tourist guides because of its church. The Romanesque (XIIth century) part of the church and its Gothic tower are classified historical monuments.

• The Sablière wash-‐house and the town oven at la Rousselière are also worth a visit.

• Starting from the church there are two walking tours of about ten minutes each which will give you a wonderful view of the valley and the lake at the dam of La Touche Poupard, a point of departure for the GR 364 hiking path and other walks. The lake is called ‘Le plan d’eau du Soleil Levant’ and by following the yellow arrows from the square by the church you can do a 6.5 km walk, for which you should allow a couple of hours because of the steepness of the path at some points: an ideal walk for nature lovers and bird spotters.

CLAZAYClazay is one of the communes that are joined with Bressuire and the commune is remarkable for its recorded historical sites :

• The chapel at Clazay• Several old houses and farms• The manor house at Boësse• An old mill• The Benedictine priory at la Mothe de Beaumont.

by Sue Burgess

More ‘A-‐Z of the Communes of the Deux-‐Sèvres.’next month...

A-Z of the Communes in the Deux-Sèvres

THE DEUX-SÉVRES MONTHLY

Health, Beauty & Fitness...

2013 Beauty Recommendations...Samantha’s 3 Tips for Staying Beautiful1. Protect your skin against sun exposure.This means you should always wear an SPF all year round. Check your moisturiser and foundation as this may contain a SPF. Some people may need a higher SPF and I would highly recommend Clinique City Base as it's really light textured and sits amazingly well under your foundation.

2. Moisturise your face twice a day. No matter what skin type you are it is essential to moisturise twice a day. This will soften any lines and dehydration lines will simply disappear.

3. Get a professional makeoverIf you have been wearing the same make up for years and are stuck in a rut, now is the time to book a professional makeover. This will open your eyes to new products and many interesting ways to create the best look for you. I have many ladies visit me every 6 months to refresh their look for the change of season. This gives them the confidence to try new looks and feel fabulous.

30 minute makeovers are 30€, which include a full makeover and tips & advice on which products are best for you. For booking call Samantha 06.50.04.37.30

Emma’s ‘One for the guys 2013’I thought this months article could be for all you trendy guys out there. Especially as the next generation males seem to be taking a lot longer to get ready.

Classic Crown CutFor men with thinning hair I would recommend the classic crown cut. This style would be to go short round the sides and leave the crown area with medium layers which will create volume and texture giving the illusion of thicker hair.

Peaked CutOne of the most popular cuts of the 90's is back. Ask your hairdresser for a short cut all round leaving medium layers on top but with a higher peak through the middle and the front. Using a small piece of gel, concentrate on getting some lift in the front and higher peaks. Check online images for Channing Tatum's latest look.

Sleek or not so sleek side partingKeeping the edges of the haircut clean with sharp is key to this look. Leaving a long bed hair look on top which blends well into the sides. It can be either styled sleek to the side or a textured quiff to the side.

Emma's recommended product for the men is American Crew Fiber. It can sculpt and mould short hair into any style. Available online retailing around 7€.

Charente Hair & Make UpTel: 05 45 31 56 93 / 06 50 04 37 30www.charentehairandbridal.com


Colour A

dvert Size A or B,

only 38€ per m

onthor from

33,33€ per m

onth for 12 m

onths.

Satyananda YogaClasses at ‘Maison pour tous’, L’Absie.

7pm - 8.30pm on Thursdays and Salle de millenaire, rue saint roch, Largeasse.

7pm - 8,30pm on Wednesdays.Contact Rysz for more info: 06 42 35 97 11

Our Furry Friends...

For a full list of our advertising rates, please phone 05 49 70 26 21 for an

advertising pack or download from our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

Please don’t forget to mention‘The Deux-Sèvres Monthly’ when responding to an advert."


Mayday Mes Amis has been formed to help animals in need in l'Absie and the surrounding area. For more information please email: [email protected].

MAYDAY MES AMIS

APPEAL

ALSA is a big girl with an equally big heart. A non-‐destructive, non barking, obedient Matin Espagnol cross of 5 years old. Alsa is fun loving and lively in the garden but calm indoors. She is always willing to please, loves human company and long walks, and will sleep at your feet at the end of the day.

Alsa loves all other animals, even those from down on the farm, but whilst she gets on with other dogs, she would be best suited to be the only dog in the family. She is chipped, vaccinated and neutered.

This is a lovely dog best suited to a family who like and understand the larger breed of dog and can give her the attention she longs for and deserves. There is an adoption fee for Alsa and if you think you could give her a forever home, please contact Isabelle (English speaking) on 0977487143 or email [email protected]

www.hopeassoc.org.

HOOF (Horse Orientated Open Forum)HOOF is open to anyone with an equine interest.

You do not need to own a horse! We meet about once a month for talks, visits etc. Interested?

Contact Jo Rowe on: 05 49 64 30 59

Nos Amis Les Animaux 85480 (NALA 85480). Tel: 07 70 31 54 59Email: [email protected]

Phoenix Associapon, who rescue and re-‐home animals in need, has a new website. Please visit: www.phoenixasso.com and find out what you can do to help animals in need in south west France!

Equine Rescue FranceWe are always looking for new members and we are in need of donations so we may continue to help equines in France. Please support the ERF.

Please contact Equine Rescue France via their website www.equinerescuefrance.org

AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION...

L ANCET T E i s a v e r y endearing 10 year old female Beagle cross who was found abandoned and

taken to the local pound at Animal Or near Sauzé Vaussais. Everyone thought that she had no identification until she was cleaned up and a tattoo (2GHH006) was found. After many phone calls it was discovered that she had a British owner who had left France and his dog behind!

Fortunately for Lancette she has been taken under the wing of Association Orfee, but with so many abandoned dogs there is no foster home available just yet so she must remain in the pound a little longer unless some kind person comes forward to foster or adopt her.

Lancette has been checked over by a vet, vaccinated and treated for worms, ticks and fleas, she will also be neutered soon. This is a very friendly little dog, slightly nervous of strangers when she first meets them, but a few kind soothing words and she looks at you with those appealing Beagle eyes, as if to say “please take me home with you”. Lancette is house-‐trained and good with children and whoever adopts her will not regret it. You can visit her at Animal Or, Tel: 05 49 29 38 01 or telephone Isabelle on 09 77 48 71 43 or email [email protected] for more information. Thank you.www.association-‐orfee.forumactif.com/f49-‐english-‐corner

Looking for a Loving Home...

MAYA, 1yr old femaleCHACHA, 8mth male

and brother HANUKI 9mth maleHACHIRO, 9mth male

Lancette

ALSA

Please contact NALA if you can help....

http://hopeassoc.org/

http://hopeassoc.org/

http://www.phoenixasso.com/

http://www.phoenixasso.com/


The Great Outdoors...

Bonne Pêche Don’t feel downhearted

if you haven’t caught many fish in the last month -‐ they’ve been spawning and that certainly played havoc with the fishing. Whilst reproducing is their prime concern, it doesn’t matter what bait you present, nothing works. Now that it’s all over you should find it easier to get them on the bank, they will be very hungry.

For now, I’d like to concentrate on river fishing…. well, weirs in particular, as I’ve seen many of them on the rivers in the Deux-‐Sèvres. The sight of cascading white water in a weir can make them intimidating places to consider fishing. However, with all weir pools you can guarantee that it will feature big fish of many species.

So, if you are an angler willing to take on the challenge of a raging weir pool you can expect to catch some superb fish. From Pike to Barbel, pretty much every species of river fish can be found here; all you have to do is work out where.

Once you cut through all that white water and foam you will find that the bottom is remarkably still and easier to fish than the view on the surface would lead you to believe. Chub will normally stay back from the white water, especially if tree or root cover is present or over-‐hanging trees. Try to ledger some cheese paste, bread flake or a minnow. Perch will be under the weir shelf ready to ambush any small fish or insect it spies. Try some small shot on the line with a big worm and use the back flow of the water to get the bait into position under the weir (the use of a hypodermic needle will prevent the worm from burrowing).

Barbel will be on the calm bottom, at the point where the flow begins to pick up. Use luncheon meat or pellet to attract them. Roach will be in the middle of the pool, right in the eye of the storm. I would have a go with a swim feeder on a long hook length with maggot as bait. Pike are not slow when it comes to seeking out its next meal. It will sit near deeper water, near snags, and it will be ready to zoom out and surprise attack. Go for a large smelly joey mackerel or herring. For the brave-‐hearted, using a small live bait would be a strong contender. Bream are normally associated with ponds and lakes, not flowing water, but they do seem to be attracted to weir pools. Target the areas were the frothy water smooths out and use an open-‐ended feeder and pellet hook bait.

Remember, the pleasure angler is an angler who goes out to enjoy a relaxing days fishing and is content to catch whatever fish they can. Armed with this information you have the chance to catch various species of fish. If, by chance you don’t catch, I’m 100% positive you will have enjoyed the peace and quiet, and no doubt have had the chance to observe some of this year’s new young birdlife exploring the big wide world outside of their nests.

Simon Tee is the proprietor of 2 coarse fishing lakes in Secondigny (www.francefishinggites.com)

by Simon Tee

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THE AMATEUR GARDENER

This month brings us the longest day of the year. June is one of the busiest months for the gardener with plenty to do in the vegetable plot, flower beds and with lawns to work on too.

In the flower garden and shrubbery the low temperatures have delayed things a bit but you can still sow your Sweet Pea seeds in their growing position. When they come into flower remember to dead-‐head, because once the plants start to set seed flowering will be curtailed. Primroses have finished flowering now so you can lift and divide large clumps. The same applies to Irises which may have become overcrowded. Once Irises have finished flowering it is advisable to cut the leaves down to about 6" to avoid their roots being loosened by the wind. Dead-‐head roses regularly and spray against blackspot, mildew and rust. Give them a good feed after the first flush of blooms. Also dead-‐head Delphiniums and Lupins to encourage a second flush of flowers later in the summer.

In the vegetable garden the potatoes are coming up nicely, but our French neighbour tells us that it's necessary to spray them with Bordelaise (Bordeaux) Mixture to prevent mildew. Also effective on tomatoes and strawberries, this mix leaves a bright blue sediment on the plants so you can see where you have treated.

Pinch out the side shoots on your tomatoes, keep them well-‐watered and feed regularly. Insert a 4" plant-‐pot into the ground beside each plant. Fill with water each time you pass by and you will be rewarded with lovely plump tomatoes and no split skins. The same idea works with other plants and shrubs too. Try cutting the base off a plastic milk bottle, remove the lid and sink the bottle neck-‐first into the soil next to the plant. Fill with water which then seeps into the ground close to the roots, encouraging roots to head deeper into the soil.

Still with the vegetable garden in mind there are several herbs and flowers which will repel troublesome insects :• Chives, Onions and Garlic repel ants, aphids and flea beetles• Rosemary and Sage repel cabbage moths and carrot flies• Basil and Borage keep tomatoes pest-‐free• Radishes repel cucumber beetle• French Marigolds repel whitefly, tomato hornworms and slugs• Nasturtiums repel whitefly

After the 'June drop', which is the natural shedding of weak fruit on your apple trees, you will be able to judge where to thin out the rest. When developing fruits are about the size of a nut, remove the smallest of each group, keeping 2 or 3 apples per group. The same applies to your pear trees.

You might remember that last month I was trying to root Laurel hedge cuttings in water with Willow twigs added to the water. It worked!! After a couple of weeks the Willow twigs had sent out roots and after another couple of weeks the Laurel cuttings are beginning to root too. I'll pot them on now and plant out in the Autumn.

Happy gardening everybody....See you next month.

by Vanda Lawrence

Find me at the ‘Fête des Plantes et du Jardin’,

Domaine de Péré, Prissé la Charrière, 8th & 9th June

Page 20


by Peter & Jenny Sebborn.Life on the Farm...What a month. Lots going on, animals and birds coming and going and lots of activity in the garden.

The incubator is on again, well it hasn’t really been off for the last couple of months. The last batch to hatch out were some Light Sussex chicks to replace our laying hens next year and 10 ducklings. We are trying to produce our own laying stock on a rolling basis so that we always have hens in their prime. The ducklings grow very quickly into good size table birds. Now the weather is a bit better it is much easier to bring the youngsters on. Warmer days allow them to go out during the day and come in under a heat lamp at night. The latest incumbents in the incubator are some goose eggs (sadly not ours as our geese have not started laying yet), another batch of ducks and some guinea fowl. In true self-‐sufficiency style we also have an outlet for the little chicks that don’t make it. We pop them in an box in the freezer for a friends snake.

We are quail-‐sitting at the moment. These little birds are fully mature, lay eggs and are ready for the table in only 8 weeks. Strangely the meat on them is opposite from most poultry and on a quail the breast meat is dark and the leg meat is light, but you do need two or three per person.

The bottle feeding is finally over (phew!) and I know I have already said this but we will not be doing it again next year. No, no, never! A few of the lambs have gone out on loan for lawn mower duties and with the grass being so plentiful, the first few lambs will be heading for the freezer very soon.

Jen was a bit worried about Baaaarbara’s udder (the ewe with mastitis) so decided to shear her so we could take a better look. Once she was fleece-‐free we could see that her udder was black and crusty (sorry if you’re eating your lunch) and a few days later all the outside layer came free leaving her with a weird shaped udder with large holes. She has done surprisingly well but sadly her breeding days are over.

When I went to collect the new Saanen goat and a kid I was faced with a dilemma. There were 2 to choose from. They were so cute I couldn’t decide which one to choose so ended up coming back with both. The kids (called Wizz and Tag) are very friendly just like their mum (Polly). The next dilemma will be which one to keep for breeding with our Chamois goat (Boff) later this year and which one goes into the freezer.

I made the new milking stand as a surprise for Jen when she got back from the UK and got extra brownie points for making it mainly out of bits and bobs from around the farm. Jen picked up a milking seat for just 2€ at a vide grenier. Polly soon learnt the routine and hops up on the stand to be milked.

We love having the delicious fresh milk at hand every day and Jen’s gradually getting the hang of milking by hand and has already made some yoghurts. Once we wean the two kids we will be able to take much more milk but at the moment the kids need to get their fill. The cats soon learnt that the milk tasted good and wait outside when we are milking for their little bit.

We are loving the polytunnel and the luxury of the early veg and somewhere to grow everything from seed. From the garden we already have asparagus, rhubarb, lettuces, radishes and strawberries. We are looking forward to the first crop of new potatoes from the polytunnel any time soon.

So now its back outside to continue with Life on the farm -‐ and I’ve even threatened to do a spot of renovating as well. See you next month..

Peter & Jenny Sebborn. Breeders of pigs, lambs and poultry. La Gauteliere, 79220, Pamplie. Tel: 05 49 28 38 57.

Abeilles (Bees)June is a likely time for new queens to cause bees to swarm from the hive and they will probably hang from a tree or (a classic practice in France) between a shutter and a window.

If you find or think you have a swarm please do not panic, leave them alone. Contact us or you can find other bee keepers on this website www.planetepassion.eu.

Our details are: -‐ The Dominey Family, email: [email protected] or call 05 49 07 79 78 / 06 69 67 67 06.

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French Village DiariesI am a cheery soul at the moment and all a-‐quiver at the excitement of what looks to be a bumper crop of cherries. We were lucky to inherit five old and very large cherry trees in our orchard hidden behind an old, green gate in the back wall of the barn. I still remember the first time we opened the gate and stepped into the wilds that had been untended for a couple of years. It was like entering the secret garden. The grass was waist high but the place was magical and I was hooked, especially as at that moment the evening church bells rang out across the village. As I hitched up my skirt and waded in to survey the land that one day we hoped would be ours, we discovered the cherry trees laden with ripe fruit that we just had to sample. For a town girl the experience of picking a sun warmed, ripe cherry from a tree and popping it into my mouth was amazing. I couldn’t wait to move in.

Nine years on and the excitement of cherry picking and eating have not dulled a bit. We get good and bad years depending on the weather affecting the timing of blossoming, late frosts or amount of rain, but thankfully this year, as long as we now get plenty of sun to ripen the fruit, everything has worked in favour of a good harvest. Not wanting to waste these precious delights I have become adept at the usual and unusual ways to serve and preserve them, although on a good year we still have to find friends willing to share (not usually difficult) and the local birds help out too. Even our orchard roaming chickens, ducks and geese have learnt to pick them off the lower branches and hoover up the windfalls, which leaves their heads stained an alarming shade of purple.

One of the best things I did was to get a cherry stoner, not a hand held one but one with a hopper to collect the stones and this has saved me hours. Once stoned I open freeze on trays with a tiny sprinkling of sugar and then bag once frozen. I use these over winter for puddings and cakes. Another family favourite is cherry jam, especially when served with warm boulangerie croissants. I also use a very low oven temperature over a couple of hours to dry halved cherries that then replace sultanas and are added to my mince meat recipe. Bottling them in Cognac or Pineau always makes a lovely gift for Christmas. Fresh cherries go particularly well with a balsamic vinegar dressing when added to our summer salads and continuing the sweet/savoury mix one of my favourite chutney recipes is a courgette and cherry combination. I even use the washed and dried cherry stones as baking beans when cooking pastry for quiches or cherry and almond tarts.

For the recipes please email me at [email protected] or visit www.frenchvillagediaries.com

You can read more from Jacqui and find her favourite recipes at www.frenchvillagediaries.com.

French Life, Food & Drink...

by Jacqueline Brown.

http://www.frenchvillagediaries.com/

http://www.frenchvillagediaries.com/


Chabby ChicIn order to describe the style of a wine to someone who hasn’t come across it before, I sometimes try to associate said wine with famous people. This is great fun for me but probably completely useless to anyone else: c’est la vie. So, for example, Katherine Hepburn would be a feisty Bordeaux while Audrey would be a silky Burgundy. David Hockney and/or Alan Bennett a tart, pert Alsace, Spencer Tracy a rollicking Rhone with attitude. Enormous fun for all the family (over 18).

The fun of course is that there is no right answer or description: you can chop and change as you like, becoming ever more outlandish. And yes, I do realise I am sounding an increasingly sad anorak, so to come to the point, and to give you the sole exception to the rule – the only possible association for Chablis is David Niven: finesse, elegance, crispness, lip-‐curling acidity.

French wine law includes Chablis as a part of the Burgundy appellation, but never was the law more of an ass. The area of Chablis is 80-‐odd kilometres northwest of the main drag of the Cote d’Or where most of the great Burgundies are produced. Its soil is different, its climate too, and its winemakers have their own ideas and traditions, thank you very much.

To get to the basics, Chablis is a white wine made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes. The Chardonnay grape does not impose itself on the wine it produces: rather, it is a servant of the terroir, of the soil and climate it is grown in. It enables the very earth to express itself. The earth I speak of is that around the small town of Chablis, and I stress this because any wine which is labelled ‘Chablis’ and which hails from the US or Australia or anywhere other than Chablis Frahhnce (provide Brooklyn or Sydney accent as you see fit) is plonk, a sham, snake oil and should not be given room space: as the saying goes, these imposters are wines for ‘laying down and avoiding’.

Soil is key here in Chablis. We are talking tropical seas in the Late Jurassic period, roughly 150 million years ago, when tiny, tiny (really cute) oysters lived and died and left their b i l l i o n s u pon billions of tiny, cute, aspirin-‐sized bodies, not to science, but to Chablis drinkers. If I had a buck for every time I’ve s e e n t h e words ‘flinty’ and ‘mineral’ used in relation to Chablis I’d have a lot more bucks than I have, but that’s the b o t t om line of what Mother Earth has mulched up for you lucky people -‐ particularly if you like a wine that’s perfect with oysters, shellfish, white fish or light white meats.

There are four categories: Petit Chablis, Chablis Village, Premier Cru, Grand Cru. Quality and price, all things being equal, rise accordingly. In my opinion, and it’s nothing more than that, the best of the grand crus are from the Grenouilles vineyards, but if you’re looking for value for money, the premier cru or village categories are the ones to consider. And if you find one with a neat little moustache on the label, go for it!

by John Sherwin.

John Sherwin, French Wine Tours. Tel: 02 51 66 13 05

Email: [email protected] ~ www.french-wine-tours.com

Page 23


Motoring...

Good Karma(nn)This month I am going to introduce you to a beautiful little car which I have a hankering to own and which is often overlooked.

In the years after the war, people had began to demand better, more stylish and elegant products, and car manufacturers felt the need to produce a “flagship” car to meet this demand and counteract the more bland and functional cars which had been their mainstay.

The concept was simple; build a good looking sports coupe, using as many components as possible from a standard saloon.

Introduced in 1955, the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia appealed to this market, and was an instant success, being practical as well as achingly stylish. The Karmann Ghia combined the chassis and mechanicals of the economy VW Beetle with styling by Luigi Segre of the Italian design house “Ghia" and hand-‐built bodywork by the German coach builder “Karmann".

In short, the KG had the look and feel of a hand built sports car, with the running costs of the world’s most inexpensive to own car. VW had found a market niche for an exotic-‐looking economy car.

The car was incredibly complex to build, being welded and lead-‐filled by hand from lots of small components. The Karmann factory was so small, that they couldn't store even the number of cars required for the press launch in 1955, so the date was pulled forward some months.

However, despite the drop dead gorgeous bodywork, the KG was undoubtedly a sheep in wolf’s clothing. With a 1192cc engine pushing out a feeble 30bhp, which increased in 1960 to 34bhp, the performance figures were never going to set the world alight. However the acceleration was acceptable because the car only weighed approximately 1,750 pounds, or about 150 pounds more than the Beetle, and coupled with the aerodynamic body, the car could reach almost 80 mph.

In 1966 the car was equipped with a 1300cc block, which only lasted a year, then, one of VW's finest engines, the 1500, powered

all Ghias until it's final upgrade to a 1600cc unit in 1971, which continued until the car’s demise in 1974.

The KG became a contemporary classic and it democratized automotive fashion. The Ghia was to "automobility" what Christian Dior's New Look was to the fashion world -‐ a version of automotive haute couture.

Although built in reasonable numbers (around 360,000 coupes and just under 80,000 cabriolets), the Karmann Ghia was never turned out in vast mass-‐produced quantities and so remains quite rare. Today the Volkswagen Karmann-‐Ghia is a stylish, affordable collector's car that's inexpensive to buy, run and maintain, and is one of the most sought after air-‐cooled Volkswagen models, especially the convertibles.

Many surviving examples are in America, where many of the cars were exported to, simply because the KG tended to rust and the US weather was kinder to them than the European climate.

If any of you would like to “meet” a Karmann Ghia in real life, there is usually one at the Grand Prix Automobile Historique in Bressuire, which is being held on 29th and 30th June 2013. See you there!

by Helen Tait-‐Wright

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Contact ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’

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or email: [email protected] see our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

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Communications...


Selecting and Buying a New PC Part 3 -‐ Choosing Your New PCThe first consideration is what do you want your PC for? Do you simply want to send and receive email, use the internet and type the odd letter etc. and play simple games like Solitaire, Freecell, Scrabble and Mah-‐jong? Then most PCs and tablet PCs will do this, let us call this a "Home" PC. If you are looking for a "Business" PC, by this I mean the primary use is creating and storing documents such as quotes, reports and sales letters, sending and receiving email, maintaining your accounts and generating invoices and statements then I suggest that you need to consider a PC with a physical keyboard, either "desktop" or laptop rather than a tablet PC.

If you propose to play games or edit photos and or video/s then you probably need to consider the more expensive end of the PC market. These PCs need high speed processors, excellent quality graphic processors and greater than average amounts of RAM and hard disk space. There are even laptops that have the capacity to do this now. (By games I do not mean simple ones like Solitaire or Freecell, but the Role-‐play and shoot 'em up/adventure type games.) I refer to these PCs as "Power User" PCs.

Other considerations are how much space do you have where you are going to operate the PC? Clearly a laptop takes up less space than a "desktop" type PC. Another variable is does the device need to be portable?

When I am advising customers on this issue, we list the above items that are relevant to them and the amount of money they wish to spend. This dictates to me what to recommend to them.

I believe that the introduction of Apple's iPad and the Android tablet PCs have significantly changed the whole computer marketplace and, in my opinion, we will see the personal or "Home" PC market shift to predominately be tablet orientated with the exception of the "power user" PCs .

Home PCs.A practical starting budget for this type of PC can be as low as £70.00 for a reasonable 7" Android Tablet PC, look up the Zoostorm SL8 Mini; The Kindle Fire is also excellent at £159.00, Google's Nexus should also be considered at around £199.00. Apple’s ipad Mini is

considered by many to be the best tablet available and can be purchased for around £210.

If you prefer to have a conventional keyboard, the entry level for this type of PC is the Texet Netbook EZL700, with a 7" screen and using the Linux OS is available for around £80.00. The 11.6" Google Chrome Book is a great PC that uses the Android OS for around £160. Samsung's XE303C12 11.6" Chrome Book is available for £155.00. The Asus X101CH Netbook with a 10.1" screen is available for £175; this is running the Windows 7 OS.

For laptops and moving up in screen size, the 14" Fujitsu AH512 Lifebook may be purchased for £240. If you want to use the Apple iOS the Apple MacBook Air 11.6" may be found for £700.00.

Home desktop type PCs are available from £150 without an OS, and around £260 with Windows 8 from Ebuyer and Novatech in the UK. I did find a few desktops in France starting from €270.00 with the Windows 8 OS. The best find in France was the Dust Vision C15 desktop PC running Linux for €204, but there was only one available.

I have tried to give you examples of the lower end of the price scales for home PCs. There are so many options available that I am sure you will be able to find a PC to fit your needs and budget. The important thing is to think what you need the PC to do and if possible talk to someone who has the type of PC you have selected before you purchase, they may let you try theirs!

Please remember you are looking at a practical useable life of 3 to 5 years maximum, and so much may change in that time that it is almost impossible to predict what will come next. I am watching out for developments afoot that are moving the Android OS to desktop PC systems for both the Intel/AMD and Apple Mac hardware and wondering what impact this will have on the PC marketplace.

Next month in Part 4, I will look at desktop and laptop, Business and Power User PCs and suggest some great value PCs running the more traditional operating systems; Windows, Linux and Apple Mac's OS X.

Ross Hendry is the proprietor of Interface Consulting and Engineering, who has over 42 y e a r s e x p e r i e n c e i n Communications, Computer Te c h n o l o g y a n d D i r e c t Marketing. (See advert below for more information).

by Ross Hendry

Zoostorm SL8 Mini

Dust Vision C15


French Adventures...

Written by Helen Aurelius-‐Haddock. http://haddockinthekitchen.wordpress.com or contact Helen by email at: [email protected]

When Nigel Skinner reached 50, he decided that it should be a landmark event. He and his wife Geri came to live in the village of Irais where they had a holiday home that they bought in 2004.

When they arrived in 2007, they did not have the challenges of replacing a roof or finding somewhere to sleep out of a draught, as the house was up and running, which left the jobs of decorating and adding personal touches to be done -‐ something Nigel planned to do in his retirement.

Six years on, and their home has taken on a stunning transformation, with jaw dropping bathrooms, a beautiful kitchen and elegant lounge spaces. It has evolved into so much more than splashing a bit of emulsion here and there into a tasteful home in the heart of the French countryside.

On their arrival in Irais, their claim to fame was that they were the only British people in the village. To say they were a novelty amongst the inhabitants would be an understatement! Very quickly they were embraced by the village and through the socializing they did, started to pick up the language, bit by bit.

Geri took a sabbatical from her job in London, returning to it when they were settled. She now travels Monday to Friday to work in the UK, spending her weekends and free time relaxing in France. Nigel was quick to say picking up French “at a certain age” should not be underestimated -‐ 5 years on and he feels that he still is learning every day about how to speak French well.

One of the barriers Nigel used to break down the communication barrier, was through song. Back in the UK, he was always seen at parties around the piano and enjoyed singing at family and social events. At Geri's 40th birthday party, in front of around 50 guests, Nigel rounded off the evening with renditions of her favourite songs -‐ to her delight, and the utter amazement of all the assembled guests. It was not long before friends, both French and British alike, were nudging him to do something with his wonderful voice.

A happy coincidence provided Nigel with the motivation he needed. At a Fish n' Chip night at Argenton-‐l’Église, he met up with a local builder who had recently refurbished a recording studios in the area. Telephone numbers were exchanged and soon Nigel had booked himself in with Robert Carpentier's studio (www.robertcarpentier.com), and a life long ambition to cut a disc was born.

The result of years of singing, a spark of an ambition and a big voice all finally came together to produce “Nigel Sings For You” , a CD dedicated to the King himself, Elvis Presley. By this time, Nigel was well respected in the area, and he was approached by a friend to try and do a fund raiser for the annual “Telethon” appeal, by using his vocal skills.

In no time at all, the local bar and restaurant at St-‐Jouin-‐des-‐Marnes had set a date, organized a meal and were selling tickets like hot cakes – this was going to be a night to remember – both for Nigel, giving his first public performance, and the locals who were about to have the best night out in ages. On the night itself, Nigel sang to a packed house, and was overwhelmed by the support her received at his debut. As one of the audience, I recall him being surrounded by his local fans who were literally queuing up to congratulate him.

As they say in life “one thing leads to another” and Nigel's next performance was given, ironically, during the presentation of the funds raised to an association in nearby Airvault. As they say, the rest is history. Going from strength to strength, Nigel has steadfastly supported a multitude of local charities, and has performed at a number of private parties too, giving a sterling performance every time.

For those who have a view of Nigel solely performing Elvis covers, you could not be further from the truth. Nigel's singing career has seen him join forces with a local Jazz band called ‘The Little Big Band’. Together they support lots of local association events, recently playing at the Orangerie in Thouars.

Their musical style is firmly based in old American Jazz: Gershwin, Cole Porter, Billie Holiday all feature in the band's repertoire. The time spent with the band has seen Nigel evolve his musical repertoire, and he now regularly performs classics from his favourite artists -‐ Michael Bouble, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.

It seems that the icing has indeed been placed on the top of the cake for Nigel so, is there anything else moving forward into the future ? Indeed there is. He is currently considering a barn conversion on his property, he is teaching a group of local French residents English in his home, and rendering the wall next to his swimming pool, ready for the summer heatwave!

A little further down the line he plans to record his next CD, and has an Irish gig lined up on Friday 28th June at the Hotel du Cygne at Airvault (www.airvault-‐hotelducygne.fr), where he will perform, along with the Irish band Pontin nan Gael, while guests sun themselves on the extensive terrace and enjoy a superb BBQ.

So, does our local crooner have any advice to offer other people?Yes he does. Here's what Nigel says.

Don't hold back when learning the language -‐ it is harder when you are older, but not impossible. With DIY, read up, find out and ask lots of questions -‐ you will get there! Bring something to the party! Get stuck into village life, as everyone has something they can offer -‐ think what you can do to become part of your commune.

Singin' In Irais with Nigel Skinner

Nigel can be contacted via his website: www.stoodleydesign.com/Skinner/Welcome.html


Page 29

Building & Renovation...

A Saw Mill of Plenty...Folks, you are renovating your cottage, or perhaps you are preparing to make a shed, a piece of furniture, fencing or a gate? Or maybe you need hard or soft rustic flooring, long or short oak beams, rafters or laths to repair your roof? Whatever your requirements may be, come and visit me at my saw mill in Parthenay and I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.

At La Sautière in Parthenay, you’ll find a man who loves the UK and it’s people. Your country holds a famous part in the beginning of the industrial steam power and I’m keen on that! I can also understand and speak the language of Shakespeare (with some limitations!)

Fire wood is also available but be careful! It is never ready to burn straight away. Take it away and leave to dry and season.

My wood yard is open during the week and Saturday mornings. You will find it at the South of Parthenay, on the D76 just halfway between the town and Pompaire.

I am at your disposal should you require further information.

Alain Miot.Tel: 05 49 94 32 44 / Mob: 06 82 39 06 35


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Contact ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny.

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Business, Finance & Property...

FAIR TRADING IN SECONDIGNYSeptember 2012 saw the first Trade Fair (Foire Commerçiale) in the area for British & French businesses. Organised by ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’, it was the perfect way for businesses to come together under one roof, explain their services, demonstrate their products and meet prospective clients.

The idea to mix both English and French speaking businesses worked well and although a large proportion of visitors were English, we had many French speakers too.

The event was a huge success and we received well over 500 visitors throughout the day. This year we shall repeat the event and encourage more French speaking businesses on-‐board. The language barrier may be difficult for some, so this year we shall offer translators who will wander around and help with conversations when called for.

The location (Lac des Effres, Secondigny) is ideal for this type of event, offering a large sized hall, kitchen facilities, stage, plenty of parking plus other activities such as cycling tracks, fishing, walking, children’s playground etc. ‘Mr T’s Friterie’ will once again supply Fish and Chips, there will be other choices of food vendors plus tea, coffee and cakes.

There will be plenty of demonstrations during the day and lots of activities to keep you all entertained.

Stands are available to be booked now. Many reservations have already been made, so please book early to avoid disappointment. Inside and outside spaces are available and prices start from 35€. 21st SEPTEMBER 2013 10.30am -‐ 5.30pm La Salle Alauna 21, Lac des Effres, 79130 SECONDIGNY

It is important to us to organise a day that is well attended and successful for everyone. We shall be doing our very best to achieve this and welcome any ideas or additional feedback on last year’s event.

Photos: Top Left: Outside sta l ls . Middle R ight : La D e u x i è m e C h a n c e d e m o n s t r a t i n g p a i n t techniques. Bottom Left: Inside the salle


French Savings & Investments

Bank AccountsFrench banks offer various accounts from the straightforward current account ‘Compte Courant’, to instant access savings account ‘Compte sur Livret’ and fixed term deposits ‘Compte à Terme’, offering better interest rates over a defined period.

For French residents, there are also various tax-‐free bank deposit accounts. The most common are the ‘Livret A’ and the ‘Livret de Développement Durable’ (LDD).

The maximum deposit per person is €22,950 for the ‘Livret A’ and €12,000 for the ‘LDD’.

The general conditions of the accounts are the same and are regulated by the government. Interest is free of all taxation and the annual interest rate is currently 1.75%. Rates are generally reviewed on a six-‐monthly basis.

For low-‐taxpayers, the ‘Livret d’Epargne Populaire’ (LEP) offers an interest rate of 2.25% for savings limited to deposits of €7,700 each. To qualify, you must prove, via a tax certificate, you pay less than €769 of income tax (in 2012) in France.

The ‘Plan d’Epargne Logement’ (PEL) is a four year savings plan, aimed at saving for house purchase and home improvement. Whilst you are saving the interest earned is tax-‐free. If the sum is then used for the above purpose and has been blocked for four years, it can be withdrawn free of income tax but will be subject to ‘social taxes’.

Life AssuranceA very popular form of investment for French residents is the ‘Contrat d’ Assurance Vie’, a Life Assurance Investment Bond (investments with a Life Assurance company). Their popularity is because of the significant inheritance advantages offered, as well as beneficial tax treatment for any growth and/or income generated.

To benefit from the policy’s preferential tax treatment the insurance company provides the ‘wrapper’, but allows the investors to choose the investments to be held within this, either from a list of funds, or, for larger sums (generally €500,000+), a discretionary investment manager can be appointed to run a bespoke portfolio.

All French insurance companies also offer access to their “Fonds en Euros”. This basically means that the insurance company invests as they see fit but, in return, they guarantee that the investment cannot drop in value and must go up by a certain amount each year. At the end of each year they calculate how much they have made and distribute the investors’ shares of the ‘profits’ as interest. These investments are obliged to be very conservative, due to the level of guarantees offered and are only making, therefore, about 3% a year at present, due to low interest rates.

An alternative to the ‘Contrat d’Assurance Vie’ is a ‘Bon de Capitalisation’, Capital Redemption Bond. The basic contract terms are the same for both policies, as is the income and social tax treatment. However, ‘Bons de Capitalisation’ carry no inheritance advantages and the value of the policy on death forms part of your estate.

There are two clear advantages of using these policies. Firstly, for wealth tax purposes, the amount that is declared is the initial investment amount (or the current value, if lower). Secondly, a “Bon de Capitalisation” can be gifted during your lifetime or left on death, which could be useful if the aim is to pass on a “family portfolio”.

by David HardySm

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Ask Amanda.A question arose recently which I would like to share; “I really don’t understand finances & my Husband deals with everything so why shouldn’t I just leave all the decisions and administration to him?”

I usually find when talking to people that there is one partner in a marriage or relationship who generally deals with all the finance. There is nothing wrong with this and if it works for you then that’s fine for now. But what happens when that person is not there? Wouldn’t it be comforting to know that if the worst happened you would also be aware where you stand financially and where all the important documents were? It would be one less thing to worry about during such a traumatic time.

If you think you would benefit from a free financial health check which includes:• Explaining where you are now.• How to reach your fiscal goals. • How to make the most of Tax efficient savings and investments whilst living in France.

• How to successfully manage your inheritance tax liability and, • Where you would stand financially in the event of illness or death.

Please call me on the numbers below or contact me via the “Ask Amanda” link to make an appointment.

For an informal discussion, I am at the ‘Open Door’ in Civray the last Tuesday of every month from 10.15 till 12.00 and also at ‘Café des Belles Fleurs’ in Fenioux two Thursday mornings each month. Feel free to drop in and meet me over a cup of coffee.

After attending one of these surgeries, many people have made a further meeting in the comfort of their own home to discuss their situation in more detail and found it very worthwhile.

Amanda Johnson, The Spectrum IFA Group. Tel: 05 49 98 97 46Email: amanda.johnson@spectrum-‐ifa.com

or “Ask Amanda” at [email protected]


Money Talk...This month I thought I would let you know about some different products Currencies Direct offer in which you can transfer your money as opposed to just taking the rate that is offered to you by your bank:

Spot transactionIdeal for the immediate purchase of currency. Book your rate online or through your dealer over the phone. Once the funds are received, the currency is immediately sent out to your beneficiary details specified in your Contract Note.

Forward contractPerfect for budgeting for a property purchase, or if the exchange rate is favourable, you can use a Forward contract to buy the currency up to a year in advance. Once payment has been received for the currency, the funds will be sent out to your beneficiary account details on the maturity date of the contract.

Time optionThis contract is similar to a Forward contract, but with more flexibility. You can buy the currency up to a year in advance; however unlike a Forward contract you will be able draw down on the funds whenever you need to (as long as the funds have been received). This can be done all at once or bit by bit.

Regular transfersThese are ideal for anyone making monthly or quarterly payments out of the UK. The payments could be for a number of reasons; paying off a mortgage overseas, maintenance fees on a property, topping up an overseas account for living funds, sending your salary home, whatever the case may be; our Overseas Regular Transfer Plan (ORTP) takes the hassle out of regular payments. We will set you up with a direct debit so that your payments come out of your account on a monthly or quarterly basis. The exchange rate is booked with all other OTRP clients at 10am on the due date of the ORTP run (if this date falls on a weekend then the rate is booked the Friday before).

These are just some of the ways to transfer money; I will give more examples next month. In the meantime do not hesitate to contact me on the numbers below if you have any questions.

by Sue Cook


Property Prices across the Deux-SèvresIt’s always difficult when clients ask us how property prices are faring – either nationally or in a department like the Deux-‐Sèvres. It’s not like the UK where you can go online and see how much houses in your street have sold for at the click of the mouse. Nor do we have research and property indices reports coming out every month from national bodies, banks and the major agents.

There are a paucity of statistics in France and we mainly need to rely on the Notaires de France for property statistics. These can be misleading at a micro level but at least they do give some kind of benchmark.

So we thought that this month we would give you an update as to what they are saying. The average property price in France (excluding Paris) is €163,800, the average in Poitou-‐Charentes is €145,000 and the average in the Deux-‐Sèvres is €120,000. You probably know that prices here are below the national average but it’s interesting to see that they are 75% of prices nationally….and don’t forget that includes Paris!

If you are interested in regional variations then you may like to know that the Charente-‐Maritime has the highest average price at €180,000, followed by the Vienne at €132,900, with the Charente having the lowest prices at €114,700.

Of course prices vary greatly even within a department. The statistics for the Deux-‐Sèvres show prices around three areas -‐ Niort, Bressuire and Parthenay. There’s a huge variation with the area in and around Niort having an average price of €132,000, followed by Bressuire at €100,000 and Parthenay at €86,800.If you are interested in what the Notaires have to say about price movement then here’s the stats for the last five years in the Deux-‐Sèvres:

• 2007/8 = -‐ 0.8%• 2008/9 = -‐ 3.0%• 2009/10 = + 0.7%• 2010/11 = + 3.8%• 2011/12 = -‐ 5.8%

You can see that there were no great movements either up or down which reflects the fact that we live in one of the more stable areas of France without the dramatic highs and lows of say Paris or the Cote D’Azur. There’s little doubt that the figures for 2012/13 will show another single digit fall in prices but the really important figure will be the number of transactions (sales) across the region.

It’s probably best not to read too much into any of the above – if you really want to know what’s going on in the market then speak to an experienced local agent who can tell you which types of property are moving and what they are selling for compared to asking price. You can’t beat local knowledge!

by Trevor Leggett, Chief Executive

End

Leggett Immobilier is one of the leading estate agents in France. You can access all their local property listings and articles atwww.frenchestateagents.com/poitou-‐charentes-‐property.

the deux-sevres monthly, june 2013

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