Living Magazine August 2022

L i ving magazine aug | sept 2022

Summer the most of

in this issue: STUNNING SAFE HAVENS VISIT STYLISH SOULAC COUNTRYSIDE TREATS & MUCH MUCH MORE

~ Passionate about life in south west France ~

living editor’s letter | 3

to our August/September issue

W

hat a summer we’re having! The glorious sunshine has helped bring the region back to life just as friends and family we have not seen for far too long arrive.

Festival visits are planned, markets are bustling, and sandy Atlantic beaches beckon. It’s such a pleasure to be out and about bringing you our latest issue which is bursting with fabulous ideas and information to help you make the most of this summer!

On the flip side, I’m sure many of us could have done without the heatwaves and hailstorms - as predicted, these extreme events are becoming more common and affecting more people. So, it’s time for us all to act to help slow climate change so our children and grandchildren don’t have to live with the consequences, and we have some easy-to-follow suggestions within our pages.

Also inside this issue, we’re back on two wheels as we explore delightful Soulac and surrounds, just a short ferry ride across the Gironde estuary from Royan or Blaye. There’s plenty to see and do in Médoc Atlantique so it makes the perfect late-season getaway. We also marvel at the many fortified churches across the region - you can plan a day trip to visit ones local to you or simply see if you can spot them as you go about your daily business. And, if younger members of the family (or simply those young at heart) want something a little more active, we show you where the region’s history comes to life with the latest technology and a plethora of props.

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For even more inspiration, flick through the pages of our totally free Ultimate Summer Guide 2022 to PoitouCharentes which you can download (and share) from our website at livingmagazine.fr.

The ultimate

summer

guide

A bientôt!

to Poitou - Charentes Updated for

2022

Bursting

with ideas for summer!

editor Scan the QR code or visit our website to download your free copy of our ULTIMATE SUMMER GUIDE TO POITOU-CHARENTES. It’s packed full of summer days out and festival fun!

Read online at www.livingmagazine.fr

4 | living contents

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Practical Advice

6

Your questions answered

Snippets Local news from around the region

16

38

Slipping Out of Summer La rentrée beckons with Susan Hays

A Ferry Tale Roger Moss takes a trip across the Gironde estuary to explore retro-chic Soulac and its surrounds

24

39

Puzzle Break Our unique crossword by Mike Morris

40

Nikki Legon’s Cuisine

France’s Female Aviators

Delicious dishes from around the world

Ahead of this year’s Legend’Air, Samantha David reveals the country’s legendary female pilots

44

40

Variety is the Spice of Life

26

The importance of biodiversity in the vineyard (and garden) with Caro Feely

Back to the Future

46

Attractions that bring history to life by Jessica Knipe

Living Property Pages

32

We visit Barbezieux in Charente

Havens Above Have you wondered about the many fortified churches around the region?

Roger Moss explores their history

24

51

Late Summer Foraging A countryside walk can provide a basket of tasty treats as Rosie Neave shows

66

Pardon!

Language for the modern workplace with Emma-Jane Lee

OUR Business Directory

55-65 The best local

services and suppliers are waiting for your call!

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Summer the most of

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News round up

Residence Permits

The national statistics office (INSEE) has released figures for the number of cartes de séjour delivered to UK nationals postBrexit. Between 2017 and 2021, a total of 143,464 permits were issued to UK nationals for the first time. The 2021 figure of 99,644 is provisional. Most under-18s are not issued with a permit and so are not included in these figures.

These numbers are not the final totals for UK nationals resident in France; there continue to be reports of secondhome owners who have erroneously applied for permits, some residents will have left after receiving their permits while other individuals will have received their permits this year. No geographical information is yet available. In other news, immigration associations have forced the Government to reverse plans for online-only applications for residence permits after arguing that many are unable to access computers and often the paperwork required is complex.

Originating from North America, Ambrosia artemisiifolia (known in France as l’ambroisie) is becoming a major public health issue. Its pollen is highly allergenic and climate change is helping the plant to rapidly spread northwards.

Just five pollen grains per cubic metre of air are enough to trigger an allergic reaction in those susceptible, with pollen being released from late August through to October. Repeat exposure causes the reaction to become more severe. In 2020, the government estimated that between 1-3.5 million people would be allergic to ragweed in France leading to a significant impact on the quality of their lives, increased medical bills and lost production. If you see plants on your property, you are asked to pull them out before they flower using gloves. If they are already flowering, leave alone to prevent aggravating the situation but pull out young plants next spring. If you see plants away from your property, send an alert to the website: bit.ly/ragweedfr where you can also find more information about the campaign. Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) is a different plant, a native biennial which is poisonous to cattle and horses.

‘Sustainable Heritage’ is the theme for this year’s European Heritage Days being held over the weekend of 17-18 September. Many museums, archaeological sites, monuments and more will open their doors or hold unique events around the objectives of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. See local press for details of events near you.

DIARY DATEs!

Rentrée for students takes place on Thursday 2 September with teachers returning on Wednesday 1 September.

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The pick of the news that will affect you wherever you live in south west France…

Top-Up for S1 Holders

For people who have immigrated to France, a second country (their competent state) may reimburse the costs of healthcare up to the level of the standard French healthcare protection (Puma) via an S1. Many UK pensioners who have not been employed in France and so have not been attached to Puma, as well as some individuals who export benefits, are S1 holders. The French state has recently confirmed that S1 holders are unable to benefit from Complémentaire Santé Solidaire or CSS (previously CMU-C). CSS helps those with limited resources who are affiliated to Puma to cover the costs of care not reimbursed

by Assurance Maladie, otherwise covered by ‘top up’ insurance. This exclusion will come as a shock to many S1 holders who have previously received this help, particularly given that those concerned are likely to be older or in poor health, and with limited resources, for whom top-up insurance may not be affordable. Long-term illnesses may be covered in full by an Affection de Longue Durée (ALD) - you are advised to speak to your doctor. This is unrelated to Brexit and applies to all nationalities covered by an S1.

FR-Alert

A new warning system is now operating across France to alert people to serious danger.

Notifications are sent to the mobile phones of people present in an area facing imminent risk which can range from natural disasters to chemical accidents or terrorism. The alert details the risk, its location and tells them what to do.

Alerts are broadcast by radio waves (not SMS to avoid network saturation) to all 4G-enabled smartphones.

A geo-located SMS system will be implemented soon.

On receipt, phones will vibrate or beep even in silent mode although those in airplane mode or switched off will not react.

This system complements the siren network and there is also a specific emergency Twitter account@Beauvau_alerte.

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Île de Ré

LA ROCHELLE Surgeres Île de Oléron

Rochefort

CHARENTE-MARITIME (17) Marennes Saintes Cognac Royan

Ruffec

Rouillac Jarnac

CONFOLENS

CHARENTE (16)

News from around the region...

les charentes

ANGOULEME Barbezieux Aubeterresur-Dronne

Carte Adonis

Explore Cognac

A fascinating interactive map has been developed by Solagro, an independent association which focuses on the long-term management of natural resources in France. The project maps the use of pesticides in France allowing users to zoom to a commune and get information about local usage. A usage index has been developed allowing communes to be represented in shades green (low usage) through to shades of red (high usage) with large tracts of local agricultural areas showing in orange through to deep red, particularly around vine-growing areas. The project aims to help focus resources on reducing pesticide usage at a local level. To see how your commune fares, visit bit.ly/adonismap.

A new project aiming to promote the wine- and cognacproducing regions of Les Charentes has been launched, supported by tourism bodies and councils from across both départements. ‘Explore Cognac’ has a budget of approximately 200,000 euros to develop the tourism offer and promote it in two priority markets, UK and USA. By working across administration boundaries, the aim is to develop a cohesive community of producers, restaurateurs, local experiences, accommodation providers and more, all of whom are committed to shared values. Given the priority markets, the many English-speaking businesses across the ‘Explore Cognac’ region will be a bonus. Get in touch via explore-cognac.fr to find out how you can get involved.

Pioneering Pons

Pons (17) has opened the first solar thermal power plant in Nouvelle-Aquitaine designed to supply heating to the town’s municipal buildings including 3 schools, the swimming pool, the retirement home and the mairie. Thanks to this installation, which complements a biomass boiler, over 90% of the town’s heating needs can be met by renewable energy avoiding the emission of 240 tons of carbon dioxide each year. This is only the fourth such installation for urban heating in France.

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News from around the region...

Pottery Festival Coinciding with the Journées du Patrimoine, a veritable feast of all things to do with clay is being held over the weekend of 17/18 September in Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (16), one of France’s Plus Beaux Villages. In this 6th edition of Association Albaterra’s “Festival des Potiers”, 36 artisan potters will be showing and selling their work in the potters market. There will be films, demonstrations, free workshops for adults and children, and the chance to discover Aubeterre whilst following the route of the “Parcours”, a series of installations by clay artists through the village. On Saturday evening, there will be a concert outside the beautiful Eglise Monolithe (l’Eglise SaintJean, which will be open to visitors all weekend). For full details, check albaterraparcoursdargile.com or aubeterresurdronne.com before setting out. Doors open from 10am to 7pm.

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For festivals and days out that you won’t want to miss, see our online SUMMER GUIDE which is totally FREE to read and share. It’s brimming with fabulous ideas for all the family, never be stuck for inspiration again!

Find it on our website or at bit.ly/22sguide.

The ul tim at e

À la Table

Professional Dutch photographer Lise Gerson Lohman settled in Yviers (16) near Chalais four years ago. To find out more about her neighbours and improve her French at the same time, Lise started a project photographing local residents at their kitchen tables carrying out everyday activities such as reading, eating and drinking.

Now with over a hundred photos (and her French much improved), Lise will be holding an exhibition from 27 August-4 September in the Yviers Salle des Fêtes. Entry is free from 10am-noon and 2-7pm.

summer

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Updated for

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Burstifonrgsummer!

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News from around the region...

Shuttle Trains

After a thirty-year wait, and a 13-million euro investment, a shuttle now links the stations of Mussidan and Niversac to Périgueux. The TER train also stops at Saint-Astier and Boulazac which will allow many who commute into Périgueux to leave their cars behind. Trains run hourly, increasing to every 30 minutes during rush hour. This is the first step in creating a longer line with Marsac being added in December in an effort to reduce the traffic in the city centre.

In Lupin’s Footsteps

Bought last year by Louis Guyot, the Château de Tiregand near Bergerac has opened to the public for the first time outside heritage days. Previously owned by the Saint-Exupéry family who have not lived in it since 2010, the Château dates from the 18/19th centuries and has a remarkable mahogany spiral staircase. Some 30 rooms are open to visit as well as the exterior and cellars. The 25-year-old Guyot (whose family have bought several châteaux across France) was previously a videographer and plans to bring the site to life around the story of Arsène Lupin, the fictional gentleman thief created

by Maurice Leblanc. Along with period décor, thirteen actors transport visitors back to the 1930s with visits available daily until the end of August.

ACTIVE SUMMER

Dordogne

Throughout the summer holidays, residents and tourists alike can try sporting and cultural activities at a reduced price at selected sites.

Aimed at families, Eté Actif events range from horseriding to roller-skating and paddleboarding. If your French is up to it, you can even try outdoor Cluedo or an escape game. To see what is available near you and how to book, download the calendar and guide at: bit.ly/24actif.

News from around the region...

Bypass Woes

www.hopeassoc.org Most animals get dumped in the summer.

Help them get the best home possible.

Please check the website for animals waiting to be adopted.

Hope Association Charity Shops helping animals in need Please check the website for shop opening hours as they are subject to change and/or temporary closure due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Hope 16 Confolens

Hope 79 Sauzé-Vaussais

Hope 87 Eymoutiers

51 route de Confolens La Tulette, 16500 Ansac-sur-Vienne

2 bis, route de Vauthion 79190 Sauzé-Vaussais

2 rue de la Vielle Tour 87120 Eymoutiers

shopsixteen4hope @gmail.com

shopseventynine 4hope@gmail.com

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̊

N RNA W792002789

© NatR Phot’o

The controversy around the Beynac bypass continues as the Department procrastinates over the demolition of the existing structures as instructed by the courts. This follows the Conseil d’Etat order in December 2018 to stop building after ten intensive months of construction, and the order in April 2019 to restore the site before the end of 2020. However, the five huge bridge supports straddling the Dordogne River are still in place. In early July, the Bordeaux Administrative Court of Appeal set a daily penalty of €3,000 if the work was not started immediately, with a penalty of €5,000 per day if the site is not returned to its original state by 7 July 2023. Opponents welcomed the ruling but a demolition plan from the department was still awaited as LIVING went to press.

Le Château de Monbazillac

After eight months of work to reorganise the site to better meet the needs of visitors, the Château has reopened introducing four universes created around arts and aromas. The first, a permanent interactive exhibition entitled ‘Un noble vin’ presents the vineyard and its history leading onto two tasting areas. The next universes are historical, with two exhibitions inside the Château itself, one on Protestantism and the other tracing the history of the Bacalan family who lived in the Château at the time of the Revolution.

The final one, in the cellars, is a play space for children. In addition, the accessibility has been improved throughout. Two ticket options are available: Monbazill’Art (10€) or Monba’licieux (15€).

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St Jean de Mon

Parthenay

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St Gilles Croi

LA ROCHE SUR-YON Les Sables d’Olonne

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VENDÉE (85)

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La Tranche sur Mer

DEUX SEVRES (79)

St-MaixentL’école

NIORT aise

Sévre Niort

Melle

News from around the region...

Deux-sèvres & Vendée

As part of its commitment to Natura 2000, the Vallée du Thouet (79) are asking for help in observing two species: stag beetles (Lucane cerf-volant) and the Alpine longhorn beetle (Rosalie des Alpes). If you live in the valley, you can send your sightings directly to natura2000@valleeduthouet.fr or via the site www.nature79.org.

Golden Globe Race

The Vendée département has recently confirmed that it has officially applied to have the Abbaye inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Situated in the ancient Golfe des Pictons, the construction began around the year 1000 on the site of a former castle of the Dukes of Aquitaine, several of whom are buried there. Converted to a cathedral in 1317, work continued into the 15th century. One of its most recognised inhabitants, François Rabelais, entered the Maillezais Benedictine order staying for fourteen years before going on to study medicine in Poitiers. Passed to La Rochelle in 1648, the site was confiscated by the state just after Revolution and sold for demolition.

The ruins were classified as a historic monument in 1924 and today the Abbaye is a backdrop for many events from Christmas markets to summer festivals.

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The retro sailing world will soon be descending on Les Sables d’Olonne (85) for the 54th anniversary edition of the Golden Globe Race. This time 18 sailors of 11 nationalities are expected to take on the challenge to sail solo, non-stop around the world, via three Great Capes without the benefits of modern technology or satellite-based navigation aids. They will sail in production boats between 32-36ft designed before 1988, similar to that of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston who first won the race in 1968/69. Skippers will be navigating using a sextant on paper charts, without electronic instruments or autopilots. They will handwrite their logs and determine the weather for themselves.

Only occasionally will they talk to loved ones and the outside world when long-range highfrequency radios allow. It is now possible to race a monohull solo around the world in under 80 days, but sailors entered in this race will spend around 250 days at sea in little boats, challenging themselves and each other.

The Village opens at 10am on Saturday 20 August with a firework display at 10.30pm.

The departure is planned for 4 September from 1.30pm.

PHOTOS: © Ocean Frontiers OGR/ GGR/CG580/Pic suppliers

Insect Watch

News from around the region...

Jardins du Vieux Moulin

Garden designer Margaret Heath and partner Mel have opened their gardens in south Deux-Sèvres to the public for the first time. What started as a field in 2012 is now a set of interlinked gardens with inspiration taken from around the world. Featuring cacti to vegetables, the couple show how even the smallest space can be brought to life with a sprinkling of imagination and the clever use of reclaimed and donated materials. Stroll from an English cottage garden via a jungle path to a Mediterranean oasis, keeping an eye out for the quirky follies tucked along the way. And the Vieux Moulin gardens keep growing as long as the imagination flows - next to be built is a Moroccan courtyard garden with a Roman bath house behind!

With its variety of habitats, the site is now a haven for wildlife with many vulnerable species moving back in, a testament to the love of nature that underpins the project. Margaret and Mel are on hand to answer questions during visits (daily except Mondays and Thursdays). Entry costs 4€ and refreshments are available.

For details, see Facebook: VieuxMoulin79110.

Sud Vendée Ambassadeurs

If you live in south Vendée or have a second home there then you can apply for a ‘Carte Ambassadeur’ which offers you reduced-price entry and other benefits at local sites when accompanying a paying adult guest. Just apply online or drop into your local tourist office who can apply for you.

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Energy Prices

France’s cap on energy prices has been extended to the end of this year. The bouclier tarifaire was first introduced in November 2021 when gas prices were frozen at the October 2021 level and electricity rises were limited to 4%. The measure was expected to end on 30 June but Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne confirmed it would remain in place until the end of the year. The transport fuel discount of 18 cents per litre will continue until the end of August when it is proposed that it will be phased out progressively until the end of the year according to Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire. From October, those on lower incomes who rely heavily on their cars for work will be eligible for a fuel aid payment totalling 100-300€, full details of which have yet to be published.

Fun for the Family

The Haute-Vienne department has launched a new app aimed at families to help them discover the cultural and natural heritage of three local sites. Download for free onto your smartphone, you can join the Le Play family as they hunt for the answers to clues along a guided route. Points of interest are highlighted and there are quizzes and games which share more information about the area. Scan the QR codes you find to reveal ‘treasure’. Haute-Vienne Explor Games includes three routes at the Domaine de Ligoure (7km), La Tourbière des Dauges (5km) and the medieval fortress at Châlucet (2.8km). The games are only available in French.

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As part of its objective to encourage people to enjoy the outdoors, the Vienne department has launched a new website ‘Sports Nature en Vienne’. Interactive maps show where you can take part in 12 outdoor activities ranging from canoeing to horse riding. Upcoming events are highlighted and there are also special interest sections which include the temptingly named ‘Vélo & Fromages’ – 6 cycle routes which will appeal to cheese lovers as they pass farms, dairies and shops!

See sportsnature-vienne86.fr.

News from around the region...

Impertinente Bonobo Baby

Champlevé ring by Nicoloz Gamkhitashvili, Lithuania

For festivals and days out in Vienne that you won’t want to miss, see our online SUMMER GUIDE which is totally FREE to read and share.

It’s brimming with fabulous ideas for all the family, never be stuck for inspiration again!

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A third bonobo has been born at La Vallée des Singes (86). A male was born in April, a female followed in May and the latest addition is also a female. Births in bonobo troops are relatively rare as each female only reproduces every 6 years and the gestation period is eight and a half months. In the wild, females (who are dominant in the species) leave the group when they reach maturity, while males stay with their mothers. This is this mother’s third baby and her firstborn, also a female, is reaching maturity and so will be transferred to another park soon.

The species is on the red list as there are fewer than 20,000 bonobos left in the world so every birth is important. This is the thirteenth bonobo birth at the park which is home to a group of 20 who live on a one-hectare island.

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‘Conversation’ by Christine Graf, Germany

Recognised as part of France’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, the art of enamelling is one of the historical pillars of the fired arts in Limoges, along with porcelain and stained glass. It’s an art form that has flourished since the twelfth century and continues to be popular today. The Professional Syndicate of French Enamellers (SPEF) is celebrating this history with a programme of events running until November. Twelve exhibitions featuring over 300 works of art, lectures, guided tours, workshops and more, showcase this extraordinary craft in Limoges, Solignac, Rochechouart, SaintYrieix-la-Perch and Bellac. For full details see impertinente2022.com.

The ul tim at e

summer

guide

harentes to Poitou - C Updated for

2022

Burstifonrgsummer!

with ideas

Approaching la Pointe de Grave

A Ferry Tale

T

here’s a certain hypnotic fascination about gazing across the northernmost reaches of the Gironde, and sooner or later you just have to satisfy your curiosity and see what lies on the other side. That’s something which is easily achieved, thanks to frequent ferry services from Royan and Blaye. We chose the former, parking the car beside the ferry port and boarding with our bikes, which travel free of charge on both ‘bacs girondins’.

The 6km crossing takes just 20-25 minutes and drops us between the Pointe de Grave and Verdon-sur-Mer. Tucked away just across the slender

peninsula is the first of a series of sandy beaches, here overlooked by a coast guard station and a massive WWII blockhouse. Closer still is the Monument Historique listed Phare de la Pointe de Grave, built in 1860 and whose open spiral staircase offers a vertiginous climb to the summit for panoramic views of the estuary and coastline.

Languishing high and dry outside is the last motor launch used by the guardians of celebrated Phare de Cordouan.

Just beyond this nautical landmark we join the local leg of the Vélodyssée long-distance cycle route, although we’ll only be covering around 6.5km, during a gentle run down to Soulac-sur-Mer. For company we’ll

have the track of the Train Touristique PGVS (Point de Grave – Le Verdon – Soulac), now a popular attraction for summer visitors. Originally, though, it transported materials for constructing sea defences, before being requisitioned

by German forces to establish a string of coastal fortifications during WWII. The smooth tarmac route is largely among woodland, which provides welcome shade from the heat of the day before things open out beside the dunes of la plage des Arros. For the tourist train it’s journey’s end, while we’re about to enter a succession of visibly upmarket private villas which mark the outer reaches of Soulac. Beyond them, a poignant WWII memorial and a

living places to visit | 17 Late summer finds the Plage Centrale in relaxed mode

We venture across the mouth of western Europe’s largest estuary and visit a stylish retro-chic coastal resort.

Golden sands, coastal dunes and the vast blue Atlantic

WORDS & PHOTOS: Roger Moss

scaled-down Statue of Liberty provide timely reminders to passers-by that not so very long ago this privileged coastal setting was hard-won, at considerable cost in human lives.

Having now joined the wide Boulevard de la Brigade Médoc 44-45, we’re feeling elated as we roll lazily beside sun-bleached sandy beaches and the azure sparkle of the Atlantic. Also intent on enjoying the view are those who have bought into a fast-growing fund of sea-front apartment developments, the most recent of which have taken their architectural styling cues from the wealth of elegant Belle Époque architecture for which Soulac is now celebrated. Think ‘Arcachon’, but without the bay. The comparisons are more valid than you might imagine, for each resort

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Soulacaise colour in rue André Leroux

18 | living places to visit The exuberantly-styled former casino

The impressive Villa Marcellus (1860)

“Given sufficient time and energy a walk along the beach would take us all the way down to the Spanish border...” was developed to satisfy a new-found desire among well-heeled families from Bordeaux to escape from the city at every opportunity to relax in the healthier climate of the Atlantic coast.

The development of these new stations balnéaires was propelled by the creation of rail links. On 2 August, 1874 Bordeaux-Soulac passenger services were inaugurated by the Compagnie du Chemin de Fer du Médoc. Things really took off, sparking a wave of private villa construction whose extravagant styling reflected the height

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of Belle-Époque elegance.

Today around 500 of the original villas soulacaises survive, and a bike is a great way to discover them. Around every corner something startling comes into view, and while much of the town was laid out on a formal grid-like plan, threading our way among them in response to each new distraction can feel like negotiating a maze of stone, timber and red brickwork. Not surprisingly, many were conceived on a relatively modest scale, yet still have the unmistakable look of l’architecture

Lunchtime menu for €13.50 (except weekends) Limousin beef & homemade chips Salads Childrens’ menu Vegetarian options Reservation recommended English spoken

living places to visit | 19 Villa elegance, rue du Cardinal Donnet

balnéaire chic, while others make an altogether more assertive statement. The Villa Marcellus, for example, is a real showstopper, but began as two separate villas built in 1860 for a family from Lot-et-Garonne and Montbron.

Thirty years later they were unified by adding a central turret containing a staircase, to create the monumental structure we see today, set off to perfection by a wealth of decorative touches typical of the period.

Another unexpected transformation concerned the Hôtel de la Paix, constructed in 1866 as a luxury hotel, a venture which would end in failure. The huge structure was eventually restyled by municipal architect Marcel Picard and in 1901 became the town’s Hôtel de Ville, a role it continues to fulfil, having been interrupted only by a period of service as an infirmary during WWI. After encountering so many examples of Soulac’s rich legacy of private villas it’s heartening to see the same Belle Époque spirit having also influenced the very heart of the town. A pause for lunch in Place François Pintat gives us time to contemplate one of the most full-on examples, in the shape of a former casino built in stone in 1900. Seven years later it was rebuilt in exotic Moorish style, with decorative brickwork embellished

Belle Époque meets Art Nouveau

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20 | living places to visit The Phare de la Pointe de Grave

Belle époque style extends to boutique façades in rue de la Plage

with ceramic tiles and other touches.

With the construction of the Casino de la Plage it became a cinema for some years, and now houses the town’s Caisse d’Epargne. Elsewhere we encounter numerous other elegant survivors, but with temperatures continuing to climb we head for the beach to enjoy cooling drinks and a gentle onshore breeze from the Atlantic.

Given sufficient time and energy a walk along the beach would take us all the way down to the Spanish border; this really is a magnificent stretch of coastline. Soon, however, our thoughts become focused in a northerly direction, and the ride which takes us back along the cycle path to

Le Verdon and the return ferry crossing to Royan. The ride is not without fresh interest, though, for things can look very different at either end of the day and when seen from the opposite direction. We reach Verdon port to find a ferry just about to depart, but the crew spot us and wave to indicate that they’ll wait for us to board.

It’s a kindly gesture, and an upbeat note on which to round-off a perfect day.

We’ll be doing this again.

In 2002 Soulac’s historic sector became a ‘Zone de Protection du Patrimoine Architectural, Urbain et Paysager’, in recognition of its wealth of architectural treasures.

Les Bacs Girondins: about the ferry services Each year around 1.3 million passengers, over 440,000 vehicles and 50,000 bicycles cross the Gironde estuary using either Royan–Le Verdon or Blaye– Lamarque ferries. The vessels are able to transport all types of vehicles, from motorcycles, cars and vans to motorhomes, buses, trucks, agricultural machinery and exceptional loads. By prior arrangement, you can even take a horse, free of charge. Prices are subsidised by the Département de la Gironde and vary between low and high season (April–September) – consult timetables, tariffs and more at: bit.ly/bacsgir

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24 | living promotion Lac de Carcans-Hourtin

Paradise Holidays in

e u q i t n a l t A c Medo

Only an hour from Bordeaux, stretching from Lacanau to Verdon-sur-Mer, Médoc Atlantique offers a multitude of possibilities for your holiday - sporting, cultural, gourmet or simply relaxing: the true Eden of Aquitaine!

Enjoy the great outdoors

124km of beaches, 2 nature reserves and 5 protected areas, 400km of cycle tracks, 32 signposted hiking trails, the largest freshwater lake in France...

There are plenty of ways to recharge your batteries, enrich your knowledge of Common Cranes... and above all, enjoy!

To satisfy your naturalist soul, discover the inhabitants of the marshes and nature reserves: Aquitaine pond turtles, European otters, bats, spoonbills... numerous visits and guided walks are organised throughout the year to introduce you to our precious wildlife.

En route for adventure!

shortage of activities to choose from.

Surfing sports, in particular, are a must on the Atlantic Coast. The 15 best surfing spots in Gironde are waiting to welcome you, offering new thrills through surfing or waveski surfing and, for the more adventurous, foilboarding or kitesurfing.

The adrenalin rush will remain engraved RIGHT © Elsa&Cyril

The rich landscape of the Médoc Atlantique beckons and there is no

Etang de Cousseau

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living promotion | 29 23 Phare de Cordouan

Travel back in time

With its rich architectural heritage, Médoc Atlantique will take you back in time.

A tour of the lighthouses is on the agenda: discover six of them from Le Verdon-surMer to the lake at Carcans-Hourtin, three of which are fully open to visitors.

Dive into the era of the Belle-Epoque: admire the magnificent villas of Soulacsur-Mer and Lacanau.

Walks along the beaches will also provide an opportunity to get close to reminders of the past in Soulac-sur-Mer, Naujac-

sur-Mer, Vensac or Vendays-Montalivet: bunkers from the Second World War. Often decorated by artists, these monuments with their unique history are easy to find.

On your way, you can also discover the Moulin de Vensac dating from the 19th century or the carrelets, fishing huts on stilts, which line the banks of the estuary.

Take your taste buds on a journey

A treat is in store for lovers of great local produce from small local producers!

Those with a sweet tooth will be enchanted by noisettines (caramelized hazelnuts), sarments du Médoc (flavoured vine shoots), local ice creams and even jams cooked in a solar oven. Delicious and unique!

Lovers of savoury food will discover grenier médocain, a must as an aperitif, hot or cold. Fresh oysters, gambas, spirulina, eels and lampreys directly from the estuary, near Saint-Vivien-de-Médoc and Talais, bring the flavour of the sea to your meals during your stay.

And to accompany all these tasty dishes, a sampling of Médoc wines is a must, always in moderation of course! The

Photos: Top left: ©Jean Emmanuel Jay, others: © Médoc Atlantique Tourisme

on your memory!

For those who prefer to keep their feet on the ground, Médoc Atlantique is full of experiences to be had.

Hikers will appreciate the marked paths between forests, dunes and marshes or you can take the coastal route to Santiago de Compostela.

Cyclists, both novice and experienced, can take advantage of the 400km of cycle paths throughout the area, linking Le Verdon-surMer to Lacanau via the Vélodyssée.

For golf enthusiasts, improve your skills with a round on one of 4 courses (9 and 18 holes). Their greens nestle among the pines just a stone’s throw from the ocean in Lacanau and Grayan-et-l’Hôpital.

winegrowers of Queyrac, Valeyrac and Jau-Dignac-et-Loirac will be happy to show you around their cellars and share the secrets of their wines with you.

If you’re looking for a place to lay down your towel, delight your taste buds, challenge yourself or just breathe... Médoc Atlantique is the perfect destination for your next holiday!

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Don't Miss!

From 15-21 August, the world’s top surfers flock to the Caraïbos Lacanau Pro championship. More than just a surfing competition, the event is a highlight of the seaside resort’s calendar thanks to all the surrounding activities. In addition to concerts, artisans’ stands, sports lessons, surfing initiations and equipment discovery, the Caraïbos Lacanau Pro is a moment of sharing and celebration just a stone’s throw from the ocean.

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24 | living aviators

Samantha David explores the history of France’s most famous female aviators, the theme for this year’s Legend’Air airshow near Limoges

France’s Female Aviators www.livingmagazine.fr

F

PHOTOS LEFT & bottom right: ©lazerasbernard@wanadoo.fr

rom the earliest days of aviation, France has produced hundreds of distinguished female pilots, and fittingly the aerodrome at Saint-Junien (87) is named after one of the most illustrious; Maryse Bastié (1898-1952). Born in Limoges, she discovered a passion for flying when she married a WWI pilot.

Bastié got her flying licence in 1925 and just a week later pulled her first stunt, flying under a bridge over the river Garonne in Bordeaux. Five weeks later, she flew to Paris and the following year, despite the death of her husband in a flying accident, she became a flying instructor.

Broke but determined to buy her own plane, she began earning money by doing aerobatics, giving plane rides, and performing publicity stunts until she had enough to buy a Caudron C109. She soon began setting records for female pilots. She flew to Poland, setting a new long-distance record, set another for the longest flight in France (10 hours, 30 minutes), and yet another for the longest international flight (26 hours, 44 minutes). Léna Bernstein smashed this record in May 1930 with a time of 35 hours, 45 minutes, and Maryse Bastié won it back again in September 1930 with a flight lasting 37 hours, 55 minutes.

She then set a new long-distance record by flying 2,976km to Russia, for which she was awarded a Croix de Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Légion d’Honneur, and also won the Limoges’ Maryse Bastié set many records

American Harmon Trophy.

In 1935 she founded her own flying school in Paris and set her sights on crossing the Atlantic. In 1936 she flew, solo as always, from Senegal to Brazil in 12 hours, 5 minutes, setting yet another record and winning another clutch of medals and awards.

During the 1930s, along with two other remarkable pilots, Hélène Boucher and Adrienne Bolland, Bastié campaigned for women’s votes (which were finally won in 1944). In 1939 she lobbied furiously for the right to join the French air force, and in September was finally called up to ferry aircraft to the front lines along with Maryse Hilsz, Claire Roman and Paulette Bray-Bouquet.

A squadron of female auxiliary pilots was formed in 1940 and she became an air force sub-lieutenant in May. Wounded in June and invalided out of the service, she joined the Red Cross and was wounded a second time by an occupying Nazi soldier who fractured her right elbow. The injury didn’t prevent her gathering information on the enemy under cover of her Red Cross work.

In 1944 she was one of the initial recruits for France’s first-ever military corps of female pilots. The corps was disbanded in 1946, and women weren’t allowed to fly with the military again until 1982. She had flown more than 3,000 hours, and although she was no longer piloting planes, Maryse Bastié became a captain and remained in the French air force, working in public relations.

In July 1952 after a work meeting in Lyon, she died as a passenger in an air crash. She is buried in Montparnasse.

Other icons of French aviation include Céléstine Henri (1777 - date of death unknown) who piloted air balloons; Thérèse Peltier (1873-1926), the first woman to fly solo; Elisa Deroche (1882-1919), the first woman in the world and the 36th person in France to get a pilot’s licence; Marie Marvingt (1875-1963), a fearless pilot who invented air ambulances; Danielle Décuré (born 1942), the first female Air France pilot; Caroline Aigle (born 1974), the first female fighter pilot; and Virginie Guyot (born 1976), the first woman to fly with the Patrouille de France, who became their leader and the first woman in the world to command a precision flying team.

Legend’Air

living Aviators | 25

10-11 September Aerodrome de Saint-Junien free entry This year’s aerobatics will be almost entirely flown by women.

Guest pilots include: Catherine Maunoury, honorary president of the Aéro-Club de France, who has won the world aerobatics championships multiple times; Aude Lemordant, three times world champion and current title holder; Marianne Maire-Shaw, the leader of a team of two Cap 10s; Pascale Alajouanine, also a multiple champion. Many of the vintage planes at the airshow will also be flown by women. Look out for a plane locally known as ‘The Max’ which is based in Limoges. The Max Holst 1521 Broussard often has a female pilot too. Alongside the airshow, which is expected to attract up to 20,000 visitors, will be a vintage car display, an exhibition of aviation paintings, and multiple flying displays. For full details see: legendairenlimousin.blogspot.com

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26 | living places to visit Coriobona has recreated an entire Gaulois village in Charente

Back to the Are you someone who yawns at the idea of visiting yet another castle in ruins? Who would rather watch a wall of paint dry than see inside yet another old cathedral? Well, these theme parks are here to prove that if you get in on the action, history can actually be great fun!

WORDS: JESSICA KNIPE

Follow in Aliénor’s footsteps at the newly opened Château de Monts-sur-Guesnes

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F

rance is a country in love with history, which comes as no surprise considering how rich and varied its monuments and cultural heritage are. But even better than just looking at a pile of stones in ruins, our region also offers an opportunity to not only learn about a certain time period, but actually become a part of it, too – it’s more fun to get involved than to simply watch in silence. And let’s face it, even if deep

Some families go all in as they travel back to Palaeolithic times

living places to visit | 27

Live-action gladiator fights bring big-scale excitement to Puy du Fou

FUTURE Some of these come in the form of punctual historical celebrations, like Autrefois Challans, another celebration of Vendée traditions that takes the town all the way back to the early 1900s for a few days. Or consider the Quart d’Écu festival, in Puy du Lac (17), where an elaborate and expertly acted show is prefaced by a temporary village of traditional artisans who demonstrate the trades that existed at the period in which the show takes place. Here, everyone is encouraged to chip in and help make some rope by hand, crush some walnuts for oil (or wine) or sit down and see if they can keep their handwriting neat while using a nib fountain pen.

Other historical re-enactments pepper the summer agenda, but more permanent, bigger scale and immersive historical experiences are also popping up all over the place. In fact this year

sees a brand new exhibition opening in the Château de Monts-sur-Guesnes, in an effort from the département to help visitors discover the rich history of the Poitou. Located in Vienne (86), the displays retrace the medieval steps of Aliénor (see our April edition for more on this fascinating monarch) and Richard Cœur de Lion, with interactive shows, video mappings and workshops developed with an expert committee of historians. “It’s not a museum, neither is it a monument,” explains Bruno Belin, Vienne senator and the councillor in charge of culture and events. “It’s a dynamic, lively

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photo top right: © Stéphane Audran / puy du fou

down we all secretly love pretending that we are knights and princesses, past the age of 10 it starts to get a bit more complicated to throw on a cape and run around with a fake sword on a broomstick acting as your steed. Enter: the immersive historical theme park.

The best known of these is of course Puy du Fou, France’s second most visited theme park, which enlists over 4,000 volunteers each year to retell the history of Vendée (85) where it is set. Even if you haven’t got a clue about French history, and indeed the lesser-known chapters of what happened in the Vendée region, the park is crammed with live-action gladiator fights, medieval jousting and full-scale cinematic light shows to take your breath away. But with huge popularity come huge crowds, so why not head instead to one of the less publicised and just as exciting places to visit scattered throughout the region?

28 | living places to visit Le Bournat’s 19th century fairground will delight the whole family

Make a few new friends as you learn about local traditions

“Visitors who are drawn into the experience get much more out of it than from simply witnessing static relics” presentation of events that happened on our territory. It’s ambitious, and more importantly, fun!”

The biggest theme park in Dordogne (24), Le Bournat, has taken the turn of the twentieth century as its jumping off point. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, the park has recreated an entire village in 1900, where original objects and fairground rides sit next to farm animals that take part in agricultural shows throughout the summer. Traditional cutlers, lacemakers and weavers showcase the

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artistry that brought the region its riches, showing visitors what can be done with just a few local materials and a good wood fire.

Even further back in time, a visit to Paléosite in Saint-Césaire (17) takes you to the time of the first men and women who roamed the region. But instead of just looking at the bones that were discovered at the site through a glass window, here visitors can learn how to throw the spears their palaeolithic ancestors used to hunt mammoths, build and light the fires

Discover your own fossils at Paléosite

The simple pleasures of a 19th-century fairground ride in Le Bournat

that they needed to cook it, and even mix paint using the ochre from the soil at their feet. Want to come in your own caveman outfit? All the better!

“Our site is completely organised around its interactivity,” explains Caroline Partiot, who is in charge of scientific and cultural mediation at Paléosite and also a doctor in biological anthropology at the University of Bordeaux. “We try to blend extremely modern activities using the most up-to-date technology, with more human, hands-on demonstrations that immerse visitors in prehistory from the minute they enter the park.”

This interactivity seems to be the key to this type of park’s success, the idea being that visitors who are drawn into the experience get much more out of it than from simply witnessing static

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30 | living places to visit

Rediscovering how the first machines worked might spark ideas for the future

Market day at Autrefois Challans

Dining at Aliénor’s court at Château de Monts-sur-Guesnes

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relics. At Coriobona, in Esse (16), for example, apart from the three-day Festiv’Antique celebrations that involve 150 artisans, warriors and shopkeepers in costume, visitors can take part in the year-round reconstruction of a Gaulois village which functions as it would have in the days of the ancient Romans. Using 1st century BC tools reproduced from those found in the on-site archeological digs, everyone can pitch in to build thatched houses, bridges, walls, wells and even ovens and ploughs. It will make you appreciate the inventions that make building the same things today so much easier.

Getting in touch with history isn’t all wood, mud and silex, though. Some parks, like

Period costumes add fun at the Château

living places to visit | 31 Even outside play spaces are on theme at Monts-sur-Guesnes

Le Cormenier, in Champniers (86), rely heavily on technology to help us modern folk understand the past. A 5D visit to the Bernardeau family in 1898 shows the life of young Pierre using sights, sounds and smells, from his birth and school years to his wedding and life on the farm. Further on, the 1930s room lets people interact with objects from the past, opening old fridges, answering old telephones and having a drink at the local bistrot du village.

Whether immersive, interactive experiences are the way forward for all historical landmarks in the future, only time will tell. The team behind Puy du Fou has already opened a park in Toledo centred around the story of Spain, with another on the way in the USA, retelling the history of the Cherokee people in Tennessee.

Whatever the case may be, the ingenuity of the future has certainly made learning about the past more exciting!

Reenactments bring Coriobona alive

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28 | living in profile

Havens Above In troubled times whole villages fortified their churches as places of safe refuge WORDS & photos: Roger Moss

Église SainteRadagonde, Talmont-surGironde (17)

www.livingmagazine.fr

living places to visit | 33

Église Saint-Hilaire, Adriers (86)

Église Notre-Dame, Courçon (17)

T

hroughout France countless churches were created many centuries ago to serve the spiritual needs of rural communities. Some now sit in the heart of the villages which grew up around them, while others are located nearby among tranquil open countryside, but they have one thing in common: in their time they have all survived periods of great conflict.

In fact, many still possess architectural features which today generally pass unnoticed, but which bear witness to periods when they were hurriedly modified to fulfil a pressing need which their original constructors probably never imagined.

Until relatively recently the vast territories of France remained sparsely populated, the exception being the walled towns and cities which prospered through various trades, taxed their inhabitants and in return offered them security from whatever threats might come along.

Elsewhere, though, those in rural areas often lived and laboured under the feudal system. While far from perfect, the arrangement would at least guarantee them the protection of powerful local seigneurs, whose châteaux were heavily fortified to resist attacks from anyone with designs on whatever family fortunes they might contain.

In 1347, however, the French throne became the focus of a power struggle between England and France which would not be resolved until 1453. The resulting conflict, referred to by historians as the Hundred Years

Abbaye de SaintAmand-de-Coly (24)

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Église SaintCaprais, Agris (16)

34 | living places to visit

The abbey church complex, Fontevraud

Église Saint-Pierre, Reignac (16)

War, unleashed widespread and unprecedented levels of destruction, much of which was directed towards seats of power. As a result, many previously secure châteaux were overwhelmed and reduced to ruins by armed forces (whose numbers were often swelled by troops of mercenaries known as ‘routiers’).

While catastrophic for their aristocratic owners, such losses must also have been terrifying to rural communities, which were dismayed to find themselves suddenly deprived of their longstanding places of refuge in times of crisis. Numerous villages therefore began adding defensive features to existing stone-built structures large enough to accommodate their entire communities whenever threatened. Usually they wouldn’t have to look too far for something suitable, since a typical medieval parish church would have been constructed in heavy Romanesque style with small windows and massive proportions designed to stand the test of time. The modifications which followed produced what we know as an église fortifiée – and our own region possesses many more of them than you might imagine.

Once you know what to look for you’ll often notice tell-tale architectural features which are clearly the result of modifications which a religious structure wouldn’t normally require.

Among the most obvious defensive features is a meurtrière or fente - a narrow opening with angled sides to enable bowmen to fire onto attackers.

On western facades you might also see lines of stone corbels projecting

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from the upper sections of masonry.

Their original purpose was to support a timber gallery – hourde – mounted above the main entry portals to dissuade anyone from attempting to force their way in. Obviously, however, they would be vulnerable to fire, so a more sophisticated system was later employed using outward extensions at tower or wall summits incorporating a series of openings – known as mâchicoulis - through which projectiles could be dropped onto attackers.

Where masonry was braced by sturdy buttresses each could usefully be topped off by a turret or echauguette. Finally, to keep an eye on things a tall belltower or clocher could be modified to serve as a watchtower or tour de guet, with a series of upper openings, each protected by a shutter hung to open vertically and known as a huchette or mantelet.

The purpose of these and other Église Saint-Cybard, Rivières (16)

fortress-like modifications would be to defend a secure place of refuge or salle de repli large enough to accommodate the villagers. Some communities chose to modify the clocher, otherwise existing spaces above the vaults would need to be enlarged by adding extra courses of stonework to the walls of the main body of the church. The simplest option was to raise a section above the nave (nef) and make use of an existing means of access to the upper chamber, but elsewhere both the nave and choir (chevet) and apse (abside) were modified.

Either way, the results are today quite obvious, for the gable surmounting the western facade (ecclesiastical structures are generally oriented so that the main portals face west) would also require modification.

History seldom records the success of the églises fortifiées, but there’s little doubt that many lives must have been

Église SaintPierre-et-SaintPaul, Usson-duPoitou (86)

living places to visit | 35 Église SaintPierre-ès-Liens, Roncon (87)

saved during subsequent periods of conflict, not least during the Wars of Religion, which ravaged France from 1562–1598. Despite modern appearances, life in the French countryside hasn’t always been a picture of peace and tranquillity, and

the architectural legacy of troubled times is still with us and waiting to be discovered. Sometimes the features are striking and unmistakable, while many more are subtle and appear when we least expect to find them – perhaps in your own village.

Églises Fortifiées: where to find them Here’s a selection of some examples of fortified parish churches around the region – it’s non-exhaustive, so you can add your own discoveries Charente Agris 16110 – Église Saint-Caprais Bassac 16120 – Abbaye Saint-Etienne Becheresse 16250 – Église Saint-Barthélemy Berneuil 16480 – Église Notre-Dame Bessac 16250 – Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste Champmillon 16290 – Église Saint-Vincent Charras 16380 – Église Saint-Vivien Cherves-Richemont 16370 – Église Saint-Vivien Guimps 16300 – Église Saint-Pierre L’Isle d’Espagnac 16340 – Église Saint-Michel Manot 16500 – Église Saint-Martial Reignac 16360 – Église Saint-Pierre Rivières 16110 – Église Saint-Cybard Saint-Projet-Saint-Constant 16110 – Église Saint-Projet Saint-Quentin-de-Chalais 16210 – Église Saint-Quentin Touvre 16600 – Église Sainte-Madeleine Villognon 16230 – Église Saint-Nicolas Vindelle 16430 – Église Saint-Christophe Vars 16330 – Église Saint-Denis Charente-Maritime Authon 17770 – Église Notre-Dame Biron 17800 – Église Saint-Eutrope Brie-sous-Matha 17160 – Église Saint-Pierre Clion 17240 – Église Saint-André

Contré 17470 – Église Saint-Mesme Esnandes 17137 – Église Saint-Martin Écoyeux 17770 – Église Saint-Vivien Genouillé 17430 – Église Notre-Dame Guitinières 17500 – Église Saint-Romain Lozay 17330 – Église Saint-Pierre Mornac-sur-Seudre 17113 – Église Saint-Pierre Saint-Sauvant 17610 – Église Saint-Sylvain Talmont-sur-Gironde 17120 – Église Sainte-Radagonde Varaize 17400 – Église Saint-Germain Dordogne Besse 24550 – Église Saint-Martin Bouteilles-Saint-Sébastien 24320 – Église Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens de Bouteilles Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil 24620 – Église Saint-Martin de Tayac Mauzens-et-Miremont 24260 – Église Saint-Martin de Mauzens Saint-Amand-de-Coly 24290 – Abbaye de Saint-Amand-de-Coly Saint-Astier 24110 – Église Saint-Astier Soirac-de-Riberac 24600 – Église Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens Tremolat 24510 – Église Saint-Nicolas Deux-Sèvres Gourgé 79200 – Église Saint-Hilaire Usseau 79210 – Église Saint-Pierre Xaintray 79357 – Église Saint-Eugène

Vendée Le Boupère 85510 – Église Notre-Dame La Chaize-le-Vicomte 85310 – Église Saint-Nicolas Cheffois 85390 – Église Saint-Pierre Mouilleron-en-Pareds 85390 – Église Saint-Hilaire Réamur 85700 – Église Notre-Dame Saint-Benoist-sur-Mer 85540 – Église Saint-Benoist Thouarsais-Bouildroux 85410 – Église Notre-Dame de l’Assomption Vienne Adriers 86430 – Église Saint-Hilaire Brux 86510 – Église Saint-Martin Lencloître 86140 – Église Notre-Dame Montmorillon 86500 – Église Notre-Dame Usson-du-Poitou 86350 – Église Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Haute-Vienne Arnac-la-Poste 87160 – Église Saint-Martial Azat-le-Ris 87360 – Église Saint-Genest Compreignac 87140 – Église Saint-Martin Rancon 87290 – Église Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens

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36 | practical living

HELP & money << OUr experts answer YOur questions...

Understanding Planning Consent

Q A

Do I need planning consent to convert a barn attached to my main property?

The short answer is ‘yes’ – any change of use of an existing building will require some form of planning consent but depending on the nature of the project, different rules apply.

A call to your local mairie regarding the project is a good starting point as many of our rural communes are now covered by a PLU (Plan Local d’Urbanisme) or a PLUi (Plan Local d’Urbanisme intercommunal), which designates each area with a reference number indicating if construction is permitted.

Once you’ve established that your project is feasible, you’ll need to work out how big the finished article will be. Smaller agricultural buildings tacked on to the side of older houses, perfect for a new kitchen or a downstairs bathroom conversion, are often below the threshold at which planning permission is required, so won’t require full consent. In this case, a Déclaration Préalable or permission to undertake smaller

works is all that is needed.

So, should you apply for a Déclaration Préalable or Permis de Construire? The rules state that, in general, if the finished new building adds in excess of 20m2 of extra space to the existing property then a planning permit will be required. Anything less would usually be covered by a Déclaration Préalable. It is also important to note that any increase in habitable space that takes the property total above 150m2 will require the use of an architect.

If the attached barn has already been converted into habitable space but you wish to create new windows or doors, you will only need to submit a Déclaration

Préalable. Remember that when cutting new openings into existing buildings, there are rules governing the distance a window must be from a neighbour’s property to preserve their privacy.

Many of the properties bought by the expat community are ready to live in but are tired and not laid out to the new owner’s requirements. Fortunately, most internal works are not subject to any form of planning consent, and as long as the building isn’t listed (Classé), you usually have free rein, providing you don’t change the exterior façades of the building.

It is important to remember that, as in the UK, it is against the law to begin a project that requires planning permission

without prior consent. In reality, these rules are rarely enforced and, in most cases, a retrospective application is all that is required but this does rely on the premise that the application would have been accepted in the first place.

Fines can be heavy…

As a good rule of thumb, I use the following when working out if full planning is required: Is the new building more than 20m2 when finished and does this new amount take the property size above 150m2.

Never assume anything. Check with the local mairie, compile & submit the correct paperwork and then sit back, knowing that your new project is a welcome addition to the community!

Joel Whitehead has been advising homeowners on planning matters for over 18 years. Find out how he can help you to ensure your project progresses smoothly at frenchprojectplanning.com.

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practical living | 37

Investment Advice

Q

With all the turbulence in the world now, how can a lay person find the best up-todate and qualified advice for their investment?

A

This is a great question as there is an abundance of information available across media like your financial adviser’s website, social media and economic news programs.

However, sifting through the information and understanding what is fact, what is supposition and what will actually affect your investment is not an easy task.

Even though as a financial adviser I have over 25 years of experience in this field, I still rely on expert fund managers and economists within investment companies and use their expertise to pass on

advice to my clients.

These experts are normally not available to clients because they need to spend their working day making sure the investments in their care are being monitored and managed

to the best of their ability.

But financial advice companies regularly organise seminars for their clients and potential customers where a number of these experts are invited, giving you, the customer, a rare opportunity to directly ask your questions to those with the most experience.

It is worth speaking to your financial adviser or keeping an eye on their website to see if they are running these events as you will typically need to reserve your place and numbers are often limited to ensure all attendees get access to ask their questions.

Amanda Johnson works as an Independent Financial Advisor with The Spectrum IFA Group.

T: 05 49 98 97 46 or 06 73 27 25 43; amanda.johnson@spectrum-ifa.com; www.spectrum-ifa.com/amanda-johnson.

To register for their newsletter, attend a roadshow event or speak directly to Amanda, call or email her.

There is no charge for their financial planning reviews, reports or recommendations. « 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 »

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38 | living family

Avec les enfants ––––––

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er m m u S f o t u o g in p p li S

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to the coast en masse. Then, suddenly, September arrives and everything changes overnight. Vacations slip into the memory bank, and the bunfight at supermarkets for annual school supplies is finally over. For now, we’re into a season all of its own, la rentrée, not just the return to school but also the return to work for so many. And it’s not just the leisure hours that change, so too does the clothing.

With the resumption of business life, fun, floaty and casual clothes are put away. Smart jeans and perfectly ironed shirts, socks and proper shoes make

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After many years in France, the frenetic energy of August followed by the easing of summer into autumn is an experience that has an annual rhythm all of its own. It’s a pattern that feels quite unique to France. The warm months here in the south west start early in April or May and that summer feeling of the heat slowly building and life shifting outdoors continues through June and July. In August everything reaches its peak being the traditional holiday month for so many in France. Offices often shut down completely and families head

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an appearance once more even if the temperature is still hovering around 30 degrees and the forecast more often than not promises an Indian summer!

It’s a national clothing moment that we will never quite get used to, especially Roddy, who considers it a challenge to try and wear shorts until Christmas.

With two children now into adulthood, and a third down the road at university in Bordeaux, we’re left with just two girls at home full time.

Our house returns to something like a more organised normal, the constant flow of traffic from teenagers and friends eases although we still cook and entertain outside as long as warm weather lasts. And for us all, the river still beckons, just ninety feet away from the front door, down a steep cobbled side street where an ancient man still makes wickerwork inside a dark cool doorway. I assume he is now well used to the sight of us going back and forth, paddleboards tucked under our arms. The novelty of having a calm piece of water to enjoy, so close by, still makes all of us smile.

It’s the end of our second summer in the village here. Before we lived twenty minutes away and just added

living family | 39

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to the visitor numbers who longed to stay longer. Last year we were up to our knees in wood, tiles, drills and paint, so this year has been an eyeopener into what goes on outside our gates during the hot months, and we have come to realise that we live in a ‘seaside’ village, where the summer months mean an influx of visitors whose comings and goings have to be worked around. This means being first at the bakery in the morning and ordering pizzas from our tiny pizzeria many hours in advance.

We’ve also realised that the visitors to the village are not all tourists from far-flung destinations. Many of them

are locals from Saintes, our ‘city with two cathedrals’ situated just over the brows of a series of rolling hills to the east. At no time is this more apparent than when Friday evening comes around, and people arrive with meals and beach furniture for dining at dusk on the short grass of the lawns by the water’s edge. The village knows all of this is good for the local economy, and so our public spaces are neatly maintained and kept alive in colour and form by a well-organised team of gardeners during the week. There is never too much noise and the litter is, nearly always, respectfully placed in the bins provided.

We often walk the dogs at this hour of the day, and it’s good for the soul to exchange greetings with strangers who are enjoying the same sunset.

Romantic couples with a tea-light in a jar sit side by side with families of four. Very small people doze in pushchairs and almost every dog we see is better behaved than our own!

As the summer eases off, our visitors typically no longer have kids in hand, and our traffic through the

village includes a growing number of camper vans crewed by older couples, a procession that can lead to some overcrowding of our car parks. The upside is that the girls can paddleboard at their leisure after school, knowing the banks of the river are far less crowded. The swimming area is still cordoned off from boat traffic, but everything will be removed for another winter once the procession of tourists slows to a trickle. We have come to love jumping in the cooler waters of the river for swimming, and I suspect I will be buying some wetsuits for the autumn. One daughter is keen to give ‘wild swimming’ a thorough try-out.

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See if you can solve the crossword clues set by Mike Morris and find the theme. If you need a helping hand, you can take a peek at the answers on page 54.

Clues across 1. Man in the middle of mediocre friendly. (3) 3. He’s a superstar, that man on the front of the ferry. (4) 5. Idiot is arrogant turning up without article. (4) 9. Instrument reading 6 – 0 to the French? (5) 10. Enable, given time, to organize a pagan festival. (7) 11. Unruly kids scare CID Commissioner. (8, 4) 14. Profitable time to trap non-drinker in base? (6) 15. Indecisive character, poor actor, gets to replay the point? (6) 18. As a pagan, Ann isn’t involved in choir arrangement.

(3-9) 21. Try to seduce after date removes skirt? (7) 22. The compiler is a good

example initially of representation. (5) 23. Cartoonist who likes everything in its place? (4) 24. Drinks like a seal!

That’s wrong! (4) 25. Tolkein’s moving tree in hospital department? (3)

Susan, husband Roddy and their five children live close to the coast in Charente-Maritime.

Sign up for her regular newsletter at ourfrenchlifestyle.com

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Clues down 16 1. Courageous, but lacking the front for an all-nighter? (4) 18 19 2. Communist, after having stuff to eat cut off, develops a fungus? (7) 20 3. Tails away against opposite sides, changes the order and goes back to base? (5, 3, 4) 21 4. Talk a lot, some of it after bar is turned over. (6) 24 6. Middle eastern island in the heart of egoism? (5) 23 24 7. Stretch out the thing that is not? (3) 8. Rate less pain as a formula 16. Keel over with large kitchen for amusing small talk? (12) stove emitting gas and smoke? (7) 12. Originally killed any, 17. If less known than some others then every shrew? (4) appearing here today, plot is 13. Scottish Isle, whisky producer, concedes nothing to prohibition. (4) ruined in Henry IV? (6)

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19. Isn’t newspaperman well-known? (5) 20. Scots know how to take time in the south east. (4) 21. Cat is disturbed; do something! (3)

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40 | living nikki legon’s cuisine A sprinkling of inspiration from around the world for meals in this holiday season…

Nikki Legon's

Baked Fennel au Gratin

Baked Fennel au Gratin Serves 2

2 large fennel bulbs or 4 small ones, cut in halves or quarters, reserve the trimmings 50g butter 3 tbsp dry vermouth or dry white wine a splash of pastis 60g vegetarian Parmesan, grated METHOD Preheat the oven to 170°C. On the hob, melt the butter in an ovenproof casserole dish. Place the

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cuisine

fennel cut side down and scatter in the trimmings, season with salt and pepper.

Increase the heat and add the vermouth and pastis. Cover with a sheet of foil.

Place into the oven and cook for 30 minutes, or until very tender.

Preheat the grill to high.

Remove the fennel, place the bulbs into a shallow baking tray and keep warm.

Pour the trimmings and cooking juices through a fine sieve into a small pan.

Warm through and add 45g of the cheese. Blend with a hand blender until smooth and creamy.

Pour the mixture over the fennel and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Place under the grill until golden and bubbling around the edges.

Malaysian Chicken Satay Serves 4 to 6

1kg skinless, boneless chicken, breast or thighs 6 medium shallots, quartered 2 stalks of fresh lemon grass, trimmed and cut into small pieces or strips of lemon zest cut with a vegetable peeler 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped 3 tbsp dry roasted peanuts 6 tbsp sunflower oil

living nikki legon’s cuisine | 41

Spicy Thai Grilled Salad Serve 4-6

Beef marinade 500g bavette steak 3 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp sugar 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

Malaysian Chicken Satay

2 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tbsp ground coriander ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper PEANUT SAUCE 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced 2 jalapeño chillies, de-seeded and minced 1 clove garlic, minced 75g smooth peanut butter

Dressing 3 cloves of garlic 3 chillies, de-seeded (optional, choose the type depending on the heat you would like) 1½ tbsp sugar 3 tbsp fish sauce 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice Salad 1 cos lettuce 1 red leaf lettuce 1 cucumber, thinly sliced 2 white salad onions, thinly sliced 12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half 12 fresh mint leaves handful of fresh coriander, chopped 2 tbsp chopped peanuts

METHOD Lightly score the meat and place it in a glass dish. Combine the marinade ingredients together and pour over the meat.

If possible, marinate overnight.

Prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a blender and blending to a smooth purée.

Wash the salad leaves and dry.

Use them to line a large platter and arrange the remaining salad ingredients on top.

Slice the steak and, in a wok or large frying pan, toss to seal for no more than a couple of minutes.

Remove to a plate and let it rest for a few minutes, then place on to the salad leaves and spoon the dressing over.

Spicy Thai Grilled Salad

165ml can of coconut milk (keep a little back in case you need to thin the sauce before serving) 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, to taste 2 tsp sugar, to taste METHOD Place all the ingredients for the peanut sauce into a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring well, then reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and adjust the seasoning, it should be highly seasoned.

Cut the chicken meat into little fingersize strips and place into a large bowl

whilst you prepare the marinade.

Combine the shallots, lemon grass, ginger and peanuts, 3 tbsp oil, lime juice, soy sauce and 1 tsp salt.

Mix in all the ground spices. Place into a blender and process to a smooth paste.

Taste for seasoning. Add to the chicken, stirring to coat completely and cover and place in the fridge for 1 hour, stirring a couple of times.

Weave the chicken strips lengthwise onto skewers (if wooden, soak in water first).

Cook on an oiled griddle pan or barbecue for 1 to 2 minutes turning until cooked and golden, basting with the marinade as they cook.

Serve with salad and the peanut sauce.

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42 | living nikki legon’s cuisine Grilled Sea Bass

Grilled Sea Bass Serves 2

2 whole sea bass, gutted and scaled sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter lemon juice METHOD Light the barbecue or preheat a griddle pan to a medium heat.

Season the fish inside and out, brush with the oil.

If barbecuing, place into a hinged grilling basket and cook, turning the basket after 5-7 minutes.

On the griddle, cook for 7-8 minutes or until the skin is crisp and golden. Turn to cook the other side. Carefully remove to a platter. Add the butter and a squeeze of lemon juice to the griddle pan, stir and pour over the fish.

Mushroom Burgers with Guacamole Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp unsalted butter 1 red onion, finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 500g mushrooms, very finely chopped 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained 85g wholemeal breadcrumbs 50g vegetarian Cheddar, grated salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 burger buns 50g butter lettuce and sliced tomato to serve

has evaporated. Crush the chickpeas with a fork or in a blender.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chickpeas with the breadcrumbs and cheese.

Season well and leave until cool enough to handle.

Shape the mixture into 4 patties. Fry in oil for 3-4 minutes on each side, being

very careful how you turn them over.

For the guacamole, mash the avocado with a fork. Mix in the tomato, coriander, lime juice, onion and chilli.

Combine well and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, grill the buns and brush with butter. Assemble the lettuce, tomato and burger. Top with guacamole.

Guacamole 2 avocados, ripe but not bruised 1 large ripe tomato, chopped handful of coriander leaves and stalks, roughly chopped juice of 1 lime 1 small red onion, finely chopped 1 chilli, red or green, finely chopped, de-seeded if you don’t want it hot METHOD Melt the oil and butter together, add the onion and cook gently until soft.

Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 4 minutes or until the liquid

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Mushroom Burgers with Guacamole

Pineapple Creams

living nikki legon’s cuisine | 43

Pineapple Creams Serves 4

200g cream cheese 200g whipping cream or coconut cream 2 tbsp icing sugar, sieved 1 tsp vanilla extract 150g fresh or canned pineapple mint leaves and grated coconut for decorating

Iranian Shirazi Salad Serves 4-6

4 large tomatoes, cored 1 large cucumber, de-seeded 2 white salad onions, handful of flat-leaf parsley 8 mint leaves 2 cloves of garlic

2 limes, juice only 3 tbsp olive oil METHOD Cut the tomatoes, cucumber and onions into dice. Chop up the parsley, mint and garlic. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.

Iranian Shirazi Salad

METHOD Whip the cream until stiff.

Beat the cream cheese until soft.

Mix the cream and cream cheese together with the icing sugar and vanilla extract.

If using tinned pineapple make sure it’s dry, then chop into small dice, keeping two chunks per serving for decoration.

If using fresh pineapple, peel and chop into small dice, again keeping some for decoration.

Mix the pineapple into the cream and place into decorative glass dishes.

If using coconut cream, you could add a sprinkle of desiccated or fresh grated coconut over the top.

Decorate with a mint sprig and the reserved pineapple chunks.

Nikki Legon is th e chef and owner of the Hotel Restaurant Karin a in Les Métairies, just ou tside Jarnac in Charente. She an d her husband Austin have tran sformed an old cognac dist illery into a luxury 10-bedro om hotel and restaurant . For more informatio n: www.hotelkarin a.net

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FISH & CHIPS

PRIVATE CATERING

Weddings, Birthdays, Associations, Corporate etc.

A warm welcome awaits you …….

Come and discover the Hotel Restaurant Karina, set in a haven of greenery, just 3km from Jarnac in the beautiful mrt.fishandchips@gmail.com Charentaise countryside.

Enjoy dining by the open fire in winter or on the terrace in fine 06 02 22 44 74 weather with a choice of à la carte or fixed menus.

Regular Venues: Aulnay de Saintonge (17470), Beauvais In our bar, you will find the original copper alembic and here you can relax with an aperitif. sur Matha (17490), Charroux (86250), La Chapelle (16140), Join us for fish and chips on Fridays - lunch or dinner.

Saintes (17100), St Jean d’Angély (17400), We cater for special group occasions, call for more information Hope 79 - Sauzé Vaussais (79190), Savigné (86400) See our menus on our website Mr T’s Fish & Chips Subscribe > see page 5| 05 for45info www.hotelkarina.nettoday | info@hotelkarina.net 36 26 26

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44 | living wine

W I N E

M

Variety is the Spice of Life

y last two articles have explored how wine farmers are changing their practices to both mitigate and adapt to climate change.

This time, I’m turning to biodiversity in the vineyard; why it’s important, how wine growers are encouraging it, and how these actions can also be used in a garden setting. This is a perfect complement to the ‘Rebugging’ article in the last edition.

So, what is biodiversity? Biodiversity simply means biological diversity in an environment, as indicated by the number of different species of plants,

Encouraging biodiversity in the vineyard and the garden by Caro Feely insects and animals. It is the opposite of a monoculture where a single crop grows on otherwise bare earth.

Sometimes people get mixed up between the terms ‘biologique’ or ‘bio’ which means organic in French (a term that can only be used for certified organic products), biodynamic (a way of farming that is ‘organic+’) and biodiversity. Unlike the other two terms, biodiversity is not a certification, it is a valuable component of a healthy farm and something that can be encouraged on conventional, organic, and biodynamic farms, as well as in your garden.

We are only beginning to understand the importance of biodiversity, yet we are losing it at a startling rate.

The Intergovernmental SciencePolicy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) 2019 Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services estimated that one in four species is at risk of extinction due to pollution, loss of habitat, and climate change.

Ecosystems are like a house of cards, if one goes, it impacts many others and accelerates more loss and potential collapse of the entire system. We are part of the environment and dependent on it, so this directly impacts us.

Why is it important for wine growers?

A variety of plants growing in the vineyard brings a variety of insects including beneficial ones. At Feely farm we have large populations of beneficial bugs like ladybirds, predatory mites (Typhlodromus) and lacewings which keep the less wanted insects like aphids and spider mites at bay. This means we

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avoid insecticides. Plant biodiversity creates insect biodiversity and hence a natural solution to pests.

This concept extends beyond lowlevel plants and grasses to including trees in the vineyard and hedgerows around its edges. It also reaches beyond insects to birds and mammals. Bats, for example, can eat the equivalent of their bodyweight of insects in one night.

They eat the European grapevine moth that produces the European grape worm and thus they solve the grape worm issue for us. But, to navigate, bats need multi-layered terrain, not monocultures. If we have hedgerows, trees, and other plants in the vineyard, we offer habitats to bats, as well as other mammals and insects, and layers to help the bats to navigate.

It’s a win-win for everyone.

Underground

Beautiful wild orchids flower each April and May in our vineyard and are a sign of a healthy, living soil.

Orchids are dependent on mycorrhizae, a fungus that develops on the root systems of 95% of plants tested to date and helps them access nutrients in the soil. This mutually beneficial relationship came about more than 400 million years ago and research shows that mycorrhizal networks transport carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen, water, and defence compounds (compounds that combat attacks) from plant to plant. They are especially beneficial for plants in nutrient-poor soils.

The best wine grapes are grown on relatively poor soil, so it is particularly relevant for us winegrowers, and these magic fungi will not develop in chemically farmed soil because of the use of systemic fungicides. Wild Russian intervention

living wine | 45

orchids appeared after three years of organic farming at Chateau Feely, an indicator that the farm was clear of the systemic fungicides that had been used before we arrived in 2005. Systemic fungicides are bad for us too, they can be carcinogenic and nervous system disruptors.

They are ‘systemic’, that means they go inside the plant and inside the fruit and can’t be washed off.

In the Garden

I learned how to encourage farm biodiversity on a course recently, and many of the concepts can be applied to gardens too. Here are some that are easy yet effective: 33 Leave medium-sized stacks of branches in a few places as a home for insects and small mammals.

33 If you have a shaded wooded area leave logs to decompose as they offer fungi, mosses, insects and others a home.

33 If you have the space, select a part of your garden to leave wild.

33 For borders, go for local multi-

species hedgerows rather than walls or fences. Try to link your hedgerows to others so you create biodiversity corridors.

33 Leave some grassy areas unmown, perhaps mow a path to a small section where you particularly want mown lawn and leave the rest to nature. It saves mower energy and encourages life in your garden.

33 Avoid insecticides and herbicides for your health and that of the inhabitants of your garden.

33 Include a water source, even a small container or birdbath is very beneficial.

If all the monoculture lawn gardens in the world were transformed into havens of biodiversity a major bulwark against biodiversity loss would be created.

Every farm or garden transformed into a biodiversity haven makes a difference. We’d love to see what you have done, just drop us a line at editorial@livingmagazine.fr or tag us on social media.

Book a virtual event or course with Caro, learn about wine at the Feely’s wine school or visit Château Feely, a biodynamic and organic wine estate with accommodation, wine tours and vineyard walks. Read the story of the creation of the Feely vineyard in Caro’s book series - the 4th in the series will be out in 2023. Sign up to the newsletter at chateaufeely.com to find out more.

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Ref: A06117 - Lovely detached country house surrounded by gardens, with a heated indoor pool, in a quiet location.

Agency fees to be paid by seller.

Energy class: F Climate class: F

8% agency fees included paid by the buyer.

Energy class: E Climate class: C

8% agency fees included paid by the buyer.

DPE: No data

EXCLUSIVE

EXCLUSIVE

Rural Living

Deux-Sèvres

Peaceful Setting

€240,000

Deux-Sèvres

€130,800

Deux-Sèvres

€689,000

Ref: A13772 - Detached stone house with 4 reception rooms, 4 bedrooms and a lovely garden.

Ref: A09251 - Renovated 2 bedroom house with large garden, paddock and far reaching views.

Ref: A13878 - Immaculate fully renovated 4 bedroom property with swimming pool and garage.

7% agency fees included paid by the buyer.

Energy class: D Climate class: B

9% agency fees included paid by the buyer.

Energy class: E Climate class: B

6% agency fees included paid by the buyer.

DPE: Ongoing

EXCLUSIVE

EXCLUSIVE

Pretty as a Picture

Deux-Sèvres

To Renovate

€136,250

Deux-Sèvres

€158,050

Deux-Sèvres

€104,500

Ref: A13177 - Traditional village house with 3 bedrooms and beautiful garden.

Ref: A13118 - 2 Bedroom house with garages, barn, garden and well, in a pretty village.

Location ideal for country walks.

Ref: A11073 - Large 3 bedroom house with exposed stonework and a large plot of land.

9% agency fees included paid by the buyer.

Energy class: D Climate class: D

9% agency fees included paid by the buyer.

Energy class: F Climate class: F

10% agency fees included paid by the buyer.

Energy class: C Climate class: A

Discover all of

our properties

With over 24 year’s experience buying and selling houses in France, we’re here to help you. Our agents offer a knowledgeable and professional service, guiding you through the whole process from A to Z.

+33 (0)5 53 60 84 88 leggettfrance.com info@leggett.fr

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Property

BARBEZIEUX (16)

Changing Places

All too easily missed, this historic town finally seems poised to be rediscovered

B

ypassed many years ago by the busy RN10 trunk route, the hilltop market town of Barbezieux now feels a world apart. Looks can be deceptive, though, for the capital of South Charente and of the Petite Champagne cognac growth area was for centuries a place of considerable importance. Underlining the point are the assertive remnants of a once-mighty château reconstructed during the 15th century on a site previously occupied as the feudal stronghold for around 400 years. During the Hundred Years War its powerful resident dynasty of seigneurs found themselves embroiled in conflicts with their counterparts in Saintonge and Angoulême, with the backdrop of a country whose territories were the subject of a power struggle between England and France.

Few signs of the vast military complex survive, but the old town’s medieval circular plan is clear enough in aerial views. The château now houses the Office de Tourism, the former barn and stables contain a newly renovated theatre and the Place Verdun has been re-landscaped as part of a regeneration project. It’s early

days but soon the recent tree planting will provide shade and soften things visually, while the hoped-for trickle-down effect has already attracted stylish boutiques and bistro bars in and around the Place du Marché. What you won’t find there, however, are markets. They’re held in Place du Champ de Foire (Sat) and under the slightly austere gaze of the Église Saint-Mathias (on Tue & Fri). Founded in 1243, the church was reconstructed several times, and stood abandoned for over a century after the ravages of the Wars of Religion. Its cavernous interior is the third largest in Charente, and its collection of relics (including a claimed fragment of the True Cross) means that it remains a place of pilgrimage.

Around the ville-haute lie several architectural survivors from the 17/18th century, notably the Hôtel des Finances and Hôtel des Impôts, plus the town’s Conservatoire de Music, now a satellite of the École Départementale de Musique, encouraging and developing musical talents in various disciplines. Not that the historic centre is the main focus of daily life; Boulevard Gambetta, for example,

is conspicuously more upbeat and home to bars, restaurants, a large family-run hotel plus a selection of independent businesses, all without having sacrificed the architectural harmony of the pale limestone façades. Meanwhile, the periphery boasts services tailored to today’s lifestyles. Schools, hospitals, health centres and a retirement home are joined by sports, leisure and cultural facilities, plus a voie verte cycle route on a former railway line.

Making connections Distances/drive-times by road from 16300 Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire: Jonzac: 24km/25min Cognac: 32km/36min Angoulême: 34km/28min Saintes: 55km/56min Royan: 76km/1hr 17min Bordeaux: 86km/1hr 05min La Rochelle: 129km/1hr 37min TGV & TER rail services: La Gare SNCF de Jonzac (24km) is served by TER Nouvelle-Aquitaine Ligne Régionale 15 services between La Rochelle & Bordeaux, for connections (including TGV) to Niort, Périgueux, Angoulême, Poitiers, Bayonne, Toulouse, Tours, Paris, etc.

L i ving

Property www.agence-eleonor.fr Agence Eleonor Estate Agency 36-38 rue du Temple, 24500 EYMET T: 05 53 27 83 45 info@agence-eleonor.com Eymet, Villeréal, St.-Cyprien, Monpazier, Bergerac, Issigeac and Miramont de Guyenne

ExclusivE

270 000€ HAI

(250 000€ + 8% fee payable by buyer)

Ref. 34391

CONFOLENS(16): Spacious 8-bed character town-centre house with river bank. 2 attics, mains, terrace, courtyard. Set on 1713m2.

Classe Energie E Classe Climate B

99 000€ HAI

(90 000€ + 10% fee payable by buyer)

Ref. 34388

CONFOLENS (16): 3 bed town house with all comforts. Gas heating, mains drains, adjoining garage with attic and room. Rear courtyard.

Classe Energie n/a Classe Climate n/a

Ref: 10124-MO - Location: Beaumont - Price: 392,200€ Lovely stone longère in peaceful countryside set in beautiful, landscaped garden of 1.25 acres. The house offers 4 bedrooms, including 2 on the ground floor, 2 shower rooms and a large living room with exposed beams and stone. A good-sized office offers opportunity for an additional bedroom. The property includes a garage, workshop, pigsty and wine cellar.

Taux d’honoraires 22,200€ (6%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur. Classe Energie: D Classe Climat: D

93 500€ HAI

(85,000€ + 10% fee payable by buyer)

Ref. 34339

CONFOLENS (16). Town centre, 50m to market. Investment opportunity: 3 flats above commercial shop with courtyard. Elec heating, mains. Classe F Classe Climate E

99 000€ HAI

(90 000€ + 10% fee payable by buyer)

Ref. 34322

PRESSAC (86): In a hamlet, 3-bed semidetached cottage. Oil heating, mains drains.

Attached barn and land, set on 953m2.

Classe Energie E Classe Climate E

Ref: 9939-EY - Location: Pezuls - Price: 799,000€ Charming Gite complex in stone, currently arranged as three gites (with 7 bedrooms in total) plus a large 4-bedroom family home. Located in the centre of its 5 hectares of land, the property also offers a swimming pool, a garage, outbuildings, boules court and playground.

Taux d’honoraires 38,048€ (5%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur. Classe Energie: C Classe Climat: D

20 500€ HAI

(17,500€ + 3,000€ fee payable by buyer)

Ref. 34288

Near CONFOLENS (16). In the countryside, stone semi-detached house to renovate (ex barn) with water meter. Set on 1018m2.

Classe n/a Classe Climate n/a

55 000€ HAI

(50,000€ + 10% fee payable by buyer)

Ref. 34196

CONFOLENS(16). 3 semi-detached houses.

2-bed habitable house, 2 houses to renovate.

Courtyard, mains, garden. Set on 1011m2.

Classe Energie n/a Classe Climate n/a

3, place de la Liberté, 16500 Confolens Tel: 05 45 85 45 65 contact@sovimo.com

www.sovimo-immobilier-confolens.fr

Ref: 9996-VI - Location: Lougratte - Price: 192,600€ In the centre of a lovely little village with some shops, schools and a lake, this renovated 3-bedroom stone house offers spacious and light accommodation including a large living room that opens onto the garden. Outside there is a covered terrace, garage and the beautiful garden has fruit trees and a well.

Taux d’honoraires 12,600€ (7%) inclus à la charge de l’acquéreur. Classe Energie: D Classe Climat: B

Character Properties in France

Champsac, Haute Vienne €216,000* Detached 4-bedroom/2-bathroom renovated house with views and attached barn with good roof, fosse conforms.

Sommières du Clain, Vienne €174,000* 3-bedroom riverside town-centre house with attached small barn, garden, double-glazed, central heating, mains drains.

DPE: vierge

DPE: E

L’Isle Jourdain, Vienne €126,500* 3-bedroom/2-bathroom renovated house with river views, gite option, new electrics. Garage and parking, mains drains.

Chassenon, Charente €211,500* Renovated mill with over 1 acre, dating from 1630, large main room, two ground-floor bedrooms, electricity from the wheel.

DPE: vierge

DPE: F

E xc

lus

ivE

www.selectionhabitat.com

Tel: 05 65 70 10 49 Email: info@selectionhabitat.com Visit our new agency: 20, rue du Maquis Foch, 16500 Confolens Please contact us if you have a character property to sell, we have a devoted team located throughout the area.

*agency fees charged to the seller

NEW ROUTE

Fly to London-Gatwick from Limoges, starting May 1st, 2022.

living outdoors | 51

Late summer A countryside walk can provide a basket of tasty treats if you know where to look Words: Rosie Neave

A

s the summer transitions from the heat of August into a cooler September, a new season of foraging begins. Over the last few years, foraged food has made a serious comeback in popularity and it now features regularly on the menu of top restaurants in both France and the UK. Foraging for food allows seasonal flavours that often can’t be found in the supermarket to be brought to the table and is a wonderful way to while away a couple of hours.

Spending time looking carefully in the hedgerows and woods of the region is also an excellent way to tune into the landscape of France and to develop a greater understanding and awareness of nature. Additionally, time outdoors can support both physical and mental health, with gentle exercise good for the body and a closer connection to nature good for the mind.

There is a harmony and seasonal awareness that develops through regular foraging over the course of the year and favourite fruits, plants and nuts can

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52 | living outdoors

Sloe Gin 1 litre gin 500g sugar 1kg sloes 1 sachet of vanilla sugar rind from half an orange METHOD Wash the sloes, remove the stalks and place in the freezer overnight. Defrost them the next day. As they defrost, they’ll release their juice and it will speed up the infusion process. Alternatively, each sloe can be pricked with a pin instead.

Place all the ingredients in a large, airtight jar (these can be bought cheaply at brocantes). Stir well and then place in a dark cupboard for six to eight weeks, shaking gently once a week to help the sugar to dissolve.

After eight weeks, strain the liquid through a muslin cloth or an old tea towel. Place the liquid into a sterilised bottle and replace in the dark cupboard for at least another six weeks to let the flavour mature.

Sloes The fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), sloes fill the hedgerows all over south west France at this time of year and can be picked throughout the Autumn. The distinctive white blossom of the blackthorn is particularly noticeable in the spring Looking for old DEUTZ tractors F1M 414, F1L 514 1936-1959

so, with a bit of forethought, a note of likely foraging spots can be made earlier in the year.

Sloes are about 1 – 1.5cm wide, bluish-black in colour and often have a waxy sheen to them. The branches of the blackthorn are spiky with small, pointed oval leaves.

Sloes aren’t edible straight from the hedge as they have a strong, bitter taste but they are delicious when made into sloe gin. It takes several weeks for the flavour to infuse and develop and the longer it’s left, the better it gets. Sloe gin that’s made in August or September should be ready in time for a Christmas tipple.

Château Jarno Pépinière Huge selection of herbaceous, annuels, fruit, shrubs, trees, climbers and roses (including David Austin).

We offer competitive prices as well as our knowledge from more than 40 years in horticulture.

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79220 Cours | www.chateaujarno.fr % 07 88 62 79 86 - 05 49 25 74 06 Call Jon on 05 49 87 29 71 ) info@chateaujarno.fr www.livingmagazine.fr E: jon@energic.info Siret: FR36807778587

Dessouchage

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Sat: 9h-12h / 14h-18h Tue-Fri: 14h-18h

New season, new stock Hundreds of different varieties of roses to choose from

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Hazelnuts Hazelnuts can be a tricky nut to forage as they’re so delicious and nutritious they are often eaten by animals before they can be collected. However, if there is wild hazel (Corylus) growing nearby, making an effort to gather some while they’re still young and green is well worth it (they will almost certainly be eaten if you leave them to ripen into the more familiar mature brown nut).

They’re encased in a green outer casing which, once peeled away, reveals the nut beneath. It has a soft shell which is easy to crack and the nuts inside can be lightly toasted and eaten in salads or as a snack.

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be looked forward to at different times.

Keeping a journal or foraging diary is a useful way to develop a sense of what’s available throughout the year and is a helpful reminder of when different plants will be in season.

Here are some easy fruits to look out for at this time of the year.

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living outdoors | 53

Crab apple jelly is delicious with cold meats

Crab Apples There are several cultivated varieties of crab apple which make beautiful ornamental garden trees (they’re very popular landscaping trees for car parks and municipal spaces in France).

However, wild crab apples (Malus sylvestris) also grow in deciduous woodland across the region and are worth looking out for. They’re related to eating and cooking apples but have a much sharper, sour flavour and are inedible unless they’ve been cooked down first. However, they are easily turned into a deliciously pink, mouth-watering jelly which can be used as a filling for cakes, as a spread on brioche or as an accompaniment to pork and cold meats. They’re naturally high in pectin so you don’t need to use special jam sugar or any other setting agent.

Wild crab apples can easily be mistaken for smaller varieties of apples that have either been planted or self-seeded.

They’re small, usually around three or four centimetres in diameter and ripen to small, greenish-yellow fruits.

Blackberries Blackberries (Rubus fruticosus), or brambles as they’re also known, grow abundantly in hedgerows and gardens.

They’re easy to identify with fruit made up of clusters of drupelets which turn from white to red before ripening to a deep, luscious purple. They can be stewed with apple for crumbles or pies, boiled down with sugar for a fruity compote or even steeped for a few weeks in brandy to make a delicious apéritif, similar to crème de cassis.

Take care when picking elderberries as they are fragile and the juice stains

Blackberries are plentiful in late summer

Elderberries Elderberries (Sambucas nigra) are the fruit of the elder tree, a tree that is layered with myth and legend throughout the world. Whilst the

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54 | living outdoors

a few tips

Elderberries are packed with anti-oxidants and vitamins

flowers are popularly used earlier in the year to make elderflower cordial, the berries of the elder can also be foraged for later in the summer. They make wonderful jam or can be infused with vinegar to create a rich, fruity liquid that is ideal for salad dressings.

Elder is a small, shrubby tree which can grow to over 10 metres tall. It’s widespread across the countryside, growing in woodland, scrub, wasteland and alongside hedgerows.

Its serrated leaves are arranged in opposite-facing pairs and have an unpleasant smell if they’re rubbed or bruised. The fruit is made up of small, dark purple, individual berries grouped in large umbels.

It’s an ideal time of year to get outside and explore the wide variety of plants that are in season. A gentle walk in the countryside can bring in a bountiful harvest of wild food that can be used in a whole host of delicious, versatile recipes. Part of the fun of foraging is exploring new places and never quite knowing what you may

There are a few important guidelines to bear in mind when foraging

come back with. Why not grab a basket and a pair of gloves and see what you can find?

Rosie lives in Vienne and hosts events and courses which help women to connect with nature.

Find out how to join by following her on Instagram @rosieneave.

Always be 100% certain that what you’ve foraged is edible. If you’re not sure, find a mentor or someone who can help you get started. Investing in a good field guide to refer back to is recommended.

Always seek permission from the landowner when gathering wild food.

By French law, it belongs to them and some owners may take exception to people gathering it.

Never forage the first fruit or plant you see, in case it’s the only one there is.

Similarly, it’s important to only take as much as you need and from where there is a plentiful supply to ensure that there is enough left over for the local wildlife. A rough guideline is to take no more than 10% of what’s available.

Be careful not to damage or disturb habitats - many animals rely on plants for both food and shelter so always be respectful of their natural environment.

Never dig up roots or whole plants as this will cause permanent damage.

Hazelnuts are popular with animals and so are rarely left long enough to reach full maturity

For more cartoons by Stig see www.artisart.com

puzzle answers Across 1. Ref 3. Hero 5. Fool 9. Viola 10. Beltane 11. Cressida Dick 14. Bottom 15. Hamlet 18. NonChristian 21. Attempt 22. Image 23. Tidy 24. Ales 25. Ent

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Down 1. Rave 2. Footrot 3. Heads for home 4. Rabbit 6. Omani 7. Lie 8. Pleasantries 12. Kate 13. Oban 16. Leakage 17. Pistol 19. Noted 20. Kent 21. Act

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Business Directory

55

ADVERTISE WITH L i ving The leading English language magazine

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elcome to our comprehensive Business Directory, packed full of the best English-speaking services suppliers across the region. Whatever you need, our advertisers can help you and, in return, just tell them you saw their advert here and you will help to keep Living Magazine free.

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If you have a business in the region and would like to showcase your services to our thousands of readers, we can help. With over 1,000 stockists, Living is the leading English-language magazine covering your area. Advertising starts from 40€ per month on our monthly payment scheme.

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All Day Friday: fish & chips, scampi too - 10€ (full menu also available) Mon-Sat 12-3, 6-11pm | Roast every Sunday: 12-3pm | Chambre d’hôtes

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56

Boucherie Calluaud

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57

Insurance and asset management advice in English Hello, my name is Isabelle Want. For the past 9 years, I have been working for Allianz as an asset manager. Being married to an Englishman and having lived in the UK for 8 years gives me a better insight into what British people are experiencing and what they need. Being French and born in the Charente has enabled me to offer some answers.

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Associations, Animal Care

58

Alcoholics Anonymous If you, or someone you know, has a drinking problem, join one of the English-speaking AA meetings across the south west of France.

Alcoholics Anonymous is a Fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other so that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from alcoholism.

Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help others achieve sobriety.

Tel: Angela on 05 49 87 79 09 or Roger on 05 55 76 22 65

Did you know?

There are Englishspeaking lodges in France.

Our lodge in Cognac (16) meets 6 times a year.

If you would like to find out more, email: david.brieger@orange.fr Freemasonry in France

Guest LIME TREE KENNELS Dog Home

Siret: 822 175 527 0016

Anita Frayling - Le Baillat, 16220 Rouzede T: 05 45 66 14 62 E: anita.limetreekennels@gmail.com

For those of you that don't already know us, we are a purpose-built kennels with a large secure paddock area where dogs can run free and play while having their 2 walks per day on or off the lead.

Large family kennels are available.

You are welcome to call if you have any questions or would like to visit the kennels.

Lime Tree Kennels

Transport Services, Concierge

15 mins from La Rochefoucauld & 20 mins from Rochechouart

(not kennels)

The UK’s Premium Pet Transport Company

Your dog(s) looked after indoors at our country home in a safe 2-acre enclosed area. Walked twice a day in our woods and surrounding fields.

Must be able to socialise with other dogs.

Free introductory trial: am or pm Nr. Châteauneuf-La-Foret, Linards 30 mins from Limoges airport 24€ / 12€ per half day 20€ per per night night/10€ Please email first to waggingtails87@hotmail.com

Regular trips throughout Europe Services tailored to your needs DEFRA Type 2 licensed, custom built vans

Siret: 792 142 341

Animal Care, Transport

www.aafrance.net

Freemasons

Call Jane on 05 55 00 34 79 or 06 18 58 93 88 or Emily 06 71 15 15 65

www.gofetch-ltd.com gofetchltd@hotmail.co.uk T: +44 (0)7855 401 102 T: +44 (0)1932 875 227

Furniture for France Quality UK furniture direct to your door in France Furniture for your bedrooms, dining room and lounge From sofas to mattresses, wardrobes to dining tables, all just one phone call away Look at our website to see the latest ranges available 20 years’ experience & great customer service

fff

Tel: +44 7845 272 242 Email: info@furnitureforfrance.co.uk www.furnitureforfrance.co.uk

George White European Transport Special rates to SW France 13.6m / 45ft trailer Full/Part loads Removals - Vehicles - Materials Owner Driver RHA member Tel: +44 (0)7768 867 360 Fax +44 (0)1773 570 090 Fr Mobile: +33 (0)6 23 03 85 59 enquiriesgwe@gmail.com www.georgewhiteeuropean.co.uk

59

We are recruiting We are looking for several additional people to join our team with both gardening & cleaning positions available.

If you are looking to earn money on a flexible part-time basis, visit our website: www.charenteassistance.fr/recruitment

Garden Maintenance | Pool Care | Gîte Services | House Cleaning 05.45.25.05.37 | www.charenteassistance.fr

ANGLO FRENCH EURO REMOVALS ‘Your French Connection’

“I would recommend Dave again and again” “Excellent service”

Contact David Glenn davidrexin@gmail.com

www.palmaexp.com

Full or Part Load Removals To & From France UK: +44 (0) 1237 431 393 FR: +33 (0)5 45 89 49 57 Email: info@anglofrenchmail.com

Full trade references available

E: cjlouch1@gmail.com Tel: 09 83 70 01 33 | Mob: 06 61 25 41 09

FRANGLAIS DELIVERIES Moving In France?

Transport, Artwork

Full or part loads undertaken - a box to a full removal Full European coverage Secure storage available in France and UK UK depot available for deliveries Every item is covered by GIT and CMR insurances

Full & Part Loads Relocations in France Packing & Storage Options

FRANGLAIS DELIVERIES

Tel: 05 49 07 24 85 E: franglaisdeliveries@gmail.com

YOUR ONE-STOP TRANSPORT SERVICE

Britain’s leading supplier

www.franklinsremovals.co.uk

UK Registration 543 77 60 UK

C J Logistics

Packing services Full/part loads to and from the UK Vehicles transported • Containerised storage Competitive prices • Transit /storage insurance Call Stephen or Ben Franklin on 0044 121 353 7263 or email sales@franklinsremovals.co.uk

www.anglofrenchremovals.co.uk

lly nt ts Fu ersa xpor nv e co UK th Cars, Boats and Caravans a speciality wi

FRANKLINS REMOVALS

Transport

Weekly services to & from SW France Internal moves within France Containerised Storage Range of Packing services available Over 35 Years’ Experience

Hundreds of successful cross Channel deliveries Read our 5-star reviews on Trustpilot

Siret: 502 021 660 00019

Owner/operator cost effective transporter

A family business established in 1985 offering a quality, professional service

Franglais Deliveries

Cotswold Eco Wood-Fired HOT TUBS in France

2, 6 and 8 person available

RELAX. REPLENISH. REWIND.

For more information, please contact Nicola or Tim: E: hottubsinfrance@gmail.com T: 07 49 19 46 84

www.hottubsinfrance.com

Pools

Easy to install in even the most remote locations Shhhh...one of the quietest air bubble systems on the market Efficient wood-fired boiler - minimal electricity used for bubbles and LED lighting Robust wood and fibreglass construction means years of weather-resistant service Thoughtful design ensures they are hygienic and easy-to-clean Comfortable seating allows users to immerse their shoulders, perfect all year round Bespoke range of options and colour combinations

siret: 879 912 855

Facebook: HotTubsinFrance | Google business: hot-tubs-in-france.business.site | LinkedIn: hot-tubs-in-france

These local businesses are waiting for your call!

60 PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

Trust our local experts with the management and rental of your French property

Property Management Rental Management Key Holding Property Check-ups Changeovers Guest Services Mail Forwarding Visit our website for details or contact us for a FREE estimation hello@leggettpm.fr 09 80 80 83 89 www.leggettpm.com

The Homecheckers

Frapa

IT Service & Support

For your unoccupied home solutions Key holding & property checks House & garden maintenance Meter reading Mail forwarding and more

Computer Help & Advice Problem Solving Repair & Maintenance PCs, Networks, Laptops, Tablets, Phones

Siret 901 854 836 00011

Windows, OSx/iOS, Linux, Android Website Construction & Maintenance

05 45 36 19 09

All Departments: Remote or On-Site

Short-term, long-term & flexible packages available, contact us for a free quote: 06 71 07 45 38 / +44 7481 475379 thehomecheckers.fr@outlook.com

Data Privacy Guaranteed frapaconsultants@gmail.com www.frapaconsultants.com 06 29 61 47 88

Based in 79190 Sauzé-Vaussais. Fully insured.

thehomecheckers.fr

Siret: 889 641 726 00019

F o r Po o l s • Installation • Renovation

Pools

• Cleaning and Maintenance

For Outside Living • Terraces & Patios • Summerhouses • Roofs • Fencing • Blockwork • Pointing • Rendering • Outside Rooms

rjcpoolservices.com enquiries@rjcpoolservices.com

t: +33 (0) 549 290135 t: +33 (0) 785 372144 Based near Sauzé-Vaussais (79) Full Décennale Insurance siret: 897 609 293

Complete Pool Care Gardening | Home Maintenance 05.45.25.05.37 www.charenteassistance.fr

POOLS BY JONATHAN Agent and installer for several rectangular & shaped pools including Seablue & Astral Pools FRIENDLY PROFESSIONAL SERVICE Competitive prices, try me for a quote Terracing and landscaping service also available ALL WORK GUARANTEED www.poolsbyjonathan.com phone 0549840362 mobile 0622361056

SIRET 47994761600021

Bike Hire, Home Services, Pools

We are recruiting! Become a Property Manager. Get in touch for further information.

61

HOME SWEET (COLOURFUL?) HOME It would be fair to say that most of us have spent much more time this year at home than normal....and for many of us the enforced lockdown gave us the opportunity to give our homes a little TLC. We ourselves did plenty of painting & decorating, especially during the early weeks, and decided to use strong, bold colours - not our normal style but perhaps it was a reaction to the situation we were in....an unconscious decision to lift the spirits!

We are slowly seeing some more colour coming back into carpets too....not everything has to be grey or beige!

Look at these 2 of our suppliers – Adam Carpets & Westex Carpets – literally hundreds of colours across their ranges, all available anywhere in France.

If you want to see samples of these, or any other examples, give us a call and we’ll make a free, no obligation visit.

Makes yours a HOME SWEET (COLOURFUL?) HOME this year!

jonthecarpetman

SHOWROOM ADDRESS

E: jonthecarpetman@gmail.com 09 63 56 23 10 / 06 42 19 82 12

www.jon-thecarpetman.com

Les Rivières, 19260 TREIGNAC

Chimney Sweep

Parquet Specialist ~ Floor Sanding, Restoration & Repairs Bespoke Furniture & Staircase Restoration

• Certificates issued for every sweep • Over 10 years’ experience • Covering departments 16, 17, 79 & 86

Furniture & Flooring

PM

Based in Blanzay 86400 ~ Assurance Décennale ~ Artisan Central vetted artisan

CARPETS & FLOORING

For all your flooring needs

Tel: 07 86 72 08 91 Email: info@parfaitparquet.fr www.parfaitparquet.fr FB: BradQuarlessparfaitparquets

Nick Wright

Registered with the Chambre de Métiers et de l’Artisanat

• We supply and fit a range of carpets to suit all budgets • We also fit amtico, vinyl, wood and ceramic tile • Over 25 years experience, 100% customer satisfaction • Now selling a selection of wool and mixed fibre rugs

Siret 81968203000013

www.pmcarpetsandflooring.com

Contact Nick on email: nickthesweep@gmail.com or T. 05 45 71 33 36

Contact Paul on 06 60 07 54 78 or 05 45 84 27 75

www.nettoyage-services-dordogne.fr PROFESSIONAL CLEANING & HYGIENE SERVICES Key holding / conciergerie.

Cleaning of commercial and domestic premises and window cleaning.

Rugs, carpet & upholstery steam shampoo extraction.

Hard floors / surfaces treatment: marble, granite, terracotta etc & wood floor parquet.

Swimming pool & garden maintenance.

Office: 05 53 07 52 71 (9 to 18.00) Mobile: 06 31 31 06 76 / 06 70 39 83 96 arcencielnettoyage24@gmail.com

Siret: 813 442 860 00017

L’Atelier de Fer Fraser W. Eade

Jeff’s Metalwork

www.jeffsmetalwork.com

General Engineering Turning, Milling, Welding Quality & Precision Guaranteed Forgeix, 87200 Saint Junien

05 55 71 41 75

frasereade87@gmail.com www.latelierdefer.com Siret: 512 945 874 00018

Ornate interior / exterior designs Gates constructed / refurbished Industrial furniture General Welding ~ Over 25 year’s experience ~ Tel: 06 17 73 56 87 Mob: 07 77 83 77 10 or 0044 7917 03 02 49 jeff@jeffsmetalwork.com

WELDING & ENGINEERING SERVICES PROJECT MANAGEMENT City & Guilds Mechanical Engineer Design & manufacture of gates railings etc On site welding service / repairs Emergency call out service

SAS Ornate Ironworks Vaudrude, Corgnac Sur L'isle 24800 E: ornate.ironworks@gmail.com Tel: 06 27 17 18 13 www.ornate-ironworks.com

Cleaning, Metalwork

ARC EN CIEL Nettoyage Professionnel

Siret: 841 581 929 00020

Flooring, Chimney sweep

PARFAIT PARQUET

Enershop – renewable energy heating systems for your property Enershop have been installing renewable energy systems in France since 2008. Each system designed and installed is specifically for your needs, whether your property is a new

build, extension or a renovation, whether it is a cottage, chalet or château - the flexibility of our systems means there is a solution for all. We offer a free devis, with no obligation and no hard sell. Now is the time to consider a renewable heating system. There are reduced rates of TVA available and significant incentives for systems installed by Enershop as we

Siret: 827 978 636 00013

Email: info@enershop.eu

BECK CHERRY PICKER HIRE Nacelle Telescopique

17m tracked cherry picker with IPAF operator For all exterior works: roofing, painting, tree cutting etc.

Hourly, daily or weekly rates Based in south 86, can transport as required

www.beckcherrypickerhire.com Tel: 07 84 12 44 97

E: beckcherrypickerhire@gmail.com

• Solar thermal domestic hot water • Wood gasification boilers • Wood / Pellet boiler stoves • Pellet boilers • Accumulation tanks • Air source heat pumps

• Central and underfloor heating systems • Swimming pool / hot tub heating

Website: www.enershop.eu

M&M PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Enershop

HAVE YOUR SHUTTERS SHUTTER RESTORATION SEEN BETTER DAYS? Wooden shutter painting and restoration using the best quality materials

Depts 16 & 17

Painting & decorating services Tiling / Flooring Plasterboarding Suppliers of Crown Paints Providing a quality service since 2005 Kevin Smith

16100 Chateaubernard 05 45 36 46 70 / 06 72 21 80 27 lifeboatmoose@wanadoo.fr www.mmpropertymaintenance.fr

Located in Nontron (24) and covering a wide radius

Siret: 913 978 565 00012

Building services, Artisans

Tel: 07 67 04 07 53

hold the QualiSol and QualiBois accreditation. Our website www.enershop.eu has lots of information on our services which include :

Siret 482 718 640 00022

62

Contact Jo on 06 62 81 43 22 Mvlservice22@gmail.com @Macmarcola

Wooden shutters made, restored and spray painted Metal shutters sandblasted Exterior / Interior walls airless spray-painted Over 30 years’ experience All areas covered Contact Alan Tel 05 45 21 72 01 Mobile 07 80 00 51 65 amccontracts2@gmail.com

South West France Fosse Trained-Approved-Recommended

by SPANC Can you trust your installation to anyone else?

With over 30 years’ experience

Etudes  Conception  Surveys Maintenance  Service  Remedial

Tel: 06 04 14 84 86 See all our work on

southwestfrancefosse

Email: southwestfrancefosse@orange.fr

www.southwestfrancefosse.com

Affordable UK Designs

Fitted Kitchens, Upvc & Aluminium Double Glazing

63

Free plAn, Design & costing throUghoUt soUth West FrAnce - other AreAs by ArrAngement Upvc Windows, Doors & conservatories in all colours. Aluminium and Upvc Bifold doors Made to UK Spec in French styles!

Made in the UK Fitted in France

phone: 05 49 42 99 41 Mobile: 06 63 71 09 81 E: scott.braddock1@yahoo.com www.affordableukdesigns.com

Emptying of grease traps, fosse septiques, filtre compacts & micro stations.

Cleaning & maintenance of all types of sewage treatment plants.

David GABARD T: 06 71 83 16 69 / 05 49 87 27 29 E: info@vf-services.fr 2 Verrières, 86400 CHAMPNIERS

Plumbing - Heating Chimney sweeping Full service with certificate (boiler, fuel, wood, gaz) Installation of Wood Burners Registered RGE QUALIBOIS Fully insured with over 15 years’ experience

Specialist Carpenter/Joiner Bespoke Joinery & Renovations Doors - Shutters - Stairs Flooring - Kitchens

Experienced, French Registered Electrician Available for all types of electrical work renovations, small works, gate automations etc.

Insured and guaranteed

✓ Fully equipped workshop ✓ 40 years’ experience ✓ Lots of solutions for your requirements ✓ References available

Areas 16, 17, 24

Siret 49376573200015

▶ ▶ ▶ ▶

Siret: 508 248 747 000 18

05 46 49 78 30 / 06 70 40 66 01

website: andyms.free.fr email: andyms@free.fr siret:50263448800014

Siret: 804 390 862 000 14

JAMES RICHARDSON

Imajica Joinery ESTABLISHED COMPANY, CONSCIENTIOUS & RELIABLE SERVICE For a superior finish in wood, tile, plasterboard and general restoration Specialising in kitchen fitting & creative challenges

▶ ▶ ▶ ▶

Planning and designs for permis de construire and déclaration préalables for extensions, renovations, conversions and new builds.

Departments: 16, 17, 24, 79, 86 & 87 Siret: 492 277 918 00024

Mob:

06.02.33.90.58

E: iancdickinson1960@gmail.com

Carpenter

Cabinet Maker & Joiner

T: 07 80 53 54 11 E: seantheobald@outlook.com Based in 17240

Siret: 848 507 042 00010

Ensuites / walk in wardrobes Acoustic and thermal insulation Plastering skim and set Tape & jointing

Established in France in 2009

ALL TYPES OF DRYWALL WORK COVERED SIRET: 514 636 257 00016 ALL WORKS COVERED BY ASSURANCE DÉCENNALE

ID Planning & Design

Barry Baldwin

Over 35 years experience specialising in, but not limited to High-End Residential and Heritage Projects

Siret: 48115588500017

BSc (Hons)

SEAN THEOBALD All elements of 1st and 2nd fix carpentry undertaken

05 49 87 09 63

05 45 31 14 58 / 06 63 20 24 93 adrian.luke.amos@gmail.com

Drylining Ceilings / suspended flat / apex / joist infills Partition walls Hydro wet rooms

All leading Brands All associated minor works, modifications and repairs also undertaken e.g.. replace Kitchen worktops, taps, toilets etc.

Dept. 16, 17

Ian Dickinson

Phone: 06 38 68 72 53 www.drywall-solutions.fr info@drywall-solutions.fr

These local businesses are waiting for your call!

Furniture Restoration Manufacture of staircases, doors & cupboards 16240 La Fôret de Tesse T: 05 45 30 39 85 Covering depts 16, 79 & 86

Siret: 804476 034 00017

Building services, Artisans

Adrian Amos

Kitchens & Bathrooms from A-Z

Based in dept 79 near Sauzé-Vaussais Fully insured

English spoken

ELECTRICIAN

trevor.miell@btopenworld.com

Tel: 06 29 90 24 89 E: mrbirky2@yahoo.com

30km around 86400 (Saint Macoux) Siret: 900 570 490 00012

05 46 86 07 61

Kitchen & Bathroom installation Tiling Plumbing Repairs

ambroise1204@hotmail.fr Tel: 06 58 86 55 91

Covering south 86 & 79, north 16

ANDY MS

Jb Plumbing

Building services, Artisans

Ambroise PRÉE

SIRET: 513 577 809 00017

64

Andy Quick

The Roofing Company

BLISHE TA

D

ES

Zinc work ~ Guttering ~ Chimneys Repairs ~ Insurance Quotes 07

SINCE 20

Registered artisan with Décennale & Civile Responsabilité Insurance Covering depts 79, 86 & 16

N

I

www.building-services-france.com

FRANCE

E: andrewquick@orange.fr ~ T: 05 49 27 22 67 Siret: 499 474 302 00043

AABA ROOFING FRANCE Ecuras 16220

Assurance Décennale

Quality Roofing & Building

for you

New roofs ~ Slate and tiling Fibreglass flat roofing ~ Repairs Gutters and facias UPVC or zinc All leadwork ~ Timberwork References available

aabaroofingfrance@gmail.com 05 45 63 52 88 / 07 80 08 85 76

Siret 53210969100024

www.aabaroofingfrance.com

These local businesses are waiting for your call!

65

Interior and exterior painting Paper hanging, tiling, flooring & dry lining

ADAM BLACKABY Artisan Peintre T: 05 45 98 07 25 M: 06 23 18 30 95

adamblackaby@aol.com Areas 16, 17, 24, 33, 79, 86 Siret: 441 490 992 00027

A1SL COUVERTURE

Shaun B LLOYD

(ROOFING SERVICES)

A1SL COUVERTURE is a new French based company serving dept. 79, 86, 16, 17, 87, 85, 24 & 33 with well-established roofing experience previously based in the UK. We pride ourselves on top quality workmanship and excellent customer service.

We have built a solid reputation over 25 years in the UK and receive most of our work from customer recommendations.

WE COVER ALL ASPECTS OF ROOFING WORK FROM SMALL DOMESTIC REPAIRS, ROOF CLEANING AND LARGE NEW ROOF PROJECTS UTILIZING CLAY TILES AND SLATE; SPECIALIST IN LEAD WORK. Registered with the Repertoire des Métiers, siren: 877 636 050

Mobile: + 33.(0).6.95.49.60.89 Email: contacta1slroofing@gmail.com www.a1slroofing.com All work is fully guaranteed and we are fully insured.

Our services are available 6 days a week, no-obligation free estimate and no call-out fee up to 70km.

Established reputable builder in Charente From basic changes to complete renovations, bathrooms, kitchens, floor and wall tiling, dry-lining & more Guaranteed customer satisfaction Contact me for a free no-obligation quotation Based near La Rochefoucauld, covering areas 16, 86 & 79 T: 05 45 95 44 34 or 06 98 29 76 45 E: graham.medhurst@orange.fr

ktaylor.renovations@gmail.com Javarzay, 79110 Chef-Boutonne Siren: 478 608 185 00011

ANDY MS Multi Services

Plumbing Electricity Plasterboarding Tiling Satellite dishes and Systems for the reception of UK and French TV Dept. 16,17 No Job too Small

05 46 49 78 30 / 06 70 40 66 01

website: andyms.free.fr email: andyms@free.fr siret:50263448800014

Building services, Artisans

Graham Medhurst Renovations

Tel 05 17 30 18 35 Mobile 06 33 85 65 66

Building services, Artisans

PAINTER & DECORATOR

66 | living Language

Pardon?

A

s I approach my fiftieth turn around the sun, occupied 14 hours a day by marking exam papers, my thoughts turn to my own future and that of the students whose work I’m marking.

I wish someone had told me at 16 that in 30 years’ time, jobs like YouTube Influencer, app designer and social media campaign manager would exist. O, brave new world, that has such people in it!

Many modern jobs translate easily enough into French of course.

Un développeur de logiciels is easily translated into a software developer, un analyste marketing translates almost straightforwardly into a marketing analyst and un planificateur financier is clearly recognisable as a financial planner. Bitcoin investors, app developers and non-fungible tokens experts are undoubtedly roles we’ll see some of our children moving into over the next twenty years.

Thank goodness les infirmiers, les gendarmes and les profs remain as important in the 21st century otherwise my high school French would be in rapid need of une mise à jour.

But what about jobs that have largely appeared in the last ten years or so?

Where do les nomades numériques fit into the grand scheme of things these days? With businesses on both sides of La Manche trying to push people back into work in the city, the pandemic showed us all that traditional office spaces are on the decline for some professions. Back in Manchester for a meeting, we were spoiled for venues and surrounded by empty office spaces. Le télétravail or ‘working from

home’ has proved as popular in France as it has in Anglophone countries.

Where the UK seems ready to force those working from home back into the office, France seems to be taking a more pragmatic approach, considering how to effectively monitor productivity at home. Thus, la surveillance des salariés en télétravail is big news in France.

Workers’ protections are already being enshrined in employment and tax law where the UK is still deciding if les télétravailleurs are disrupted too frequently by trips to the fridge to eat cheese, according to Boris Johnson.

Le télétravail hybride seems to be bridging the gap at the moment.

Taking charge of your own learning through digital courses, l’autoapprentissage is big news too. One recent study estimated that almost 70% of French Génération Z workers would like to work abroad at some point too. What seemed so brave for those of us who crossed the channel to work in Europe from the late 1990s is now the new normal. Les formations en ligne, YouTube and des tutoriels virtuels are now more popular than going back

Emma-Jane Lee ponders the brave new world of working

to education.

You might even hear of les slasheurs, a word that sounds like it should come from English but is one of the lovely French-only English-sounding words like le smoking and le brushing for dinner jackets and a blow-dry. The slash referred to is the / meaning that many of Generation Z have two or more activities under their belt. Not unlike this author of course. I was slashing well before it was famous, right back to my milk round / greengrocers’ assistant / serving staff of the 80s.

Le slashing is likely to become more and more popular with economic crises as everyone’s running a side hustle.

Le travail d’appoint or even un petit boulot à côté will probably become more and more popular. TikTok influenceurs or even individuals working to establish your online reputation like un gestionnaire e-réputation are all going to become more and more appealing to the younger generation, no doubt.

And as for us poor Gen Xers, stuck with our diplomas and our traditional careers, we’re left without the option of early retirement as la bombe à retardement left by the baby boomers moves the retirement ever further into the distance. Perhaps it’s time we reinvented ourselves for the second half of our careers, take up le slashing or even a little TikTok influencing ourselves. The thought of le nomadisme numérique is suddenly very appealing.

Emma is a jack-of-all-language-trades, writing English textbooks, translating, marking exam scripts and teaching languages. She lives near La Rochefoucauld with her growing menagerie.

See www.english-tuition.weebly.com

L i ving

PUBLISHER: Kathryn Dobson Advertising: Jon Dobson Art editor: Nadia Van den Rym repro & Production: Justin Silvester Regular contributors: Caro Feely, Susan Hays, Jessica Knipe, Emma-Jane Lee, Nikki Legon, Mike Morris, Roger Moss and Stig Tomas. magazine WITH THANKS TO: John and Gill Bowler.

Photography: Shutterstock or Roger Moss unless indicated.

Cover image: Talmont-sur-Gironde © Alain Pagnoux Published by: Anglo Media & MArketing, 2 Rue Buffefeu, 86400 Linazay FRANCE. Poitiers: 533 624 128 Printed by: Rotimpres S.A. Dépôt légal: A parution Issue: 85 ISSN: 2270-2709.

Living is available by subscription (www.livingmagazine.fr). Living est disponible par abonnement. All material may not be reproduced without the written permission of Anglo Media & Marketing. Toute reproduction même partielle du contenu est interdit sans l’accord écrit du magazine.

Please ensure you verify that any company you are dealing with is registered in France and/or elsewhere around the world. Articles and adverts in this issue do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. All prices quoted were correct at the time of going to print. www.livingmagazine.fr