the deux-sèvres monthly' magazine, january 2015

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The Deux-Sèvres Monthly | 3

Welcome! to Issue 47 of‘The Deux-Sèvres Monthly’ magazine.

Happy New Year one and all! Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2015.....So I wonder what it will hold for many of us? Maybe this is the year that we will become mill-yonaires! (said with a Del-boy accent). For Rob and I, 2015 will definitely be the year to finish our renovations.........I think I may have said that last year and the year before - oh well, we shall see! Also my goals include

getting out of the office more and to get fit! It can be draining sitting at the computer all day, so I must get out into the fresh air....

For ‘The DSM’, we are on the lookout for new ideas for the coming year. Some ideas are already in the pipeline, but something fresh and different is always welcome. We have to keep you all interested! Please send us any ideas or feedback - all comments are appreciated :-)

I’ll leave you for now to enjoy another left-over turkey sandwich and look forward to catching up with you next month.

Have a good January.

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

© Sarah Berry 2015. 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.

112 European Emergency113 Drugs and Alcohol

Emergency Numbers:

15 SAMU (Medical Advice)17 Gendarmes (Police)18 Pompiers (Fire Service)

<<The Deux-Sèvres Monthly>> est édité par Sarah Berry, 3 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, Shutterstock, GraphicStock et morgeufile.com. Impression: Graficas Piquer SL, 29 Al Mediterraneo, Pol. Ind. San Rafael, 04230, Huércal de Almeria, Espagne. Dépôt légal: janvier 2015 - Tirage: 4500 exemplaires. Siret: 515 249 738 00011 ISSN: 2115-4848

ContentsWhat’s On 4Getting Out & About 6Hobbies 10Clubs & Associations 12A-Z of the Communes in the Deux-Sèvres 15Health, Beauty & Fitness 16Our Furry Friends 18Home & Garden 20Take a Break 23French Life 26Communications 28Food & Drink 31Motoring 35Building & Renovation 37Business & Finance 41Property 45

à plus, Sarah

This Month’s Advertisers

ABORDimmo 45Ace Pneus (Tyre supplier & Fitter) 36Affordable UK Designs (Kitchens & UPVC Double Glazing) 2Agence Mélusine 45AgriPelle 40Ajmal’s Masala (authentic Pakistani cuisine) 33AKE Petit Travaux (Builder) 37A La Bonne Vie 33Andrew Longman (Plumber) 39AngloInfo Pays-de-la-Loire 29ARB French Property 45Arbrecadabra Tree Surgery 22BH Assurances / Allianz - Isabelle Want 41Bill McEvoy (Plumber / Heating Engineer) 39Blevins Franks Financial Management 42Buzz Transport 36Caniclôture Hidden Fences 19Cheryl’s Helping Hand 20Chris Parsons (Heating/Electrical/Plumbing) 39Christies (English Book Shop & Tea Room) 6CJ Electricité 38Clean Sweep Chimney Services 38Currencies Direct - Sue Cook 44David Cropper (Stump Grinding & Jungle Busting) 22David Watkins Chimney Sweep 38Deb Challacombe (online counsellor) 16Down to Earth Pool Design 45Duncan White - Agent Commerciale 46Emilie Baudrez (French Classes & Translation) 9Franglais Deliveries 36GAN Assurances 36Hallmark Electronique 38Irving Location - Digger Hire 40Irving Location - Septic Tank Installation & Groundworks 40Jb Plumbing 39J.P. Lainé Chimney Sweep 38Julia Hunt - Agent Commerciale 46Julie Tee (Freelance Administrator) 30Kelly’s Pampering Events 16La Deuxième Chance (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint supplier) 20Lawrence Associates (Renovations etc) 37Leggett Immobilier 46Michael William Park Hair salon 16ML Computers 29Motor Parts Charente 36M. Page Landscaping 22Mr. Piano Man 20MSS Construction 40Mutuelles de Poitiers Assurances 36Nathan Foster Building Services 37Needa Hand Services 20Pamela Irving (Massage & Reflexology) 17Photo Creativity - File Transfers 30Plan 170 (Professional Scale Drawings) 38Polar Express 33Restaurant des Canards 33Rob Berry Plastering Services 37Robert Lupton (Electrician) 38Ross Hendry (Interface Consulting & Engineering) 28Sarah Berry (Websites & Graphic Design) 29Sarl Down to Earth Construction (Groundworks and Micro Station Installer) 40Sarl Faucon 37Satellite TV 29Siddalls (Financial Advisors) 43Simon the Tiler 37Steve Enderby 39Steve Robin (Plumber) 39Sue Burgess (French Classes & Translation) 9The English Mechanic & Son - Tony Eyre 36The Spectrum IFA Group - Amanda Johnson 44Val Assist (Translation Services) 9Vendée Web Design 29Victoria Bassey Jewellery Boutique 17Yoga Vendée 17

What’s On... January 20157th January - Winter Sales start!The start of the Winter Sales in the shops….until 17th Feb!7th January - Franglais at BressuireCome and practice your french, with a friendly and convivial group of french and english speakers. At the Centre Socio-Culturel in Bressuire. 8-10pm. Turn up or Contact Jan 05 49 65 60 34.13th & 14th January - Reaction Theatre AuditionsAt the Petit Theatre, Secondigny. 7.30pm. See P13 for more info.18th January - Birdwatching on the Ile de ReMeet at 8am at cour de l’Artisane, rue des prairies, 79320 Montcoutant or at 9.15am at the parking before the bridge to Ile de Re. Enquiries to Jacques Pellerin on: 06 82 02 70 88 or email: [email protected]. Open to everyone. Take a Picnic and warm drinks!24th & 25th January - Poultry ExhibitionOrganised by La société des aviculteurs des Deux-Sèvres, at Parc des expositions, Niort 79000.25th January - Collector’s FairAt Espace Colonica, Coulonges-sur-l’autize. This show brings together multiple collections, traditional and unusual: beans, old postcards, stamps, coins, brass, porcelain, old papers and almanacs to 1900, comics, muselets but also more surprising exhibitions such as: old phones, perfume bottles, small bottles of milk etc ...26th - 31st January - Music & BrushesMusic and painting by Mr. Michel MORO - creation and improvisation, accompanied by a pianist. Exposure to the works of Michel MORO at the Cultural Centre, Usseau. Free all age groups. For further information, contact Municipality of USSEAU: 05 49 04 85 16.27th January - Photo Workshop with photofocus.infoSee article on P14 for further details.29th January - Andrea ChénierRoyal Opera House Choir & Orchestra perform liveBroadcast via CGR Cinema, Niort. For further information, please visit page 8.31st January - Bird Nesting Box Workshop9am - 12noon at Espace associatif, 48 rue Rouget de Lisle, 79000 Niort. Workshop taken by Jacques Mirebeau and can be contacted on: 05 49 79 03 35 or email: [email protected]. Open to all, booking required as places are limited. 5€ per person.

Coming Up...3rd February - Photo Workshop with photofocus.infoSee article on P14.6th February - Start of RBS 6-Nations ChampionshipsSee www.rbs6nations.com for all the fixtures and news.

4 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly

The Chaplaincy of Christ the Good Shepherd, Poitou-Charentes, hold English speaking monthly services.

• 1st Sunday at 10.30am: At St Leger, near Melle. Followed by tea & coffee.

• 2nd Sunday at 11.00am: the home of Ann White, Jassay• 4th Sunday at 10.30am: the Presbytery Rooms, rue de la

Citadelle, Parthenay (opposite St Croix Church). Followed by tea & coffee, and a ‘bring and share’ lunch.

A warm welcome awaits everyone for a time of worship and fellowship. For further information about location of churches and what else is happening near you, please take a look at our website www.church-in-france.com or contact us by email: [email protected]

The Filling Station ~ Poitou-CharentesThe Filling Station is a network of local Christians of all denominations who meet together regularly for spiritual renewal and evangelism purposes. ALL WELCOME.

Please see our bilingual website for details of meetings and summer programmes www.thefillingstationfrance.com or contact 05 49 87 89 16 or email: [email protected]

ALL SAINTS, VENDÉE - Puy de SerreWe hold two services each month, on the 2nd and 4th Sundaysat the church of St Marthe, Puy de Serre, at 11am.

After each service, tea and coffee is served in the parish room and everyone is invited to a `bring and share` lunch. For details of all our activities, our Services in the west of the Vendée, copies of recent newsletters and more information, please check our website: www.allsaintsvendee.fr

The Rendez-Vous Christian Fellowship A warm welcome awaits you at our meetings in the Vendée on the 1st & 3rd Sunday in the month at 11am. We meet at The Barn, off the D960B between Pouzauges and Chantonnay. Meetings last about an hour and are followed by a time of fellowship with refreshments. To find out more please contact Chris Taylor 09 60 49 78 50 or Des Vine 05 49 74 18 27 or visit: www.therendezvous.fr

The National Holidays, Religiousand Feast Days 2015

Thursday 1st January 2015 New Year’s Day (Jour de l’An)Saturday 14th February Valentine’s Day (Saint Valentin)Tuesday 17th February Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras)Sunday 1st March Grandmother’s Day (Fête des Grands-mères)Sunday 5th April Easter Sunday (Pâques)Monday 6th April Easter Monday (Lundi de Pâques)Friday 1st May Labour Day (Fête du Travail)Friday 8th May Victory in Europe Day (Fête de la Victoire)Thursday 14th May Ascension Day (Ascension)Sunday 24th May Pentacost (Pentecôte)Monday 25th May Pentacost (Lundi de PentecôteSunday 31st May Mother’s Day (Fête des Mères)Sunday 21st June Father’s Day (Fête des Pères)Sunday 21st June World Music Day (Fête de la Musique)Tuesday 14th July National Day (Fête Nationale)Saturday 15th August Assumption of Mary (Assomption)Sunday 4th October Grandfather’s Day (Fête des Grand-pères)Sunday 1st November All Saint’s Day (Toussaint)Wednesday 11th NovemberArmistice Day (Armistice)Friday 25th December Christmas Day (Noël)

Dates in blue are celebration days, not public holidays

LOCAL MARKETSMondays......... Benet 85490

Lencloître (1st Monday in month) 86140Tuesdays......... Lezay 79120

Coulonges-sur-l’Autize 79160

Thouars 79100

Bressuire 79300Wednesdays.... Parthenay 79200Thursdays........ Sauzé-Vaussais 79190

Niort 79000

La Mothe St Héray 79800Friday............... Thouars 79100

Melle 79500Saturdays........ Bressuire 79300

Chef-Boutonne 79110

Airvault 79600

Niort 79000

Saint Maixent-l’École 79400

Fontenay-le-Comte 85200Sundays............ Coulon 79510

Neuville-de-Poitou 86170

Reel Fish & Chips

We are taking our annual break in January and February but will be back in March 2015.

We wish all of our customers a very happy new year and we look forward to seeing you at the beginning of March.

DSM magazines will still be available at; Argenton Les Vallees, Bressuire, St Martin de Sanzay, Etusson, Genneton, L’Absie and

Bouille-Loretz. A bientot. Haley and Andy.

Find me at these venues during January:

7th: Café Cour de Miracle, Vouvant 85120. 2.30pm - 4.30pm8th: Pause! L’Absie 79240. 2pm - 5pm 9th: Jan’s Home, La Ferriére-en-Parthenay 79390.11am - 3pm9th: Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux 79160. 4pm - 6pm10th: Bar Le Chauray, St Maixent l’Ecole 79400. 10am - 12.30pm 14th: Au Bec de Vin, St Jouin de Marnes 79600. 3pm - 5pm15th: Bar Palais, St Aubin le Cloud 79450. 2pm-4.30pm28th: Jan’s Home, La Ferriére-en-Parthenay 79390.1pm - 5pm

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


Paperback JanBooks in English

Top Hat Quiz & CurryDates & Venues for January:

8th: Chef Boutonne 12th: Limalonges 14th: Aigre 15th: Champniers 19th: Theil Rabier

From 7pm

Fish 4 Chip+ Authentic Indian meals

CLOSED JANUARY & FEBRUARY, reopening 3rd March

Tel: 05 45 71 70 91 - more info at www.tophatquizzes.com

Tel: 06 04 14 23 94 - www.reelfishandchips.net

Tel: 06 37 53 56 20 - www.mobilefishandchipsfrance.com

NEW! Online Calendar now availableon www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

What’s On...ONLINE

Share your events online for free - email the details to [email protected]

La Vendée Chippy

We are closed for January but will be back every Wednesday night at ‘Auberge le St Vincent’, St Vincent-Sterlanges from Weds

4th February and every FRIDAY evening at ‘Le Clemenceau’, Mouilleron-en-Pareds from Fri 6th February.

On Sat 7th February find us at Le Marmiton, Antigny.Tel: 02 44 39 16 73 - www.lavendeechippy.com

‘The Deux-Sèvres Monthly’ magazine. Published by Sarah Berry

3 La Bartière, 79130 SECONDIGNYTel: 05 49 70 26 21

Email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.frwww.thedeuxsevresmonthly.frwww.magazineanglais79.com

Mr T’s Friterie

With regular venues at:

See www.frying4u2nite.com for details or call 06 02 22 44 74

• Aulnay 17470 (from 6pm)• Matha 17160• Gourville 16170

• St Hilaire de Villefranche 17770

• St Jean d’Angély 17400

REOPEN29th January

LIVE Opera Season 2014

Have you registered for your chance to WIN free tickets to the opera and ballet?

All shows are broadcast live to the CGR Cinema in Niort, in their original languages.

Visit our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr, click on the image shown below and send us your contact details. More information about this month’s show can be found on page 8.


“C’est bon!” was the surprised exclamation of the mayor of Vasles as he sampled his third slice of date and walnut bread at the vernissage of the TheatriVasles Alan Bennett Talking Heads Festival, 5th – 7th December.

The Festival kicked off with the opening of the Alan Bennett exhibition and was celebrated with champagne, kindly donated by Credit Agricole, and home baked date and walnut bread, which featured in one of the monologues.

The bilingual exhibition was a fascinating and colourful insight into Alan Bennett: his early life and influences, from poets such as Larkin to foods such as tinned peaches with Carnation milk and the infamous chicken wings with tuna fish sauce from another of the monologues (not quite such an enthusiastic response to these dishes...). Paintings and a stunning charcoal sketch of the writer all added to the impact of this impressive exhibition, designed and staged by TheatriVasles member and talented local artist Anthea Libby.

The vernissage was followed by a Theatre Skills Workshop led by visiting director Claire Dingley. “I was privileged to be part of the first TheatriVasles Festival and I was struck by the huge amount of energy and work which had gone into making it such a success. The workshop received some very gracious feedback along the lines of “this has really energised me and made me feel different about what I want to do next. The group really entered into the spirit and it was great fun to see the two short rehearsed pieces being brought to life”.

The two performances of the Talking Heads were received to rapturous reviews.

“I love Alan Bennett and last night didn’t disappoint, all the performances were first class. They had all the dry humour and underlying sadness that one expects, and the audience seemed to be totally caught up in the characters being portrayed,” said one person.

Someone else emailed “The performances by the three main actors were stunningly good and would grace any professional stage”.

Interestingly, another commented, “I came along not really knowing what to expect, but it was brilliant”.

Of course, choosing Bennett was always going to be controversial. “He’s a bit like Marmite, you either love him or hate him,” one fan commented, which could almost have been written by Bennett himself. The Question & Answer session following Saturday’s performance, led by guest MC Gordon Simms, chairman of St Clementin Literature Festival, was lively and thought-provoking, providing some interesting insight into Bennett’s work.

Finally the Gala Lunch on Sunday concluded the Festival and played to Bennett’s lighter side, with snippets and quotes about sex, religion, car bombs and much else besides, occasionally embellished with his somewhat ‘colourful’ language.

“The Festival was a fantastic experience for members and audience alike,” said Chairman Richard Smith, “and now we need to look forward to our next production. But that’s another story.”

To find out more, contact us on [email protected], TheatriVasles on Facebook or at www.theatrivasles.com.

Getting Out & About

TheatriVasles Celebrates

Success of Alan Bennett Festival

AUDITIONS13th & 14th JANUARY at 7.30pm

Reaction Theatre’s Tony Murdoch is holding auditions for the cast of our Spring Production:

ARSENIC & OLD LACE by Joseph Kesselring onTuesday 13th and Wednesday 14th January at

Le Petit Théâtre, Secondigny at 7.30pm.ALL those interested are welcome on either evening, whether they are

members now or intend to become members.

Anyone hoping to attend, please note the dates and if possible, let Tony Murdoch know by contacting him by phone on

05 49 64 06 14 or by e-mail: [email protected]

This classic 3 Act play has 14 different characters in the cast.Performances are to be given in Secondigny on

Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd May 2015.


The Exposition souvenirs 1914-1918, showing at the Musée de Parthenay until 8th March 2015, is a collection of mementos brought together by the people of Parthenay and Gâtine.

Personal, original objects and documents such as trench crafts, military equipment, photographs, postcards, letters and diaries demonstrate the sensitivity of various individuals during the War. The exhibition covers various topics such as life on the front line, the barracks, the military hospital and the fighting regiments of Parthenay. (Parthenay housed a large garrison and mobilisation centre (a battalion of the 114th RI and deposits 314th RI Reserve and 67th Territorial RI).

The local British community was actively involved in this collection, and publicity is fully bilingual, French-English. This exhibition is extended with a virtual online exhibition (by Municipal Archives: www.guerre14-18.cc-parthenay-gatine.fr) and is in collaboration once again, with the local population.

The bilingual Exhibition offers a guided tour in English on Wednesday 21st January at 3pm.Topics covered include:

• War • The beginnings uniforms / equipment • The Parthenay hospital • The Barracks • The regiments trenches • Crafts • Memories

Guided Tours in French are available at 3pm on:

• Wednesday 4 February 2015• Wednesday 18 February 2015• Wednesday 4th March 2015

It was the first time I met English people in France. I must have been fourteen or something. I did know a bit of English; it was compulsory at collège.

I could introduce myself and find my away across London with an A to Z. But I couldn’t order a pint which, let’s face it, made my entire education useless!

Still, I knew about the Queen’s English (as a matter of fact I thought you all spoke like that).

I knew about Wordsworth’s Daffodils (as a matter of fact I thought you all wrote like that).

And I could tell you how Romeo sacrificed for Juliet (I didn’t think you all died like that!).

.......But I’d never met real English people.

I was with a friend of my parents’, an architect who was working for an English couple. He’d offered to take me, and because he had a convertible and I liked it, I went. Thinking back, I can’t remember where they actually lived - but I do remember feeling we would never get there. It was as if they’d tried to bury themselves so deep into the countryside that it wouldn’t even feel like France anymore to them.

“You alright hun?” Hun? moi ? I thought.And as we stepped into their home, it became even clearer. Some poster was telling me to keep calm and drink tea. Bright cushions and cosy armchairs. Photographs of a land that only they knew about. The oddest postcard: sheep saying “We’re daft but we love ewe”. Stacks of books on overloaded shelves.

As I started looking for a picture of the Queen, the woman spoke again. “Love, you alright?” Love? Madame, we’ve only just been introduced, I thought.

I couldn’t say a thing. I had a chance to start a conversation with an actual English person. But I couldn’t do it, I didn’t know what to say, I’d never been taught. I’d gone mute. I was able to find my way across London. I was able to recite William Wordsworth’s ‘Daffodils,’ to write mini plays, but all I was able to do in front of an actual English woman was to give her a vague, awkward smile.

Another one of these pesky Frenchies, she must have thought at the time.

I have to mention that our common history hasn’t been the best. My grandfather brought me up in the belief that English people were the enemy. Not only did he hate their food and boots when he was in the military, but he also hated them because of some obscure treason during the Vendée wars. Not to mention Joan of Arc. Not to mention that we Vendéens consider that les Nantais are from the remotest of places.

But I was alright. I was. I’d just survived the first of many, many wonderful encounters with ‘les rosbeefs’.

by Thomas MombrasA Brief Tongue-Tied Encounter

Do you have a Business to promote?Call us Today - Great Rates!

05 49 70 26 21

T H E R OYA L O P E R A

LIVE FROM LONDON29 JANUARY 2015 AT 8.15PM

JONAS KAUFMANN | EVA-MARIA WESTBROEK | ŽELJKO LUČIČ

MUSIC UMBERTO GIORDANO | METTEUR EN SCÈNE DAVID MCVICAR | CHEF D’ORCHESTRE ANTONIO PAPPANO

ANDREA CHÉNIERA NEW PRODUCTION OF GIORDANO’S FRENCH REVOLUTION ROMANCE

YOUR TICKET TO THE OPERA

13€ INSTEAD OF 19€ONLY

OFFER VALIDON PRESENTATION OF THIS COUPON

IN YOUR CGR CINEMA OF NIORT

www.cgrcinemas.fr

ANDREACHÉNIER

FREE TICKET GIVEAWAY >>>>>>>>

We have 2 pairs of tickets to giveaway for each live Opera showing at the CGR Cinema in Niort. For your chance to win these free tickets, simply go to our website www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr and register your name* and email address with us. A name will be drawn randomly 7 days prior to the next showing, and the winning tickets sent to you.*Only one registration allowed per person. The names will rollover to the next draw. If you don’t have access to an email address, please send your name, address and telephone number by post to: Sarah Berry, 3 La Bartiere, 79130 SECONDIGNY.

If you love classical music and dance, then this is for you!This season, in conjuction wil the Royal Opera House, there will be regular operas and ballets broadcast LIVE to your local cinema. The greatest tenors, sopranos and orchestral leaders come directly to you highlighting the best of this classical medium. The shows will also include some exclusive bonuses and stories behind the scenes.

The CGR Cinema in Niort is one cinema in the area participating in this season of events. To find others, please visit the website: www.rohaucinema.fr

Special Discount for Readers!

Andrea Chénier by Umberto GiordanoRoyal Opera House Choir and Orchestra

A verismo opera loosely based on the life of the French poet André Chénier, who was executed during the French Revolution. In Giordano’s opera, the poet Andrea Chénier and the servant Carlo Gérard are both in love with the young aristocrat Madeleine.

Madeleine loses everything in the Revolution and Andrea offers her protection, inciting jealousy in Carlo, now a powerful officer. Andrea is arrested during the revolution, Carlo spurred by his jealousy, condems his rival. Following Madelaine’s desperate plea, Carlo tries too late to save him, so finally helps the young woman to join Andrea in prison where the two lovers face the guillotine together.

Thursday 29th January, 8.15pm(Opera: 4 acts, duration 2hrs 30mins)

LIVE Opera Season 2014


New Year Resolutions! Les Bonnes Résolutions!

Bonne Année tout le monde! I hope you had a good Christmas. First of all here are the answers to last month’s vocabulary quiz:

Well, have you made any Bonnes résolutions this year?

New Year’s Resolutions les bonnes résolutions are a custom which exist in Western civilisations. People commit themselves to improving their behaviour améliorer son comportement or a habit une habitude or their life-style mode de vie.

The official website of the US government suggests a list of the most popular resolutions :

• manger sainement eat healthily• perdre du poids lose weight• se remettre en forme get fit• boire moins d’alcool drink less alcohol• ne plus se ronger les ongles stop biting your nails• penser positive think positively• rire plus souvent laugh more often• profiter de la vie make the most of life• payer ses dettes pay your debts• économiser de l’argent save• passer plus de temps en famille spend more time with your

family• faire un voyage travel• faire du sport do some sport

As these resolutions are difficult to keep tenir, different methods have been thought of to help. For example, make out a timetable and separate the resolutions into stages étapes. Do some sport faire du sport, becomes choose a sport choisir un sport, begin half an hour on Sundays commencer une demi-heure le dimanche.

In 2007 a study étude carried out by Richard Wiseman at Bristol University involving 3000 people, showed that 88% of New Year Resolutions fail échouer.

Nevertheless it is a good thing to try to stop smoking arrêter de fumer, go to bed earlier aller se coucher de bonne heure and so on.

And have you thought that if you learn just one new French word or expression per day, that by the end of the year you will have increased your vocabulary by 365 words or expressions which is quite an impressive achievement.

by Sue Burgess

Noël Christmas

Les chants de Noël Christmas carols

Les décorations de Noël Christmas decorations

Le gui Mistletoe

Offrir des cadeaux To give presents

Le lendemain de Noël Boxing Day

Les fêtes The holiday season / the festivities

Le papier cadeau Gift wrap

La Veille de Noël Christmas Eve

Une guirlande A garland / streamer / tinsel


Editing: do I really need it? (Part 1)You’ve written your fabulous book and presumably, you’ve checked everything you can spot yourself. That first self-edit gets rid of the obvious horrors. But why should you use somebody else to edit it?

1. Your readers deserve to get what they pay for – a top quality product.2. Your book needs to be in the best possible state to compete successfully, whether you send it out to agents or self-publish.3. You might be so close to your writing that you see what you know should be there, instead of what is actually there. 4. Sometimes writers fall in love with their own work. They cannot see that parts of it are poorly written. 5. A fresh eye looking over your work is likely to pick up on points that you may have missed. 6. A professional, experienced editor knows what is acceptable for the market and will advise and guide you to get your work to publishable standard.

So what are the choices?This month, I’ll outline the less formal options; next month, the paid professionals.

FriendsBy all means ask friends to read your book. Every bit of feedback helps, and you should welcome it all. But beware: people are nervous of criticising their friend’s work – they’d rather not offend. They will be in awe of the fact that you’ve written a book and may just say they loved it without saying anything useful to you as a writer. On the other hand, if they’re a top fiction editor at a big publisher, seize their free offer!

Writers’ groupsCreative writing groups provide a great forum in which to have your work critiqued by people as passionate about writing as you are. Some will be more informed and experienced than others, but there are bound to be people whose opinion you value. However, it’s unlikely that someone in the group will offer to read and edit your whole novel unless you’re prepared to do the same for them.

Beta readers Non-professional readers who read widely and seem to love the idea of having a ‘sneak preview’. They’ll look through your manuscript and make suggestions to improve the story, its characters, or its setting. I use beta readers to see if my book is ‘a good read’ before the story goes for publishing.

Critique partnersA critique partner is gold. Usually writing a novel too, though not necessarily in the same genre, they will read the same scenes from your manuscript so many times that neither of you remember the count, and will give you completely honest feedback, however brutal. They’ll discuss your characters’ dilemmas and continually suggest solutions. Critique partners urge you to keep writing when you don’t feel like it and won’t let you give up. And you do exactly the same for them.

However, no matter how well versed your friends are in the rules of grammar, and the vagaries of the English language, only a professional editor is likely to handle dangling modifiers, tautologies, hyphenation of compound adjectives, repetition, consistency of punctuation, presentation of numerals, elision, etc.

Next month, we have a look at the different kinds of editors in detail as they all have critical roles to play.

Alison Morton is the author of three novels, and The 500 Word Writing Buddy: 25 Inner Secrets for the New Writer, the

compilation of articles from this column.

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


HobbiesYOUR Book ReviewsThere’s nothing better during this cold weather than being curled up by the fire with a good book - so let’s start with this recommendation from Terry Hawker. Thanks Terry!

‘The Unconsoled’ by Kazuo Ishiguro‘The Unconsoled’ is an award winning novel written in 1995 and suggested by the Sunday Times as being among the best 100 works of fiction of the Twentieth Century.

The author, Kazuo Ishiguro, was born in Nagasaki, now a British citizen and may be better known for his novel, ‘The Remains off the Day’, which by comparison is perhaps a pity. Straightaway, ‘The Unconsoled’ treats the reader to the most elegantly constructed dialogue and a unique plot that unwinds between its main character, Mr Ryder, a celebrated pianist, and the staff at his hotel in a town where he is due to give a concert. The hotel’s ageing porter, Gustav, together with its manager are very obsequious but as their relationships develop, they mention politely from time to time the possibility of Ryder being able to offer them small favours. Ryder timidly agrees but becomes increasingly anxious about these and his own programme for the forthcoming concert, which seems to be vague.

The main theme of this book is the pressure building on Ryder over these issues as the day of the concert draws nearer and the consequently surreal direction of his life. There is, for example, a visit to the hotel’s annex far way on a country hilltop, people from his past mysteriously appear, and memorably a city tram full of jolly people eating breakfast.

‘The Unconsoled’ is a novel unlike no other I have read (twice now) and would seem to be about stress, but above all, it is a delight if nothing else to just be immersed in its wonderful language.

If you have a book review to share with us - please email it to us at: [email protected]

Contact ‘The DSM’ on 05 49 70 26 21

or by email:[email protected]


How the language of the First World War has become everyday in our modern world.

It may come as a surprise that a number of words in common everyday uses have their origins from the trenches of the 1st World War. ‘Plonk’ the now almost universal word for a bottle of wine. The British soldier has traditionally failed since time

immemorial to master the pronunciation of even the simplest foreign words, and it is merely a corruption of the French ‘vin blanc’.Trench talk is now entrenched into the English language and many terms which were particular to one region or social class before the war entered common usage afterwards. Examples include ‘scrounging’ to describe foraging for food, such as wild rabbits which is thought to have derived from a northern dialect, and ‘binge’ to describe overindulgence in alcohol previously just used in Lancashire. ‘Blotto’ was another term for drunk popularised during the war.Lower class words like ‘gasper’ or ‘fag’ for a cigarette and ‘bloke’, which previously referred just to a gentleman, moved from their narrow social roots.Several phrases from the criminal underworld also entered wider use, among them ‘chum’ formerly slang for an accomplice, ‘rumbled’ (to be found out) and ‘knocked off’ (stolen).‘The whole nine yards’ referred to the length of the ammunition belt of a 1st World War Vickers machine gun.If you’re feeling washed out, fed up or downright lousy, World War One is to blame: ‘lousy’ and ‘crummy’ both referred to being infested with lice, while ‘fed up’ emerged as a widespread expression of weariness among the men.Communications from headquarters were derisively known as ‘bumf’ from ‘bum-fodder’, a term for toilet paper.Other phrases to develop were ‘snapshot’ (from a quickly aimed and taken rifle shot), and ‘wash out’, which described a process by which aspiring officers who failed their commissions were sent back to their regiments, or ‘washed out’. By 1915 the term was being used to signify any kind of failure.

The French term ‘souvenir’ replaced ‘keepsake’ as the primary word for a memento, following exchanges with the locals, while officers being sacked were said to have ‘come ungummed’ from the French ‘dégommér’, to dismiss. This quickly developed into ‘come unstuck’.Several Hindi terms, picked up from Indian Army soldiers and already circulating in the regular, professional army, were also disseminated widely.One of those most used at the front was ‘cushy’ from khush (‘pleasure’).Soldiers would describe cushy, or comfortable billets, as well as cushy trenches, in quiet sectors.

The most well known term derived from Hindi though was ‘Blighty’, from bilati, meaning ‘foreign’. This was applied by Indians to Britons and in turn became slang to the British Tommy for ‘Britain’.A number of words even crossed over from the German trenches. ‘Strafe’ became an English word, from the German ‘to punish’, via a prominent slogan used by the enemy: ‘Gott Strafe England’, while prisoners of war returned with the term ‘erzatz’, literally ‘replacement’, but used in English to mean ‘cheap substitute’ and spelled ersatz.Advances in technology also brought with them new phrases. Aircraft were known to ‘conk out’, while pilots also complained of ‘blind spots’ where they were unable to see.Many of the technical devices encountered by soldiers could be quite baffling and hard to describe, which helps to explain the widespread emergence of the word ‘thingumyjig’ from the period.Other words arrived with troops from the US, such as ‘cooler’, for prison, and including ‘swipe’, for acquiring something by means that were not necessarily above board.‘Dekko’, as in ‘take a dekko at this’ (take a look at this). From the Hindi word dekho meaning ‘look’, one of a number of terms brought from India by British troops and gradually disseminated through the British army. Others, such as ‘toot sweet’ (from tout de suite, ‘immediately’), are still in use. Toot sweet is, strictly speaking, not a WW1 coinage, as examples are found in English from the early 19th Century, but it gained widespread currency only during the war, and the heavily anglicised form ‘the tooter the sweeter’ (‘the sooner the better’) is certainly a WW1 phrase. Another word which may have been borrowed from French is ‘skive’, first used as a military slang term during the war before passing into general usage. The etymology of skive is uncertain, but it may have derived from French ‘esquiver’ (‘to escape, avoid’.) On 20 March 1915 the Birmingham Daily Mail wrote that “The wars of the past have invariably coloured the language of returned soldiers, and this worldwide war will be no exception to the rule.”

by Tony Barrett

Images - www.madefromhistory.com

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUSIf you or someone you know has a drinking problem, there are now a number of English-speaking meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous in the South West of France.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a Fellowship of men and women who share experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership and A.A. is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organisation or institution. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

Telephone: Angela: 05 49 87 79 09, Roger: 05 55 76 22 65 or Nancy: 02 54 24 09 74.

Email: [email protected] visit www.aafrancesud-ouest.com for

details of English-speaking meetings.

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGIONLINAZAY, POITOU-CHARENTES BRANCH

Please visit the branch website:www.rblpoitou-charentes.fr

Cancer Support VendéeHelping to improve the lives of people affected

by Cancer in the Vendée. Helpline: 02 51 00 58 21

or email: [email protected]


Book Club Thouars. Do you enjoy reading a cracking 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 Louise Read at [email protected] for details.

GARDENING CLUBWe meet every third Tuesday of the month, 2.30pm with free tea/coffee and bscuits at Le Bon Vertoef, 28 Grand Rue, 79110 TILLOU. (Nr Chef Boutonne). Everyone welcome for garden talk! For further information contact Mike Curtis 05 46 33 66 17 (eves).

2nd Sunday Motorcycle Club Come and join us for a bike ride, or just a cup of coffee and a chat, with bike-minded people. As the name suggests, we meet on the 2nd Sunday of every month. New members are always welcome. For more information, visit our web-site. www.2ndsundayclub.fr

CLE helps you unlock the secrets to a happy and comfortable lifestyle in France. We provide information and organise

workshops, visits and charity events, enabling members to make new friends in the ex-patriot and French communities.

www.cle-france.com. Tel: 05 49 87 19 85

ALL GIRLS TOGETHERCalling all girls 18-80 for fun, laughter & support. We

meet alternate Tuesdays at Fontenille, 2-5pm. Ring Viv for further information 05 49 27 51 98.

All welcome.

Hypnotherapy Slimming GroupFor four weeks only. Starts January 2015. Near Bressuire, dept. 79. Call Hypnotherapist/bodywork therapist Pamela Irving on 05 49 65 55 25 or email for more information: [email protected]

TTL Photography GroupLocal photography group on the Deux-Sèvres / Vendée border. New members always welcome, and at all levels of expertise and knowledge. Contact us via the website to find out about our meetings. www.ttlphotographygroup.net

Clubs & Associations

FRANGLAIS at ThouarsWe are a French-English speaking group who meet at Centre-Socio-Culturel, Anne Desrays, Thouars on Wednesdays 7.30pm-9.30pm. We welcome all English speakers who want to improve their French. Come along or contact [email protected] for more information.

CAPELLA GROUPIf you enjoy singing and would be interested in starting a close-harmony group near Chef-Boutonne, please get in touch! Email me, Christine for further information: [email protected]

The Harmonics Singing GroupBased in the Salle d’Annexe in Civray. We meet each Wednesday 2pm-4pm. No experience necessary, just a willingness and commitment to learn. We sing all sorts of music in several languages. Contact: Dave Lee: 05 49 87 53 93 / [email protected]

AL-ANON Support GroupDo you wish the Drinking Would Stop? Are you troubled by someone’s drinking? If so we can help. There is now an English-speaking Al-Anon meeting every Wednesday @ 2.30pm in the meeting room behind Civray Mairie. Just turn up or ring Angela on 05 49 87 79 09.

Scalextric Racers in the Le Busseau areaAnyone interested in a bit of friendly racing on 26m of

digital track and a beer/glass of wine? Please contact me on 05 49 04 21 98 or

email: [email protected]

ANYONE FOR TENNIS?Tennis players wanted, reasonable standard, Secondigny area. Contact Mick Morris on 05 49 65 17 16 or email: [email protected]

We are a photography club who meet twice a month at Terves. We run work shops, and also arrange photoshoots. If you want to learn more then please go to our website www.photofocus.info

Franglais at BressuireWhy not come and practise your French with a friendly and convivial group of French and English speakers?Each Wednesday evening (8-10pm) at the Centre Socio-Culturel in Bressuire. Phone Jan for further details 05 49 65 60 34.

Les Amis SolitairesWe are a group of people living alone in France. We meet up for coffee mornings from 11am, every 2nd & 4th Thursday at The Lemon Tree in Sauzé Vaussais. More details from Gwen on 05 49 87 91 79 or email: [email protected]

Clubs & Associations Submission Guidelines

Wordcount:Title of entry+ 40 words

(max. including contact details).Logos can be supplied and will be

added if space allows.

Adverts meeting the above specifications can be added free of charge, and will be rotated on a monthly basis

to allow everyone to participate. To guarantee the advert is printed each month, a small fee of 45€ per annum will be requested.

How to SUBMIT your entry:1) Complete the short form on ‘Submit Article’ page

of our website (under the ‘Content’ menu)or

2) Simply email the details to us: [email protected]

website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

Combined Services Support Group (CSSG)Well, another New Year - they are flying by! We hope you all had a great Christmas and Santa brought you everything you wished for.

We finished 2014 with a flourish at the Terves Christmas Market, (organised by Association Aidez) on 7th December where we had a Spot the Snowball game. The board expertly hand painted by our Chairman, John Blair. The winner was Christine Bacon with square E4. Well done Christine, hope you enjoyed the port.

On the 13th December we held a meeting followed by an excellent Christmas Lunch at the Café des Belles Fleurs in Fenioux. Then we all rushed off to Secondigny to the Christmas Cornucopia which certainly lived up to our expectations.

So... what have we planned for 2015? We have a couple of afternoon events lined up to brighten up those cold winter days in January/February, namely a Beetle Drive and a General Knowledge Quiz. In March, back by popular demand, we hope to have another Race Night. In April there will be a St George’s Day dance and Paperback Jan will repeat her Big Book Fayre in May, so we will be there with our Tombola and Brocante stalls, plus Tea, Coffee and delicious home-made cakes.

Further details on all the above events will be made available nearer the time, but to avoid missing out, ask to be added to our e-mailing list or become a member of CSSG. Simply send us an email to: [email protected].

Our next meeting is the AGM on 7th February at the Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux.

The CSSG committee would like to wish all our members and supporters a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

by Pauline Tonks


Reaction TheatreA HAPPY NEW YEAR from all the members of the Reaction Theatre.

I hope Santa brought you most of the presents you wished for and you had a great Christmas. When I write this column it has to be completed about two weeks or so before you read it. You do read it don’t you? But I tend to try and estimate, that’s another word for guess, how things went. So I guess the Keynotes Christmas Cornucopia went really well. I do however know that the Aidez Christmas Fair went very well at Terves and the Keynotes were in good voice, probably because I wasn’t there. I had to go to Paris, but someone has to.

Not wanting to wish my life away but it will soon be Spring and the sooner the better. So lets look to the future :-

Our next production, which will now be in the first week of May, will be the classic ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ directed by Tony Murdoch. Auditions will probably be this month so if you’re interested in a part let me know ASAP and I’ll pass your name on to Tony.

Keynotes Singers Having had a couple of weeks rest from Christmas Carols we are now eagerly awaiting our musical director, Margaret Round’s music for the summer performances. Trying to come up with new material each year is a mammoth task and she does a great job, most of the time. Did you just hear someone screaming “What do you mean, MOST of the time?” That was Margaret. Then of course we couldn’t manage without our great accompanist, Ann Milton. Many good pianists have tried but none have succeeded.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to learn to play the ukulele, perhaps I can stand in for Ann when she’s on holiday? Did you hear Margaret scream again?

The Art SceneWe start again on Friday the 9th January with Nicky Addington-Hall doing a couple of weeks on Watercolours. She’s really good. If you fancy joining our group come along to the Cafe des Belles Fleurs in Fenioux 10am Friday mornings, you would be very welcome.

I should have the programme for the first few months of 2015 on our web site by the time you read this article.

The Reaction Theatre Annual General Meeting is in early February and there may be one or two vacancies on the committee. One definite space will be that vacated by our Treasurer, Mr Vernon Bouch. Vernon has given years of dedicated service to the group and the thanks of all our members go to him. If only we knew where he was? Only joking!

Got to go now, Sarah wants my copy in early this month, this month being December - yes confusing isn’t it? It’s a bit like time travel in a way. Well not really, it’s quite simple...after Christmas (2014) I write and tell you how well everything went in January and then when you read what I have written you have to guess what really happened and what was a load of old tripe.

I had a great birthday in December, sang really well in the Cornucopia, got lots of Christmas presents and can now play the ukulele brilliantly, well I bet one of them will come true.

Glad you had a great Christmas and hope you have an even better 2015.

Best wishes, John Blair

Information on Reaction Theatre membership, Reaction Theatre and Keynotes performances past and future and The Art Scene meetings and projects can be seen on www.reactiontheatre.fr or contact me for more information.


A DIFFERENT FRENCH EXPERIENCE

Suddenly alone at 68 years old when my wife left me for a younger man, what does one do in rural France? Luckily I have some very good friends, but they are generally in couples and, although loving and sympathetic, cannot begin to replace the

tenderness of a deeply loved wife of many years. Still struggling with the shock and intrinsically very sad but afraid of retreating into a shell of remorse and self pity, where do I turn?

It is obvious I have to get out, but where, and to start dating again at my age, how? In the UK it would have been the pub, picking up with old friends etc., but in this area, in the countryside, how does one begin to meet people?

As a couple, we had always had good times in La Rochelle in an Irish bar; lots of traditional music, friendly atmosphere generated by the landlord and by the always friendly French clientele of all ages. This then was my starting point and it was there that I learned of a group called ‘On Va Sortir’ (We Are Going Out), which exists all over France.

Basically, people of all ages sign up for free on their website (onvasortir.com) to join in with various activities organised by fellow members. The groups exist in big towns and cities all over France, the nearest for me being Niort.

Having been here in France for some years, I always thought I was missing something by tending usually to mix with expats, apart from lovely meetings with French neighbours for aperos and the odd meal or fête together. My spoken French is not too bad, which is quite important as I am one of only two English people among hundreds of French. Furthermore, I seem to be the oldest in the group! This strikes me as odd; once upon a time I was always the youngest, what happened?

So it was with some trepidation that I signed up with On Va Sortir, entered my profile, tried so far unsuccessfully to add a photo, and started to receive lists of the various activities organised for the near future. For some events it was obvious my French was going to have to improve; there were philosophy discussions, for instance, which I would have loved to attend, but could imagine would leave me floundering. Even card-playing evenings would necessitate too much explanation of rules etc. and probably spoil it for everybody else.

What then? I spotted the words “Blues Concert”; up to 20 people could sign up, so I thought I could probably tag along without sticking out like a sore thumb. So at 7pm on a Thursday evening I am at the Cafe L’Agape, La Rochelle road in Niort, seeking a group of people who, as far as I knew, spoke only French and none of whom I would recognise.

As I was reconciled to the notion that I had to get out and try new experiences, I was fine with this until my 20 year old daughter (who lives In France) observed by text that this was very brave of me! Only then did it occur to me what was involved and, sure enough, I couldn’t find the others and approached two very surprised groups who had no knowledge of On Va Sortir. I resolved that my best course of action was to get a beer, sit down, and wait until a large group began to form somewhere. After all, being English I was probably by far the first to arrive and yes, a group nearby gradually increased in size and an approach was made.

“Yes, we are On Va Sortir, come and join us, take a seat, you are...?” music to my ears! And away we went, a lovely welcome, bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau appeared on the table and I was able to start asking about how the club functioned etc. until the music started.

We were right in front of the band, the Blues Fathers, two guitarists and a third bass player who joined them from the audience for most of the set. They were brilliant; almost all the songs, of course, were in English and those of us who recognised the words sang along.

The group became 20, on this occasion 4 men and 16 women, of all ages, without exception welcoming and friendly, and some, as they do so willingly in my experience, attempting to speak some English to me. (Probably a sign that my French is not as good as I thought!)

What a great start to my association with On Va Sortir!

Local Photography Workshops

Photofocus.info is a thriving photography group with 20 active members. From its origins two years ago, the group has grown into a dynamic club of English speaking enthusiasts who share a passion for photography.

Members are largely from the north Deux-Sèvres and Vendée border areas and comprise photographers of a wide range of skills and interests. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month to discuss the monthly themed competitions, exhibitions, workshops and photo-shoots. In between meetings, people stay in touch via the group’s Facebook page, sharing images and exchanging information to help us all become better photographers.

The focus of the summer months in 2015 will be the two major exhibitions at Vouvant (21-31 May) and Bressuire Museum (29 May–3 June). Last year’s exhibition at Vouvant attracted hundreds of visitors and proceeds from the sale of high-quality prints were donated to charity.

If you’re looking to take your photography to the next level or you simply want to rekindle your hobby in the company of fellow enthusiasts, now is the time to join Photofocus.info. To help you get to know us, we are offering two free workshops to people interested in joining. The portraiture workshop is on Tuesday, 27 January, and the studio lighting and still life workshop is on Tuesday, 3 February. To register your interest, please go to our website and send us your details via the Contact Us page.

Photofocus.info offers something for everyone - whether you are just starting out on your photographic journey or already a seasoned amateur with an impressive back catalogue of images. We are a band of enthusiasts who like nothing more than talking about and practicing our art form in a convivial and friendly atmosphere. We look forward to welcoming new members.

www.photofocus.info

A-Z of the Communes in the Deux-Sèvres by Sue Burgess

GOURGÉThe commune of Gourgé is crossed from South to North by one of the tributaries of the Loire, the river Thouet. On the West is the river Cebron, which along with the Raconnière and the Taconnière, forms the Cebron lake to the North-West of Gourgé.

The village, which lies on the left bank of the Thouet, is on the crossroads of the D134, D137 and D138, 11 km North East of Parthenay and 11 km to the South West of Airvault. On the North East side, the D121 forms the boundary of the commune.

The amateur historian Michel Charron has established that there was a prehistoric, Gallic-Roman and Mérovingian settlement at Gourgé. The first written mention of the Gourgé (Curgiacum) goes back to a charter of 889. Gourgé celebrated 1125 years of existence in 2014.

Gourgé has a rich patrimony and there are many things to see.

A VOIR / MUST SEE

• Château d’Orfeuille, a listed historical monument since 1966• The large Hosanna cross in the cemetery• The Chapel next to the cemetery• Logis de la Chaussée, 12th century: The first logis dated from

the Medieval period. The logis was rebuilt in the 14th century alongside the road from Gourgé to Thenezay. This was an ancient Roman road and it is the road that gives its name to the château

• A mill on the Thouet, near the bridge. The mill was worked until 1966. See below (Photo © S. Burgess)

• The 15th century Fresne Pigeon loft

• The Roman bridge over the Thouet with its seven arches• Le Pont (The bridge). See photo below, © S. Burgess.

Situated on the old Roman road linking Poitiers to Nantes, this bridge was the way to cross the Thouet. It dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. It is composed of a series of arches which cross the river and are then prolonged along the banks, presumbaly because of flooding. The entrance to the bridge was widened to allow the passage of traffic in 1928. The bridge suffered quite a lot of damage during the second world war

• Cébron Lake - nature reserve and water activities centre.

There are several fords where the river can be crossed around Gourgé. The fords of Flais (or Fleix) and Rochemenue for example

• The Bishop’s Hammer and the Church of Saint Hilaire. Saint Hilaire Church dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. According to a legend, in the 4th century the Count of Poitiers offered Saint Hilaire, the bishop, a hammer and promised to build a church where the hammer fell. Thus the count had the church at Gourgé built and a road - le Chemin de St-Hilaire - (the Roman road from Nantes to Poitiers) The church, which we can see today, was built later between the 9th and 10th centuries. It is one of the oldest churches in France Many changes have been made to the church over the years so its appearance is very different now. A romanesque nave and square bell tower were added in the 12th century. Then the church was set fire to during the wars of religion and altered again. More recently, during the 19th century, two side aisles were added to the transept to give it a cross shape, and a door was opened in the west façade. The interior of the church is particularly colourful with a stained glass window representing Saint Hilaire

The communal museum situated behind the presbytery is open in summer. The buildings around the courtyard contain agricultural equipment from the 18th and 19th centuries.

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


View of Gourgé. Photo: Wikimedia


Health, Beauty & FitnessArtfully Coloured for 2015

Moving into a new year is a great time to re-think your current look. Whilst many will be happy with their hair, this is a great time of year to try something new!

A fantastic hair colour can boost a look dramatically and can do wonders for morale. Simply upgrading your existing cut/colour can take your hair to a new level.

Blonde, brunette or red hair - everyone has highlights and shades that can be worked with to create glossy, healthy looking hair. Innovative highlights can be edgy or natural, but what they will never be is boring. Silver hair looks fabulous with a hint of blue or violet and will lift the complexion.

Colour work adds another dimension to your cut. Highlights add depth and movement and avoids that ‘flat’ look, and colour always keeps hair looking fresh and younger.

Cuts for the coming year include the Angular Bob and the Pixie Cut with short hair being right on trend. It’s stylish, fun, low maintenance and just as versatile as longer hair. Tousled short hair can be worked many ways and can create a much younger looking, fresher cut with movement and texture.

Now’s the time to step out of your comfort zone and put yourself in the hands of an expert who will advise, listen and suggest ways of taking your hair to a newer, fresher level. With many years in the hair industry, Michael William understands hair and colour and how to get the best out of it.

For 2015 he hopes to create new looks, bolder colours and edgier updates, so now is the time to book that ‘new look’ and take yourselves out of the winter blues and into the new year looking and feeling fabulous.

Michael William Park now at Celles sur Belle looking forward to welcoming new and existing clients and wishing you all a very Happy New Year.

The superfood ...KALE

The dark green (sometimes purple-leafed) vegetable, Kale, is of the brocolli and cauliflower family (Brassica oleracea species) and is one of the healthiest vegetables to add into your diet this winter.

Having researched it’s properties it shows that just one cup of chopped kale contains 33 calories, 9% of our recommended daily allowance (RDA) of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and 684% of vitamin K! Kale also includes high amounts of copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus and is a source of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. As with broccoli and other brassicas, kale contains sulforaphane, a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties.

With so many antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, this vegetable is the perfect addition to your shopping list to help boost your families immune

system. You can simply add Kale into soups, casseroles

or to a smoothie, sauté it as a side dish with

bacon....or why not make kale pesto? A quick search

online will show you many quick

and simple ideas.

Michael William ParkTelephone: 05 49 24 52 94

Email: [email protected]


January’s Birthstones...GarnetFor Centuries Garnets had a long symbolism with pomegranates, ancient jewellery pieces being studded with tiny Garnets to resemble pomegranates.

It is said to be able to warn of approaching danger and was long ago carried as a protective talisman. Garnets inspire love and devotion and alleviate emotional disharmony and is a stone of commitment.

Jewish legends claim that Garnets lit the way for Noah during the great flood. Muslims believe that Garnets illuminate the fourth heaven and Garnet jewellery was also buried with Norsemen to light their passage to Valhalla. The Crusaders set Garnets into their armour believing their power would bring them to safety.

There are many types of Garnet but most people associate the name with the small dark red stone, although Garnets range in colour from Champagne to red-orange and pink-orange, mint green and rose colour all from Tanzania.

There is also colour change Garnet from Madagascar and Tanzania, dark green from Russia, gold and cinnamon colour from Sri Lanka and Africa, light yellow-green from Mali, tangerine from Namibia and red from Mozambique.

Garnet is the gemstone for the zodiac sign of Aquarius and are also given on a 2nd anniversary.

by Vicki Bassey

Follow Vicky on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/victoriabasseyjewellery

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of the month

We’d love to hear your feedback...What would you like to

see in future issues?Email: [email protected]

PEPITO !

Our repertoire of animals expanded when Pepito, a billy goat, came to stay. Pepito had been raised on a goat cheese farm where he

worked as a stud. Unfortunately, at the ripe old age of six, he had to make way for a younger replacement. However, instead of a gold watch and a pension, Pepito’s retirement package consisted of a trip to the abattoir.

Fate intervened on his behalf in the form of Elie, a visitor taking a guided tour of the farm. Once she learnt what the future held for him, she asked his owners if she could save him. When they agreed, she quickly made plans

and a two part solution was found. His permanent home would be with a family who had other goats, so they could only take him once he was no longer fertile. In the meantime he would stay with us.

The big day arrived and Elie turned up in her van with Pepito. Once she let him out we were impressed by the size of his bladder as he relieved himself at great length after his two hour journey. Amazingly, although this was his first ever journey in a vehicle, he didn’t do any of his business in the van. We were somewhat less impressed by his odour. Strong doesn’t do it justice: it’s also “sticky”. Once you touched him the odour stayed on your hands and then was also transferred to whatever you touched.

Pepito was easily lead to his new accommodation in our garden. It must have been quite a big change for him as until then he had only known the pens at the farm. In fact, he was so unused to nature that it took a few days before he began to eat any vegetation, his previous diet consisting almost entirely of hay and concentrate.

After a few days the vet came round to carry out the castration... and so began one of the most fraught experiences of our lives. This was the first time that the vet had operated on a goat, so he had to estimate Pepito’s weight for the dose of anaesthetic. He definitely didn’t underestimate because Pepito went under quite rapidly, so he quickly got stuck into the operation. As I was directing the light

I had a wince-inducing front-seat view and you can be thankful that I’m sparing you the gory details.

Once the operation was over, we waited for Pepito to wake up. And we waited, and we waited and then... he stopped breathing. Aghast, we waited for the vet to do something, then, after a few very long seconds, Pepito finally took another breath. Phew! Then he stopped breathing again. The vet reached into Pepito’s mouth and pulled his tongue out and Pepito took another breath. Apparently pulling the tongue stimulates the breathing reflex.

For the next 45 minutes or so we all watched on tenterhooks for Pepito’s breathing to become regular. There was no antidote to the anaesthetic, so it was a question of waiting for him to metabolise it. Eventually the vet declared that he was satisfied that Pepito’s breathing had stabilised, so he packed up and left.

No sooner had he disappeared down the lane, then Pepito stopped breathing again and didn’t start no matter what we tried. A brief panic ensued when I discovered that I didn’t have the vet’s number on my mobile, so I dashed back to the house and called the surgery. Luckily, whilst I was making the call, Pepito had started breathing again. A few minutes later the vet returned and gave an injection of something to stimulate the breathing. Soon after, the anaesthetic wore off sufficiently for Pepito to unconcernedly get to his feet, totally unaware of the nervous wrecks surrounding him.

A couple of weeks passed, during which Pepito found gainful employment, once he had discovered the joys of eating weeds and brambles and then he went off to his permanent home. As a precaution, he was kept separate from the young ladies for a little while just to ensure that he couldn’t impregnate them. He’s now living amongst them and enjoying a life in nature rather than a muddy pen.

by Nigel Franks, NALA

Our Furry Friends

Refuge SPA de SAINTESroute des GAUTHIERS, 17100 SAINTES

Tel: 05 46 93 47 65www.spa.de.saintes.free.fr

ECOLE DU CHAT LIBRE DE POITIERS1 Place de Fontevrault

86000 POITIERS05.49.01.39.25 (answerphone)

Ecoleduchat.poitiers.free.frFacebook:

ecole-du-chat-libre-de-Poitiersecoleduchatpoitiers.forumactif.org


‘The Deux-Sèvres Monthly’ magazine. Published by Sarah Berry

3 La Bartière, 79130 SECONDIGNYTel: 05 49 70 26 21

Email: info@thedeuxsevresmonthly.frwww.thedeuxsevresmonthly.frwww.magazineanglais79.com

Phoenix dog BRADLEY needs a home.BRADLEY is an 8 year-old Male Fauve de Bretagne Cross who just loves his new life at Phoenix since we rescued him from the pound.

He’s a happy-go-lucky, active boy who is good with people and other dogs and he has showed little interest in cats.

He needs lots of a love and a secure garden.

Bradley is chipped, castrated, vaccinated and de-parasited and if you’d like to meet him, please contact Margaret & Gary White on 05 45 30 10 39 or email [email protected]

More photos of Bradley can be found at our website, or find him on our Facebook page PhoenixAssociationFrance.

Milly, Molly, Daisy and George are looking for a home.

These four kittens were left in a bread oven and are looking for new homes having been taken in by their lovely foster mum. They are five weeks old so have not yet had first vaccinations. A contribution will be asked for towards their eventual vaccination and chip.

Call 05 45 65 30 70 for further information.

If you would like further information or are interested in adopting, please go to the Hope website:

www.hopeassoc.org for further information or email: [email protected]

HOPE Charity ShopThe Hope charity shop will be open on Wednesday, 4th February 2015, 10am-4pm, for donations and browsers, and there will be tea and cake.

It will also be open the first Saturday of every month, commencing 7th February 2015, 10am-4pm, with lots of lovely new things including books, bric-a-brac, pre-loved clothes, hand-crafted cards and there’s always tea and home-made cake on offer. Find us at Route 66, Avenue de la Liberation, 87320 Bussiere Poitevine.

JETRO is a male 10-month old Anglo Hound, weighing approx. 15kgs - so he’s not going to be a huge dog.

He is a very friendly and affectionate lad. Good with other dogs, male and female, and with cats, he loves being with children and is fine with strangers too.

Non-aggressive and non-barking, JETRO is calm if he’s with other calm dogs, but if in the company of an excitable pal - he will join in! Lively and playful, a safe and secure garden will be necessary.

JETRO is house and crate trained, knows his basic commands including recall and walks well on his lead. He is good in the car, if crated or restrained, and settles down quietly.

Being a young Hound dog, JETRO needs plenty of exercise, activity and stimulation otherwise he can become bored and destructive - so something to be aware of and managed.

JETRO is microchipped, neutered, vaccinated and has been treated for worms, fleas and ticks. An adoption fee of 140€ will be asked for towards his veterinary costs to date and Orfée will conduct a home visit prior to adoption.

For more information about JETRO please contactMARY - 0549506941 - [email protected] - 0545960279 - [email protected]

www.OrfeeInEnglish.com www.facebook.com/OrfeeInEnglish


Home & Garden

Thinking about placing an ad?Why not take advantage of our Special Packages for New Advertisers?

Call Sarah for more details: 05 49 70 26 21


By the time you read this Christmas will be over and the New Year celebrations too! Where does the time go? I send you my very best wishes for 2015 - health and happiness to all.

We have recently come back from a visit to the UK and while we were there made the usual visits to garden centres (well, it’s rude not to!). On one occasion there was a stand for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). I didn’t realise when or why this society was founded - did you? Apparently, it was originally the ‘Plumage League’ founded in 1889 by Emily Williamson at her home in Didsbury, Manchester. She started it as a protest group campaigning against the use of Great Crested Grebe feathers being used as fashion accessories for hats and clothing; as we know, the fashion at that time was for women to wear exotic feathers in their hats. Ostrich feathers were acceptable because the birds were not killed in order to take their feathers. These days the RSPB maintains over 200 reserves in the UK. What’s the old saying - from tiny acorns giant oak trees grow?

Since coming back home to France we have visited more garden centres (yes, I know, the excitement will be too much for me!) and this time I have seen something else which might interest you all. A lovely pot filled tightly with different varieties of Heucheras. It doesn’t sound much, does it?, but it really was very effective because all the varieties were different and all with different coloured foliage. Well worth remembering. I think I might do this myself.

So now, down to jobs for January. Here’s hoping we don’t have too much in the way of frosty weather so we can get outside to finish pruning the apple and pear trees. It’s a good time to cut back any shrubs which are getting a bit big for their boots. Also, Wisterias benefit from winter pruning now - cut back to 2 or 3 buds from the main stem.

Fruit trees are readily available in garden centres and supermarkets, so you can plant these on dry, warmer days. If we have an icy snap just store them in the dry with straw or similar to protect their roots from the frost.

Hardwood cuttings can be taken now - flowering shrubs such as Forsythia and soft fruits eg gooseberries and redcurrants - just dig a small trench, line with sand for drainage and pop them in. Remember to water during the warmer months until they have formed their roots.

If your lawn edges need repairing, this is the time to do

it and don’t forget to finish digging over any vacant plots in the vegetable

garden to stop the weeds getting a hold. Check stakes, ties, fleeces and other garden

supports - any high winds will loosen these. Lastly, oil the locks and padlocks on the garden shed - I’d hate

to think you weren’t able to get inside for your garden equipment in the Spring

Heucheras©Wikimedia Commons/Andy Mabbett

Wisteria©Wikimedia Commons/Meneerke Bloem

Last month I asked you to remember our feathered friends but also asked you to be aware of hedgehogs which might be overwintering/hibernating in your garden. Since then I’ve done a bit of research, and here is what I have come up with:

Hedgehogs - the name derives from middle-English ‘hegge’ (hedge) and ‘hogge’ (hog, because of it’s pig-like snout). The collective name for a group of hedgehogs is a ‘prickle’. There are 17 species of hedgehogs. They are mostly nocturnal but can also hibernate if necessary - this depends on particular species, temperature and availability of food. They eat insects, snails, frogs, toads, snakes, bird’s eggs, mushrooms and berries. Hedgehogs are born blind after 35-58 days gestation. The baby hedgehog quills are beneath the skin at birth, looking like pimples until the mother has cleaned the baby then the quills are released. These quills are their defence mechanism. They are not poisonous but, with about 5-6,000 quills on an average hedgehog, when they roll themselves into a tight ball presenting nothing but sharp spines to a predator, who needs poison?

So now, with that picture in your mind, please leave a corner of the garden undisturbed so our little spikey friends can have a restful winter. Bye for now.

Hedgehog © Wikimedia Commons/Tony Wills

THE AMATEUR GARDENER

by Vanda Lawrence



home.....................bedroom...............kitchen..................bathroom.............lounge...................decorate...............to paint..................wardobe...............sliding door............heating..................rug..........................soft furnishings......curtains..................blind.......................curtain pole...........wallpaper...........

garden..........................flowers...........................vegetable garden.......parsnip...........................courgette......................tomatoe.........................to dig..............................to weed.........................a weed..........................a seed............................to sow seeds..................slug.................................snail.................................worm...............................compost.........................soil...................................

Useful French Vocabulary....Home and Gardenla maisonla chambrela cuisinela salle de bainsle salonla décorerà peindrela garde-robela porte coulissantele chauffagele tapisl’ameublementle rideauxle storela tringle à rideauxle fond d’écran

le jardinfleursle jardin potagerla panaisla courgettela tomateà creuserdésherberla mauvaise herbela grainede semer des grainesla limacel’escargotle verle compostle sol

Take a BreakDSM Easy CrosswordAcross:8. Consent to (5)9. Container for writing liquid (7)10. Accounts inspector (7)11. Summarise briefly (5)12. Temporary accommodation (8)13. 365 days (4)15. Rapid (4)17. Confection on a stick (8)21. A mountainous republic in South Eastern Asia (5)22. Came to rest (7)24. Move forward (7)25. The best of a group or class (5)

Down:1. Statistical information (4)2. Worn away as by water, ice or wind (6)3. Sure (7)4. Fossil fuel drilling platform (6)5. A female garment (5)6. Recover or preserve from loss or danger (6)7. Pompous or pretentious talk (8)12. This sea vessel is used to do ‘6 down’ (8)14. Large shallow dish used for serving food (7)16. Endeavour to achieve (6)18. Edible marine mollusk (6)19. Pale; faint or deficient in colour (6)20. Provoke, mock (5)23. A prescribed selection of foods (4)

DSM Toughie CrosswordAcross:8. Little irregular army unit in African country is made to pay (7)9. If gets rolling will collect no sort of lichen (5)10. Job an eccentric would do for something to play (5)11. Hide from trouble at herb garden (7)12. Prices given are irregular? (4)13. Puts on a pedestal but dies horribly in damaged silo (8)16. RSN exchange gives superior feeling after theft (8)19. Broken seal exposes drinks (4)22. Impotent queen in fencing arrangement (7)23. Corner giving different viewpoint? (5)24. Business paper looking like robbery? (5)25. Chosen without direction but got in none the less (7)

Down:1. Traitor working over promissory notes is a plant (8)2. We hear that group are not allowed in? (6)3. Blocks cut in northern home (5)4. Put together on little light source that’s gone off (6)5. Normally America goes before acceptable friend (7)6. Bashes because he is short and common (6)7. In the north, tight, but not far (4)14. Lashes out around us, then puts off for now (8)15. Avoid old boy by way of a short note (7)17. Writer in dictionary had first night for the public (6)18. Smelled strongly of comical squeal given by divided socialist (6)20. Roman official at one stage over consumed (6)21. Real time conversion to be afterwards (5)22. Sounds like archaeological dig is worth seeing? (4)

Well, what do you know? 1) Which TV comedian was famous for his failed magic tricks?

2) In Arthurian legend, who is the half-sister of Arthur and, in some versions, the mother of Mondred?

3) What, according to an advertising slogan, is Australian for lager?

4) Who was writer, director and producer of the ‘Pink Panther’ series of films?

5) Which writer and poet wrote the children’s story ‘Iron Man’ and was the 18th Poet Laureate?

6) Born in Chorley, Lancashire in 1952, who was captain of England’s 1980 Grand Slam winning Rugby Union side?

7) What is the capital of the US state of Nevada?

8) Which two England international cricketers were featured in a series of advertisements for British meat?

With thanks to M.Morris

9) Originally broadcast on 7/12/69 and called ‘The Pet Shop Sketch’ featuring John Cleese and Michael Palin, what is it more popularly known as?

10) Which jockey won all seven races at Ascot on 28/9/96 and was the first teenager since Lester Piggott to ride 10 winners?

11) Born in Collyhurst, Manchester in 1931, which comedian hosted ‘Blankety Blank’ from 1984 to 1990?

12) And finally, assuming you have 11 correct answers, what is the connection between those answers or parts thereof?

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

Copyright RJS 2014

Monthly quiz by Roland Scott...... how many can you get?



2014...WHAT CAN

What do you remember of the events that shaped 2014? Here’s your opportunity to find out with the DSM’s 2014 Quiz. Good luck! Answers can be found on The DSM website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr

SPORT1. Which Russian city hosted the 12th Olympic Winter

Games?

2. Which team beat France 22 – 20 to win the 2014 RBS Six

Nations Championship?

3. David Moyes was sacked as manager of which English

Premier League football club?

4. Which team beat Atletico Madrid to win the 2014 UEFA

Champions League?

5. Following sixty cricket matches between eight teams,

which team won the Indian Premier League Twenty20

Cricket Championship?

6. Which tennis player won his 9th French Open title?

7. Which major sporting event took place in Brazil from 12

June - 13 July and who won?

8. Which golfer won the British Open Golf Championship?

9. What is the name of the Games that took place in London

that was contested by over 400 wounded, injured and sick

Servicemen and women from 13 different nations?

10. Which US baseball team beat the Kansas City Royals 4

matches to 3, to win the Major League Baseball World

Series?

11. Which country won the Davis Cup (tennis) for the first

time?

12. Who won the Formula One world title?

Winter Olympics 2014Wikimedia Commons/Sergei Kazantsev

VirusEpidemicWikimedia Commons/NIAID

Malaysian AirlinesWikimedia Commons/russavia

WORLD NEWS1. On 1 January, which country became the 18th member of the Euro zone?2. What is the name of the virus epidemic that has infected areas of West Africa since February?3. Which country became the first to legalise euthanasia for terminally ill patients of any age?4. For most of 2014, which peninsula was the subject of a territorial dispute between Russia and Ukraine?5. What was the flight number of the Malaysia Airline Boeing 777 that disappeared on route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur?6. The UN International Court of Justice forbade the future grant of permits for Antarctic whaling on which country?7. On 14 April, an estimated 276 girls and women were abducted and held hostage from a school in which country?8. 238 miners were killed by an underground explosion and mine fire in which country?9. Since 5 June, which Sunni militant group has carried out an offensive throughout northern Iraq with the aim of overthrowing the Shiite government of Baghdad?10. Which country voted ‘NO’ in a referendum deciding whether or not to stay with the UK?11. Which British military base in Afghanistan was handed over to Afghan forces on 26 October?12. On 12 November, the Rosetta spacecraft’s Philae probe successfully landed on what?

YOU REMEMBER?PEOPLE

1. Which former Israeli Prime Minister died on 10 January at the age of 85?2. Which British labour politician and diarist died on 14 March at the age of 88?3. On 4 May, Juan Carlos Varela was elected President of which Central American country?4. Which British Actor, film director and life peer (Baron), died on 24 August at the age of 90?5. Which American actor, filmmaker, activist and Hollywood heartthrob married Amal Alamuddin in Venice on 27 September?6. Malalal Yousafzai, who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban and who is known for her human rights advocacy for the education of women, became the youngest recipient of which award?7. Which disabled sportsman was sentenced to five years in prison for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp?8. Which Conservative defector quit the Tories for Ukip and then won the Rochester and Strood by-election?9. Which English sporting executive, politician, newspaper columnist, author and novelist and aide to Lord Sugar in ‘The Apprentice’ TV program was made a Baroness?10. Which British Billionaire’s ambition to achieve commercial space travel was put in doubt when the forth test flight broke up in midair killing the test pilot?

ENTERTAINMENT1. Which film was awarded Best Picture at the 86th Academy

Awards ceremony?

2. Who won the 14th series of ‘I’m a Celebrity – Get Me Out of

Here’?

3. Who hosted the Royal Variety Performance?

4. Which British band became the first in US history to have

their first four albums debut at number one?

5. Who won ‘Britain’s Got Talent 2014’?

6. ‘Cheek to Cheek’, released in September, is a collaborative

album by Tony Bennett and which American female singer?

7. What is the name of the third film in the trilogy ‘The Hobbit’?

8. Which artist was crowned ‘British Artist of the Year‘, in

the first-ever BBC Music Awards, held at Earls Court on 11

December?

9. In which period drama series does Dame Maggie Smith play

the character ‘Violet Crawley’?

10. Which actress plays ‘Katniss Everdeen’ in the film ‘The Hunger

Games : Mockinjay – Part 1’?


Tony BennettWikimedia Commons/TomBeetz

Rosetta spacecraftWikimedia Commons/DLR

The Hunger GamesWikimedia Commons

French Life

Mick Austin is a freelance journalist based in the Pays-de-la-Loire. He has had his work published in several expat magazines and newspapers and has also written the Mayenne Tourist Board’s only English-language brochure. He also runs a gîte business at www.gitefortwo.com.

Tom and Barbara Good have a lot to answer for. The stars of 1970s TV sitcom ‘The Good Life’ were the catalyst for a generation wanting to chuck in their mundane everyday working lives and live off the land. Breeding animals to eat

was a big part of that plan and even today - almost 40 years after the Goods were wallowing ankle-deep in mud rounding up pigs - many still want to experience that dream.

For countless numbers it never happened, but for some it turned out to be the ideal life change. Take David and Lorraine Jones, for example. Back in 2009 they both took early retirement - David was a senior manager at British Airways and Lorraine worked in marketing and communications at the Foreign Office - and moved into Le Logis, near Cours in the Deux-Sèvres.

The Joneses would be the first to admit that back then they knew even less than the Goods. “The plan was to raise our own meat, including pork,” says Lorraine, “But we really didn’t know what we were doing.”

Endless hours poring over books and the internet helped, as did the gradual building of a now extensive network of contacts here and in the UK. Visiting agricultural shows home and abroad also helped. But it all began with three little piggies - a Kune-Kune cross, a Berkshire cross and a castrated Gloucestershire Old Spot!

“We learned a lot rearing those various dolly mixtures and realised the importance of conserving rare breeds - if we don’t keep (and eat) them they will die out,” says Lorraine. “Also, of course, rare breeds haven’t been messed about with like commercial, high-performing types. They grow slowly, have a different flavour and texture when cooked and they add variety to our everyday lives with their different colours and character traits”.

“After much research the Berkshire came out on top for us because of its premium pork quality. We found two Berkshire sows already in France and we imported new bloodlines from Devon and Sussex to boost our herd. It’s taken five years to produce an excellent Berkshire carcass for the local market, i.e. not too much fat, and we’re now looking forward to showing our pork and pigs at this year’s Paris agricultural show.”

Things have rapidly moved on from those early hit-and-miss days and now the Joneses have nine breeding sows, each producing a litter of pigs every year. They also have six working boars, three of which are Berkshires from different bloodlines. But it’s not just Berkshires living in the fresh Deux-Sèvres air. There are Middle Whites, Tamworths, Oxford Sandy and Blacks, Gloucestershire Old Spots and recently a pedigree Saddleback gilt (a young female that has not yet had piglets).

All the meat pigs are slaughtered at abattoirs and meat for public sale is butchered and packed at the agricultural school in Bressuire, where David has completed a French butchery course to add to his British one. He and Lorraine can be found at Champdeniers and Champeaux markets all year round and Lezay during the summer - where 90% of their customers are French. Most of their British customers visit their farm shop, often buying in bulk.

Life is hard work, but David and Lorraine wouldn’t have it any other way. A typical day lasts around 15 hours. Sows are moved to boars, sows are weaned from piglets, new paddocks are arranged and feeding starts at daylight. Feed is blended from wheat, barley and soya and there’s a delivery of whey, from a local goat farm, which is excellent for the young piglets. After the main meal the dessert barrow goes round! Vegetables or, in the winter, tons of beet. Fresh water needs to be constantly available, health checks are regularly made and the pigs are fed again just before dark.

It’s a carefully planned operation until a resident decides to escape, which can happen when a sow decides to break through an electric fence and take its little piggies on a visit to the French neighbours!

TheGOOD LIFE

by Mick Austin

The Pig ExperienceThe Good Life works for the Joneses and to help share their passion and knowledge they have created Pig Experience Days for anyone wanting to know about rare breed pigs, how the meat gets to the plate and the essentials of keeping a couple of piglets.

Or try a ‘Pig Out’ weekend and sample life as a pig keeper. Learn how to butcher a pig, cure your own bacon and ham, make your own sausages and then take half a pig home with you!

Days and weekends are tailored to your needs and there’s one thing you can be sure of - all meals will contain plenty of succulent pork. Unless you’re a vegetarian, of course!

For more information visit www.theperfectpigcompany.com

Above: Berkshire sow “Maisy” in the field with her litter. Top: Market Stall at Champdeniers. Middle: Pig Experience - moving “Neville” our Champion Berkshire boar. Bottom: Oxford Sandy & Black piglet


As David and I get ready for our second New Year celebrations in France, like most people we reflect on the year that’s been, and consider what we’d like to do differently in the year ahead. We focused our thoughts primarily on how

we’d done against our Green Manifesto:

• Encourage bio-diversity • Reduce our consumption of plastic and fossil fuels• Re-use as much as possible

On the bio-diversity side of things we weren’t doing too badly, gardening as far as possible without chemicals, leaving wild spaces, and planting more pollinators had led to us seeing a wide variety of bees coming into the garden, as well as birds and butterflies. We’re lucky that we live next to a very large lake which is a haven for all sorts of creatures; ducks, herons, buzzards, egrets and a very large population of incredibly noisy mating frogs in the spring!

We’d reduced fossil fuel usage by the simple expedient of not having a centrally heated house and using wood as our primary source of heat in winter and we were using much less diesel in the car because we weren’t driving to work any more. So far, not bad!Reduction of plastics was, still is and will continue to be, a big challenge. We want to stop adding to the increasingly large piles

of non-biodegradable plastic rubbish infesting our planet. It takes 450 years for a plastic water bottle to degrade and there are millions already out there, and collectively we add to that total everyday.

Not buying bottled water or other soft drinks has been easy. However, as we looked around our kitchen we realised that just about everything we buy to eat or drink comes wrapped, packed or capped in plastic. It also dawned on us as we look through our weekly shop that the vast majority of our toiletries (shampoo,

Our Journey to a Greener Life by Louise Read & David Hammond

conditioner, mouthwash, toothpaste) all came in plastic containers as well - so how to reduce?

It’s slightly easier in France than in the UK. For example, it is possible to buy a cucumber in a supermarket that’s not wrapped in a plastic sheath and there’s a great selection of fruit and veg that can be bought loose. If you use local markets the stallholders are more than happy for you to have your purchases placed straight in your own shopping bag, without the need for a plastic bag, or in some cases provide paper bags which are much better.

Dishwasher tablets can be bought in cardboard boxes, although sadly they do still come individually wrapped in a plastic sachet and neither of us is ready yet for the challenge of making our own. Things like washing up liquid, I now buy in the biggest recyclable containers I can find, and decant into a smaller bottle for everyday use. Similarly for shampoo, conditioner and shower wash - it’s by no means a perfect solution but it does minimise the amount we take for recycling. There’s also the added benefit that it’s considerably cheaper to buy in bulk.

Meals made from scratch are also much more plastic-friendly, not to mention tasty and rewarding - flour and sugar come in paper bags (it only takes a couple of weeks for a paper bag to break down), butter is mostly to be found in recyclable wrappers. Eggs are normally stored in cardboard containers and the waxed milk cartons are usually recyclable and tend to breakdown in about three months anyway.

Our challenge for 2015 is to cut down by at least 80% our use of cling film. This is probably going to be toughest in the summer when all food needs to be covered against bug invasion. We’re currently trying to remember some of things our grandmothers and mothers used to do to keep food fresh, before cling film pervaded the kitchen and we’ll share our successes and disasters along the way!

We wish you all a Happy New Year, and hope that you’ll include an environmentally friendly challenge to your list of resolutions this year. We’d also be really pleased to hear about any of your experiences or ideas on how we could reduce the amount of plastic we use, so please get in touch and share your thoughts. Please note that all information related to the time it takes for items to breakdown in the environment come from the U.S. National Park Service, Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota, FL.

For further information please email: [email protected]

or visit our website: www.etangfourreau.com. Also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/etangfourreau

Three Egrets


CommunicationsProtecting Your Data - Backing Up your Data and System

Say “back-up” to most people and they cringe, fearing complicated computer procedures that they had to do at their businesses. However, for most of us, a back-up simply means copying our important information such as letters and official correspondence and cherished photos, m usic and videos to another medium, such as a USB memory stick or two, or an external hard disk drive. If you are really adventurous, you might choose to back up by uploading (another name for copying, but “up” to the internet or cloud).

Choosing a medium to copy your data to is a personal choice and depends very much on the volume of information you have, your budget and how you will need access - here are some ideas:

Online or Cloud Back-up - medium capacity storageFree of charge, it is possible to copy (or upload) your information to the Microsoft’s One Drive system, the 15GigaByte (GB) storage available here should be sufficient for most home users. If you need more space think about keeping you photographs online using Google+ Photos or Picasa. To do this you will need a free Google account and by signing up for this you get another email address and 15GB of storage on the internet known as Google Drive. You may use this to store or back-up your data. The one drawback with this option is you really need high speed internet access to get the best from it, I would not consider it if my speed was less than 2Mbits/sec.

USB Hard Disk Drive - for high volume local storageLooking at local solutions, you may purchase a USB hard disk drive from around £35 (50€ in France) for a 500GB one (this is probably the size of the average hard disk drive on a modern up-to-date PC) and should enable you to store all of your information more than once. These drives are much more affordable now with 2TB drives

available at less than £100.00, but if you are going to rely on this device to keep your data safe, buy the very best quality that you can afford. I prefer Toshiba or Samsung hard drives for reliability.

USB Memory sticks/dongles/thumb drives - low volume local storageIf your volume of data is lower, then you may consider purchasing USB memory sticks, and have one for photos, one for documents, email contacts/address books and emails, and one for music and/

or videos. Please purchase a good quality USB stick for this purpose - 4GB should be good for documents and contacts, but you may need 8GB or more if you have a large collection of photos and music. The better quality ones such as Sandisk’s Cruzer 16GB cost £10 from Amazon and 64GB version around £18. The faster ones, known as Extreme or Ultra, are a little more expensive but transfer the data far more quickly.

Back Up FrequencyIn any event you should copy your information from your computer to one of these solutions at least once a month, more frequently if you are using your PC daily to record or create new files. Daily if you are using your PC for your business.

Local SecurityIf you choose a local solution, for total peace of mind this should be stored in a safe place and be fire safe. A secure box at a friend or family member’s home could be another option - you might even consider an exchange with a neighbour. A simple cash box would work well as a storgae facility.

Operating System and ProgramsHow do you get your important programs such as Windows or Microsoft Office back if you have a disk failure? Normally you would have a CD or DVD that was supplied with your computer - alternatively, it may be possible to ‘write’ a CD or DVD if you experience a serious problem. The person charged to assist with the breakdown will be able to help you with this issue when repairing your computer.

Finally email, if you use a service like Hotmail/Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo/Ymail or Orange online then you do not need to back-up emails. However if you use Outlook, Outlook Express, Incredimail or Mozilla Thunderbird, then you should also back-up your email, as the chances are that the email service provider is not backing up your emails for you.

If you would like further advice on back-ups please contact me and I will do my best to advise you on the optimum solution for your particular situation. My email address is [email protected] and my other contact information is on my advert below.

Ross Hendry is the proprietor of Interface Consulting and Engineering, who has over 42 years experience in Communications, Computer Technology and Direct Marketing. (See advert below).

by Ross Hendry


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The transfer of old films, video & vinyl’s has to be done with a lot of care to get the best results before the analogue to digital process via the computer software takes place.

The area used has to be as clean as possible and free of dust.

Old films such as 8mm & 16mm are often brittle due to their age and the way that they have been stored, (not always in the right temperature), so a lot of care has to be taken in the transfer process.

Vinyl records are similar, not being stored correctly; they should be stored vertically not laying flat and again in the right temperature, and the same with video tape upright at and about 60 degrees.

For a video tape, if it comes from a cold area, you need to let it stand for a while to let it get to room temperature before putting into the machine, otherwise it could stick to the rotating drum where the video heads are.

I hope this information is helpful in the understanding of the transfer process. Care is taken in transferring old films, Videotapes & vinyl’s etc.

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French Village Diaries

I have found the perfect way to combine my love of food and cycling by taking part in the local Cyclothon.

This Téléthon charity cycle tour of the canton of Chef Boutonne happens every December, so no surprise that it was a fresh start to the day at the 7.30am sign-in at the chateau in Javarzay. The sun was rising, but the thermometer wasn’t set to break six degrees all day so we had sensibly kitted up in many layers of cycle clothes. It was soon apparent that it was more about the conviviality and the hospitality than the cycling and as lots of villages in the canton wanted to host a refreshment stop, it was no surprise to discover that food played a major role, this is France after all.

We had only cycled half an hour before we stopped in Loizé, where the coffee they served is up there with my top ten favourites of all time. Not only was it my first of the day, but also it was just what my poor frozen fingers needed to warm them up, and it came with a croissant. Feeling much warmer, our convoy of over fifty cyclists plus marshals on quad bikes set off for Ardilleux, where juice, fruit, cakes and chocolates were waiting.

The salle des fêtes in Pioussay was our next stop where hot chocolate and cake were served with a smile and lots of encouragement. The sun was now gently warming us and another half an hour of effort took us to Hanc, where the coffee they served came with a shot of Cognac

and slices of brioche. Thankfully it was then an easy downhill run on the back roads into Loubille, where our pre-dinner apero of Kir and savoury nibbles gave us just the push we needed to make it up the hill to Couture d’Argenson for lunch.

After much merriment, bowls of hot soup, baguette with rillettes and ham, cheese and red wine, we set off for Aubigné and the first of many afternoon stops.

It was then to Crézières where mulled wine, clementines and biscuits were served in the sun outside the village church. By this point we had eaten and drunk our way around most of the canton, but still had another two scheduled stops for nourishment before rolling back to Javarzay.

Not being ones to shirk a challenge we managed to munch our way through the huge selection of snacks on offer in La Bataille and as hot crêpes were served with more mulled wine in Fontenille, it would have been rude to refuse, so we didn’t.

Back in Javarzay, feeling we had completed a food marathon rather than a cyclothon, the Maire was waiting alongside a table laid with apero nibbles and fruit juice.

Despite being in the saddle from dawn to dusk, excluding refuelling, it was surprising to see we had cycled over 60km as it was great fun and the cycling really hadn’t felt like too much effort.

by Jacqueline Brown

For recipes please contact me: Email: [email protected],

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Food & Drink


John Sherwin, French Wine Tours.Tel: 02 51 66 13 05 ~ E: [email protected]

www.french-wine-tours.com

by John Sherwin

hygiene), and London’s Archipelago has chocolate covered locusts – on the menu that is.So here are your rules of thumb:• Scorpion - strong, bitter flavour = sweetish, fruity rosé or a

Pinot Noir• Tarantula - normally deep-fried, fishy = full-bodied Chardonnay• BBQ locusts = sparkling pink• Chocolate-dipped locusts = Coteaux du Layon• Giant waterbugs - body meat like a sweet scallop, head with

hints of anise = dry sherry.

I’m sure these suggestions will work, but if they don’t, feel free to contact my lawyers, Jubjub and Bandersnatch. Me, I’ll be snacking on sago worms. With a glass of Syrah, if you were wondering.

Should it be Red or White withthe Sago Worms?


No, this is not a missing line from ‘The Hunting of the Snark’ but a serious vinous conundrum. I mean, which

way would you go? But I apologise: I’m getting a little ahead of myself. These are the grey

days when thoughts turn to beamish beaches where uffish waiters serve you frumious cocktails as you ponder the burning questions of the day: another five minutes on my front then a swim? Addle my brain with Archer or dabble with Dickens? And why is it that sand, which doesn’t budge an inch when you look it straight in the eye, gets absolutely everywhere when you divert your gaze for a second? Yes, we’re all thinking of summer hols.

You’ll have a checklist - passport, Piz-Buin, corkscrew, emergency pork scratchings - you are after all a seasoned traveller, but do you think ahead sufficiently? Just because you’re temporarily absent from our bounteous land doesn’t mean you can let standards slip: that way madness lies. Never forget Lord Baden Powell’s key (unaccountably rarely quoted) rule for scouts - “correct wine and food matching, boys, keeps Empire and Soul together”.

Thus I segue neatly, if not politically correctly, to India. To paraphrase Madhur Jaffrey, “India is big and has lots of different food”. I was introduced to the idiocy of pairing cold lager with vindaloo by an otherwise kindly tutor of Czech descent. Maybe it was his idea of a joke, but as we know humour doesn’t translate and I almost died of the hiccoughs. Water is worse. Both just swirl the fiery spices around ensuring you get a multiple and eye-swimming hit. A non-scout should go for any milk-based drink – milky tea (chai) or lassi – which coagulates the hot bits and eases them quickly down to where no tastebuds intervene. The wine-loving toggle-wearer will be looking for a non-tannic red, Merlot would be best, or a fruity rosé. For whites, a Gewurztraminer would be worth considering for milder dishes.

Thailand, to paraphrase King Bhumibol Adulyadej, “is quite big and has lots of different food”. Here again, lager raises its head. Don’t get me wrong, Singha, Chang, and Leo brands are all fine drops in their own right but are a throwaway and pointless gesture with the incredible palette of flavours you find at, literally, every street corner. You’re looking for something that adds to that palette without losing its own identity. A crisp acidity and characterful aroma, boys! Chenin Blanc would be good, Gewurztraminer (again) too, but maybe best a Riesling from, dare I say it, east of the Rhine. The German Rieslings are less dry than their Alsace cousins and are probably, therefore, to be favoured.

I end with the post-apocalyptic scenario where passports and Piz-Buin are no longer required anywhere and rogue bands of Deux Sèvres Monthly readers (the only ones savvy enough to have survived) scavenge for bugs and insects. The new superfood! High protein! (Yes, some of those DSM survivors were in advertising and so continue to contribute to the general good.) But seriously, bugs are on the menu in many a top restaurant. Noma, ‘best’ restaurant in the world, serves beef tartare with ants (not, repeat not, a problem with kitchen


CONTRIBUTIONS...

We are always looking for new articles for consideration in future issues.

Do you have an experience to share?Are you a tradesman with a Top Tip? or perhaps

an avid reader who would like to contribute a book review? Whatever it may be, either long or short,

we would love to hear from you.

You can call Sarah on 05 49 70 26 21 with any ideas, or send them on an email to:

info@thedeuxsevresmonthlyfr

, Start of the New Year – Start of the New Diet!

If you need something to nibble on why not steer away from the crisps and have some olives instead? At only 68 calories for 20 they’re a much healthier option. Did you know that olives are really good for your liver too?

Roasted Vegetable Moussaka – Serves 41 onion thickly sliced 2 peppers (whatever colour you like), de-seeded and coarsely chopped 225g courgettes thickly sliced1 aubergine thickly sliced 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar1 tablespoon tomato puree 1 teaspoon dried oregano400g tin of chopped tomatoes 400g tin of cannellini beans350g potatoes, peeled and sliced 300ml milk2 tablespoons of cornflour 100g natural yoghurt25g grated parmesan cheese Large tomato sliced

• Preheat oven 190˚C/ 375˚F• Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. In a bowl toss the onion, courgette, peppers and aubergine with the balsamic vinegar, tomato puree, oregano, salt and pepper. • Arrange on baking sheet and roast for 25 mins. Stir in the tinned tomatoes and beans and put it all into an ovenproof dish. • Whilst the veg is roasting cook your potato slices in salted water until tender, and drain. Arrange the potato slices on top of the roasted veg.

• Stir 3 tablespoons of the milk into the cornflour to make a paste in a bowl. Bring the remaining milk to the boil and pour over cornflour. Stir well then return to pan and heat until sauce thickens. Simmer for 2 mins then add yoghurt and parmesan. • Spoon over the potatoes and then arrange the slices of tomato over the top, return to the oven for 30 mins until golden and bubbling.

Spicy Chickpea Soup – Serves 4

This is quick, easy and tasty and you can change

the ingredients to suit your taste - so use kidney

or cannellini beans instead of or as well as,

chickpeas. Or add other vegetables such as

peppers or sweetcorn, or use coriander instead of

oregano. 1 tbsp olive oil1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1 carrot, chopped1 celery stick, chopped

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

½ -1 tsp chilli flakes or powder (optional and to

taste)1 tsp dried oregano

600ml hot vegetable stock

400g can chopped plum tomatoes

1 tsp sugar (always helps with a tomato based

sauce or soup)400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, then fry the

onion, garlic, carrot and celery gently for 5

mins, stirring frequently.

• Add the cumin, coriander and chilli and cook

for another minute.

• Add the stock, tomatoes, oregano, sugar and

chickpeas, plus a good grind of black pepper.

Simmer for 10-15 mins.

If you’re not dieting how about serving cheesy

tortilla wedges with the soup -

Cut floured tortillas into triangles and bake in the

oven with some grated cheese on.

Damn those Christmas chocolate tubs - you think you’ll just have the one - well, they’re only small, ok surely one of each wouldn’t harm - and before you know it the tub contains nothing but the wrappers! Then there

are the meals out, the family get togethers, and of course the Christmas dinner itself, not to mention all the drinkies! So, January arrives and those jeans are definitely feeling tighter than they did before and you’re determined (as you were last year), that it’s time to cut back and eat something healthy. The thing is it’s cold out, so a salad won’t do and all you really want is winter comfort food. With this in mind, this month I’ve included some healthy recipes to help you along - a warming Spicy Soup and a tasty Roasted Vegetable Moussaka and as we still need something sweet, a Lemony Yoghurt Cake. Enjoy - and wish me luck with those jeans!

by Hazel Foster

Hazel Foster ~ Homechef 79Personal Chef for dinner parties, special

occasions and catering services

Tel: 05 49 63 29 98Email: [email protected]

34 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly34 | The Deux-Sèvres Monthly

Motoringby Helen Tait-Wright

Happy New Year to Everyone!

After the news, just before Christmas, of a big barn find of rare cars near Niort, it got me thinking about what car I would be really excited to find in my barn.

The irony of this is that when we bought our house back in 2002, there were actually two cars in the barn. Unfortunately, but rather amusingly, they were two Sans Permis!

They did serve a kind of purpose however, as Chris and my brother- in-law used various pumps and parts from them to make an outdoor shower that first summer, as we had no water into the house. They are now well buried under a massive pile of building rubble up in the top corner of the field. No multi-million pound haul for us.

In contrast the Baillon collection of 60 cars, including the “missing” Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California SWB, one of 36 ever made, is estimated to be worth at least 12 million. For anyone interested, the collection will be sold at the Retromobile show in Paris on 6th February 2015.

Anyway, I asked Chris what his ultimate barn find would be, already guessing his answer. A Type 35 Bugatti. I mean, any Type 35 would do, I don’t think he is too fussy, but a 35C would be the best.

Bugatti’s are famous for their beauty, and exquisite precise construction along with their excellent racing pedigree. It was a Bugatti car that won the first ever Monaco Grand Prix.

The most successful racing model was the Type 35, which won over 1,000 races in its time, averaging 14 wins per week at the height of its success. The Type 35 was introduced in 1924 when it was campaigned at the Grand Prix de Lyon. Various derivatives of the model were made, but the 35C was unique in the fact that it featured a supercharger, giving an output of nearly 128hp. Incredible for the 1920’s.

A 35C won the French Grand Prix in 1928 and 1930, and only 50 examples of the 35C left the factory! Today they command big money and are very, very rare. So, that would be nice to find. Contact Helen via email at: [email protected]

For me, there are two quite different cars I would like to find. The first would be my favourite 1980’s rally car, the Opel Manta 400. Any rally fan from the Group B era will remember the Opel Manta 400 as one of the best tarmac rally cars of its time, with particular success in the European championships, and will probably recognise the yellow red and blue ‘Andrews Heat for Hire’ car which won the British Rally Championship in 1985 with Russell Brookes at the wheel.

In France, Guy Frequelin (Director of Citroen Motorsport 1989 - 2008) became the French Rally Champion in a Manta in 1983 and a special edition Manta was produced in his honour. Genuine works cars are very rare and valuable, and to find one would be very exciting for a confirmed Manta nut such as myself.

The second car would be a Porsche 356. There is actually one of these in the Baillon collection.

Film fans will know which car I mean if I say it was Kelly McGillis’s car in Top Gun. That is probably where I first became aware of the car, and have lusted after one ever since. The ancestor of the 911, the Porsche 356, introduced in 1950, put this renowned German automaker on the sports-car map.

It was a lightweight and nimble handling rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2 door sports car available in hardtop and convertible configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports success and popularity. By the time production finished in 1965, approximately 76,000 had been produced, of which it is estimated approximately half remain, and they are still extremely desirable. And very, very pretty!

While neither of my choices would be worth the sort of money of the Bugatti, they would bring a massive smile to my face! Ah well, we can all dream !!!


Photos: derwhites356literature.com & pixabay.com

Dreaming of Hidden Treasure...

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In the freezing cold Winter months, if you are leaving

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A burst water pipe will be the last thing you’ll want to come home to and your insurance might not cover you if the house was left unoccupied over a specified period. (Note: your heating can be left on with the water turned off).

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It seems to me that this is the most talked about subject amongst expats. Unfortunately, this is why you will hear or have heard so many different stories, but, unless you hear from a professional, don’t trust it!

Although the change of law is good news, it’s not all plain sailing as French taxes still apply. Here I look at implications and solutions.

17th August 2015Most of you must have heard that from the 17th August 2015 you will be able to choose the law of your native European country with regard to inheritance law. It basically means that you will not be subject anymore to the minimum percentage you are obliged to give to your children (if you have any). If you don’t have any children, it does not change anything. As under French law, you can then give to whoever you want (for that, you simply need to make a Will).

In order to be entitled to this change, you need to make a Will in France or in your native country (if your country has accepted it - UK, Ireland and Denmark have not accepted this law) stating that you want to adopt your native law, as you are not a French citizen. You can make this Will now but it will only be applicable if you die after the 17th August 2015.

The UK has not accepted it because they don’t need to, as in the UK, you give to whoever you want anyway. So, British people need to go and see a French notaire and make a Will stating the 17th of August law. Most notaires know exactly what you are talking about and have already drafted some Wills including this change.

French TaxAssets involved: If you are a French resident (more than 6 months per year in France) all your assets in France and all your movable assets worldwide are subject to French inheritance tax. That means that your savings in the UK are subject to French tax but if you have a property in the UK, it will be subject to UK inheritance law and tax.

If you have a holiday home in France, then only your house in France will come under French tax and your bank account in France will be subject to UK law and tax.

In France, your estate is comprised of assets minus your debt. It is the job of the notaire to ascertain your estate and check any outstanding debts. It is possible to inherit debts!

Allowance Tax/Death dutiesChildren/Parents 100,000 5-20% Brothers/Sisters 15,932 35-45%Nephews/Nieces 7,967 55%Others 1,594 60%

TaxesHere comes the worst bit. Please note that the changes that will be applied in 2015 will NOT change this. In the UK, the allowance is for your total assets, here in France, the allowance is for the person that inherits and the amount is depending on their relation to you. The good news is that there are NO death duties between spouse, Pacs partners or French registered charities. The bad news is 60% tax between partners (not married or Pacs). So if you have bought a house on Tontine and are not married or Pacs, the survivor of the two will have to pay 60% tax on the half of the house he or she will inherit.

The same problem will occur if you have children from a previous marriage. With the change of law, you can disinherit your children in order to give everything to your new wife on your death, hoping she will then pass on what is left to your children (from the previous marriage). But as those children are not hers, they will inherit from her with 60% tax.

Examples:1. You are married with two children, your house is worth 250,000€ and your savings 100,000€. You have made a Will and when you die, everything goes to your wife and then your children. Your wife has no tax to pay but when your wife eventually dies, your children will inherit 175,000€ each. The allowance is 100,000€ each so they will have to pay 75,000 x 20% = 15,000€ tax each.

2. You have no children and decide to leave your assets to your two nephews. They are entitled to 7,967€ each, tax free, and have to pay 55% tax on everything above this amount.

SolutionsDonation. A good way to avoid the tax/death duties is to donate your assets to your children while you are still alive. You can give as much as the allowance (100,000€ per child) every 15 years and once you have made the donation you can’t die for 15 years! You can give the Nue propriete to your children and keep the usufruit which enables you to give more, as the value of the nue propriete is a % of the value of the assets you donate. It’s a bit complicated, so contact me.

Assurance Vie. This is the most popular solution amongst French people to avoid tax in regards to the savings. This is a normal investment composed of secure earnings (around 2.5%), shares or bonds but it has the option of being able to name beneficiaries of your choice. For the money you invest before you are 70 years old, the allowance is 152,500€ per beneficiaries (on top of the allowances given by French tax) and the beneficiaries will only pay 20% tax on what is above 152,500. Otherwise, the allowance is 30,500€ for all the money you put in after you are 70 years old and what is above is added to the assets inherited.

This is a huge tax saving when leaving legacies to unrelated beneficiaries such as friends or step-children who would normally pay 60% tax. It is also quite good if you think your children could be liable to tax as the 100,000€ allowance per child might not be enough.

There are also other advantages to this saving in regards to income tax (but that is another subject).

Obviously if you are interested in an Assurance vie, contact me as it is my speciality!

Phew! I think I have covered most of it. Pretty complicated I know but help is at hand, advice is free with me or any notaire. I can do a study of your situation by simulating your death and calculating the tax, if any, and then we can see what solution is best for you.

Don’t hesitate to contact me for any other subjects such as inheritance law, tax, savings, funeral cover or quote on any insurances.

And remember to check out our website where you can find all my previous articles under the ‘Practical Information’ page on the English site: www.bh-assurances.fr.

You can also follow us on Twitter @charenteinsure

Changes to the Inheritance Law in France


BH Assurances22 rue Jean Jaures16700 Ruffec

Contact Isabelle Want:Tel: 05 45 31 01 61Mob: 06 17 30 39 11

Email: [email protected]

N° Orias 07004255

Business & Finance

The term ‘wealth management’ covers many aspects: savings and investments, pensions, tax mitigation, estate planning,

asset protection etc. For many of us they are equally important, and across all of them is the desire to protect our wealth. We need to protect the value of our capital and income right through our retirement years. You may also want to pass wealth on to the next generations.

The start of a new year is a good time to review your wealth management to

ensure it is designed for optimum wealth preservation, and to suit your personal situation and objectives.

When you consider your personal family situation, source of wealth, income needs, short and long-term aims, time horizon, risk appetite etc, your situation is quite unique. You therefore need highly personalised financial planning.

The first move to protecting your wealth is to identify the potential threats, so you can take steps to protect against them. These include: high French taxation, frequent changes to tax and pensions legislation, low interest rates, inflation, institutional failure and asset volatility.

You then need to seek advice from an experienced, expert wealth manager, who is best placed to deal with all your current and

future needs. They should take all the time needed to help to get to know you, your needs and objectives, very well. Building up a close, long-term relationship with one advisory firm produces positive results as well as peace of mind.

Your adviser should live locally here in north west France, so they fully understand what it is like to live here and cope with the local bureaucracy, and have a deep understanding of the financial planning needs of expatriates and the French tax regime.

They should have suitable professional qualifications, and ideally, for British expatriates, the firm should be authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK for providing investment and pension advice.

Investment is probably the area where people are most concerned about losing money. All investment, including bank accounts, carries risk. However, portfolios can carry a wide spectrum of risk, depending on the assets held within it, the proportions and the level of diversification. So your portfolio must be based on your personal situation, and your adviser should obtain a clear and objective view of your risk tolerance.

The sooner you review your financial planning and set it up with a well-thought out, long-term vision to protect your wealth, the sooner you can put it behind you and get on enjoying 2015 here in this beautiful part of France.

Summarised tax information is based upon our understanding of current laws and practices which may change. Individuals should seek personalised advice.

Is Your Wealth Management Designed for you?by Bradley Warden, Partner, Blevins Franks


Many people who leave the UK to set up home in France will keep their British property, either

as an investment or as a ‘toe-hold’, should they eventually return to the UK.

The question then arises as to how this UK rental income will be treated for tax when received as a French resident.

UK TaxFrench residents are assessed for French income tax on their worldwide income. However,

under the UK/France Double Tax Treaty, rental income from a UK property remains subject to income tax in the UK.

By registering with HMRC, under the ‘Non-Resident Landlord’ Scheme, basic rate tax at 20% should be deducted from your rental income (net of allowable expenses) by your letting agent. If you have no letting agent, and the rent is over £100 per week, then your tenant should deduct the tax. You are still required, nevertheless, to submit UK tax returns to account for the income.

By completing and submitting form NRL1, however, it is possible to apply to have the rental income paid to you without tax deducted at source. If your application is accepted you will receive your rental income gross and will be declared on annual UK tax returns and taxed to the extent it exceeds your UK personal tax allowance. Where the rental income arises from a jointly owned property, then each spouse receives half the income (unless you have formally elected otherwise) and each is eligible for a UK personal tax allowance to offset against the income received. It should be noted, however, that the UK government is currently consulting on whether the personal allowance for non-residents should be restricted.

French taxUK rental income received also needs to be declared on French tax returns. However, under the Double Tax Treaty, income tax is not paid twice by way of a French tax credit.

Whilst the tax credit basically means that your rental income will not be subject to French income tax, ensuring the same income is not taxed twice, UK rental income is still taken into account to determine the rate of tax payable on other income, such as non-government UK pension income, which may be pushed into a higher French tax band.

French Social ChargesSince the new Double Tax Treaty came into force in 2010, there has been significant confusion over whether French social charges are payable on UK rental income. Under the ‘tax credit’ system described above, the treaty suggests that the tax credit should include a credit for assessed social charges, as social charges are now specifically defined as a form of French ‘tax’ under Article 2 of the treaty.

However, it would seem that some tax offices in France have been incorrectly interpreting the tax credit due and are looking to impose ‘social charges’ on UK rental income. Fortunately, we have seen agreement from local tax authorities that no such taxation should apply, and all those who request reimbursement have received a positive response. However, this message does not seem to have filtered down to all local tax offices! David Hardy is Regional Manager of Siddalls France, Independent Financial Adviser, specialised in tax, inheritance, pension and investment planning for the British community in the Poitou-Charentes since 1996. This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal, or other professional advice. We would advise you to seek professional advice before acting on this information.

David Hardy, Siddalls FranceTel: 05 56 34 75 51 ~ Email: [email protected]

www.siddalls.fr

by David HardyRenting out a UK Property as a French Resident


Money Transfers

Save Money on Your UK MortgageIf you’ve left Britain and set up home in France you’ll know that it’s not as simple as saying goodbye to friends and family and jumping on the ferry. Most people still have strong ties to the UK many years after making the move.

Making regular payments back to the UK, to cover a mortgage and monthly bills on

properties back home is a great example, and a common concern amongst expats.

Setting up a Direct Debit with your bank is one way of solving the problem, but with a Currencies Direct regular payments plan we could help you save up to 5% on your overseas money transfers.

It’s quick and easy to set up, without the long waiting times on the phone and unnecessary fees you’ll get with the bank. We’ll also set you up with an online account that you can access 24/7, to make and track your payments. Then, all you need to do is relax… you can trust us to do the rest!

Repatriate Your Funds out of France the Bright WaySending money back to your home country should be a simple process, but all too often it’s not. If you are unprepared, it can turn out to be very expensive and you can end up losing a significant slice of your savings. If you’re moving back to the UK, Currencies Direct could help you make a saving of up to 5% compared to transferring your money with your bank. Better still, we provide a service that is personalised to you. We think it’s important to take the time to understand your situation, and tailor our products and services accordingly. If you are planning to move in a year but you think the

exchange rate now looks pretty favourable, you could opt for a forward contract that would secure today’s rate for up to a year. Equally, if you have a rate in mind and you are in no rush to move your funds, we can offer a Rate Watch service - where one of our friendly staff will keep an eye on the market so you don’t have to. They’ll call you when your ideal rate is close to being hit, so you can decide if you’d like to transfer right then and there, or wait a bit longer...

Ready? Let’s talk currency.

Ask Amanda“I understand you recently conducted a pension workshop for people living and working in France? Will you be doing another in 2015? ”In November 2014, I was invited by Micala Wilkins of the ‘Ladies in Business in France’ Facebook group to present a pension workshop to those within the group who

have moved to France, who are working here and who wanted to know more about planning for their retirements.

Choosing a small venue so that I could focus on the individuals present, we covered the following areas:

• What pension am I likely to receive from the UK when I retire?• How is the French state pension calculated?• What income will I require when I retire?• How can I make up any difference between what I would like

to receive and what I can expect to receive?

The delegates all found the information very useful and informative, as you can see from these event testimonials:

“It was a really useful meeting, thanks for organising it - Amanda Johnson gave us some interesting information and plenty to think about :) ”

“It was a great session and certainly gave lots of food for thought!”

“An informative session on how, as expats, we can find out what our UK pension entitlement is, how we can maximise our full UK pensions and the steps we can take to get as much of a French pension as possible”

Subject to sufficient interest, I will be happy to conduct more workshops covering pensions, or any other areas of financial planning that readers of this magazine may want. If you email me your name, postcode and area of interest, I will endeavour to arrange local events throughout 2015.

Whether you want to register for our newsletter, attend one of our road shows or speak to me directly, please call or email me on the contacts below and I will be glad to help you. We do not charge for reviews, reports or recommendations we provide.With Care, You Prosper. Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Lausanne, Paris, Cote d’Azur, Barcelona, Costa Blanca, Costa del Sol, Madrid, Mallorca, Rome. «The Spectrum IFA Group » is a registered trademark, exclusive rights to use in France granted to TSG Insurance Services S.A.R.L. Siège Social: 34 Bd des Italiens, 75009 «Société de Courtage d’assurances» R.C.S. Paris B 447 609 108 (2003B04384) Numéro d’immatriculation 07 025 332 - www.orias.fr «Conseiller en investissements financiers, référence sous le numéro E002440 par ANACOFI-CIF, association agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers»

by Sue Cook


Property



Time For Tea?Situated in the heart of the Poitou-Charentes, Sauzé-Vaussais is admirably located. While it may seem slightly off the beaten track, in fact La Rochelle and Poitiers airports are just an hour away and you can drive to Paris in three!

And then if the Atlantic beaches or the Poitevin - the famous Green Marshes of this part of France - appeal well they too are all easily reached from here - there’s plenty to keep your family and visitors well entertained!

Known locally as Sauzé, this is a pretty little town with some lovely buildings and fountains, a Roman church (well worth visiting), old town centre and clock tower which stands outside the Mairie in the middle of the marketplace. Just outside the town stands an ancient pigeonnier (more a tower than dovecote with an unusual arcaded base); once a stage for the Royal Post, now a popular picnic destination!

All the amenities you need are here as well as several bars, restaurants, the necessary supermarket and twice weekly markets.

One special attraction is its English teashop - well known for delicious sandwiches, home-made cakes and other such delights ...more tea anyone?

Just 5kms from Sauzé, Leggett’s Stephanie Hayward has a very pretty stone house for sale (Ref: 43714) for 194,400€. Ready to move in with no work required, it has been beautifully renovated and comes complete with its own impressive bread oven - used these days to cook pizza. Each of the three bedrooms are ensuite and outside there is a delightful garden, terraced area around the solar heated in-ground pool and, to top it all off, a hot tub!

But if you are looking for a property with opportunities to extend and stamp your own personality on, then she also has a character stone three bedroom detached property (Ref: 46522, see photo below) for sale just outside Sauzé. This home offers good size open-plan living, a lovely terrace, level gardens and an outbuilding which could provide extra living space and more bedrooms, in addition to the three already upstairs; then there’s the bonus of another open fronted barn! On the market for a very reasonable 162,410€.

If all this were not enough already, there are leisure and holiday activities all around the town. A large lake is a boon in the summer - especially for fishing - and tennis, cycling and horse riding are all available too!

by Joanna Leggett

Leggett Immobilier is one of the leading estate agents in France. You can access all our local property listings at

www.frenchestateagents.com/poitou-charentes-property

the deux-sèvres monthly' magazine, january 2015

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