etcetera magazine November 2020

etcetera I’M FREE - TAKE ME, KEEP ME!

YOUR COMPANION FOR LIFE IN THE FRENCH COMMUNITY

NOVEMBER 2020

It’s Getting Chilli from Growing Your Own to Cooking with Cayenne

100s of Local Advertisers

PLUS

Autumn in the

Garden

Decoration and Planning

Health Farm Life Expert Advice

ASTRONOMY • PARLEZ FRANÇAIS • PUZZLES • CRAFT

Your Local Solution for Insulating Your Home To take advantage of the current government-funded insulation and air-to-water heat pump grants, make an appointment with one of our English advisers Contact Kate 05 55 14 62 77 or Luke 07 78 22 63 25 If you prefer to visit us in person we’d be delighted to welcome you at 9 rue de la gare in Rochechouart

hello & welcome

Contents 3

A note from the editors

4

What’s on

7

Latest news

8

Craft

11

Language

14

Food

17

Business & assistance

21

Health

24

Garden

Welcome to the November edition of etcetera magazine.

32

Farm life

34

Angling

35

Animal

36

Free time

Just as we’re going to print more restrictions have been announced and we imagine this will continue to be the case for some time. Please make sure you are keeping up-to-date with local news in case there are further developments near you. It looks as though we are all going to be hunkering down this autumn and winter.

38

Nature

44

Night sky

46

Home & Specialist

48

Getting connected

51

Artisans

59

Motoring & removals

61

Property

64

Classified

Subscribe Annual subscription France 50€ / UK 50€ Card payment by telephone

Advertise Copy date 15th of each month (except December which is the 11th).

Commercial adverts: Please see our Media Pack at www.etceteraonline.org What’s On/Listings: 12€ per 50 words for a guaranteed spot or free (space permitting) Classified listing: 6€ per 25 words plus 3€ per photo Property listing: 10€ per 50 words plus 6€ per photo

Photo credits: Bigstock, Pixabay,

A Note from the Editors

Code APE 5814Z Edition de Revues et Periodique Siret 80903463000016. La Présidente G. Feasey Registered. Le Bourg, 87360 Verneuil Moustiers. Impression: Rotimpres. Pol. Ind Casa Nova. Carrer Pla de l’Estany s/n. 17181 Aiguaviva (Girona) Espagne. etcetera est gratuit.

While we always do our best to ensure the content in this magazine is given in good faith and businesses are reputable, we accept no liability for any errors or omissions and do not endorse any companies, products or services. Articles written are the personal opinions of the original authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of etcetera magazine.

CONTACT US: Tel: 05 16 32 13 42 email: editors.etcetera@gmail.com website: www.etceteraonline.org 17 rue des Chaumettes 86290 St Léomer

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@etceterafrance

Continue to stay safe and well.

Gayle and Sam

Useful numbers 15 17 18

SAMU (Medical) Gendarmes (Police) Pompiers (Fire and also trained in medical emergency) 114 Text-message emergency number for deaf/hard of hearing 119 Child abuse 115 Homeless 113 Drugs and alcohol 112 European emergency not always English 1616 Emergency- Sea & Lake 3131 Last incoming call, key ‘5’ to connect Orange English speaking helpline 0033 (0)9 69 36 39 00 Website in English: www.orange.com/en/home Technical assistance for landlines (French): 3900 (+33 9 69 39 39 00 from abroad) SFR 1023 or 00336 1000 1023 (Not English) EDF 0810 333087 EDF breakdown 24 hours +33 (0)9 69 36 63 83 EDF Helpline in English 0033 562164908 (From UK) 05 62 16 49 32 Fax E-mail: simpleenergywithedf@edf.fr CPAM - 09 74 75 36 46 Veolia Water Emergency No: 24h/24 et 7j/7 05 61 80 09 02 (press 1 for urgent problems or 2 for a technician) S.E.P Du Confolens (Water) 05 87 23 10 08 Emergency 24/7 Aéroport Int’l Limoges 05 55 43 30 30 SNCF (train times, buying tickets etc) 36 35 Alcoholics Anonymous For contact details of meetings in your area including those conducted in English, visit www.aafrance.net

Please download the pdf from this link now: www.paysruffecois.fr/sante/guide.pdf

HOSPITALS 05 55 05 55 55 Limoges (CHU) 05 55 43 50 00 St Junien 05 55 47 20 20 Bellac 05 49 44 44 44 Poitiers 05 45 24 40 40 Angoulême 05 49 32 79 79 Niort 05 45 84 40 00 Confolens Counselling In France Counsellors, psychotherapists, NLP, CBT etc offering therapy in English to expatriates all over France on www.counsellinginfrance.com SSAFA France 05 53 24 92 38 email france@ssafa.org.uk French Health Insurance Advice line.

CPAM English speaking Advice line: 09 74 75 36 46 (from France) 0033 974 75 36 46 (from other countries).

The line is open from Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

NHS website : www.nhs.uk/using-thenhs/healthcare-abroad www.ameli.fr No Panic France Helpline: No Panic UK helpline: 0044 1 952 590 545 11h - 23h (French time) 7/7 www.nopanic.org.uk /nopanicfrance@orange.fr English-speaking Crisis Line SOS- HELP 01 46 21 46 46 3pm-11pm 7/7 British Consulate in Paris 01 44 51 31 00 British Consulate in Bordeaux 05 57 22 21 10 www.ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk/en/ Credit Agricole English Speaking Helpline Charente (residents only) 05 45 20 49 60 Anglofile - Radio for British in Charente www.rcf.fr Tues 20h (repeated Sun 11h30). leme 96.8, Chalais 96.9, Confolens 95.4, Ruffec 95.4, Char. Limousine 104.1, Cognac 89.9

Print 2 copies - one for your home and one for your car - it could save a life.

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listing

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listing

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news

TITRE DE SÉJOUR

RESIDENCY CARDS APPLY NOW

HUNTING SEASON IS WELL UNDERWAY Please make sure to pay particular care and attention when you are walking in the countryside at this time of year in France. Wear bright, coloured clothing and if you see there is a hunt it’s best to keep as far away from it as possible. If you hear a hunt close to your house, you may want to consider bringing in your domestic pets and sheltering your livestock.

For many locals, la chasse is very much part of their lives and countryside culture. It’s the 3rd most popular sport in France, with over a million official hunters registered. In more recent years, the sport has ignited much debate.

Over the decades its popularity has been dropping (it was over 2 million in the

70s).

Le Code de l’environnement is a French law covering rural life and ecology and stops hunters from hunting on people’s land without their consent.

However, you might find that the chasse are hunting on your land by default so you will need to go through the official protocol. Depending on where you live, it will be governed by a local hunting club (société de chasse) or managed by a body approved by the prefecture (ACCA association communale de chasse agrée, or AICA association intercommunale de chasse agréée). If you’re not sure who to contact or what to do, visit your mairie for advice.

EUROPE’S FIRST ELEPHANT SANCTUARY READY TO HOST After years of planning and hard work, Elephant Haven in Bussière Galant (87230) is now ready to take on 3 elephants. For more details visit: www.elephanthaven.org

The long-awaited launch for online residency card applications went live on Monday 19th October. Despite an expected overload of applications on the first day, it all went without too many hitches and feedback has been positive. A few glitches (which are to be expected) but so far so good. If you already have an existing carte de séjour (aka titre de séjour) permanent the process is very simple. It seems for anyone who has been in France for over 5 years they are no longer asking for proof of income or healthcover, so this sounds as though it has been simplified.

Applications for those living in France for less than 5 years are more detailed but again, the response so far from applicants is positive. If you are a British passport holder (and don’t have dual French citizenship) you must apply for your residency before the 30th of June 2021. You can apply online here: http://invite.contacts-demarches.interieur.gouv.fr Select the ‘Brexit ‘ box and follow instructions.

Good advice and updated information is available here: www.francerights.org If you need any help with your application reach out to friends or neighbours for help, or contact one of the hand holding/admin services (please see the Language and Advice section).

FLIGHTS CANCELLED It appears that Ryanair has cancelled all of their flights from and to Limoges airport. At the time of print, there are currently no flights available to book between now and March 2021. It has proved difficult to find an official statement on this,

but Limoges airport have confirmed that Ryanair have cancelled all of the UK bound flights and return journeys. Their advice was to keep checking with Ryainair regularly as circumstances can change (at a moment’s notice).

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craft Sarah is the author of craftinvaders.co.uk where she blogs about her original craft tutorials, recipes, foraging, and developing wellbeing through being By Sa rah Wh iting creative, spending time outdoors and connecting with nature

Choose your natural material

Planter filled with compost and planted with pretty houseplants

Upcycling WONDERING WHAT TO DO WITH THE OLD CUPS STUCK IN THE BACK OF YOUR CUPBOARD? HERE’S AN EASY CRAFT IDEA TO REPURPOSE BROKEN MUGS INTO CUTE PLANTERS.

W

e are working hard to declutter the cupboards in our house. We have so many things stuffed in them that we never use. This collection of branded mugs are a prime example of old things that we do nothing with. They are entirely usable, but the kids are way past their hello kitty

Thé Bonbons Cadeaux Tea Shop Tel. 06 72 38Mark 82 20the

centre point Jewellery & Accessories

A perfect place to put bird food balls

8 etcetera

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stage, so I decided to repurpose these old mugs into something I’d use.

This little project is a great way to reuse a broken mug or a cup that’s lost its handle.

These particular mugs were actually in pretty good condition, but I soon sorted that out with a hammer and chisel!

I wanted planters with straight sides, so I started by removing the handles from the mugs.

Materials: ▪ Old cups/mugs ▪ Chisel

craft

▪ Hammer ▪ Sticks from the garden, like willow or hazel. Alternatively, you can use cinnamon sticks.

▪ Glue gun, or any type of all-purpose strong adhesive would work.

▪ Marker pen (I used a Sharpie) What to do

hammer and with the right amount of force the handle will pop off.

I found each of my handles came off on the third strike, whether this was because I use a bit more force each time or whether the joint weakened I’m not sure.

If the handle doesn’t break up cleanly use the chisel to tidy it up.

1. To remove the handle from a ceramic mug, you need a hammer and a chisel. The chisel blade should be wider than the handle you are removing.

Out of 5 mugs, I managed to remove four handles, breaking one mug completely.

One handle came off leaving a hole in the body of the cup, which isn’t a problem for a planter.

2. Protect your work surface with newspaper or similar to catch any pieces of ceramic. It is also worth wearing eye protection for this stage.

Now to make them into planters…

3. Place the chisel blade at ninety degrees above where the handle meets the mug. (As shown in the photo). Strike the chisel end with a

4. Secure the sticks to the broken mugs using a glue gun, but any strong all purpose adhesive would work. Using a sharpie to mark a couple of vertical lines on the mug before you start will act as a guide and help keep the sticks straight.

OPEN HOUSE CHRISTMAS SALE - CANCELLED Due to the new Covid-19 restrictions NEW - Online shop Order and arrange your pick-up slot Contact Denise for more details

NEW - Pop-up shop By appointment only Dates: 14, 18, 21, 25 & 28 November and 2 & 5 December 10am-12.30pm & 2pm-4pm

1 route des prés Guillon, 79190 Melleran Book Pop-Up slot by email denise.eyre@wanadoo.fr or private message www.facebook.com/bespokedenise.eyre

All necessary safety measures will be in place

- Pick-ups Please wear a mask

Transfer Your Cine Films & Videos e Volumunt Discoable il Ava

Super 8mm & standard 8mm films with or without sound, VHS, Hi8 plus other formats. DVD also memory card to DVD. Photo scans to CD also 35mm slides. Processed via pc software from analogue to digital.

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craft Ap po in By tm en tO

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Extensive range of upholstery, curtain fabrics and voiles by ROMO, WARWICK, FIBRE NATURELLE, MARK ALEXANDER and many more.

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hinking of having new curtains? Or maybe some cushions to bring changes to your home for Christmas.

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See our SPECIAL OFFERS and grab a bargain for your winter projects.

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language & advice

Parlez Français French conversation, vocabulary & traditions with Isabelle

Recette du Chili Végétarien Il commence à faire froid. L’hiver arrive à grands pas. Pour se réchauffer, rien de tel qu’un bon Chili. Je vous propose un Chili Végétarien qui est très facile à réaliser et qui est original. Il peut se déguster dans une miche de pain ou dans une assiette. On peut le congeler pour en profiter une autre fois plus tard. J’ai choisi ce Chili Végétarien, donc sans viande, qui peut plaire à toutes et tous, et de plus, nous avons presque tous les ingrédients déjà dans nos placards.

Broaden your horizons with CONTINENTAL HORIZONS! À bientôt ! Isabelle Isabelle works for CONTINENTAL HORIZONS Language Centre in L’Isle Jourdain and teaches French as a Foreign Language every day in their many classrooms. Do not hesitate to contact her on 06 20 10 34 49. www.continental-horizons.com

La préparation ne dure que 25 minutes. La cuisson prend 50 minutes. Voici cette recette pour 6 personnes.

Il nous faut une boîte de 540 ml de haricots rouges, rincés et égouttés. C’est l’ingrédient principal. Aussi, nous avons besoin d’un oignon haché, de 2 cuillérées à soupe d’huile d’olive, de 3 gousses d’ail hachées finement, d’un poivron rouge épépiné et coupé en dés.

Nous pouvons ajouter à la liste des ingrédients l’équivalent d’une tasse (à café française) de carottes pelées et coupées en

CHASSENEUIL BONNIEURE

dés, ainsi que l’équivalent d’une demitasse de céleri coupé en dés.

L’ingrédient crucial est un piment de chili rouge frais, épépiné et haché finement ou pas, selon votre goût. On aura besoin aussi de l’équivalent d’une tasse de maïs en grains, une boîte de 550 ml environ de tomates en dés ou on peut utiliser des tomates fraîches.

Pour aider à faire mijoter tout cela, il nous faut l’équivalent d’une demi-tasse de bouillon de légumes.

On peut ajouter, si l’on veut une cuillérée à soupe d’assaisonnement au chili (selon

FRENCH LESSONS FOR FREE (if eligible)

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Translation Services Help with Your Paperwork English & French Secondhand Books www.doclingua.fr Ingrid Vincent Tél : 06 08 06 01 80 Mail : ingrid.vincent@doclingua.fr

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etcetera 11

Let ’s Learn!

Saviez-vous….

C’est la Capsaïcine qui donne le feu en bouche, et le saviez-vous, les papilles qui captent cette molécules sont les même qui captent le gras

votre envie épicée plus ou moins forte). Il est aussi bon d’ajouter une cuillérée à café de cumin moulu et une cuillérée à café d’origan séché.

Si nous voulons servir ce Chili Végétarien dans du pain, il nous faut six petits pains ronds d’environ 12 cm de diamètre.

Pour un plaisir encore plus intense, je vous propose d’ajouter l’équivalent d’une tasse de fromage Cheddar ou de Vieux Comté fort et râpé, ainsi qu’une demitasse de coriandre ciselée.

Nous pouvons aussi utiliser de la crème fraîche épaisse et des quartiers de citron vert au moment du service.

Pour préparer cette bonne recette, il faut prendre la moitié des haricots rouges et les passer au robot culinaire pour les dégrossir un peu. Puis on les met de côté.

In Champagnac la Rivière (87150) Every Monday & Tuesday With Sandrine Durand 05 55 78 16 21 / 06 83 07 66 98 r.sandrine.durand@orange.fr Siret: 488 296 450 00015

12 etcetera

Dans une grande casserole ou une marmite, il faut dorer l’oignon dans l’huile, ajouter l’ail, le poivron, les carottes, le céleri et le piment. On laisse cuire pendant 3 minutes. On sale et on poivre.

Puis on ajoute les haricots dégrossis et les haricots encore entiers, les tomates, le bouillon, les épices et l’origan. On peut saler et poivrer à nouveau.

On porte le tout à l’ébullition et on laisse mijoter pendant 40 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les légumes soient tendres. Il faut que la consistance du chili soit bien épaisse. Il faut remuer de temps en temps.

Entre temps, si on va servir ce Chili Végétarien dans du pain, on peut couper le dessus de chaque petit pain et les évider, c’est-à-dire retirer la mie du milieu. Vous pouvez garder la mie pour

l’utiliser autre part bien sûr, pas de gaspillage ! Mettre chaque coquille de pain dans une assiette.

Quand le Chili végétarien est fini dans la casserole, je vous conseille de le goûter et de rectifier l’assaisonnement si besoin.

Vous pouvez ensuite verser le chili dans les bols en pain ou dans des assiettes creuses. Il faut après répartir le fromage et la coriandre sur le chili. Si vous avez les petits pains, vous pouvez placer le dessus de chaque petit pain sur le côté de l’assiette.

Maintenant, il n’y a plus qu’à accompagner de crème fraîche épaisse et des quartiers de citron vert, sur le côté de l’assiette.

Servez bien chaud !

Bonne dégustation !

● Assistance with all admin needs ● Professional efficient & confidential service ● Competitive rates with flexible & friendly support Remy Hickman-Reed 06 37 76 56 51

remyhickmanreed@gmail.com

language & advice

se réchauffer (verb) to warm oneself up Il n’y a rien de tel que… there is nothing like … déguster (verb) to taste / to appreciate eating congeler (verb) to freeze un placard a cupboard durer (verb) to last la cuisson the cooking (with heat) / the cooking time Il nous faut… we need une boîte a tin rincé (adj) rinsed Nous avons besoin de … we need haché (adj) chopped une cuillérée a spoonful

épépiné (adj) seeds removed / unseeded un dé a dice ajouter (verb) to add pelé (adj) peeled une tasse (à café) a cup (French coffee cup, small) le goût the taste On aura besoin de … we will need utiliser (verb) to use mijoter (verb) to simmer servir (verb) to serve le plaisir the pleasure râpé (adj) grated préparer (verb) to prepare mettre (verb) de côté to put aside

Admin/Hand Holding Service New For Autumn 2020

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Garden Maintenance | Pool Care | Gîte Services | Admin Services

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cuire (verb) to cook / to put under heat saler (verb) to add salt poivrer (verb) to add pepper entier (adj) entire épais / épaisse (adj) thick remuer (verb) to stir

Get the Vocab!

de temps en temps from time to time entre temps in the meantime le gaspillage the waste goûter (verb) to taste un assaisonnement a seasoning verser (verb) to pour Bonne dégustation !

Enjoy your food!

FRENCH COMMUNICATION SERVICES Comprehensive administration, translation and support services for English-speaking people in France…to make life easier.

Call Jenny 06 79 85 58 84 Mail: jenifer@wordsmithcoms.com www.facebook.com/frenchwordsmith Siret 504 587 924 00011

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food

Tastebud Tinglers

Hello from the accidental Chatelaine!

I love to cook at any opportunity and delighted to be able to share that love with you

By Beli n

da Prin ce

Chateau Kitchen www.chateaumareuil.com

ONCE YOU DISCOVER THE TYPE OF PEPPER YOU LIKE AND HOW HOT YOU LIKE IT, YOU CAN ADJUST ALL OF THESE DELICIOUS RECIPES TO SUIT YOUR TASTE

Pineapple Chilli Chutney

Fresh Tomato Relish Fresh and delicious - great with curry!

Great with curry but also especially delicious with ham or bacon.

1/2tsp ground ginger 100ml water (on the side)

Makes about 1 ltr

Method

Ingredients

1. Place all of the ingredients into a large pan (except the water), bring to the boil, stirring to combine and prevent sticking.

1kg fresh pineapple, chopped 300g onions, finely chopped 3 chillies of your choice, finely chopped 120ml white wine vinegar 250g sugar 1tsp salt 2 garlic cloves, crushed with salt 1tsp cumin seeds 2tsp curry powder 1/2tsp turmeric

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2. Let the chutney bubble away for about 30-40 minutes, stirring from time to time - you may need to add a little water.

3. Pot in sterilised jars.

Leave for at least 1 week before eating to allow the flavours to develop

Ingredients 250g tomatoes 100g onions 4 tbsp coriander or parsley, finely chopped 1 tsp salt 2 tblp lemon juice 1 finely chopped fresh chilli (or ½ tsp chilli powder or flakes) ½ tsp ground cumin Method 1. Chop the tomatoes and onions into small dice, put into a non metallic serving dish, add all the other ingredients and gently combine.

food

Roasted Vegetable Red Lentil Curry Ingredients Serves 4

Fruity Chicken Curry Ingredients Serves 6

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees/180 degrees fan

1kg chicken breast, cubed 150g natural yoghurt 1 chopped fresh chilli 3 tbsps curry powder or paste 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 ½ tsp salt 80g butter 40g flaked almonds 80g raisins 60g dried apricots 250g onions, chopped 1 small lime or lemon, zest and juice

Method

Method

3 tblsps olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 chopped fresh chilli 1kg chopped vegetables, carrots, parsnips, turnips, butternut squash etc 2tbsps curry paste or powder 1 ltr vegetable stock 100g red lentils Small bunch of fresh coriander, chopped

1. Place the chopped mixed vegetables in a roasting pan and drizzle over 2 tblsps of oil, season well with salt and pepper and mix together to coat the veg. Roast the veg in the preheated oven for about 30 mins until almost tender (but not too soft) and beginning to caramelise.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tblsp of the oil in a large pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3-4 mins until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in the chilli, curry powder or paste, cook for 2 mins whilst stirring. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the lentils and cook gently for about 10 minutes. Add the roast vegetables, stir to combine and continue cooking gently for another 5 – 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the vegetables are nice and tender.

3. Stir in most of the coriander, season to taste and heat for a minute or two. Top with the rest of the coriander to serve – you could also add some Greek yoghurt.

Adding chilli to a curry earlier on in the cooking process gives a milder heat.

If you like a little more kick, add it a bit later on when cooking or simmering

1. Place the cubed chicken in a glass or enamel dish. Stir in the yoghurt, chilli, curry powder, crushed garlic and salt. Cover with cling film and chill in the fridge for about 12 hours, stirring about 3 times.

2. Heat the butter in a heavy pan and add the almonds. Fry gently until just golden and lift out on to a plate, repeat with the raisins and apricots.

3. Add the onions to the rest of the butter in the pan and fry gently until pale gold. Drain the chicken, reserving the yoghurt marinade. Stir in the drained chicken cubes to the onions and continue to fry for about 5 mins over a brisk heat.

4. Add back the almonds, raisins and apricots and pour in all the left over yoghurt mix with the lime or lemon zest and juice. Bring to the boil, stirring, cover and simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with rice, naan and wedges of lime or lemon.

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food

Yoghurt Naan Bread Ingredients Serves 4 (8 naans) 250g self-raising flour (see tip) 1 finely chopped chilli 250g plain yoghurt 1/2tsp baking powder 1/4tsp salt Method 1. Sift the flour into a bowl with the baking powder & salt. Make a well in the middle and add the yoghurt. Mix together to make a dough.

2. Turn out onto a floured surface, split in half, roll each half into a rough circle and cut into 4 quarters and roll.

3. Heat a grill pan or frying pan until very hot. Cook the naans for around two minutes on each side in the dry pan, and then brush liberally with melted butter and chilli to serve.

4. Add crushed garlic and parsley to the butter if you like.

Flour tip - If you only have plain flour, add 1 tsp baking powder per 75g of flour

Saturdays & Sundays, 9am to 11am:

Full English Breakfasts

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Occasions spéciales Dîners privés Événements

www.ChefEricLeClere.com e-mail: EricLeClere1@gmail.com instagram.com/chef_eric_leclere facebook.com/chefeleclere 16 etcetera

business How Do Your Top up and the French Health System Work Together? asically, the two are linked. So, in theory, everything is automatic!

B

RAM personal account or simply phone them and they will send it to you by post.

1) If you do not have your carte vitale yet: The medical professionals give you a brown form to fill in and send to CPAM. So, you enter your social security number at the top of the page (usually a temporary one starting with 7 or 8) and sign at the bottom and send it to CPAM. As CPAM and Allianz are linked together by what we call “télétransmission”, the reimbursement comes directly into your bank account within 10 days. Therefore, we need your social security number when we do the top up contract. Sometimes, the medical professional does not have the machine for the carte vitale or your carte vitale is playing up, so you could have to use the brown form even if you have a carte vitale.

5) Tiers payant card: That is your top up card. This card does not show your level of cover. It simply proves that you have a top up and gives information to the medical professional in case of a “prise en charge”- this is when the top up pays instead of you. You can download it from your Allianz customer account.

2) When you have your carte vitale: When you visit your GP or other medical professionals, you first give them your carte vitale and then you pay. The reimbursement is then automatically done

by CPAM and Allianz is linked with CPAM by the “télétransmission” so the top up from Allianz follows within 10 days of CPAM reimbursement.

3) If you are under RSI: In this case it depends on who you are with in regard to the health system. If it is RAM, it is just like with CPAM above. If it is anybody else (Harmonie, Radiance, UMRPI, etc), you need to send us your reimbursement statement to get reimbursed for the top up. This is because RAM is the only one that works with top up companies. The others do their own top up insurance, so they are doing everything to make it hard for other top up companies! You can change to RAM by simply writing a letter to RSI asking for the change. Or ask us and we’ll do it for you.

4) Attestation de droit: This is a letter that shows you are entitled to a carte vitale. Sometimes, the “télétransmission” bugs and we need this letter to un-bug it.

You can download it from your CPAM or

6) Hospitalisation: When you are hospitalised, the hospital will contact Allianz, so Allianz set up “une prise en charge” meaning Allianz and CPAM will pay instead of you (just as well as the surgery could cost an arm and a leg!). The only thing you would have to pay for when you come out is the food, the individual room and telephone or TV bill. Simply pass it on to us for reimbursement or send it directly to Allianz santé (remboursementsante@allianz.fr).

7) Pharmacie: Some of the medical professionals such as “pharmacie” will ask for your top up card and you therefore have nothing to pay as Allianz pays the “pharmacie” directly. It is called “tiers payant”. So, when you go to the pharmacie, you give them your prescription letter, your carte vitale and top up card and all is paid for.

INSURANCE

ISABELLE WANT BH ASSURANCES just 200 euro) out of pocket! Therefore, a cover with your top up at 300% would cover that surcharge.

9) Excess: There is an excess of 1€ per GP visit, 2€ for ambulance transport (not emergency) and 50p per medicine boxes.

This excess is taken back from your CPAM or RSI reimbursement so this why sometimes you get less reimbursement than you should have got.

10) Glasses: Most of my British customers go back to the UK for them or buy them online. But you can choose to have them covered under your top up.

Only one pair every 2 years. It’s a calculation to make between what you would get back and how much it increases your premium. Note that some glasses are now fully reimbursed under the new 100% santé reform and the glasses shop is obliged to give you one quote for 100% santé.

11) Dental cover: You simply give them your carte vitale and the reimbursement follows (for normal basic treatment).

However, for crowns or major works, you first 100% top up cover is 100% get a quote so you can 8) Surcharge: first ask Allianz how 100% top up cover is of the price set by the much you can get back as 100% of the price set French Health System dentists always by the French Health surcharge. Note that System, but some type of crowns are the medical now fully reimbursed professionals are under the 100% santé reform. self-employed and are allowed to apply a 12) www.ameli.fr: This is the website surcharge. It is mostly done by consultant, of CPAM on which you can create your surgeon, private hospitals, dentists, etc. personal account (you only need your Example: the French Health System's set carte vitale to do it). Yes, it is in French, price for a hip replacement is 1000€ (not but it is full of useful information. You can the actual figure, just an example), then use the simulator to find out if you are you only get reimbursed 800€ (80%) and entitled to CMU and ACS (people on low because the surgeon likes to go golfing income can get free top up or help to pay weekends (joke!) and 1000 euro is not for their top up). You can download your enough for him, he can charge 3000€ , reimbursement and you can ask for your therefore, you would be 2200€ (instead of

Isabelle Want Mob•: 06 17 30 39 11 / Email•:isabelle.want@bh-assurances.fr N° Orias 07021727/16005974 22 rue Jean Jaures 16700 Ruffec Tél:+33 (0)5 45 31 01 61

102 Avenue de la République 16260 Chasseneuil sur Bonnieure Tél:+33(0)5 45 39 51 47

10 Bd du 8 mai 1945 16110 La Rochefoucauld Tél:+33 (0)5 45 63 54 31

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etcetera 17

business SMALL BUSINESS ADVICE

LINDSEY QUERIAUD OWNER: CAST T: 05 45 84 14 94 lindseyqueriaud@outlook.com attestation de droits (proof of cover).

This document is often asked for by insurers to give you access to top up health insurance. If you don’t speak any French at all, there is an English speaking phone line created by the French health system to answer all your questions: 09 74 75 36 46. RAM and other RSI health providers have a similar web site to download your attestation de droit and reimbursements.

13) Allianz.fr: From the Allianz web site, you can create your personal account. You simply need your surname, first name, date of birth, email and contract number. Then you can view all your reimbursements, details of contracts, follow claims, etc.

14) Extras: With Allianz top up, depending on your cover, you can get extras like free cleaning if you are in hospital for more than 3 days or 2 hours of cleaning 48 hours after a

If you don’t speak any French at all, there is an English speaking phone line created by the French health system chemotherapy session or even look after your pets, etc.

Also, you can get cover for an individual room up to 100€ or 150€ (normal price is about 75€ so it’s plenty enough). In France, you either share the room with someone else or you can choose to be on your own like a hotel room (with your own bathroom). Note that the cover does not guarantee you will be able to get the room, it simply covers the cost if you can get one. Usually, you can always get one in a private hospital (clinique).

CONCLUSION: Feel free to contact me if you require information on any of the above or to get a free quote for top up health insurance. The first 2 months are free for pensioners with Allianz at the moment.

Check out our web site www.bhassurances.fr/en for all my previous articles (“practical information”) and register to receive our monthly newsletter. And don’t hesitate to contact me for any other information or quote on subjects such as funeral cover, inheritance law, investments, car, house, professional and top up health insurance, etc…

18 etcetera

Setting up a Business In France

W

ith economic crisis, the instability of unemployment often leads to more people setting up businesses. If you add Brexit into the equation, there are more and more Brits wanting, at the moment, to set up a business quickly to get themselves into the system before the 31st December 2020. But what are the advantages and disadvantages of entrepreneurship in France? Are the legislative framework and the current economic climate really conducive to this type of venture?

employment opportunities in the parts of France to which we are attracted. Brits are also attracted to self-employment as a means to a certain flexibility and freedom.

Support available for each company creator - It is the role of CMAs (Chambers of trades and crafts) and the CCIs (Chambers of Commerce and Industry) to help craftsmen, tradesmen and commercial activities to develop their business for the first three years of existence or longer. These first three years are deemed to be the most difficult. These organisations allow each person wishing to create his or her business to meet a specialist who will assess the feasibility of the project, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses and give advice and useful contacts. They are there to guide with fund raising or start-up aids. It is important to spend time finding the right business, the right place, and the right information. A bad start can take years to get over. This is the case in any country.

Admin and professional obligations Entrepreneurship: a chance in times - Some occupations require training and of crisis - The numbers of French specific courses before you can exercise entrepreneurs since the economic crisis of them. You also need dedication, because 2008 has not ceased to increase. Their sometimes the hardest part is the numbers just keep growing. In 2019, the complexity of procedures and number of business creations reached administrative obligations. For a certain 815 300, i.e. 18% more than 2018 and number of new entrepreneurs, who were within the micro entrepreneur sector a previously employees, the profession of 28% increase. But does this increase mean business owner/manager is not always that entrepreneurship is an opportunity easy. The adaptation from employee to for artisans, traders, and professions? Or being the person is it more of a plan B responsible for a business You also need dedication, adopted by persons without because sometimes the can be for some persons employment or a salary? overwhelming. hardest part is the These two factors explain the increase in business creation complexity of procedures Administrative and professional support and administrative within the French The running of any population. The instability of obligations business can be a huge the job market and the burden to bear. It is for that very reason decline of employment could give ideas to that there are professional organisations some employees and unemployed, who which are there to assist with the regular can see as an opportunity to create their evaluation of your business. They are own employment. More French are taking there to advise you on your profitability, the plunge by fear of unemployment.

Among these new business start-ups are a the legislation, the fiscal opportunities, lot of young graduates, motivated and and the tendencies in the different eager to work and not finding employment markets. These organisations can be opportunities at their level, who then opt governmental ones, such as the Conseil to start their own business. More than half Général or an accountant or business of all businesses are created by persons advisor. who have been through university or the Good or Bad Idea? equivalent. The Brits however are looking for a life change and rapidly. They are looking for secured social cover before the 31st December 2020 (the official date for the UK to leave the European Community with or without an agreement - however, we could find this changes over the next few weeks).

For most Brits, the possibility of employment in France is negligible. This is partially due to their lack of mastership of the French language and the lack of

France is there to assist its entrepreneurs.

It wants to encourage business development and employment. The administrative obligations are not always easy, but with a good solid and prepared idea the project will work. I have learnt over the last 14 years of business advice that you can not judge a project by first impressions. Those persons who know their stuff, the product and the market can make all sorts of wild projects work.

business

Understanding the Power of Community

N

o business is an island. Not one single business owner can say that they are not part of a community. By being in business you are 'community', you create them, you are surrounded by them.

After all, it is not always plain sailing running a business and it’s easy to think that you are alone in your situation. But that is not the case.

When you are head down focused on work You participate in communities numerous and external things knock you sideways, it times a day, a week, a month, from your might seem that there is no support and suppliers, interactions with other local no one will see it how you see it. Or you businesses, and your own professional and simply don’t have time to raise your eyes personal interactions within your local above the parapet to breathe, as so much and extended is going on communities. You are that’s when a It is not always plain sailing part of an industry business community, a customer running a business and it’s community can community, your local serve you. To easy to think that you are community. The longer help pull you up, alone in your situation you are in business, the see what you more enriched these don’t see, offer communities become. wisdom from a variety of experiences, and They are all interconnected like a let you know you are not alone. By solar system. chewing the fat and listening to others, There is none so important as being part of a community of fellow business owners, where you can bring ideas, concerns, and questions that other communities that you participate in need to know nothing about.

there is usually a real gem or word of wisdom that enables you to move forward with an idea or issue. The more time you spend within a business community, the more you grow, you start to be able to

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impart your own words of wisdom and knowledge and therefore able to help others.

A community’s survival and strength rely on everyone doing their bit. While communities are great spaces of resource and support, everyone needs to put in just as much as they take out. So don’t forget to give back where you can.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller And maybe being part of a ‘business community’ is not your thing, preferring to muddle through and not divulge what’s going on in your business. But if COVID has taught us one thing during this year no business is an island. We all need to be aware of and participate in the communities that we find ourselves in.

Sandrine TUYERAS Insurance Agent All Insurances Finance & Investment Email : tuyeras.bellac@allianz.fr website : www.allianz.fr/tuyeras

N°ORIAS 14001253

5 rue Lamartine 87300 BELLAC Tél. 05 55 68 11 80

4 Place de l’Hôtel de Ville 87140 NANTIAT 05 55 53 51 18

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Let’s talk currency Sue Cook Regional Coordinator Centre Ouest 87600 Rochechouart +33 (0)555 036 669 +33 (0)689 992 889 E: sue.c@currenciesdirect.com www.currenciesdirect.com/france Siret: 444 729 008 00011

TONY FARRELL INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ADVISER The Spectrum IFA Group, with over 20 years’ experience advising expatriates throughout Europe on all aspects of financial planning T: 05 55 89 57 94 E: tony.farrell@spectrum-ifa.com TSG Insurance Services S.A.R.L. Siège Social: 34 Bd des Italiens, 75009 Paris. R.C.S. Paris B 447 609 108 (2003B04384). Société de Courtage d’assurances. Intermédiaire en opération de Banque et Services de Paiement. Numéro d’immatriculation 07 025 332 – www.orias.fr Conseiller en investissements financiers, référencé sous le numéro E002440 par ANACOFI-CIF, association agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers

Advertise Your Business Call Sam or Gayle on 05 16 32 13 42 or email: editors.etcetera@gmail.com etcetera 19

business FINANCE

HELEN BOOTH INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER deVere France

Procrastination The Long-Term Money Killer

O

ne of the biggest things standing between us and our financial wellbeing is procrastination. And that’s because we are really skilled at putting off the things that we should do, and instead focus on the things we want to do.

“I know I need to save more, but right now I’ve got all these other things I want to spend my money on.”

Research shows that more than 2/3 of Europeans procrastinate about their finances.

When it comes to investing for your future, it’s easy to find reasons to delay saving and planning, but the one friend you have on your side is time – and the longer you procrastinate, the harder it is to make up that lost time. Procrastination is a long-term money killer. If you wait too long to invest, you’ll quickly find yourself having to take a more aggressive approach to investing than you’re actually comfortable with. In turn assuming more risk in an effort to meet your future retirement objectives.

Starting to invest as early as possible is highly recommended, and there’s never a bad time to start saving for your retirement.

Unless you absolutely need every penny that you currently earn for expenses, make a point of setting aside a manageable portion of every paycheck

There’s always a difference between how we think we’ll behave in the future, and how we actually behave in the present. We also dramatically underestimate the impact

20 etcetera

emotion has on our decisions – particularly when it comes to our finances.

When it comes to setting aside money for your future, don’t fall into the procrastination trap. Unless you absolutely need every penny that you currently earn for expenses, make a point of setting aside a manageable portion of every paycheck in a savings vehicle.

During your peak earning years, it’s important to save as much as possible for the future. There’s nothing wrong with working for as long as you like, as long as you enjoy doing so. However, generally speaking, the younger we are, the easier it is to work harder or learn new skills to earn more money – this is why it is so important to maximize your savings for retirement while you can.

Make life easier for yourself in retirement by starting to save as much as possible, as early as possible.

Another great reason to start saving as early in life as you can is a force known as compound interest. While saving is a good idea at almost any age, the power of compound interest goes a long way, and the earlier you start saving, the more promising your financial future should look. Your money also grows much faster than it would otherwise, and this is most noticeable over longer periods of consistent investing.

While the amount you can put away for your retirement each month is important, it pales in comparison to how much time you should invest in your financial planning as a whole. In other words, the sooner you start, the more money you can potentially build over the long haul.

My recommendation is… don’t procrastinate. Start today!

health

The Benefits of Sport Massage

Saski owns and runs Limelight Fitness and is a personal trainer and sports massage practitioner

By Saski Ford

SPORTS MASSAGE IS BENEFICIAL FOR ANYONE WHO SUFFERS FROM MUSCULAR PAIN, DISCOMFORT OR INJURY

Y

ou do not need to be an athlete to have a sports massage. Of course elite and professional sports people do indeed need to have sports massages in order for them to retain a supple body that works optimally for their chosen sport. And the therapist will know what areas, through assessments and dialogue with the client, what specific areas they need help with.

But sports massage also benefits everyday people with aches and niggles.

If you move about daily routine with your children or friends, if you do any kind of casual exercise or indeed if you are chair or bed bound, you will get the benefits that sports massage offers.

Moving about in daily life carries some risks of injury and if injury should occur, even if it’s only minor, sports massage will help to get you back into shape ‘tout de suite’ by increasing blood flow to the area, promoting recovery and reducing any inflammation.

www.limelightfitness.wordpress.com email: saskiford@yahoo.com

unchecked. Regular sports massage will help to ease the strain put on these areas of your body, reducing the risk of serious problems arising.

Sports massage will help your muscles, as well as your mind, to become more relaxed and loose, allowing them to move more Massage also works to break down any freely and preventing them from becoming scar tissue that has built up around the too tight and stiff. People who drive a lot affected area. Any as part of their job aches, pains and have similar If you do any kind of stiffness that you feel problems and can casual exercise or indeed after exercise can also benefit from sports if you are chair or bed bound, be reduced by massage massage in the same you will get the benefits that by speeding up the way. Anyone sports massage offers removal of lactic acid working in a from your system, physically increasing blood flow demanding job where movements such as and therefore delivery of oxygen to your lifting and carrying heavy objects are muscles and breaking down any tension or regularly required can also benefit from knots in your muscles. regular sports massage to help counteract the stress put on their knee joints, lower Even if you don't do any form of sport or back and shoulders. exercise, our everyday movements still put stresses on our body, which can, over time, So, as you can see, sports massage is not lead to long-term issues. just for athletes at the top of their game.

Regular sports massage can help to Many office workers, for example, who prevent and treat injury for anyone, no spend long hours every day sitting at a matter how active they are, improve desk suffer from pain and stiffness in their recovery time and keep you feeling healthy neck, shoulders and lower back, which can and relaxed. become quite serious problems if left

etcetera 21

health BY

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Hair designer with many years’ experience, including the Vidal Sassoon team.

My salon is based in the heart of Le Dorat in the Limousin.

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opinion

Notes to Self I

n the blue light of the muted TV, lazy spirals of smoke curl upwards from innumerable Gitanes into the cloud nestling against the ceiling like noxious candy floss. Behind the bar of the Café de la République, monsieur le patron, studiously wiping the inside of a small glass, turns away from his clientele, the better to conceal his quivering lip. A flinthearted stranger to emotion of any kind, his pitiless right eye nevertheless emits a small tear, which meanders down to his chin and pings around the three days of bristle like a pinball before dripping to its sad demise on the counter.

In this hallowed gloom, the ghosts of customers past mingle with the living as the café pulsates with an almost spiritual fervour. In the corner, perched on a stool, itself creaking with the memory of a thousand posteriors, is yours truly with my acoustic guitar. The engrossed crowd heaves in recognition of each song, their voices embracing these ballads of nostalgia and lost love. As I move to my finale, the swell is unstoppable. I exit “Je Ne Regrette Rien” on its final G major chord and segue seamlessly into – of course – “La Marsaillaise”. What a finish!

My virtuoso playing is submerged by the scraping of chairs as the crowd scrambles to its feet and launches as one into, “Allons enfants de la Patrie -” And then, soaring

over the entire ensemble, the voice of my wife, Angie, “YOU’VE PULLED THE DUVET OFF ME AGAIN”. And poof! The café, monsieur le patron, my moment of transcendence, all gone. Rats.

Brian White lives in south Indre with his wife, too many moles and not enough guitars

I lean on my obsession all the more these days because I’m also a news junkie who tries to balance his desire to keep informed about the world with a determination to stay sane.

I’m actually no performer but of course music invades my dreams because it’s playing in my head every waking hour. A lifetime of obsessive listening has installed The heroic indulgence of our editors, an internal iPod on permanent shuffle, a Gayle and Sam, allows me to waffle on tossed salad of songs and symphonies. If about all manner of topics in these pages. there exists music for the head, the heart However, I have hitherto avoided this one or the feet, as Joni Mitchell once observed, because music is a I have an incurable case landscape too vast, its of all three, all the time; a Music is ethereal but with contours too personal, to low-level, background the tensile strength to know where to begin. Its soundtrack to life. visceral power was deliver a gut-punch Music is my balm. From understood back in the earliest memory it has 17th century when Scottish wise-guy soothed and sustained me, (a lifetime ago, Andrew Fletcher, wrote, “Let me make the a line by Paul Simon inspired me to songs of a nation, and I care not who rethink a problem I had thought makes its laws”. (His point was proven unsurmountable). Over the years my list of recently by the wholly manufactured row desert island essentials has grown over “Land of Hope and Glory” at the exponentially; the heart opens a chamber London Proms). for such things. Music is ethereal but with the tensile strength to deliver a gut-punch, So, on we go in this unhinged world. “If (hearing John Coltrane’s “A Love music be the food of love, then play on, Mr Supreme” for the first time many years ago Tambourine Man”, as The Bards once was the closest I ever came to a religious sang. Music – the sound of being human – experience). The late Spike Milligan was lulls us to sleep and slaps us awake from once asked how important music was to our dreams. I swear I can still smell him. He replied simply, “It’s oxygen”. those Gitanes.

etcetera 23

garden

24 etcetera

garden

From Seed to Supper

By Caroline Wright

Caroline has been a lecturer in horticulture for 20 years and is now running a nursery and 'garden craft' courses in the Haute-Vienne at Le jardin creatif lejardincreatif.net

THOSE OF US WHO LOVE A BIT OF SPICE IN OUR LIVES WILL KNOW THAT IT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIND CHILLIES IN THE LOCAL SHOPS HERE, SO WHY NOT PLAN TO GROW A SELECTION NEXT YEAR SO THAT YOU HAVE A SUPPLY OF FRESH AND DRIED CHILLIES

C

it will need to be kept frost free at night hilli peppers are the fruits of plants and preferably with a minimum of 10 from the genus Capsicum which are degrees night-time temperatures. members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae and are closely related to sweet If you don’t have these facilities, you can peppers but also tomatoes, aubergines and buy young plants from specialist growers potatoes. Chillies require similar growing in April. conditions to tomatoes and can be grown Chillies also need good nutrient levels and alongside them in the potager. Most room for the roots to grow rapidly once varieties are actually perennial and will the lengthening days and warmer develop into medium size shrubs in their temperatures of spring start to really native climates but overwintering them is induce growth. They will need potting on difficult and they are more productive and regularly using good quality potting take up less space if they are grown from compost until late May when the danger of seed each year and treated as annuals. The frost has passed and they can be planted substance that makes them fiery and hot out into the potager. Chillies need plenty to eat is ‘capsaicin’ and several related of sunshine and reasonably fertile soil. compounds known as ‘capsaicinoids’. They You should plant need plenty of sunshine them around 60cm and warmth to develop You can start harvesting apart as they these flavours. them when they are green or develop into bushy Chillies are not difficult to leave them to ripen into reds, plants. Most grow, and the long warm varieties will need a yellows and purples summer season here cane for support means that you can once the chillies successfully grow them on start to form because they are heavy outdoors, but they do need a bit of warmth croppers and the weight of the chillies can to get them going in late winter/ cause them to topple over. They do not early spring. suffer from many pests and diseases, but blossom end rot can be a problem on dry Chillies need warmth to germinate, ideally soils and those lacking in calcium, so with bottom heat at around 18-24°C, and water deeply once or twice a week in dry once they have germinated, they will need weather and mulch around the base. You continued warmth to grow them on. In may need use calcified seaweed or garden cold, damp environments they grow very lime to raise the pH of the soil. slowly and have a tendency to damp off, and to get a long enough season for them You can start harvesting them when they to ripen they need to be sown between late are green or leave them to ripen into reds, January and early March. A warm yellows and purples (depending on windowsill would do the trick but variety) so that the flavour and heat is preferably a propagator or heat mat that is further developed. They will typically keep spacious enough to be able to grow them producing until the first frosts. on for several weeks after pricking them This year at Le Jardin Créatif we have had out to give them a good early start. They a bumper crop of chillies, including will need access to good light levels and a Jalapenos, Cayenne, Coiffe d’évêque (that little ventilation is also required to avoid look like a little hat), Peppadew, Piment condensation on the leaves. If you have a d’Espelette and Padron peppers that greenhouse or polytunnel for propagation,

Tapas lovers will be familiar with – an unusual Spanish variety of small pepper that is mild in flavour (except for about 10% of them which are pretty hot - you never know which you are going to get!).

The cayenne chillies are our staple ‘hot’ chilli for cooking; they freeze well, simply packed whole into tubs or bags, and 3 or 4 plants give us enough chillies for a whole year. The Jalapenos are medium hot and can also be frozen, but we have made pickled Jalapenos to go on pizzas and salads, sandwiches, nachos etc. The peppadews will also be pickled to make little stuffed spicy bites for tapas and apéros. The Coiffe d’évêque can be used fresh or frozen but they are a fairly good size and quite fleshy so I will be using these to make hot chilli sauce. The Piment d’Espelette will be dried and crushed to make chilli flakes.

If you have trouble growing from seed or do not have the facilities, Le Jardin Créatif will be selling young chilli plants from late April next year from our Pépinière. We aim to grow more different varieties such as ‘Chocolate Habanero’ and the bright orange ‘Bulgarian Carrot’.

Check out our website for forthcoming dates for Christmas Wreath and Chicken Wire Robins workshops in December: lejardincreatif.net Coiffe d’évêque

etcetera 25

garden

Decorating Your Garden

Lorn Tracy &

e

Taylor-M ade Garden s

HARD LANDSCAPING MIGHT NOT BE THE MOST EXCITING ASPECT OF DESIGNING YOUR GARDEN BUT IT IS AN IMPORTANT ONE.

T

his article concludes our four-part series of hard landscaping in the garden and this is the really fun part where your imagination can run wild.

Adding ornaments to a garden is a little like adding soft furnishings and paintings to a room – not totally necessary but they personalise it and add interest to a garden.

A garden ornament or sculpture can take many forms and doesn’t have to conform to a traditional sculpture such as a stone figure but can be something like a granite boulder or an artfully arranged pile of rocks. It may be small or large, partially hidden by vegetation or in plain view at the end of a path. It could be temporary or permanent, and can take any form that you desire. The most important thing when choosing a garden ornament is that you like it and that it reflects your tastes as well as the size and style of your garden.

Maybe you like to re-purpose old pieces of agricultural machinery, have an enormous collection of garden gnomes, or collect whimsical statues of animals. Remember that you are creating your garden to please you, not passers-by! Anyone who lives near or has travelled to Montbron in the Charente will know of a certain garden that is stuffed full of everything from a

26 etcetera

dummy being fired out of a cannon to a castle and all in plain view of the road passing by it! You may think it’s distasteful and whilst we wouldn’t want it in our garden, we always peer out of the car window whenever passing to see what the latest addition is to the collection. The wonderful story we heard is that the owner of the garden started to create a fun space for his grandchildren and it just carried on growing.

home or in your boxes of “will come in useful one day” junk – we all have them!

We have several objects in our garden that once used to be indoors – a couple of small “totem pole” wooden pieces bought in Mexico hide amongst a corner of ornamental grasses and a stripy blue and white wooden lighthouse sits on an oak beam by our hammock. A broken but beautiful blue glass bottle is partially buried in a border near to the house; it’s relatively hidden from view but when there is snow on the ground it stands out Remember that you are beautifully against the creating your garden to white.

When deciding where to place your object, choose somewhere where it will have the greatest impact. please you, not passers-by!

Unless it is something Urns and vases work designed to be seen in its very well as garden entirety, many sculptures ornaments and like a look good when partially obscured by a large statue, a large urn can be used as a plant. In the case of garden ornaments, focal point at the end of a path whilst less is definitely more. That’s not to say groups of urns and vases of the same that we shouldn’t have several pieces in shape and size look effective lining a path. the garden, but try not to treat any area as Pretty or unusual plant containers may a kind of mantelpiece with too many also be used to decorate a garden. For objects close together as they will compete example, a planted group of metal buckets with each other for attention and lose look good on decking as the metal and individual impact. wood complement each other. A half Your garden decorations needn’t cost the barrel will hold a fairly large shrub such as a standard bay tree or clipped privet and earth either. Have a look around your

garden

looks good in a country setting. Sometimes a container is better unplanted such as a large “Ali Baba” style terracotta pot.

windchimes will break up the hum of the traffic. They come in all shapes, sizes and materials from small pieces of bamboo to large metal tubes. However, unless your garden stands in total isolation, try to avoid using too many wind chimes or the really large ones as your neighbours may not be as keen on them as you are.

A large tree can be hung with objects to increase its interest, especially to a deciduous tree in winter. Be careful with this however and choose your decorations carefully. Rather than lots of different hanging Finally, think of your A large tree can be hung garden furniture as objects, try to choose a theme such as silver stars with objects to increase its ornamental as well. If your or brightly coloured interest, especially to a budget only stretches to hearts but try not to plastic furniture, deciduous tree in winter cheaper overdo it or it may look dress it up with pretty less tasteful than you tablecloths and inexpensive were hoping. We hung a small plum tree cushions bought from vide greniers and with silver fish which had originally been a brocantes. Position a vase on the table wind chime. It’s just a bit of fun; our with flowers cut from the garden to gardens should be fun as well as complete the decoration and you will have functional. a set of garden furniture to be proud of.

On the subject of wind chimes, they can really add to the garden both as a visual and audible statement. If you have traffic noise from a major road nearby,

Some of you may have noticed that there has been no Taylor-Made Gardens advert in etcetera recently. In addition, this will be our last etcetera article. We are not

disappearing or gone out of business, we are still here and trading but are stepping down our business somewhat. After almost fourteen years of battling against the elements in France, we have decided to scale back our business and cut out the very heavy work that is starting to take its toll on backs and joints. We will still be offering garden consultations, maintenance and other small works but we want to reduce our working hours and to start to enjoy more of what this amazingly diverse country has to offer. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our wonderful clients past and present and to all of you lovely readers, especially those who have taken the time to comment on our many and varied articles. Finally, thanks to Gayle and Sam for their amazing work in producing this great magazine and for continuing to host the Taylor-Made Garden articles for as long as we carried on producing them.

(Thank you for everything Tracy & Lorne, you’ll be missed!)

etcetera 27

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garden

Nerine bowdenii

Sternbergia lutea

AUTUMN IN THE GARDEN A VISIT FROM JACK FROST WILL PUT PAY TO SOME OF OUR GARDENING EFFORTS, SO THIS MONTH LET’S SEEK TO PRESERVE OUR SUMMER MEMORIES FOR NEXT YEAR

I

n the case of some herbs we can continue to use them through the winter, whilst enjoying the colour we can obtain by careful planting and planning.

There are many different autumn flowering bulbs that are worth an investment: ▪

The yellow autumn crocus (Sternbergia lutea) will give a stunning display, and they multiply every year;

▪

Saffron (Crocus sativus), especially planted in large groups, provide a charming purple carpet and can also provide you with saffron if you harvest its stamens;

▪

The kaffir lily is a bulbous gladioluslike bulb, its blooms giving white, pink or bright red flowers throughout the autumn.

▪

The beautifully dishevelled, pink, red or white trumpet-shaped flowers of the Guernsey Lily (nerine bowdenii) offer a show of colourful flowers.

▪

Yet another source of colour at this time of year can come from the hardy autumn-flowering cyclamen, Cyclamen hederifolium, with tiny, reflex-petalled flowers of white or pink covering the swollen corms.

Once the first frost has blackened the leaves of dahlias, cannas and tuberous begonias, it’s time to store them for winter. If you choose to leave these plants in the ground it’s essential to give a thick

30 etcetera

By Ronnie Ogier

Ronnie is a passionate gardener and now loves sharing her years of experience of success and failures in her own garden and sharing it with you.

Also a keen runner, having been bitten by the ‘Couch to 5K’ bug!

mulch of cardboard with a covering of ▪ replant in fresh dry compost, store in a straw, bracken and/or compost. In most cool room or frost-free garage with a years this will be adequate but in a very drop of tepid water once a month; cold wet winter there is a real risk of losing ▪ allow the plants to dry out fully and them. The alternative is to lift the tubers ensure all compost is removed, put the and store in a frost-free place. If this is roots into a paper bag/shredding of your chosen option, then carefully lift the newspaper and stand in trays in a tubers - and label them! I have made the frost-free area. Again, moisten the mistake in the past of ‘knowing’ I’d roots monthly; remember which was which, but, come ▪ if you have a frost-free greenhouse or a spring when I was replanting, I didn’t have conservatory, cut the stems just below a clue. Once lifted, remove all the soil from a node, where a leaf has the tubers and been, and plant in a store upside down cutting compost.

I have made the mistake in somewhere dry for a few weeks. This the past of ‘knowing’ I’d In the spring look for will permit them to remember which was which, small green shoots dry out and go into but, come spring when I was beginning to emerge, pot hibernation. After replanting, I didn’t have a clue them on into fresh that period, compost, water well overwinter them in and feed. a frost-free place in trays with sand, dry November is also a good time to plant compost or even crumpled newspaper hedging, shrubs, trees and bare-root roses with added perlite, keeping it moist but (bare-root roses are much cheaper than not wet. In late January pot up again in potted ones), provided the ground is not compost, keep moist and warm. Once new frozen or waterlogged. In the flower dahlia stems begin to appear you can use garden the beginning of the month is your these for cuttings to expand your reserve last opportunity to plant daffodils and of flowers. narcissus, but a good time to start It is also possible to overwinter geraniums. planting tulips.

The aim is to keep the plants dry, but not How to overwinter herbs? too dry and to put them into hibernation whilst keeping them alive. Firstly, lift the This is a difficult question because herb plants from their pots and clear compost plants vary widely in their cold hardiness. from the roots, then cut back the stems to Some perennial herbs will survive very about 90cm. Finally, try one of cold winters with minimal protection, these options: while tender perennials may not survive

garden

Kaffir lily

Mint and other popular herbs are winter hardy

the first hard frost. General steps you can take in preparing herbs for winter include: - never fertilize your herb garden after August. Fertilizing herbs late in the season will encourage tender new growth that may not survive the winter; - water plants throughout late summer and autumn, as drought-stressed plants are more susceptible to cold weather damage. If the winter is dry, the plants benefit from an occasional irrigation (when the ground isn’t frozen).

Many perennial herbs are winter hardy.

Some of these include: chives, thyme, mint, fennel, oregano and tarragon. These plants just need a good pruning – down to a height of approximately 10 cm, after the first few hard freezes. However, even sturdy plants benefit from a layer of mulch

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in very cold spells. Apply a 10cm layer of mulch, such as chopped leaves, straw, pine needles or bark mulch, but don’t apply the mulch until after the first hard freeze, because you may damage the plant. Be sure to remove the mulch shortly after new growth appears in spring.

Some perennials may not survive cold winters, depending on where you live, particularly your altitude. Rosemary is relatively difficult to grow indoors, but you might want to pot it up and give it a try. It needs cool temperatures, bright sunlight and soil kept lightly moist. Annual herbs, such as dill and coriander, survive for a single season and will be killed with the first frost.

Overwintering herbs indoors – If you’re concerned that your tender

perennial herbs may not survive the winter, or if you want to continue using annual herbs year round, many herbs do well indoors. You can pot up herbs like parsley or basil in autumn, then move them back outdoors in spring. Some container herbs can also be given winter protection outside.

A few final pointers for this month: Keep turning your compost heap to mix the contents well.

Protect containers from frost with bubble wrap and raise on feet to prevent waterlogging.

Check with your Mairie that bonfires are permitted and if they are, before lighting, ensure your pile doesn’t contain hibernating toads and hedgehogs.

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farm life

Winter Housing for Goats

Tamsin Cooper is a smallholder and writer with a keen interest in animal behaviour and welfare

By Tam s

ALL ANIMALS NEED A DRY SPACE TO ESCAPE WET AND STORMY WEATHER. THIS YEAR WE FITTED OUT A BARN AS A FEEDING, SLEEPING, AND SHELTERING AREA FOR OUR GOATS

G

over feed and resting places. Generally, oats do not tolerate rain to the extent they establish a hierarchy to avoid combat, of most other farm species, and they and related goats, or long-term readily suffer hoof and respiratory illness companions, are tolerant enough to get if kept in damp conditions. They need a along. However, goats from different place to get out of the rain and, most herds can take years to find peace, if at all. importantly, a dry floor to let their hooves Despite establishing a hierarchy, more dry out. Equally, their hay needs to be kept dominant members may be highly clean and dry. These vulnerabilities stem intolerant around food. This poses little from their origins in dry mountainous problem outdoors, as long as there are areas, where they evolved to cope with enough places to feed and the goats can extremes of temperature space themselves at the in a dry climate. Alpine rack. However, indoors and Saanen goats, which Goats are highly it can be more difficult are very popular in competitive and will fight to get away from an France, are well adapted aggressor and spats can to conditions in the Alps, with their horns and result in injury or at but not to the damp teeth over feed and least a painful blow. lowlands of western resting places This may lead to more France. Poitevine and vulnerable goats not Chèvres des Fossés daring to enter the shelter. So, the inside breeds are much better suited to our of the shelter became the main work. We climate, having been local to west France needed to provide a way for goats to for many hundreds of years. They are circulate easily without getting trapped, hardier, with tougher hooves and better while providing places to escape and hide. parasite resistance.

I was pleased to find some scientific A Dry, Draught-Free Shelter research had gone into such matters and Having Alpines in my herd, I need to that certain features had been found to provide the maximum weather protection. help reduce competition in closed spaces: Healthy goats can keep themselves warm − platforms to climb upon; in winter, especially when given plenty of − partitions to hide behind; hay to eat. So we focussed on providing a dry, well-ventilated and draught-free barn. − increased distance between Next to the fields, we have a solid stone feed racks; barn with one wooden side that badly − feed racks on different levels; needed replacing. We replaced this with vertical wooden planks (bardage) as is − no dead ends. standard for animal shelters in this area.

These shrank as they weathered, needing So we incorporated such suggestions into an overlay of wooden slats (liteaux) to fill our design. the gaps. The aim was to provide wind Building with Pallets protection up to over head height, while No need to go to a lot of expense: we built allowing air to freely circulate above. We our internal structures with rafters checked the barn did not flood during (chevrons) and pallets (palettes). We made heavy rains. A breeze-block (parpaing) platforms that the goats could jump up row or two under the wooden boarding onto and made partitions that could be helps to check any run-off from the fields. turned into individual stalls by closing Otherwise, drains could be inserted to gates. We soon discovered that most of the direct the flow away from the shelter. goats wanted a platform each and didn’t Keeping the Peace want to share, so we split up long stretches When it comes to goats, we have to bear in with partitions. Under a long platform, we mind social issues as well as physical placed a half pallet along the side to form a comforts. Goats are highly competitive tube, while not blocking entry or exit. This allows a goat to hide out under the and will fight with their horns and teeth

in Coop er

www.goatwriter.com

platform relatively unseen. This ‘tunnel’ runs through one of the partitions providing a hidden route from one area of the barn to another. This has proven very popular with the goats as a hiding place and escape route. Every section has an entrance and exit gate so no goat could get stuck in a corner. The barn itself has two entrances with a partition between them, so that no goat can monopolize the entrance, and there is always a second route to exit. We placed a podium in the middle which the goats love jumping upon, but I notice they only sleep on platforms or straw beds against the walls.

Distributing Feed The most testing time is always when filling hay racks or distributing other feed.

We tackle this by spreading the food as widely as possible and providing one extra hay rack or feeding place. In the barn, we spread individual racks around the different sections so that each goat could eat at a private rack partially hidden from the others. Some of these racks are at head height, while others are placed on platforms. When feeding, the ability to close the sections off into stalls has been very useful. We found that older and more vulnerable goats would not enter the barn during feeding until we separated them from the others within their own stall. As the walls of the stalls are pallets, goats maintain contact with the herd, even if they have to be closed off for their own protection.

The Goats’ Verdict The goats have really taken to their indoor space and especially enjoy jumping on the platforms. The older and shyer animals took longer to rustle up the courage to come in, but will enter at quiet, resting times. When fighting breaks out, goats have been able to escape and especially appreciate the hiding place in the ‘tunnel’.

The platforms also help them to defend their space from attacks from below.

Racks on different levels have allowed them to eat at the same time. Overall, the space allows them to get in from the rain and dry their hooves, and avoid conflict when it arises.

etcetera 33

angling

Autumn Fishing

By Clive Kenyon

WELL, THAT IS ANOTHER YEAR NEARLY OVER AND BECAUSE OF ‘YOU KNOW WHAT’ MANY OF US WILL BE BEHIND WITH OUR QUOTA OF FISHING

F

or many UK anglers November would be associated with species such as grayling and pike. Unfortunately for most of us, grayling aren’t really an option. Pike fishing can be good at this time of year and there are plenty of places where you can fish for pike from small rivers to the massive Lac de Vassiviere. Because lure fishing for predators is so popular in France I seek out the overlooked spots wherever possible and the River Charente from Suris down to Mansle and beyond is as good as anywhere for hunting old Esox.

One of the two lakes in the Haute Charente, Lac Lavaud also receives very little angling pressure and providing there is enough water left to fish in after the long, dry spell that is now but a distant memory you could do better there than in the neighbouring Lac Mas Chaban where angling pressure is much greater.

As for myself; I’ll be seeking out some seasonal barbel and hoping that the zoo creatures that have plagued me in the last few autumn periods have the courtesy to take the large bait on the heavier rod I have carefully prepared for them.

hundred years before this was implemented in many rivers. In the meantime other factors including industrial pollution and over fishing in rivers and offshore had reduced the numbers to the point where salmon were an endangered species. Well before the law was passed observers in the 17th century had noted that salmon had stopped running up certain rivers that had been canalised and made slower flowing and the lock gates prevented fish from passing through.

The most famous area for salmon fishing in France can be found in Navarrenx situated in the ancient kingdom of the Béarn, home of the Three Musketeers, where the monarch Henri II d’Albret compared it to “a flea fought over by two apes”, in reference to the kings of France and Spain, both of whom wished to add independent Béarn to their property portfolio. Displayed on the wall inside the PMU bar in Navarrenx are old black and white newspaper cuttings depicting the good times with anglers displaying multiple catches of fish running to over 30lb. The town still retains its claim to being the premier salmon fishing destination in France and holds an annual competition for salmon anglers.

Salar the Salmon Many of us will be familiar with the magical book written by Henry Williamson that was devoted to the life of the salmon.

Efforts are now being made to increase the So it is good news that after many years of numbers of salmon returning by various decline the Atlantic Salmon is now being means. Hatcheries actively championed by provide young fish authorities in France and Fortunately for anglers, the bred from native determined efforts are bears and wolves favour the stocks and progress being put in place to facilitate its return to a higher areas where angling is is being made in the construction of fish healthy population. ladders where the As in the UK, salmon used path of migration is obstructed by weirs or to migrate up French rivers in great barrages. This is replicated in other areas numbers. The cathedral of Oloron Sainteof France including our own region where Marie in the Pyrenees Atlantique (Dept 64) the biggest obstruction to salmon has a tympanum depicting three salmon navigating the River Vienne is the huge fishers as trades dating back to the 15th barrage at Jousseau. The Gartempe century. Fishermen would place nets however is a tributary of the Creuse and is across the rivers to harvest the returning part of the local re-introduction scheme. fish, a practice that continued well into the Initially these schemes got off to a slow 20th century. In 1906 one village records start with just a tiny fraction of the stocked professional fishermen caught over 800 fish returning to breed, but in the last few salmon at an average weight of over 14lbs years the numbers have risen and in some each. In the early 19th century workers in cases have stabilised.

French cities including Paris and Bordeaux One of the greatest problems encountered used to have clauses added to their by those championing the salmon’s cause contract of employment forbidding them is in some angler’s failure to grasp the to be served salmon more than three times bigger picture and refrain from killing all a week. By the middle of that century a the salmon that they catch. In a survey decline had been noted and despite a law taken in July this year on the Gave drawn up in 1865 prescribing the building d’Oloron only 14 of 174 salmon caught of fish ladders to aid returning salmon’s were released. Also professional fishermen migration to the spawning redds it was a

34 etcetera

who have licences to fish using nets in estuarine waters are demanding compensation should their catches be restricted. The angling associations involved in the programs are forced to tread a very narrow path given the individual interests of its varied memberships.

Another major issue highlighted in a similar scheme operating in Brittany is that Silure or Wels Catfish have been quick to exploit the salmon numbers often stationing themselves near to newly constructed fish ladders enabling them to mop up the conveyor belt of high quality protein rather as bears do in North American rivers. Talking of bears; that is another danger salmon must face in the southern departments where a number of brown bears have been controversially released into the Pyrenean mountains.

Many people living in the mountain villages cannot quite comprehend why, in an area where endangered species like marmots, ibex, mouflons and salmon are being offered protection from human interference, the Government thinks it is a good idea to release apex predators such as bears and wolves into the area. Fortunately for anglers, the bears and wolves favour the higher areas where angling is not permitted.

Should you fancy fishing for this majestic, if somewhat elusive species in France probably the best place to head for is the beautiful old Béarn region of the Basque country in the Pyrenees-Atlantique. The mountain rivers, called ‘Gaves’ spill from the mountains to the south and cascade down steep, narrow valleys before spreading their width in the lower pastures. There are three or four Gaves that are known for the salmon fishing but it is the Gave d’Oloron which boasts over 1,500 fish a year that return to its tumbling waters that is the most prolific fishery.

According to the travel guides more than 160 salmon pools are referenced over the 80km of its course. Like the Scottish beats some have local names such as the priest's hole, the wire hole and the potato field.

The season runs from 14th March to 31st July and there are restrictions on methods and catch limits dependent on the season and location. Sea-trout also feature occasionally in the angler’s catches and as you would expect, the rivers are also home to grayling and beautiful brown trout known as ‘Farios’. You won’t need much in the way of tackle; just the Béarn necessities! (Sorry – couldn’t resist that!).

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nature

Opulent PRECIOUS OPAL IS COUNTED AMONG THE BEST OF GEMSTONES, BUT IT IS QUITE UNLIKE ANY OF THE OTHERS IN THAT IT IS NOT A CRYSTAL

O

rdinary opal is in fact a very common mineral, and is a solid jelly with little or no crystalline structure. Precious opal, however, has a very special structure of tiny spheres about 500 nanometers in diameter, stacked in a 3-dimensional lattice. This measurement is of the same order of size as the wavelenghts of visible light, so this structure has the power to split white light into its spectral colours. The result is that a good precious opal will show flashes of intense colour when it is moved in a strong white light. The colour seen depends upon the exact size of the spheres.

So how did the opal acquire a dismal reputation for ill-fortune? In France, you never see opals in jewellers’ windows, and the jewellers I have chatted to say they will set an opal if asked, but would never willingly handle such an unlucky gem. In England also, there is a suspicion hanging over opals, and many people refuse to own one.

The non-crystalline nature of opal means that its properties are very different from other precious gemstones. It is noticeably As you can imagine, the conditions for this softer even than emerald, structure to form are very rare, and and so can scratch if worn precious opal is hard continuously. It to find. In antiquity contains water in most of the stones They were regarded its structure, and came from the east, is thus susceptible as bringers of good and were fabulously to changes in fortune and protection costly. It is told that a humidity, so some Roman called Nonius, against plague opals can actually who had a beautiful swell or contract in opal the size of a wear. This means that the stone’s walnut, treasured it so much that when setting must be flexible enough to Mark Anthony tried (rather aggressively) allow for this, or the stone can to buy it to give to Cleopatra, Nonius fled crack or fall out spontaneously.

Rome, leaving his position and his wealth behind, just to protect his opal.

Early jewellers were unaware of the opal’s special requirements, and Opals were prized as second only in value there are many stories about very and prestige to emeralds in the ancient expensive opals being ruined in setting. world. They were regarded as bringers of This would result in a financial loss, but if good fortune and protection against you were setting an opal that belonged to plague. Napoleon 1st gave a splendid opal the king you could lose your head as well! to Josephine. It showed predominately red So it is generally agreed in France that the fire, and was probably the first opal to be jewellers got together to spread the rumour given a name: The Burning of Troy that opals were accursed gems, to avoid (L’Incendie du Troie). Sadly, this opal is having to work on them. This may have now lost.

38 etcetera

nature A rough boulder of white, semi-transparent precious opal, showing good colour-patches

By Mik

appealed to English jewellers also.

e Geo r ge

Mike George is our regular contributor on wildlife and the countryside in France. He is a geologist and naturalist, living in the Jurassic area of the Charente

unknown throughout history, so their beauty could be attributed to witchcraft.

When I was first learning about gemstones, the textbooks were very vague on the reason for the play of colour, the chief explanation being that minute cracks and planes within the structure gave rise to the spectral effect, much as a film of oil on water gives rainbow colours. It was only the invention of the Scanning Electron Microscope that enabled scientists to look into the structure of the opal and find out the true cause of the colour-play.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, of all people, also helped in the downplaying of opals. He was a very popular author in the 19th century (although his style is too classical for modern taste) and his books were Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, eagerly read. He was terrified of opals, and would have wrote a book nothing to do with them. However, called “Anne of Eugenie’s friend Queen Victoria loved Geierstein”, in them. The opal fields of Australia were which a rather discovered in the mid-1800s, and the spooky character stones were becoming available. In called Lady addition to the normal white opals, black Hermione, and transparent opals were discovered, thought to be an and Victoria was in a unique position to enchantress, acquire prize specimens. Her collection always wears an became world-famous. opal in her hair.

One day, a few Opals occur in several places throughout drops of Holy the world, but Australia is the most Water fall upon it. famous. In one town called Coober Pedy, The opal gives a the opals are dug vivid flash, from pits and then loses all It was only the invention of tunnels its colour. the Scanning Electron underground, Lady Hermione and indeed it is Microscope that enabled collapses, and scientists to look into the so hot there that her body old workings are structure of the opal dwindles to a heap turned into of ashes. houses, and the population spends its day underground.

It is very unlikely that The town’s name is supposed to be an Tennyson set out to wreck the Aborigine phrase for “White man in reputation of opals, but such a hole”! was his popularity that his story had that effect, and it is still not For all its bad press, Opal is the birthstone fully restored. for October. Fortunately, many people love opals and the trade in them is The other problem with opals is that still strong. the reason for their play of colour was

39 etcetera

nature

When buying an opal, you must be aware of the existence of doublets and triplets. Here, small pieces of goodcolour, usually black, opal are sliced very thinly and then pasted onto thicker slices of non-precious opaque opal, known as “Potch”. The potch serves to give strength to the “doublet”, which is then carefully shaped and polished so that the precious opal layer shows up well and the potch is hidden.

An exquisite opal and diamond ring, with a beautiful water-opal displaying a splendid harlequin colour pattern

These can be quite spectacular-looking, but of course, an inspection of the edges and back of the stone should reveal the truth very quickly. Always be wary of opals set so that the back is hidden.

Doublets, if well-made and with good, colourful opal, are acceptable as jewellery but of course will never have the beauty and depth – or value - of solid opal.

If the opal layer is very thin and fragile, a thin third layer of transparent quartz may be pasted over the opal layer. This is called a triplet, and is virtually worthless financially, though it may be quite attractive.

A vein of semi-black opal cutting through iron-rich sandstone

In the great rush to synthesize gemstones in the middle of the last century, one goal, once the mechanism of the colour-play was understood, was to synthesize opal. Eventually a few experimenters claimed to have succeeded, and a few synthetic opals appeared on the market. However, they were always not quite right to the eye of an experienced opal enthusiast. The patches of colour were often described as looking like lizard-skin, and everything was just a bit wrong. It also involved time-consuming and expensive techniques, and a synthetic opal of any quality might well have cost more to make than a natural stone would cost.

Eventually the synthesizers gave up, and to the best of my knowledge, no-one is now making synthetic opal.

Non-precious opal or potch. Useful for strengthening precious opal

A superb polished black opal with large patches of colour.

40 etcetera

wildlife

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

▪

Veins of precious white opal invading the local rock

"Harlequin Prince Opal" by greyloch is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

A stunning black opal, with rare yellow colour-play, from Lightning Ridge, Australia.

Only the best rough stones are given names.

This is the Harlequin Prince.

215.85 carats

▪

▪

▪

▪

▪ "Precious opal (Lightning Ridge, New South Wales, Australia) 1" by James St. John is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A beautiful unpolished black opal with an unusual blue colour-play

▪

There may still be butterflies about. The usual hardy over-winterers – Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell – should be in evidence on warmer, sunny days, should we get any! In late August the Comma butterflies were very numerous. You may find some overwintering moths as well – the Herald Moth is often found in odd, cool corners.

I have seen these moths hibernating in caves and old mine-adits with frost coating their wings.

Animals that store food for the winter, such as squirrels and mice, will still be busy, although the peak of their activities will have been in October.

Hedgehogs and other hibernating species will be searching out good hibernacula and topping up their energy supply for the long sleep.

In this connection, as you raid your woodpile for fuel, take care not to disturb any hibernators, to whom a log-pile is a mansion.

I say it every autumn, please check your bonfire stack, if it has been around for a while, and start your bonfire elsewhere, carrying the material to be burned and feeding the new fire. This helps to control the bonfire and also avoids incinerating any hapless hibernators.

Your garden will be covered with leaves just about now. Many gardening advisers will tell you to sweep them up and dispose of them. I just leave them. Much less hard work, and the leaves act as cover for foraging small mammals and protect the tree-roots and grass from frost to some extent. Also as they rot down they put back nutrients into the soil.

Deer, partridges and wild boar are trying to keep themselves fed, and also keep their heads down as the hunting season gets under way. Take extra care if you walk in rural areas, especially wooded ones. Keep your dog on a lead, and wear something bright-coloured. And do remember, it has been said that the partridge is a bird bred to be daft enough for an English aristocrat to outwit it. They behave erratically if you drive up to them.

Give them time.

etcetera 41

nature Handle with care - the juice of these chillies can hurt severely if you are not careful

It Ain’t Half Hot, Mum!

Mike George is our regular contributor on wildlife and the countryside in France. He is a geologist and naturalist, living in the Jurassic area of the Charente

By Mik

e Geo r ge

NOW SUMMER IS OVER, OUR THOUGHTS TURN TO WARM COMFORT FOOD. A CURRY GOES DOWN WELL ON A COLD EVENING, BUT WHAT ON EARTH PUT THE HEAT IN THE CHILLI-PEPPER THAT FLAVOURS IT?

T

he chilli plant is native to South America. Since its discovery, it has spread to all parts of the world, and in some cultures (e.g. India) has become a serious component of the national cuisine.

However, the champion chilli-consumers are the Mexicans, who eat roughly one chilli per person per day!

There are three main species of chilli: Capsicum annuum, C. frutescens and C. chinense. They all have hot and weakstrength members, and cross-breeding has been performed over the years, so the species tends to be regarded more as a complex than three separate groups.

Practically all chilli peppers you will meet stem from one of these three species.

42 etcetera

Self-defence The heat in a chilli pepper comes from an alkaloid called capsaicin (pronounced capSAY-sin). It is concentrated in the chilli in the tissue surrounding the seeds. Contrary to popular belief, there is not much capsaicin in the seeds themselves or in the flesh of the fruit, and what there is has seeped in from the seed-membrane. The removal of the seeds also scrapes out this membrane, which is why a de-seeded chilli is less hot.

Unlike many plant defensive alkaloids, capsaicin is not fatal in the quantities ordinarily consumed, but it has the power to bind to certain nerve-receptors in our

mouths which normally warn of the presence of excessive heat.

Normally, these receptors send a warning when they encounter temperatures in the upper 40s centigrade or above, at which point cell damage can occur. The capsaicin fools the receptor into firing at a much lower temperature, so you get the burning sensation without the associated cell-damage.

Now in most mammals, this means they back off from the plant and leave it alone.

When a mammal eats a chilli fruit, it will chew many of the seeds and destroy them, and its digestive process is too robust for any undamaged seed to survive. In fact,

nature The Chinese Tree Shrew can actually eat chillies because it does not know they are hot

Wilbur Lincoln Scoville, creator of the "Scoville Organoleptic Test", now standardized as the Scoville scale

there are only two mammals that actively seek out chilli fruit to eat; Man, who enjoys the flavour, and a curious Chinese Tree-shrew which does not have the necessary pain receptors for the capsaicin to bind to, so does not know they are hot.

However, capsaicin can also bind to other pain receptors in mammal tissues other than those in the mouth, and can give rise to some serious pain. All the mucous membranes, the skin and the eyes can be so affected. Even the stomach lining is not immune.

This has given rise to the use of capsaicin as a weapon. The Aztec Indians learned to use a spray of capsaicin to ward off attack, and over the centuries this has been refined into the pepper sprays used by law enforcement officers to this day. In some countries, even civilians may so arm themselves, but many countries forbid this by law.

Are other animals sensitive?

Birds can eat chilli fruit with impunity.

They, like the Chinese Squirrels, lack the receptors for capsaicin, but this is no problem to the plant. Their digestive system is ideal for propagating seeds. They don’t chew; their stomach acids are powerful enough to soften the outer casing of the seed without further damaging it, and of course they drop the seeds wherever they defecate. Thus the plant wins. Interesting to speculate on how that particular symbiosis evolved.

But the capsaicin has another purpose.

Bugs, which bore into the fruit with

sucking mouthparts to gain nourishing Carolina Reaper, a cultivar of C. chinense. fluids, seem to dislike capsaicin, and the This scored 1.5 million - 2.5 million SHU. hotter the chilli, the less they will attack Should you over-indulge in a vindaloo, or the fruit. Also, moulds and fungus that will accidentally chew on a whole hot chilli, attack the seeds in damp, humid what can you do? Drinking water is only a environments are also discouraged by the temporary relief. Capsaicin is not waterpresence of capsaicin. However, producing soluble, so when the cooling effect of the capsaicin requires the plant to expend water passes, the pain energy it might need for returns. It is, however, other purposes, and one soluble in oil, so milk, In some countries, even chilli, Capsicum yoghurt or some easilychacoense, has evolved civilians may so arm assimilated oily fluid to cope with this. Those themselves, but many should help, especially if of its species that it has fresh chopped countries forbid this by law happen to grow in damp mint in it, whose oil will places where mould and also bind to the bugs abound produce receptors and calm them. Why do you capsaicin; those in dry, hot environments think raita was invented? do not. This is very useful for scientists, as As for using chilli in your own cooking, they can compare the effect of capsaicin or like any other ingredient, it has to be no capsaicin in fruit that they know are handled with care. You can ruin a dish otherwise exactly the same. with too much salt! However, there are How strong is my chilli? things you can do to rescue the situation The heat of a chilli is referred to by with chilli. I once made some stock, and to Scoville heat units (SHU). In about 1912, give it some zing I put in some chilli. The Wilbur Scoville, an American pharmacist, trouble was, I could only find a bottle of devised a plan whereby the solution dried Bird’s-eye chilli peppers, so I put in extracted from a chilli would be diluted in about 10, not realizing that although tiny, sugar water until the capsaicin could no they are HOT. When I tasted the stock, it longer be detected by a team of trained was like paint-stripper. I thought it was a tasters. The Scoville Unit is the number of goner, but my wife, resourceful girl, equal-volume dilutions required. The strained it off into another saucepan and lowest is, of course, zero, as exemplified by threw in half-a-dozen peeled raw potatoes. the bell-pepper. The jalapeño pepper After about an hour’s simmering, the stock scores 2,500 – 8,000 SHU. For many was left with a pleasant zing and the years the Scotch bonnet pepper was potatoes had acquired a chilli tang that considered the most potent, but in 2013 made them perfect for roasting, sautéing the accolade of hottest chilli went to the or any other use for a boiled potato.

etcetera 43

astronomy

The

Night Sky

Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31. At 2.5 million light-years, it’s also the most distant thing visible to your unaided eye

44 etcetera

astronomy THIS TIME OF YEAR IS A GOOD TIME TO VIEW MANY 'OLD FAVOURITE' CONSTELLATIONS RETURNING TO OUR SKIES

A

particular favourite of mine being the constellation of Orion. The star cluster of The Pleiades will be a wonderful sight in the southern sky and the clear and dark nights here in France can provide us with the opportunity to view the Andromeda galaxy with the naked eye. The Moon will pass close to the star Pollux, the closest it will come for 2020, while Mars begins to fade in brightness in our evening skies.

October gave us many wonderful views of Mars which I hope you managed to see.

views of Mars throughout September and October the planet is now, sadly, fading in brightness. Saturn and Jupiter continue to travel closely together, following the beautiful band of the Milky Way throughout the night.

Famous Astronomers in History, born this month

Friedrich William Herschel was a British astronomer who was born in Hanover on November 5th 1738. During his early years he split his time between his two passions, The Moon and Planets in November astronomy and music, playing the oboe in The Moon dances around a few planets his father's orchestra. Having moved to and bright stars this month. On 6th Britain at the age of nineteen, William November, around 10.30 pm, you can look Herschel played and composed music with for the star Pollux rising very close to and his sister. He is best known however, for just above the rising Moon in the east. On his astronomical surveys and discoveries.

9th November, around 2am, a crescent As the family was too poor to own a Moon will form a triangle with the stars telescope at first, he would rent and later Algieba and Regulus. Look towards the build his own instrument. This was used east to see them rise together. Before in his garden from 1776. He carried out sunrise on the 12th to 14th November, a many of his observations and surveys with narrow crescent Moon will pass Mercury, his sister Caroline and in 1781 he made a Venus, and the star Spica. On the evenings discovery which at first was thought to be of the 18th and 19th a Comet. After November around further study it was Just west and a little north of the agreed that this was 6pm the waning crescent Moon passes Herschel crater you will be able to in fact a planet, the the star Nunki, see the area where the Apollo 14 first planet Jupiter, and Saturn in discovered since mission landed in 1971 the south west. Mars antiquity. The name and the Moon can be of 'The Georgian Star' seen high in the southern sky at 10 in the was not so popular with the French as it evening on the 25th November. The was a name honouring the English King beautiful star cluster the Pleiades, the George III! The name of Uranus was then bright star Aldebaran, and the almost full chosen. Following this discovery Hershcel Moon can be seen close together on the became the King's Astronomer. Being paid 29th and 30th November from 7pm a salary now of ÂŁ200 a year he was able to looking just north of east. The best times dedicate his time entirely to astronomical to view deep sky objects will be over the pursuits. His sister Caroline was also period from around 10th to 23rd employed to assist him and as such was November when the Moon is in a less probably the first woman to be paid for bright phase. New Moon is on 15th scientific work! In 1787 he discovered two November while the full Moon falls on satellites of Uranus - Oberon and Titania.

30th November in a morning sky. Venus He went on to discover the polar cap of starts the month as a morning object and Mars and two satellites of Saturn quickly moves closer to the Sun and so Enceladus and Mimas. He has many becomes harder to spot. After the stunning astronomical features named after him -

Alamak Cassiopeia Schedar Caph

Androdema

Mirach

M31 Andromeda Galaxy

By Clair Wardla e w

Claire Wardlaw, originally from Edinburgh, lives in the Charente with her husband. Since their move over 4 years ago, Claire has become passionate about astronomy.

for example craters on the Moon, on Mars, and on Mimas. Asteroid 2000 also bears his name as does the large 4.2m telescope in La Palma. A smaller, less prominent crater on the Moon was named C Herschel after his sister.

Binocular Tour for November Having learnt a little about William Herschel it is perhaps a good opportunity to try to look for the crater on the Moon which was named after him. To find the William Herschel Crater, firstly imagine a centre point of a full lunar disk.

Herschel can be found just a few degrees to the south and west of this point. It is a relatively small disc with a 39km diameter, so will be tricky to distinguish with small binoculars. It sits to the north of a large sea named Ptolemaeus. Many other larger features in this area of the Moon make for excellent binocular viewing, including the group of three craters linked, just below Herschel: Ptolemaeus, Alphonsus and Arzachel. Just west and a little north of the Herschel crater you will be able to see the area where the Apollo 14 mission landed in 1971. This was the same site selected for the aborted Apollo 13 mission.

The second - and a particularly spectacular binocular target - is The Pleiades, which is to be found rising in the east just after 6pm from the 1st November.

It is a stunning open cluster of blue tinted stars which should fit nicely into your field of view depending on the size of your binoculars. This group is also known as M45 or The Seven Sisters although you will be able to see dozens of bright stars with binoculars, and many more depending on the darkness of your skies.

This cluster is well placed for observing at the moment and is a feature I have Friedrich William Herschel

astronomy / home sketched and imaged a number of times over the last few years, partly because it is so bright. It sits close to the well defined V shape, forming part of the Bull's head in Taurus. The brightest star in this area - the eye of the bull - is the beautiful orange Aldbaran. This is a stunning sight through binoculars.

Our Nearest Galactic Neighbour Andromeda (aka M31) The beautiful Andromeda Galaxy, is around 220,000 light years across. It is the closest galaxy (just 2.5 million light years away) to our Milky Way and twice the width. It can be seen with the naked eye from dark locations. It is a really well placed object to view at this time of year being directly south and high in the sky. It is one of the furthest away objects we can

view unaided but with binoculars it is active from the 5th to 29th November and peak on the 17th to 18th November. The stunning! To find it in the sky we can use Leonid shower has produced very high the W of Cassiopeia as a pointer. M31 sits numbers of meteors in past years but in the constellation of Andromeda, which numbers have fallen drastically in recent has a less prominent form. So we can start times. We can expect to at the narrow see around fifteen per part of the W in hour this year. The speeds Cassiopeia and The most striking meteor of around 70km per follow its tip shower this month will be second are the towards the three the Leonids fastest recorded. They can brighter stars in also leave very persistent Andromeda. The trains across the sky. As spiral galaxy can the New Moon will have be found just a been on the 15th November, conditions short hop back from the second of those, should be really good for observing. You towards the W. should wait for very dark skies after Leonids Meteor Shower midnight if possible and look for Leo to The most striking meteor shower this rise in the east making sure you have a month will be the Leonids. They will be clear view of the sky.

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ello dear, and maybe some slightly less expensive, readers. How are you all? No, that’s rhetorical, there’s no need to Hello and Howisare you allup, the actually tellwelcome. me (my back playing doing?

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Siret: 51190455900024

I offer free & friendly advice friendly advice so please don’t so please don’t hesitatetoto hesitate contact me. contact me

Simple jobs Complete renovations New builds Conformity checks Emergency Call outs Fully insured 10yr guarantee

Siret 452 755 390 000 13 - RM 8601

Email:

@homesatservices

Siret 84173376900019

Satellite dishes, Sky/TV boxes/HD recorders supplied & fitted.

Dish realignment & upgrades, job satisfaction guaranteed.

A reliable service at sensible rates serving departments: 86, 36, 16 & 87. We can serve certain areas in other dept/s.

Contact Steve for a free no obligation quotation on:

All electrical installations inc: � Domestic - renovation & new build � Commercial � Smart installations (thermostats, cameras etc.) � Air conditioning � Data & communications

Contact Paul Ellis: Tel: 09 62 68 09 06 Regions: Mob: 06 70 97 59 56 16, 36, 79, Email: paul.gill@wanadoo.fr 86 & 87

� Wi-Fi solutions

PETER AMOR

Advertise Your Business For as little as 35€ ttc

siret: 48002659000012

ELECTRICIAN Domestic, Public & Industrial Work Computer technician French Speaking Offers good free advice 87190 Magnac Laval

www.etceteraonline.org

T: 05 55 68 08 13 M: 06 25 20 99 13

david.read@wanadoo.fr Siret 490820859RM87

Tel: 05 49 91 85 54 etcetera 49

getting connected ANDREW LONGMAN ��Fully qualified registered electrician (bilingual) ��All work fully insured with 10-year guarantee ��Domestic & commercial installation / repairs ��Communications wiring & automation ��Safety and conformity checks 86430 Adriers / jbelectric86@orange.fr 06 78 12 02 91 SIRET 537398125 00014

Siret 509 768 693 00012

Jérôme BETUS PLUMBING REPAIRS ALTERATIONS INSTALLATIONS OVER 30 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE FULLY INSURED BASED IN DEPT 79 - WILL TRAVEL

T: 05 49 29 12 64 / M: 06 79 37 02 08 E: ak.longman@hotmail.co.uk

siret 440 419 018 00013

Bathrooms & En Suites / Plasterboard and Plastering / Water Mains & Drainage / Heating Installation Oil, Wood Stoves & Pellet Burners / Servicing & Repairs

T: 05 45 89 38 02 E: simon.kershaw@wanadoo.fr

VIENNE HEATING SERVICES Fully Insured French Registered Tel. 05 49 48 16 10 / 06 41 34 49 34 Email: stevepowelljones@orange.fr Siret. 80438547400015

Siret: 82450859200014

GARY MOORE

OIL

HEATING

GAS

DARREN LUCKHURST

SOLID FUEL INSTALLATION SERVICING REPAIRS

Siret: 491827705 00022

PARTENAIRE

email: gary.moore@orange.fr 05 45 29 68 73 / 06 30 11 86 84

3 Rue des Terrasses 87310 St. Auvent

Email sales@anglocomputers.com

Piegut-Pluviers, Dordogne

Siret 49239708800021

DARREN LUCKHURST

Email sales@anglocomputers.com

Piegut-Pluviers, Dordogne

Siret 49239708800021

Homecall PC PC repair on house calls PC building on demand We sell hardware & peripherals ESET SECURITY BROADBAND INSTALLATION SOFTWARE RETAILER ASSISTANCE ON SITE Year round maintenance • Contracts on request

Tel: 05 55 78 24 86 Email: contact@homecallpc.com www.homecallpc.com 87150 Champagnac La Riviere

OPEN MON TO SAT 9AM / 8PM SIRET: 482 107 943 00011 - TVA INT: 0648210794300011

50 etcetera

artisans PAINTER & DECORATOR Interior and Exterior

Paperhanging and wall tiling

FREE ESTIMATES

Chris Ringguth

Siret 5285994590013

Les Effes, 86150 QUEAUX

05 45 91 26 61 / 06 56 79 25 58 Siret:530 444 496 00018

Over 35 years in the trade Covers depts 86,16,87

WE NOW CONSTRUCT

TIMBER FRAME HOUSES FROM YOUR PLANS, DESIGNS OR IDEAS. FROM SUPPLY & ERECTION TO FULL TURN KEY SERVICE

Email leseffes@hotmail.co.uk T: 06 04 43 18 10 / 06 04 44 32 12

All other aspects of building, joinery, dampproofing & timber treatment still available

Tom Turnbull

ODD JOB TOM

Interior & exterior tiling Travertine, marble, cement Ceramic, porcelain, mosaics Paul Hill 05 45 24 01 45 hilltoptiling@hotmail.co.uk

BESPOKE JOINERY & RENOVATIONS DOORS-SHUTTERS-STAIRS-FLOORINGKITCHENS

1 HOUR RADIUS 86400 CHAMPNIERS Siret 8423761 3900015

FULLY EQUIPPED WORKSHOP & 40 YEARS’ EXPERIENCE LOTS OF SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR REQUIREMENTS

Pool Maintenance - Tree Felling & Stump Grinding Grass Cutting & Odd Jobs - Garden Machinery Repairs Antique Clocks Maintenance - Car Mechanics

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Dominic Smith

SIRET : 508 248 747 000 18

Based in Benest (16)

Painter / Decorator Siret: 807 715 529 00010

Painting, wallpapering, tape/jointing and tiling

Tel: 05 45 30 04 97 Email : smith.dominic@orange.fr www.facebook.com/d.smithdecoratingservices

H TAYLOR KEITARTISAN Depts 79, 16 & 86

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

T. 05 49 87 84 52 / 06 85 98 24 76 Email: tturnbull80@yahoo.com

hilltoptiling

Siret 489 815 258 00012

siret no 523 998 557 00020

HILL TOP TILING

ADRIAN AMOS SPECIALIST CARPENTER/JOINER

Javarzay 79110 Chef-Boutonne

Building - Renovation - Carpentry Fully qualified stone mason with 25 years’ experience

House Renovations • Barn Conversions Roofing • Masonry • General Building Competitive rates, high quality & reliable workmanship guaranteed

T. 05 17 30 18 35 / 06 33 85 65 66 Email: ktaylor.renovations@gmail.com www.ktrenovations.com Siret: 478 608 105 00029

Sun Terraces (traditional joinery),

Roofing, Carpentry, Stonework, Renovations & Restorations 30 yrs’ experience

Depts 16, 24, 87 Tel: 05 45 21 63 96 Email: wesley.halton@orange.fr www.facebook.com/wezconstructions

R & G Builders

30 years’ experience – UK & France English & French spoken Free advice and estimates / works & PL Insured

Siret No 4825499610019

● Renovations & new builds ● Tiling ● Plant hire

05 55 03 23 39

/ 06 67 98 38 89

● Roof repairs & replacement ● Plastering ● Lime pointing russellhainesbuilder@gmail.com

Advertise Your Business For as little as 35€ ttc

www.etceteraonline.org etcetera 51

artisans

Steve’s property maintenance

Petits travaux du Batiment

Stuart F Park Painter Decorator

ALL TYPES OF ROOFING, RENOVATIONS, CONVERSIONS, PLASTERING, STUD WALLS, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS

Siret: 489 199 661 00013

Painting, Tiling, Wallpaper hanging all types of decorating undertaken Confolens 16 and area 25 years experience.

FULLY INSURED

T. 05 55 50 52 02 E: lowe.steven@orange.fr

Contact 05.45.85.78.30 / 06.04.49.04.10 stuart.park@hotmail.fr

Siret 84223310800013

AC Kitchens & Bathrooms

Imajica Joinery

Charente / Haute-Vienne / Vienne

Superior finish in wood Tiling - Plasterboarding - Flooring Door & window fitting - Kitchen fitting

Specialist Fitter, over 15 years’ experience PLUMBING - CUSTOM WORKTOP FITTING - CARPENTRY TILING - WOOD & LAMINATE FLOORING - DESIGN SERVICE

Free quotes

www.ackitchens.fr

Email: antschapman1971@gmail.com 05 17 36 17 74 or 05 55 48 27 17 / Mobile: 06 40 08 08 81 Siret 834026437 00022

05 49 87 09 63 Siret: 48115588500017

LION ROUGE UPVC WINDOWS, DOORS & CONSERVATORIES SPECIALISTS All sizes, shapes & colours offered Supplied & fitted to the highest standard using premium products

10 YEAR WARRANTY on all products installed

~ COVERING SOUTH WEST FRANCE ~

www.lionrouge.eu

52 etcetera

Tel: 05 46 70 25 87

info@lionrouge.eu

artisans M C SCAFFOLDING

MV Services

Siret: 80025145600011

Insurance guarantee on all work. 15 years’ experience

CONTACT: PAUL CHARLESWORTH T: 06 28 28 04 63 E: pmcbatiment@yahoo.fr

Based Saint-Junien. Covering Depts 87-16-24 Siret : 531 655 231 00 11

Glyn Chubb Carpenter/Joiner Staircases, windows, Doors, Gates, Barn Doors, Kitchens Roofing, plasterboarding, tiling Restoration and general building 25 years experience email: glynn.chubb79@orange.fr Tel: 05 49 27 67 29 Siret No. 494 068 315 00014

Safe, secure, adaptable. Meets all safety regs.

Covered by full public liability insurance.

Delivered, erected, and dismantled Over 20 years’ experience. Free Quotes.

Depts 16, 87, part 24, 17, 79 & 86 Day: 07 85 44 26 66 / Eve: 05 45 66 49 87 martin.clare6@gmail.com

John Hartie B.Arch. A.R.I.A.S, R.I.B.A ORDRE des ARCHITECTES no. 073326 Based in La Rochefoucauld for over 12 years 14 Rue des Bans 16110 La Rochefoucauld T: 05 45 91 73 90 / 06 81 90 18 87 Email: john.hartie@orange.fr Eco-Buildings - New Build Renovations - Barn Conversions

All aspects of building work undertaken: 3 Renovations 3 Barn Conversions 3 Plasterboarding / Plastering 3 Brick/Blockwork/Stonework/Repointing

05 55 60 47 78 06 10 49 49 57 troy.davey@orange.fr

Based 87330 References Available

Covering 79, 86, 16, 17

Mick Van Ackeren T. 07 50 63 19 37 mvservices79@gmail.com www.mvservices79.com

Monique PEYNAUD

French Architectural Designer

Permis de construire Déclaration préalable monique@dessinarchi.fr www.dessinarchi.fr

06 30 91 81 84

Roofing / Renovatio Roofing / Renovations

BUILDING / MULTI SERVICE

Troy Davey

▪ Tube & Fitting Scaffold ▪ Free Quotations ▪ Fully Insured

ARCHITECT Siret. 500 835 189 000 16

ROOFING SPECIALISTS

SCAFFOLDING

Siret 85105133400015

Full English Scaffolding Service

ALL ASPECTS OF ROOFING / RENDERING & POINTING - Zinc / PVC guttering - Anti-moss - Insulation & Plaster boarding - Interior / exterior renovations

Andrew Hadfield 05 55 60 72 98 07 81 53 71 91 dandahadfield@aol.com

For a free quotation please contact: Howard (fully bilingual, living in France since 1990, 10 yr décennale Insurance)

Tel: 05.55.60.23.70 / 06.85.43.13.58 Email: rcc87@live.fr Depts: 87,86,16 & 23 Siret: 799 894 860 000 11

Superior Services - Good Workmanship - Honesty

RUST REMOVAL - OAK BEAM BLASTING BRICK CLEANING - METAL - CONCRETE & STONE - TIMBER - CHIMNEY RESTORATION 3500 PSI HIGH PRESSURE CLEANER

05 55 63 58 85 / 06 42 23 38 57 mandmblastinglimousin@gmail.com www.mandmblasting.com

J. W. Services Siret 832922447RM086

EXTERIOR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

- General Building Work Ruffec, Sauzé-Vassais, Civray & surrounding areas

Landscaping / Driveways Pointing / Roof Repairs Stonework

Small jobs no problem!

Plasterboarding / Rendering Renovations

Siret: 502 353 675 00015

M&M Sandblasting ~ Services ~

No Job Too Small

05 17 34 10 94 / 07 83 87 54 49

Siret 82184631800011

One Builder

Tout Batiment

www.timhartley.fr Lathus - Le Dorat - Bellac - La Souterraine Dompierre-les-Églises - Saint-Léger-Magnazeix - Magnac-Laval

Registered in France 2001 05 55 60 86 62 / 06 71 78 94 34

Siret 434972303RM87 tim_hartley@hotmail.com

Fully registered and insured Trading in France since 2007

Call Mark for a free quotation: T: 05 55 44 71 44 / M: 06 78 60 96 16 mumford.toiture@gmail.com Siret no. 493 159 412 00037

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section artisans

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section artisans

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artisans Siret 800 969 438 00020

JM Roofing

All Insurance work welcome

Carpentry ~ Roofing ■ All Zinc Work ■ Zinc Gutter Fascia

■ Clay Tile Roofs ■ All Timberwork ■ Metal Sheet Hangars

Full 10 Year Décennal Insurance

T. 07 70 37 15 98 Email: jmtoitures@yahoo.com JMToitures

French & English Speaking

Depts covered 16, 17, 24, 79, 86, 87

Experts in working with slate, clay & zinc

SARL

Siret: 842 248 692 00019

www.artisancentral.fr/JMToitures

the roof, the whole roof and nothing but the roof

Malcolm’s experience has been sought after in America and Germany, where his skills have been called upon in the construction of stately and unusual homes.

Experience in re-slating English Heritage buildings and churches.

For a free estimation please call or email:

Strictly Roofing Malcolm Cooke

06 35 11 27 31

admin@strictlyroofing.fr

www.strictlyroofing.fr

TRADITIONAL REPOINTING - HIGH PRESSURE REPOINTING - COLOURED SPRAY RENDERS EXTERIOR PAINTING AND FULL MOBILE SANDBLASTING SERVICE Find us on Facebook: Propoint facades Email: paulchester@club.fr T. 07 81 297 420/ 09 67 351337

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Over 40 years’ experience

artisans

3Over 35 years’ experience 3Clean and professional work 3All aspects under taken 3Small works not a problem

For a competitive estimate contact: Robert Fuller Tel 05 55 49 82 96 Mobile +44 78 64 71 69 37 rfplastering@gmail.com Siret 525 171 864 00016

GLEN VINEY

Plasterer

With over 20 years’ experience (8 in France)

Plasterboarding; stud work; rail; skimming boards existing walls; rendering; floor screeding; tiling floors and walls T: 06 45 18 86 10 Email: anitaviney1@btinternet.com Siret 527 736 326 00010

Kitchens & Bathrooms Dry Lining - walls and ceilings Tiling - walls and floors Painting and decorating Wood and Laminate flooring

Siret: 49411778100018

Decennale insured

Fully insured with 10 year guarantee Based in Dept 16 but will travel

Tel. 05 45 31 60 68 / 06 72 90 24 90 Email: aghearmon@gmail.com

Advertise Your Business From just 35€ ttc per month

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artisans

Free estimates

garden care ✓ painting ✓ fencing cleaning ✓ caretaking ✓ maintenance key-holding ✓ admin help ✓ changeovers

Tel : 05.49.87.02.96 shepherd.timothy@orange.fr

SARL

TER MAC et COUV

Toutes eaux, Micro stations, Compact systems, Special flood zone

Gravel driveways, rubbish/ tree stump removals, trenches etc www.davesdiggers.com Email davesdiggers@aol.com Dave Good 0549 073358/ 0675 180913 Based near Couhé 86/79/16 siret 5250162590018

Siret 752 049 932 00011

Machines & driver 0.75 tons to 13 tons French spoken, 10+ years working in depts. 16, 86, 87

Email: bentham.nigel@gmail.com Tel: 06 48 17 20 94

EXCAVATION SERVICES Siret 82184631800011

3 ton Digger Dumper/Tipper & Driver Demolition Cherry Picker Hire Hydraulic Concrete Breaking For more information and a quote

please contact Matthew or Mandie Farraway 05 55 63 58 85 / 06 42 23 38 57

South West France Fosse We are the only dedicated installer Trained-Approved-Recommended

by SPANC

Can you trust your installation to anyone else!

With over 30 years’ experience

See all our work on

southwestfrancefosse

Advertise Your Business From as little as 35€ ttc

Contact Sam or Gayle on 05 16 32 13 42

58 etcetera

Siret 8234 2070 800013

Siret : 484 738 166 00012

Minidigger, Driver & Tipper Truck

Tim Shepherd

motors & removals Walton Coachworks

MOTOR PARTS

87600 Vayres Nick Walton

CHARENTE

MECHANICAL WORK ON ALL MAKES & MODELS IRRESPECTIVE OF AGE • Welding • Servicing • Diagnosis • Stereo & CD installation • LHD lights & tow-bars fitted • Wheel alignment • Replacement tyres & balancing • Interior & exterior valeting

Suppliers of Car & Van Spares & LHD headlights anywhere in France Direct to France at big savings! also Mower Batteries and drive belts!

• Pre-Controle Technique check • Top quality tyres (within 48 hrs) • Parts available same day or in 24hrs - less common cars 3-day delivery walton-coachworks@hotmail.com Tel: 07 87 65 53 11 / 05 55 78 67 02

Delivery via UPS to your door in France

NEW

JOHN SOWERSBY 0044 (0)7830 170761 motorptscharente@aol.com

ROCKET VAN CHABANAIS WORKSHOP

Email rmbservicesfrance@gmail.com Tel. 06 01 59 60 75 Siret: 815 114 7720 0016

Typically 40% cheaper than French prices

Tyre fitting, inc balancing : 12€ Tracking/Alignment : 35€ Car/Van servicing : 75€ + parts E: dixontyres@gmail.com T: 0545 306707

Charente based

Dedicated loads France - UK - France.

Deliveries & Collections ~ 14m3 capacity / 4.2 m length Email: pat.nicholls@hotmail.com UK mob 0044 (0)7711 235 668 FR mob 0033 (0)617 038 858

Siret en cours

Free courtesy cars - Valeting - Car storage with free airport drop offs - Cambelts - Diagnostics - Welding Electrics - Tow bars - Tyre-fitting/Punctures - A/C CT Prep - Garden Tools & Chainsaws Sharpened

Depts 16, 86, 87 & 24 (Car & van servicing, Towbars & LHD lights) Any make of Car or Van Fully mobile service at your address siret 53821341400013

CARS MOTORCYCLES LIGHT TRUCKS

PATRICK NICHOLLS

Full and Part Loads To and From the UK Relocations in France UK Depot for Deliveries Storage Options Available 20m3 Luton Vans with Tail Lifts

Tel: 05 49 07 24 85

siret: 48252490700011

F RENCH V AN M AN

Scott Marshall www.frenchvanman.eu

09 82 12 69 73 / 06 06 40 81 07

Family run business based in France which prides itself on a personal professional service.

7 tonne truck to and from the UK and Europe, we also have a box trailer for larger loads.

Our highly experienced staff provide a door to door service with packing and dry secure storage We are a professional furniture removal company NOT a man and a van.

Please call Phil and Jean Evans....

Genuine/Reliable/Honest Local • Europe • UK - Full or part loads House/Barn clearances / Antiques Finding & Sales 15m3 capacity | 4m load length English & French spoken 87150 Oradour-sur-Vayres

Phone (+33) 05 55 34 19 46 Mobile (+33) 06 80 75 87 14 Email p.evans@orange.fr Visit www.transitionremovals.net

Siret: 53021364400012

TRANSITION REMOVALS

Est. since 2004

Siret: 48122412900033

Man and Van Services

Deliveries and Collections FRANCE-UK-EUROPE (Inc. the islands) Transport & Small Removals Throughout Europe Full and Part Loads. Friendly Personal Service For Quote/Devis: Tel: 0033(0) 549971556 Mob: 0033(0)685805057 / UK Mob: 0044(0)7754732640 Email: heretothere86@gmail.com

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motors & removals UK & OVERSEAS REMOVALS & STORAGE WEEKLY SERVICES UK - FRANCE - UK

Est’d 2007

A Family Run Storage Firm in the Heart of the Limousin

Brexit-busting Super Low Prices!

Secure, dry, insulated storage NEW! 14.5m HIGH CHERRY PICKER

Now storing cars, caravans and camping cars Call Karen for a quote on 09

66 03 52 89

● ● ● ● ● ●

Weekly United Kingdom � France � Spain United Kingdom - Kent & Home Counties Storage La Souterraine / Canterbury / Lincolnshire Very competitive rates Fully Insured Call Matt on: 0044 (0)7506 457225 Email: ma.europeanremovals@gmail.com 20+ years’ experience

REMOVAL & STORAGE

UK & INTE INTERNATIONAL REMOVAL

60 DAYS FREE USE OUR ONLINE EN ENQUIRY NQUIRY R PA RY P PAGE GE FOR A NO OB OBLIGATION BLIGAT A ION QUOTE AT QUO

WWW.WATSONEUROPEAN.CO.UK WWW.WATSONEUROPEA ATSONEUROPEAN.CO ATSONEUROPEA TSONEUROPEA .C . CO.UK .CO CO K CO

OUR SPEC SPECIALISED VEHICLES CAN ACCOMMODATE FULL OR PARTIAL ACCOMMO CARS, CARAVANS HOME REMOVALS, REM AND MUCH MUCH MORE.

CALL TO TODAY

OFFICE: 0044 (0) 1522 569 099 ANDY: ANDY DY: DY Y: 0044 (0) 7876 504 547 DAVE: A AVE: 0044 (0) 7515 722 772 EMAIL: ENQUIRY@WATSONEUROPEAN.CO.UK

Support Local Business We all need each other

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property

PROPERTY SALES IN FRANCE Private Property Sales with Expert Advice

www.propertysalesinfrance.com

Sell Your Home Privately on an Established Website With Excellent International Coverage

NO SALE NO FEE

Advertise Your Home FOR FREE

To advertise your property contact us on enquiries@propertysalesinfrance.com

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listing

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DO YOU USE

OR

FOR HEATING?

DO YOUR BILLS KEEP RISING? HERE IS THE SOLUTION

Installation of an air to water heat pump * Are you eligible for the new "prime CEE coup de pouce pac" (3500€ or 5000€)?

IT is now deducted straight from your quote AND combinable with the grant MaPrimeRénov*

(up to 4000€)

*please note the MaPrimeRénov grant depends

upon approval from MaPrimeRénov, not New Wave Energies

REDUCE YOUR HEATING BILL

BY UP TO 70%

Visit our facebook page to see customer feedback and get tips on energy saving.

WE TAKE CARE OF ALL THE ADMINISTRATION

ENERGY SAVING (Heating)

Return form to: New Wave Energies, 51 Rue Descartes, 87000 Limoges

FAST RESPONSE

www.newwave-energies.com New Wave Energies • Siège social : 51, rue Descartes 87000 Limoges Tel : 0 981 324 237 • S.A.S.U. au capital de 50 000 euros • N° de Siret 800 247 274 00035 66 etcetera

Are you eligible for the new "prime CEE coup de pouce pac"?

Heat Your home with an air-to-water heat pump see page 66 for more details or visit www.newwave-energies.com

FREE STUDY ENGLISH SPOKEN

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