etcetera magazine October 2020 edition

etcetera YOUR COMPANION FOR LIFE IN THE FRENCH COMMUNITY OCTOBER 2020

Autumnal Delights The Mighty Mushroom ~

The Art of Managing Hazel ~

Know Your Rook From Your Raven

PLUS

ANGLING EXPERT ADVICE

HEALTH • 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

Création : CCI Limoges Haute-Vienne | août 2020 | Crédits photos : Adobe Stock

If you prefer to visit us in person we’d be delighted to welcome you at 9 rue de la gare in Rochechouart

The UK has never been so close!

Paris

Limoges

LONDON STANSTED LEEDS / BRADFORD NOTTINGHAM MANCHESTER BRISTOL

www.aeroportlimoges.com

hello & welcome

Contents 3

A note from the editors

4

What’s on

7

Latest news

8

Craft

10

Language

12

Food

15

Business & assistance

19

Health

24

Garden

Welcome to the October edition of etcetera magazine.

32

Farm life

34

Fishing

35

Animal

36

Free time

Finally, we bade farewell to the hot summer temperatures. The wood burners are lit and we’re able to enjoy the seasonal change of the landscape that surrounds us. This, coupled with the darker evenings at the end of this month, will make the recent heatwave seem like a distant memory…!

38

wildlife

45

Night sky

46

Home & Specialist

48

Getting connected

51

Artisans

59

Motoring & removals

61

Property

64

Classified

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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

etcetera magazine

Continue to stay safe and well.

@etceterafrance

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 - 08 11 36 36 46 English Helpline 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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listing

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news

COMPETITION WINNERS! We had so many entries for the competition in September’s edition we decided we had to give more prizes! So we had 6 winners in total, receiving either a hedgehog tracker tunnel or a hedgehog igloo. We were seriously impressed with the imaginative entries! For those of you who didn’t manage to find Twiggs, he was just emerging from A. Robins Construction advert on page 56 of last month’s edition.

It didn’t come as too much of a surprise to hear of a further delay on the launch of the new residency card application website. The initial launch was due for July of this year but at the end of June it was announced that the 1st October would be the new launch date.

A further delay has just been advised, although it is expected to be only another two weeks, with a planned launch date of the 15th October. It is reported that the delay has been caused by difficulties with scheduling a slot at the Conseil d’Etat, who need to validate the decree on the details of applications, for example, what documents Britons will need to provide.

The British Embassy has asked the French government if it is possible to also extend the final deadline for residency card applications, which is currently set at the 30th June 2021, to compensate for the time already lost due to the delay.

The new website will be accessible on the address below, click on the ‘Brexit’ option: http://invite.contacts-demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/

IN THE RED At the time of print, many departments in France are finding themselves in the Zone Rouge, meaning that the virus is actively circulating.

On a practical level, the “red” status gives the department authorities additional powers to enforce local rules. For example, a limit on gatherings and closure of places like bars, restaurants, and cinemas. Local rules regards to mask wearing can also be imposed. Make sure you keep up to date with your local

FURTHER DELAYS FOR THE ONLINE PORTAL

ARMED FORCES, VETERANS & THEIR FAMILIES news in your region or check with your local mairie.

Just because they can impose rules doesn’t mean they necessarily will.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE Stream opera and ballet content online from the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. to yours while their stages are closed. Opera and ballet productions cost £3 to view, and are streamed for 30 days. www.roh.org.uk https://stream.roh.org.uk/

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity exists to relieve the need, suffering and distress amongst the Armed Forces, veterans and their families in order to support their independence and dignity.

The support covers both regulars and reserves in the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the British Army and the Royal Air Force and their families, including anyone who has completed National Service.

They are entitled to lifelong support from SSAFA, no matter how they have served.

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity was recently awarded a grant to work alongside the

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to assist British nationals in countries across Europe as Britain exits the EU. To receive support or to find out more about assistance with your application to remain living in the European Union, please email them at: UKVIE.Support@ssafa.org.uk or call 0805 119 617.

For more information on SSAFA France or to volunteer, contact 05 53 24 92 38 or email the French branch at France.branch@ssafa.org.uk .

You can find them on Twitter and Facebook. etcetera 7

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

Rustic Willow Balls WILLOW BALLS ARE REALLY SIMPLE TO MAKE AND ARE A LOVELY RUSTIC ORNAMENT. CREATE A SIMPLE DECORATION FOR YOUR HOME OR GARDEN, ADD LIGHTS, OR MAKE IT INTO A BIRD FEEDER

Create each ring with one whip

Materials ▪ Willow whips or other natural twigs or vines. There are lots of natural materials that lend themselves to weaving wreaths. If the material is supple enough to bend into a hoop you are good to go. Try flexible twigs such as dogwood, hazel, cotoneaster,

beech and winter-flowering jasmine.

Roots can also work. Stems such as brambles and raspberry. Vines, grapevine, clematis and ivy all make wonderful wreaths.

▪ Secateurs

Instructions 1. Start by stripping off the majority of leaves from the twigs, using lengths about 3ft long and quite slim.

2. Take the first whip and weave it into a rustic hoop the diameter you want your wreath to be.

Start building your structure

Mark the centre point

A perfect place to put bird food balls

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3. Once you have 5 or 6 wreaths all the same size you are ready to assemble your ball. Slip one wreath over the other to start building your ball shape. (It can help to tie the hoops together at the top point to make this stage a little easier. Just one tie point should be enough but do whatever works for you.)

4. Once the rings are all in place, take further lengths of willow to weave in and out of the ball to give it a nice shape, remembering to leave a gap at the top so you can easily put in your lights or bird food. Simply tuck the

loose ends in behind other pieces of willow, you should find that the tension of the sticks holds everything together nicely. If it doesn’t, add another thin whip until the structure feels sturdy.

Please visit my FB page for opening hours and course details

SALON DE THÉ

Courtyard Now Open!

HUGE CHOICE OF UPCYCLED FURNITURE ARTISAN CRAFTS - GIFTS CHALK PAINT - COURSES OFFERED T. 06 14 76 42 84 Fb@chiccreationscc Place de la Fontorse 16500 Confolens

craft Thé Bonbons Cadeaux Tea Shop

Freshly Made Hot & Cold Light Meals & Homemade Cakes 71 Grande rue, Sauzé Vaussais. T. 05 49 07 78 22 Debbie & David The Lemon Tree T. 06 75 89 95 55 Denise Eyre at The Craft Cabin.

Email: denise.eyre@wanadoo.fr www.thecraftcabin.webs.com

Jewellery & Accessories Tues-Sat 10am-4pm

MR. PIANO MAN

PIANO FINDERS

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Lots of NEW HANDMADE GIFTS now in stock

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English Cards & Sweets

Tues-Sat 11h-16h

bespoke handmade options available free advice given largest selection in the region

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OPEN HOUSE CHRISTMAS SALE

Sat 14th & Sun 15th November 10am - 5pm Huge selection of stunning

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Please wear a mask

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language & advice

Parlez Français French conversation, vocabulary & traditions with Isabelle

Let ’s Learn!

Les Expressions Idiomatiques avec les parties du corps (N-Z) n’avoir que la peau sur les os être très maigre

Vous l’avez déjà peut-être remarqué, dans toutes les langues, les gens utilisent beaucoup d’expressions. Les Français aussi. Alors, pour « vous mettre l’eau à la bouche », je vous ai sélectionné ici quelques expressions idiomatiques avec les parties du corps, en français et avec une petite explication pour bien les comprendre et les utiliser.

ne pas arriver à la cheville de quelqu’un ne pas être à la hauteur de quelqu’un, ne pas avoir les qualités de quelqu’un ne pas avoir froid aux yeux ne pas avoir peur ne pas avoir la langue dans sa poche être bavard(e) ne pas avoir les yeux en face des trou être fatigué(e), ne pas faire attention

Broaden your horizons with CONTINENTAL HORIZONS! À bientôt !

ne pas être tombé dans l’oreille d’un sour ne pas oublier ce qui vient d’être dit

Isabelle

ne pas lever le petit doigt ne rien faire pour aider

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

ne pas savoir sur quel pied danser ne pas être à l’aise, ne pas savoir quelle attitude adopter

ne pas se laisser marcher sur les pieds ne pas se laisser faire ne pas y aller de main morte frapper quelqu’un de toutes ses forces, faire quelque chose en utilisant une force excessive ne rien savoir faire de ses dix doigts être incapable, être paresseux obéir au doigt et à l’œil obéir parfaitement ouvrir les yeux de quelqu’un lui faire découvrir la vérité perdre la tête devenir fou perdre pieds perdre le sens des réalités prendre les jambes à son cou fuir, s’enfuir prêter main-forte à quelqu’un aider

CHASSENEUIL BONNIEURE

Language School Secretarial and Administration Services Certified Legal Interpreting & Translating Coaching 15 Place d’Armes 86150 L’Isle Jourdain Tél. 05 49 84 17 73 Email: isabelle@continental-horizons.com www.continental-horizons.com siret 483 146 353 00014

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▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

Face -toFace

Or French Classes Online!

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

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

language & advice

Get the Vocab! rester bouche bée rester silencieux, être stupéfait

se lever du pied gauche être de mauvaise humeur

taper dans l’œil de quelqu’un plaire à quelqu’un

retomber sur ses pieds réussir à rétablir une situation

se mettre le doigt dans l’œil se tromper

tendre l’oreille écouter attentivement

s’arracher les cheveux s’énerver

se prendre pour le nombril du monde se croire important

tirer les vers du nez à quelqu’un faire parler quelqu’un pour obtenir des informations

se retrouver nez à nez avec quelqu’un rencontrer quelqu’un par surprise

c’est tiré par les cheveux ce n’est pas logique

se serrer les coudes être solidaire, s’aider mutuellement

tourner sa langue sept fois dans la bouche avant de parler bien réfléchir avant de parler

se tourner les pouces ne rien faire pendant que les autres sont au travail

traîner les pieds faire preuve de mauvaise volonté

s’en donner à cœur joie prendre du plaisir à faire quelque chose savoir quelque chose par cœur savoir quelque chose très bien se casser le nez ne pas trouver quelqu’un chez lui se croiser les bras ne pas travailler quand les autres travaillent se faire prendre la main dans le sac être pris en flagrant délit

se voir comme le nez au milieu de la figure être bien visible

se faire tirer les oreilles se faire gronder

sourire à pleines dents faire un grand sourire

FRENCH LESSONS FOR FREE Groups - Private tutoring - E-learning Contact Alain 05 55 32 14 76 / 06 37 76 54 98 alain.rio@hvformations.org Siret: 824417364 00018

http://hvformations.org

trouver chaussure à son pied rencontrer quelqu’un avec qui on veut passer le reste de sa vie

FRENCH COMMUNICATION SERVICES

(if eligible)

with experienced French teachers

travailler d’arrache-pied travailler dur

● 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

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

Marvellous Mushrooms MY FAVOURITE THING ABOUT MUSHROOMS IS HOW TRULY VERSATILE THEY ARE, THEY WORK IN SO MANY DISHES AND ADD SUCH A GOOD FLAVOUR

Creamy Mushroom Pasta Sauce A simple classic mushroom sauce, ideally made with locally grown, seasonal mushrooms of your choice Serves 4 Ingredients: 500g mushrooms of your choice, sliced 40g butter 1 tblsp olive oil 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 large shallot, finely chopped 175ml white wine 175ml vegetable stock 250ml crème fraîche 40g parmesan cheese, finely grated

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Method: 1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring regularly. When they start to sweat, add a pinch of salt & pepper.

2. After 4-5 minutes, add the garlic and shallot to the pan and cook for another minute or so until beginning to brown.

3. Add the wine, scraping the pan and simmer rapidly until almost all the wine has evaporated.

4. Add the stock, crème fraîche, parmesan and some salt & pepper to

taste. Stir to dissolve the cheese and simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring regularly.

5. Serve with your favourite pasta with some chopped parsley and extra grated parmesan!

food

Chicken and Mushroom Sauté Now the temperatures have dropped we can enjoy being back in the kitchen and cooking delicious warming dishes.

Serves 4 Ingredients 50g butter 8 chicken thighs or legs (or a mix of both) 1 onion, peeled & chopped 20g plain flour 300ml chicken stock 250g mushrooms, sliced 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce Salt & pepper

Method: 1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan.

Add the chicken thighs and onion and fry until the chicken joints are browned. Sprinkle over the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Stir in the stock. Bring to the boil and skim off any excess fat. Stir in the mushrooms, the soy and Worcestershire sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Cover and simmer gently for about 1 hour until the chicken is tender.

3. Check the seasoning and sprinkle with chopped parsley, great with mash!

Baked Mushrooms with Pesto Serves 6 Ingredients 6 large Portobello mushrooms 3 tbsp olive oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 6 heaped tsps pesto (any variety) 6 heaped tsps grated parmesan cheese Salt & pepper

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 220 c/220 c fan/gas 7 2. Line a baking sheet with non-stick paper or foil.

3. Carefully remove the mushroom stalks and season the inside of the mushrooms with salt & pepper. Finely chop the stalks.

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

4. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry the whole mushrooms over a high heat for 2 minutes on each side. Place on the prepared baking sheet with the gills facing up. Sauté the shallot and chopped mushroom stalks until golden.

5. Spread a tsp of pesto over each mushroom, top with the mushroom and shallot mixture and sprinkle on a tsp of grated parmesan.

6. Cook in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling.

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food

Mushroom Bouchées aka Vol au Vent Makes 30 Ingredients 30 ready-made puff pastry bouchées (mini vol-au-vents) 15g butter 125g mushrooms of your choice, finely chopped 1 large shallot, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped 2 tbsp crème fraîche Salt & pepper Thyme sprigs to garnish Method: 1. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot, garlic and thyme. Stir fry until tender and crisp – about 5-10 minutes.

2. Stir in the crème fraiche and remove from the heat.

Season to taste.

3. Warm the bouchées in a low oven for about 5 mins. Use a teaspoon (or two) to fill the bouchées with the mushroom mixture. Top with a thyme sprig to garnish.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

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 14 etcetera

business INSURANCE

ISABELLE WANT BH ASSURANCES

4. How does it work: You should not engage in anything before you tell the insurance company first, otherwise, they might not pay. So, you must phone or write to the insurance company first. You should always try to resolve your problems peacefully first. And only if that does not work, then call in this insurance.

PROTECTION JURIDIQUE / LEGAL COVER W

ell, let’s face it; none of us wants to have to use this insurance as that means we need to use a lawyer! And they are worse than insurance or bank people!

Excluding me of course!

I actually have met lots of people who have this insurance and don’t have a clue what it is for! And as it is quite cheap (around 80 euro per year), they don’t bother checking if they really need it or not.

1. What it is: It is an insurance to cover legal fees (lawyers, experts, etc) in case you need them in subjects such as: problems with neighbours, boundaries of property, relationships with French tax, with employers, artisans (as long as the work done is below 30 000€ but this can be increased to 300 000€ as an option), shops, banks, insurance, the state, social workers, public transport, associations, and also to do with buying goods (even online or from a private person such as buying a car). Basically, everything to do with your normal life.

It also offers advice on the preliminaries to trouble! E.g. You have a neighbour with a barking dog (yes, I talk from experience here!) and you phone the helpline (or with us, come and see us or phone us) and they

5. How much does it cost: With Allianz it’s around 75.72 euro per year.

Conclusion: Believe me when I say I felt a great relief by knowing I had this insurance when my neighbour renovated part of her house to rent it to someone with a barking dog (yes, my examples are will explain what to do and in what order: always true!) and that the peaceful talk to the neighbour, write a letter, write a solution (asking them nicely to deal with registered letter, call in an expert to it) did not work. I did not have to go to witness the barking dog and finally go to court in the end, but knowing I had it court. The fees of the expert and the legal covered gave me peace of mind. Who fees of the court are covered by the policy hasn’t had problems with EDF or the (see limits below). water company or with buying some goods 2. What it does not cover: Anything in the supermarket or online and wished to do with work if you are self-employed. they could get some help finding out if Also, you are not they could get covered if you did compensation and how. anything illegal! And I felt a great relief by knowing I This contract can do that meant to do so had this insurance when my for you so don’t hesitate (other than selfneighbour renovated part of her to contact me for any defense). So, if you house to rent it to someone with further information on it. decide to rob a bank, And remember to check a barking dog this contract will not out our web site cover your legal fees! www.bh3. What are the limits: Like every assurances.fr/en for all my previous insurance, there are limits on how much articles (“practical information”) and they cover. With the Allianz contract, it is register to receive our monthly Newsletter.

20 000€ per claim for lawyer fees. You You can also follow us on Facebook: should have got a little booklet called “Allianz Jacques Boulesteix et Romain “dispositions générales” and those limits Lesterpt” are written in it. It works in France and And don’t hesitate to contact me for any the European Union and it does not cover other information or quote on subjects claims that happened before you took out such as funeral cover, inheritance law, the contract. investments, car, house, professional and There is a maximum of 5 claims per year. top up health insurance, etc…

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

2 Avenue de la Gare 16270 Roumazieres-Loubert Tél:+33(0)5 45 71 17 79

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business MARKETING

MICALA WILKINS

Is Your Business Going to Plan? your quarterly payments. A regular review enables you to adapt sooner rather than later. The plan should not be set in stone, change is inevitable, so expect it. A short one or two page document is more than adequate on a quarterly basis and carry out a more in-depth review at year end ready for the following year.

activities do you need to budget for? Are they working? What enquiries/business has been generated? Are you retaining existing customers?

unning a business here in France is not easy. Knowing what your business is about, how you are going to get business and understanding if you are running at a profit or loss are vital components whether you are a start up or established business. A business plan is your map throughout the working year. It helps you prepare for opportunities and helps you prepare for the negatives that could strike your business. And let’s face it 2020 has been a year! Not only have many had to navigate through Covid-19 but many of us need to adapt to Brexit.

What are your costs? What do you need to run your business? What are your regular outgoings? Insurance, equipment/tools, Your business petrol, supplies, business tax? What do Why have you set up in business? How you need to live on each month? What do have you set your business? Where do you you need to put to one side to buffer a want to be in 5 years', 10 years' time? downturn? When you see what your What is your product or service? How are outgoings are you can see what you need you different from the competition? What to be earning each month. Do you need to is your USP? What is the prepare for major focus this year? Who are costs in the Not only have many had to your customers? Why future? For navigate through Covid-19 would they need your example, a new but many of us need to product or service? What vehicle, is your pricing? Is your adapt to Brexit or equipment that pricing sustainable? you need for your business.

Customers

Here are a few essential elements to include in your business plan. If a yearly business plan is not something that you have done, create a quarterly plan that you can work too. Many pay bills quarterly, so you can align your business plan alongside

Customers are important to your business, without them you have no business. Who are your ideal customers? Where are your customers? Where do you need to be seen? Where should you be spending money in promoting your business? What

If 2020 teaches us one thing in business it is keep an eye on the plan and try to at least buffer a downturn should the inevitable happen, allowing us time to pivot our businesses and weather the storm.

ALACIM SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

R

Financials

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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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

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business

Tax Fairness for the American Abroad

“T

he Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad Act” or Tax Bill (H.R 7358), raises a question of transitioning from the current citizenship-based taxation system to residence-based taxation. Basically, it will be separating foreign-source and USsource income and exclude the former one from US taxation. Therefore, a US citizen will need to be a qualified resident abroad.

With Trump’s tax reform, there were quite big changes for Americans abroad, more especially for those who have foreign corporations. Tax reform largely impacted Americans abroad who have US-sourced income. If it’s not the case for you, then you can stay calm. But if you have controlled a foreign corporation, then you might be hit by GILTI and Transition tax.

So, what exactly is the “Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad” act?

As an American abroad, what does it mean for you? While it won’t change the current tax system, it will amend existing laws by way of adding Sec. 911A. This means that non-resident citizens can elect to be considered as “qualified non-resident citizens,” which ensures only their US source income is taxed, and not their

foreign source income. The first step in the goal would be to address the tax issues and problems for expats residing overseas.

While Congressman George Holding continued to advocate for the interests of Americans abroad throughout 2019 and 2020, the Act failed to gain traction in Congress. While the future of the bill remains uncertain, the introduction of the bill is still seen as a significant landmark by expat advocacy groups. As the fight for expat tax fairness continues, the Tax Fairness for Americans Abroad Act will likely also serve as a historic step on the path toward future legislation.

Although tax rates in France can be high, there are opportunities to legitimately reduce what you have to pay. Many retired foreign nationals find they can save tax when they move to France by taking specialist advice before they move. And even if you’re not resident, you could still be liable for French taxes, such as when buying or selling a French property.

An ‘assurance-vie’ is a good example; this is a French investment structure that can provide considerable tax advantages in France. Used correctly and with specialist

FINANCE

HELEN BOOTH INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVISER deVere France

advice, it can be useful for estate planning purposes. Although an assurance-vie is a possible solution, there are many products on offer with significant differences between them to help you with retirement, financial planning, and tax efficiency while resident abroad. For this reason, you would need to look at how they work individually alongside the jurisdiction they are based in – then consider which one would be best for your personal goals and objectives.

All topic related information is helpful, but you should seek expert expatriate financial and tax related advice in the country you are currently residing, in order to be sure your finances are optimized in order to enjoy favourable tax treatment on capital investments and assets.

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business

SMALL BUSINESS ADVICE

LINDSEY QUERIAUD OWNER: CAST T: 05 45 84 14 94 lindseyqueriaud@outlook.com

WORKING FROM HOME

O

bviously during the lockdown period in France, it was compulsory, where possible, for employees that could ‘télétravail’ to work at home.

Remote working has a number of advantages for both the employee and the employer. It reduces the need to travel to work, thus reducing costs as well as stress and fatigue to the employee. It allows the employer to have happier and more productive employees, less office space and therefore reduce his monthly overheads. It has been proven to be advantageous for both sides.

Remote working has therefore a great appeal to lots of people stuck in the rut of commuting into large cities and towns all over the world. It can be put in place on either a regular or occasional basis.

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Legislation In 2017, the French government drew up legislation to cover the rules for home working. This legislation was to allow employees to work 1, 2, 3 or 4 days per week at home. It covered the working conditions - times, places of work - and it provided for the right to compensatory costs for the employee’s telephone, electricity costs etc.

It has one important notion that should be highlighted. The company must maintain a social attachment with the employee, good team relations, and limit the number of days homeworking, so that the employee has to work in the company premises at least a certain number of days per week.

The employer is required to draw up with the employee a specific type of contract to cover all the aspects of homeworking, such as the transitionary period, time control, work hours etc.

In light of the current situation and change in work habits, the government are reviewing with the unions the legislation to iron out a few contradictory elements.

Home working in the France for a UK company The question is, is it possible to remote work in France as a UK employee. The answer is yes and no. There is no problem with you coming on ‘holiday’ and working here, as effectively you still have your permanent address in the UK. It is clear to

the authorities that you are to pay National Insurance and Income tax to the UK. However, you can not remote work on a permanent basis under your previous conditions of employment.

If you wish to maintain an employee status whilst living and remote working in France, then the company you work for is required to create a French subsidiary.

The subsidiary is responsible for paying your National Insurance contributions to the French social security system. This is envisageable, however complex and costly for your employer.

There is another option - become a subcontractor. This means that you become an independent worker in France and you bill your UK client for the services.

Structures There are several business structures available to you. In order to define which option would be best suited to you, I would advise to seek professional guidance.

Financial aids for small businesses There has been a number of financial aids still available for certain business activities. You can make a request via your personal impots access or apply for support in terms of a payment or arrangements from URSSAF. Do not forget to see if your commune or communauté des communes can help you too.

health

9 Simple Swaps

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

By Saski Ford

IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO LOSE A FEW EXTRA POUNDS AND ARE NOT SURE WHERE TO START, TRY THESE SIMPLE ‘SWAPS’ AND START SEEING THE RESULTS! 1. FIZZY DRINKS FOR TEA OR COFFEE Trying to wean yourself off sugary fizzy drinks is particularly hard if you have them often.

Switching to green tea or coffee can be a healthier replacement. Firstly, for the reduced sugar intake you’ll be ingesting and secondly, for the many benefits of green tea and the antioxidants in coffee.

2. CRISPS FOR COLD DELI MEAT

protein. Secondly, it reduces your calorie intake - the combination of protein and fibre makes beans more filling, calorie for calorie, than most other carbohydrate sources. And thirdly, it gives you more stable energy levels because the calories are absorbed more slowly than calories from rice.

5. LETTUCE FOR SPINACH Lettuce isn’t bad, it’s just not as good! It consists mostly of water, and has almost no nutritional value whatsoever. Its only benefit is that it’s a bit filling, but it’s better to fill up on something that actually has nutrients in it.

The convenience of crisps as an on-the-go snack could be swapped for an equally convenient packet of sliced deli meat like turkey, chicken or roast beef. (Not high fat varieties like salami Spinach, by contrast, or chorizo.) Crisps has a wide array of have a high calorie vitamins and You’ll only stick to your content with very minerals, including diet and keep the weight little protein and iron, niacin, zinc, B don’t fill you up. off if you enjoy the food vitamins and Meats on the other you’re eating vitamins A and K. By hand have high replacing lettuce with protein and keep you spinach, you can fuller for longer! boost your micronutrient intake while eating essentially the same salads you 3. FRUIT JUICE FOR HOME-MADE were eating before.

FLAVOURED WATER 6. MILK AND CREAM FOR Although fruit juice may seem like a VANILLA EXTRACT healthy option, it has a lot of sugar. Take a jug of ice water and put some slices of lemon, cucumber, strawberry, or mint leaves in it for flavour. Try to resensitise your palette.

4. RICE FOR BEANS If you have already cut most of the bread and pasta from your diet, but still eat a lot of rice, replacing it with beans can help on several different levels. Firstly, it increases your protein intake - beans are an excellent source of plant-based

So back to coffee. I can’t drink black coffee, and truth be told I’m still more of a tea drinker even after finding this food swap, but now I can enjoy the occasional cup of coffee without added calories.

Vanilla extract provides almost exactly the same flavour as milk or cream (personally, I like it better), with no calories.

7. SUGAR FOR NATURAL SWEETENERS If you want to sweeten up your coffee or tea, or cook a recipe that calls for sugar,

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

you can usually substitute the sugar for natural sweeteners like stevia or xylitol.

Sometimes I use cinnamon instead of, or in addition to, stevia or xylitol. Cinnamon has an additional benefit for fat loss: it slows the rate at which food transits from your stomach to your intestine, helping you to stay full for longer.

8. MAYONNAISE FOR MUSTARD YOGHURT Mustard mayonnaise used to be my go-to condiment. Unfortunately, it’s almost pure fat. Making a change to yoghurt with Dijon mustard didn’t really taste any different and is a much healthier alternative.

9. BOTTLED DRESSING FOR A HOMEMADE FRENCH DRESSING Back to salads. They don’t have much flavour. I know people who can eat a salad with no dressing at all, but I’m not one of them!

Swapping your sugar and salt laden bottled dressings for a homemade French dressing will be a much healthier option, with fewer calories.

To lose weight, you have to eat fewer calories. There’s no way around that.

But you’ll only stick to your diet and keep the weight off if you enjoy the food you’re eating.

The best way to lose a pound a week which equates to roughly an inch off your waist a month - is to make about five to ten food swaps which a) you enjoy b) swap out some of the foods you eat most often and c) have a combined effect of reducing your daily intake by about 500 calories.

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Fat

Fig.2

Fig.1

BREAST DENSITY AND YOUR MAMMOGRAM WHAT UK WOMEN SHOULD KNOW MOST WOMEN IN THE UK ARE UNAWARE OF BREAST DENSITY AND ITS SCREENING AND RISK IMPLICATIONS. UNDERSTANDING BREAST DENSITY AND KNOWING YOUR BREAST DENSITY CATEGORY CAN, POTENTIALLY, BE LIFE-SAVING

A

“clear” or “normal” mammogram does not necessarily mean that cancer is not present as cancers can be left undetected and hidden in dense breast tissue. Read on, to learn more about why density matters….

My Story…

I live in France and in March 2016, just after my 50th birthday, I was invited for my first ever mammogram. The radiologist announced it was 'normal'; no abnormalities, but a decision was made to carry out an ultrasound as there was an area of dense tissue (dense tissue can obscure cancers). A few moments later, the ultrasound showed an area of concern that was not seen on mammography. The following week a biopsy confirmed a small 8-mm invasive cancerous tumour.

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After a lumpectomy to remove the tumour, I received six weeks of radiotherapy. My tumour was detected early. I did not need a mastectomy, reconstructive surgery or chemotherapy.

Please share this information with your family, friends and colleagues

women about the implications of dense breasts.

I had experienced a positive outcome in France and I was compelled to raise awareness for women in the UK. Equipped with breast density The French breast screening programme protocol, offering In the UK, without a information, women can make informed additional ultrasound doubt, in my case, my decisions about their screening on dense breast cancer would have been breast health, taking tissue contributed to my left undetected into account family positive health outcome. In the history and lifestyle, and UK, without a doubt, in my discuss their options with medical experts case, my cancer would have been left to decide if further screening is undetected based on existing national appropriate (e.g., MRI if high risk, or breast screening guidelines. ultrasound if only dense).

Breast Density Matters UK Having dense breasts both increases Two days after my operation, I formed the likelihood of developing cancer Breast Density Matters UK, a patient and of having cancer being missed by mammography advocacy group with the aim to educate

tty

Scattered fibroglandular density

Heterogeneously dense

Extremely dense

Copyright DenseBreast-info.org and Wendie Berg, MD, PhD

© 2015-2020 DenseBreast-info.org

1. Breast density is determined through a woman's mammogram and described as one of four categories (see Fig.2): (A) Fatty; (B) Scattered fibroglandular density; (C) Heterogeneously dense; or (D) Extremely dense.

Breasts which are (C) Heterogeneously dense; or (D) Extremely dense are considered "dense breasts.” www.densebreast-info.org 2. Dense breasts are normal. 40% of women age 40 and over have dense breasts.

3. Although normal, dense breast tissue is a risk factor for developing breast cancer

and the denser the breast, the greater the risk.

4. Mammography remains the standard screening test for breast cancer and is proven to reduce deaths due to breast cancer. However, in dense breasts, cancers can be hidden on mammography and may go undetected until they are larger and more likely to have spread.

5. Other screening tests, such as ultrasound or MRI, when added to mammography, substantially increase the detection of early stage breast cancer in women with dense breasts.

Cheryl is the Founder of Breast Density Matters UK. Their mission is to raise awareness and educate about the implications of dense breast tissue. Cheryl is also the European Education Coordinator for DenseBreast-info. and a member of the Patient Advisory Group of the European Society of Radiology and a Patient Representative for ecancer.org.

By Cheryl Cruwys

@Cheryl_Cruwys breastdensitymattersuk breastdensitymatters.uk@gmail.com

Mammography is not as effective in dense breasts. In France and Austria, based on national screening guidelines, if a woman has dense breast tissue (category C/D, see Fig.2), further screening is offered; mammography is coupled with ultrasound.

More information visit: https://eu.densebreast-info.org/eumap In the United States of America, 38 states have now passed legislation. Following a mammogram, women receive some level of notification about breast density and its associated risks. Currently, in the UK national breast screening programme, density is neither recorded, nor reported.

What is Dense Breast Tissue?

All breasts contain glands, fibrous tissue, and fat. Dense tissue is made of glands and fibrous tissue. Dense breasts are normal but have relatively more glandular/fibrous

8 etcetera

tissue than fatty breasts. As seen in Fig.1, dense breast tissue appears white as does a cancerous tumour; it is like looking for a ball of cotton in a snowstorm; the denser the tissue, the whiter the mammogram.

This matters because as density increases, the ability of a mammogram to show cancer decreases; cancer tumours can be hidden and left undetected.

What Information Should You Take to GP/Mammogram/Screening/ Hospital Appointments?

Equip yourself with this information to ask questions about your breast density. The first step is to be prepared for the conversation. DenseBreast-info.org, a website that provides medically-sourced educational resources on the topic of breast density, has developed two helpful tools that can be printed: Patient Fact Sheet

(Available in multiple languages): https://eu.densebreastinfo.org/eupatientfactsheet.aspx Request for Breast Density template: if you would like to know your density: https://bit.ly/3iaUveY Let’s Talk About Dense Breasts: educational patient videos: https://bit.ly/2UPzEkZ For more information visit: DenseBreast-info.org

DISCUSS YOUR BREAST DENSITY

- IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE #FindItEarly etcetera 21

health BY

MICHAEL WILLIAM PARK

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

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Initial consultation FREE

opinion

Odds & Ends I

t was the annual Aintree Grand National sweepstake in our office many years ago. Despite one of those absurd racehorse names, (“Mussolini’s Bed Socks” or something), I had high hopes for my pick. He looked sleek, focussed and determined, capable of a storming finish.

He fell in the paddock. Another year, I actually placed a bet on a thoroughbred because a prominent local builder was part-owner. He came a cropper at the notorious Becher’s Brook fence and had to be shot, (the horse, not the builder).

So, I’ve never taken to gambling, never been seduced by the siren call of “beating the odds”. I have also witnessed, via a past acquaintance, that the beast, once fed, can be ravenous; insatiable at one end, incontinent at the other. It ain’t pretty.

Moreover, I don’t entirely trust the odds. I once met socially a chap who trained greyhounds. He applauded my aversion to betting but offered advice for if I should ever try an evening at the track. It was this: take a stroll past the enclosure before a race. If I happen to spot any of the dogs ‘squatting’, I should bet on it. A greyhound would only have been fed so near to running, he revealed, in order to slow it down, disguise its ability and thus drive up the odds for its next race. So, inept timing and the dog’s digestive system determined the outcome, rather than its speed on the

track. Not quite the runs the punters were expecting.

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

The laws of probability were once explained to me this way: a gameshow contestant is on the verge of winning the one. Although the choice is now down to big prize. She is presented with three just two boxes, it isn’t 50/50; the odds boxes, one of which contains the money, remain 1-in-100 that she originally chose and is invited to choose. She picks box correctly. It’s almost certain the money is number one. Before opening it, the host in 90. She must change. opens number three, showing it to be Why am I banging on about odds and empty, and asks if the contestant wishes to choosing wisely? Because Winston stick with her original choice or change to Churchill once wrote that democracy is the box number two. The lady reasons that worst system of government, except for all since it’s now 50/50 she may as well stick the others. True, but there are sirens here with box number one. However, she’s too. They seduce with wrong - it isn’t simple solutions, 50/50 at all. At the fraudulent promises and start she had a 1He applauded my aversion in-3 chance of a Niagara Falls of lies. to betting but offered advice choosing the right The USA’s 153 million for if I should ever try an box, thus she was voters must now choose evening at the track twice as likely (2from two boxes. This is in-3) to have no 50/50 since one of the chosen wrongly. boxes has been open for Those odds four years with the host, a coarse, vulgar haven’t changed – it is still more likely she man, proudly displaying its contents. They picked the wrong box. She should change are rancid. The rest of us now watch to box number two. through our fingers as the good citizens Not convinced? Imagine the same game make their decision. This is serious. Fullwith 100 boxes. The contestant chooses on “hair-on-fire” serious. number 25. The host then opens every So together let’s take a deep breath, calm other box except 90. It’s now just box 25 ourselves and scream, “Dammit, America, or box 90 - does she change? She began with a 1-in-100 chance of picking the right for all our sakes, pick the other box”.

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garden

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garden The

Fantastic Foliage Autumn

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

of

FOR JUST A FEW WEEKS, THE GREEN LEAVES OF DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS CHANGE COLOUR TO MANY SHADES OF REDS, PINKS, BROWNS, YELLOWS AND ORANGES…

M

chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light and reflects the green light which is why the majority of leaves appear to be green. It is the energy within the red and blue wavelengths of light that is used to fuel the process. There are however other pigments in the leaf including the carotenoids that can make use of other wavelengths of light. These are often present in leaves throughout the entire growing season but are not visible until the chlorophyll begins to be absorbed back The process of photosynthesis involves into the plant as part of the preparation chemical reactions that result in energy for the autumn leaf fall. As this takes place from sunlight being converted into a form the carotenoids are revealed, and the that can be stored leaves appear red, by the plant as and yellow carbohydrates, You do not need to spend days raking orange as the autumn which also form up the leaves if they have fallen on colours develop. the base of your grassed areas, you can simply Strong sunlight proteins in the run over them with the mower actually damages plant. When chlorophyll over nitrogen is added time but enhances the carotenes so after a to carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (a basic hot summer the autumn colour is usually carbohydrate) the building block of more enhanced. Other factors such as drought complex proteins is formed. This process can cause stress which has a similar effect is a fantastically important reaction for on the colour. our planet. In fact it's the most important; the carbohydrates and proteins created are The plant carefully stores away the passed all the way up the food chain from elements that make up chlorophyll the vegetarians that graze on plants to the (mainly iron and magnesium) to use again omnivores and carnivores that prey on as these can be in short supply in the them. These carbohydrates and proteins environment. The fallen leaves contain also form the basis of many fibres for very little in terms of nutrients because the clothing and materials, traditional and plant has carefully conserved anything modern building materials, fuels and fossil that is useful, but they are made up of the fuels. The by-product of the process is cellulose cell walls. Cellulose is a protein oxygen – without plants there would be no rich compound that breaks down very oxygen in our atmosphere. In a nutshell slowly, hence the reason why leaf mould without photosynthesis life simply could can take a very long time to compost not exist. down. On the plus side this is what makes it a very long-lasting soil improver or Leaves are like mini solar panels and mulch. It is well worth collecting up your chlorophyll is the green pigment found in autumn leaves if you have plenty and the very top layer of the leaves that composting them separately to your other absorbs the light for the process. In fact, ost keen gardeners who have done any reading about plants (or can vaguely remember science lessons at school) will be aware that the leaves on a plant have several functions, the main function being photosynthesis. Some will also be aware that this process has something to do with the leaves being green and a question that I often get asked is why or how the leaves turn red in the autumn.

garden waste to make a rich ameliorant for your soil that helps to bind the particles of loose sandy soils and break down the large clods of heavy clay-rich soils. You do not need to spend days raking up the leaves if they have fallen on your grassed areas, you can simply run over them with the mower – this helps in several ways; it is easier and less time consuming, it chops up the leaves which speeds up the break down process and adds some nitrogen in the form of the grass clippings which also accelerates composting.

Some of the best plants for adding autumn colour to your garden are the maples, well known for their fantastic natural displays in New England. Other trees and shrubs that give a superb display include Quercus rubra the red oak, Hydrangea quercifolia the oak leaved hydrangea, Euonymus alatus the ‘winged spindle’ Euonymus europaeus the wild spindle, Hamamelis mollis the witch hazel, Amelanchier canadensis the June berry, Cercis canadensis the north American red bud, Cotinus ‘Grace’ the purple smoke bush.

Our Nursery is open on Saturdays until the end of October and then during the winter by prior appointment. Our garden craft courses are running throughout the autumn - check out our website for details or get in touch to request a specific course lejardincreatif.net etcetera 25

garden

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

A

surface needs to do its job well and although there are many different types of surfaces available, the key things that will influence your choice would be practicality, cost and aesthetics.

Hard Standing and Driveways The function of the area to be surfaced will, to a large extent, dictate the type of hard landscaping that can be used. For an area that is going to take a lot of wear such as a driveway, it is worth investing effort in the preliminary groundwork as this will require much stronger foundations than a patio or a path for example. Gravel is a low-cost option for a drive but is not as solid a surface as for example interlocking pavers. Both are used because they spread a car's weight over the driveway surface.

There is a product available now which makes gravel a more robust and solid surface but it does increase the cost. It is a sheet of polypropylene made up of small hexagonal shapes with a weed suppressant membrane on the back of it and it stabilises the surface of the gravel to make it rigid. In France it is called “stabilisateur

26 etcetera

Taylor-M ade Garden s

paving slabs which may easily crack or de gravier�. This can also be used for paths break as this could mean doing a job twice and terraces as well where a more solid - ultimately an expensive option. Avoid surface is required. Gravel has always smooth slabs with little or no grip if you been a low cost, low maintenance option have very young, elderly or infirm people in the past. However, now that we have using the terrace to avoid accidents. been advised that weed killers are for the Wooden decking is an attractive option for most part detrimental to the environment a terrace but will require regular and our health, it is no longer the easy maintenance otherwise it starts to look option as it requires to be either hand shabby and it can also weeded or the weeds killed become slippery. off using a flame thrower or For terraces, good Composite decking is one of the organic weed quality paving slabs more expensive but low killers which are not always maintenance and less terribly effective. A always look attractive slippery. Railway different option may be to sleepers can be used to use the gravel stabiliser but create a terrace as can reclaimed scaffold instead of gravel, fill the hexagonal boards. One thing to remember though is pockets with topsoil and grass seed. This that because wood tends to sit on a would be a much lower maintenance framework (which is great for creating a option to hand weeding but will offer a nice flat surface even over relatively rough solid base even during the ground), it does provide an ideal area for soggiest months. snakes to have a snooze in the heat of the Terracing day! If using wood as steps, a low-cost For terraces, good quality paving slabs option to prevent them becoming slippery always look attractive but this can be an underfoot would be to cover them in chicken wire. expensive option. Avoid laying very cheap

garden

Small areas What if you have a small area that maybe isn’t suitable for planting and you want some form of hard landscaping that doesn’t necessarily need to be driven or walked over? There are many possibilities.

available from specialist outlets in a multitude of different colours and has safe-to-handle smooth edges rather like a pebble. This can also be combined with other materials such as chipped slate. Use a can of spray paint to draw your pattern first and then fill in with the various materials. Clearly this is not suitable for areas where dogs or cats may spoil the pattern.

The obvious solution for this area would be gravel and container planting but do you really want the obvious or something more decorative? If the area of ground is a 4) Should you be able to guarantee that little rough, not huge in size and you don’t no cats use the area as a large litter tray, want to plant the area then try out the Japanese art consider shuttering it off A path can be meandering, of sand raking. with attractive wood and sand is then doing one of taking you on a journey Traditionally, raked around large the following:through your garden groups of rocks or single 1) Fill with coarse sand or rocks – the rocks cement and embed different represent islands and the sand the wave sizes of pebbles into it to form attractive patterns of the sea. patterns. Take care to buy the pebbles Paths & Stepping Stones from a reputable source – don’t take them from the seashore or riverbed as this is not A path can be meandering, taking you on a environmentally sound. If it’s a journey through your garden and in the particularly small area, create a mosaic direction of specific points of interest. It with broken pieces of glass and/or pottery. can also be functional and utilitarian: taking you the shortest route possible from 2) Save stubby type beer bottles and house to a washing line or veggie plot. place neck-down in the area so that all of the bottoms are level and only the very When creating a path in your garden bottom of the bottle is visible. Fill the gaps always bear in mind the purpose of the with sand – an interesting effect, path and think very carefully about its especially if different colours of bottles can function before you plan the route. For be used. Taller bottles such as wine bottles example, you could plan a beautiful may be used but this will require a deeper curving pathway from house to swimming area. This idea may also be used in squares pool but be aware that children (and most along with paving slabs to form part of a likely adults as well) will take the shortest path/small seating area with a twist! route, possibly wearing a new bald pathway across your grass. On another 3) Fill the area with different colours of tumbled glass in patterns. This material is practical note, avoid a gravel pathway

which leads directly to the entrance to the pool – the gravel tends to travel and ripped liners are expensive to replace.

Consider the style of your garden when planning your pathways and try to avoid using too many different types of materials within a small garden. A path therefore may look more aesthetically pleasing if it is constructed of the same/similar material as the terrace or patio.

Obvious materials for paths include gravel and paving slabs but if you have an area of garden which is a woodland or wildlife area consider creating a chipped bark pathway to match the surroundings. To create this, dig a shallow trench along the length of the proposed path, create the edges of the paths with pressure-treated softwood edging board using wooden stakes to hold the board in place, lay the boards in the trench (to bend the wood for curves, saw parallel grooves in the boards no deeper than 1/3 of the depth of the board), brush some preservative onto the saw cuts to protect the cut wood, lay a weed suppressant material and then fill with chipped bark.

The easiest type of pathway to create through grass is stepping stones. These can be bought from bricolage stores or you can make your own. Take a plant pot “saucer” and place a layer of fine sand on the bottom, add water to create a silty solution then pour off excess water. Create a pattern in the sand with smooth pebbles and leave to dry. Pour in quick-drying cement to the lip of the saucer and leave to set. When dry, tip out your stepping stone and brush off the sand.

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garden

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!

White Mustard (Sinapis alba)

GREEN MANURE FOR YOUR SOIL GREEN MANURES ARE USUALLY SOWN IN LATE SUMMER OR AUTUMN AND MOP UP ANY NUTRIENTS, PREVENTING THEM BEING WASHED

O

ctober is here and I hope that everyone has coped with all the things this year has thrown at us – gales and storms at the start of the year, Covid19 and lockdown, and then, what is almost becoming the norm, summer canicules.

The days are now cooler, the air fresher and here’s hoping we get more rain. Our gardens will respond to this and give us the last glorious burst of colour from the remaining flowers and shrubs in the gardens, and the leaves on the trees will give a beautiful medley of rich autumnal colours. What’s not to like? So, enjoy all this magnificence before the inevitable winter arrives!

I feel that I should really be wishing you all a Happy New Year, or at least a Happy New Gardening Year, because for me this is the start of my year in the garden. I look back on my achievements and mishaps of the year and look for ways to add even more to the good things and seek remedies for the things that didn’t work as well, or even, in a few cases, failed completely!

To give our plants all the encouragement they need to put on strong growth, to be able to withstand nature’s onslaughts, the soil needs feeding. Two of the main nutrients needed for good crop growth are carbon and nitrogen, and these elements occur naturally in green manure. Green manures are plants such as ryegrass, clovers, field beans, phacelia, mustards and buckwheat, which produce a dense mat of green growth that is cut down before the plant flowers. This will help to increase the fertility of your soil.

These plants bring different qualities ‘to

the party’ with varying root depth and height. The one thing they have in common is that they are all annuals.

Effectively it is the vegetarian alternative to farmyard manure.

providing shelter for beneficial insects such as ground beetles. During the growing season sowing marigolds (Tagetes erecta or Tagetes patula) in your garden will help control harmful nematodes in the soil, which is why they are so useful as companion planting for tomatoes. These soil borne insects can attack the roots of plants leading to infections which ultimately becomes visible in a plant’s leaves.

Green manures add organic matter to the soil via their leafy top growth. Organic matter is also essential for growth; once broken down it becomes humus, which provides plant food. The more humus in the soil, the better aerated it is and so water moves through more easily, which Green manures of one type or another can in turn improves plant growth. Humus be sown at any time during the growing significantly affects the bulk density of soil season, i.e. anytime your grass is growing, and contributes to its retention of no matter how slowly. In my potager there moisture and nutrients. Humus has many are spaces where summer crops have been nutrients that improve the health of removed and that provides an opportunity soil, nitrogen being the most important. In to sow green manures to cut down before I addition, as start planting again in the the roots spring. Once cut down they Certain green manures break decompose, they will provide up to 5cm of up and aerate the soil, attract worms surface mulch, for extra allowing microbes and and good benefit this can be covered beneficial insects to flourish microbes. with wet cardboard topped with semi rotted compost.

Green manures This will keep the worms active can also be used to cover bare patches of all winter! soil in the spaces between crops, or during intervals between one crop and the And while the green manure and mulch next. This prevents the soil from drying are doing their work you can sit back, in out and allows it to hold moisture for the dry and warmth to reflect on what you longer – a factor becoming more and more have done this year – what has worked essential with climate change! They also and what could be better, and then plan stop erosion by the sun, wind and rain. for next year. Don’t forget all the photos Certain green manures break up and you’ve taken, look back at them and enjoy aerate the soil, allowing microbes and your summer in the garden. beneficial insects to flourish. Other Now is a good time to start looking at seed benefits of green manures include and summer bulb catalogues to place controlling pests in the soil, controlling weeds by occupying spare space and orders for 2021.

etcetera 31

Left, the finished product all your hard work is rewarded when your end result looks like this!

Chickens have a large field of vision

farm life

HAZEL COPPICING A FEW YEARS AGO WE DECIDED TO HAVE A HAZEL FENCE, OR AS IT IS SOMETIMES KNOWN, A HURDLE FENCE

By Kare n

I had seen them all over the place throughout the years, and with a long string of hazel trees along one of our boundaries which needed to be coppiced, I thought, “I'll have a go at that!”

We have had a lot of people comment on the end result, and it cost us nothing but a bit of hard work. As one friend once said to me, “Cutting trees keeps you warm twice; the cutting and then the burning.”

The hazels are fast growing and were taking over the area. The fence placed there previously gave a good barrier that plants could grow up, and livestock could be kept in. We learnt from the experience, and there are a few things I would change, such as leaving a larger gap at the bottom for wildlife to get under it, as I am not sure our big fat hedgehogs can squeeze under.

So What Is Coppicing?

Coppicing involves cutting a tree down to within 15cm (6 inches) of the ground. Cuts can be made with pruning saws or chainsaws and should leave a clean stump with no tears in the bark.

regenerate from the cut base, or stool, with lots of long shoots. Also coppicing prevents trees from maturing, so it can also lengthen their lifespan. There is a lime tree at Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire www.forestryengland.uk/ westonbirt-the-national-arboretum which is thought to be 2,000 years old, thanks to coppicing. The tradition of coppicing goes back thousands of years. Wooden walkways dating from the Bronze Age, such as the Sweet Track in Somerset, have been found to contain coppiced wood.

Coppiced wood was traditionally used for fuel, basketry materials, fencing, hurdles, building materials, broom and tool handles. Ash was particularly used for handles while sweet chestnut makes for good fencing material and flexible willow for excellent baskets. Faggots (bunches of branches) were also stored as winter fodder for livestock, also known as tree hay.

Coppicing fell into decline in the mid-20th century as fossil fuels took over. It is also labour intensive, so Types of tree which can be expensive to carry out. coppiced include hazel The practice has enjoyed a Abandoned coppice (Corylus avellana), sweet revival in recent decades as a woodlands can be chestnut (Castanea conservation practice recognised by the sativa), lime (Tilia multiple thick stems species), oak (Quercus), growing from stools, sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and sometimes fused together.

The practice willow (Salix species.) To establish a new has enjoyed a revival in recent decades as coppice, plant bare root whips at 1.5 to a conservation practice, due to the 2.5m spacings. These need to be cut down biodiversity benefits of opening up the after about 5 years to encourage the stool woodland floor. The added light allows to develop. It may seem drastic, but the other plants to flourish, which encourages tree will come back to life in spring and butterflies and dormice, which we have the regrowth can be surprisingly rapid. It noticed, as we found a dormouse nest is not unknown for willow to grow 4m in hanging from a stem in our maize crop. a season!

So now is just the right time to start coppicing your trees - no nesting birds, and the tree is as such shutting down for the winter. Winter or early spring are preferred while the sap is down, so there's not much bleeding or infection from the cuts, and not much stored energy wasted.

It's also easier to see what you’re doing with no leaves on the tree, and any nuts have been harvested. In times gone by, a popular reason for doing this now was the availability of labour - most rural workers were needed for other farm work in the summer. Another was to do with the durability of the produce - winter felled wood is less likely to be eaten by microbes.

Coppicing is a traditional way to produce useful wooden poles. With hazel they are long and straight, great for staking garden plants. Coppicing takes advantage of the ability of some trees to naturally

How to Manage Coppicing Coppiced woods are usually divided into units, or coupes, which are cut on a cycle.

This means that the wood in each coupe is at a different stage of regeneration. For example, on an 8-year cycle, you could divide the wood into 8 coupes and carry out coppicing every winter. We are now doing our row every few years to keep it under control and the resulting wood is used for all sorts of things around the farm. The period the poles are left to grow between cutting then depends on the species and products required. Material is usually allowed to grow for 7-15 years, with larger timber resulting from longer growing periods. Great if you have a log burner!

Coppiced hazel (Corylus avellana) has been valued for centuries for the long, straight stems that grow in response to a

Luff

Karen with her husband John followed their dream and moved to Le Chataignier, a 400 year old house in the beautiful Mayenne region of France, with their five year old son.

Over 14 years later they have established a smallholding on the site.

hard prune. Today, with local or homegrown products increasingly popular, these provide perfect plant supports for beans and other herbaceous climbers in place of imported bamboo, as well as being used for fencing hurdles. They have a broad, open habit, with branches carrying leaves in airy, horizontal layers.

They also look beautifully ornamental in spring with long male catkins on the bare stems.

When tackling a hazel, remove branches in stages. Take out the outer stems first and work your way into the centre of the stool.

It’s easier to get a good clean stool once you have cut stems down to around 30cm.

The end result should be no more than 5cm above the ground. A lot of energy goes into new growth. Use a sharp saw to cut the larger branches to ensure a clean cut.

Planting a Hazel Coppice A hazel coppice is harvested on a 7-10 year cycle, so if you wish to harvest poles of the usual size every year you will need at least 7 trees. You could harvest more frequently for slimmer rods, for example if you wished to weave without splitting the rods.

Plant trees around 2.5m apart. Coppiced trees too widely spaced, without enough canopy cover, can result in branching curved stems of varying size, rather than the desirable straight, uniform poles.

Restoring a Neglected Coppice If you have some neglected Hazel coppice that has not been cut for decades like we had, cut all stems as close to the ground as possible - you are likely to need a chain saw for this job. The idea is to encourage new shoots to grow at ground level and develop their own root systems, reducing the risk of instability and base rot. Make sure all the poles are felled in the same direction, slightly sloping away from the centre of the stool. If you need to cut higher you can trim the stem back afterwards.

After all of this hard work, we used the chainsaw and cut the thicker poles into a point and got them in the ground. The thinner longer rods we wove, back and forth in the same way as weaving and used the back of an axe to push them down. The resulting fence is wonderful and as I say people often comment on how nice it is.

We will do it again as it's worked so well, and has seasoned and looks even better after just a few years.

etcetera 33

fishing

October Opportunities OCTOBER USUALLY BRINGS A REFRESHING CHANGE TO OUR WATERS WITH COOLER WEATHER STIMULATING MANY SPECIES TO FEED HEAVILY PRIOR TO WINTER

O

n a personal note October is the month when I seem to encounter more than my fair share of zoo creatures, undoubtedly silure, that make off at high speed with my carefully tied carp and barbel rigs. This year I intend to put a second, more substantial rod out to try and catch the culprits.

With the increase in flow rates of the rivers and cooler water temperatures carp and barbel will forgo the shallower water they have spent the last few months in and move to deeper locations. Other species such as roach will also be found in deeper water as the number of suspended hatching insects in the water column decreases as the water cools. I like to fish for roach at the deep end of lakes and dams especially when the wind is blowing that way. Perch and pike are at their best at this time of year and it is a good time to use lures to catch these predators.

These next two months are probably the best opportunities for increasing your personal best weights for most species.

Go get ‘em!

The Fishing Detective These days most rods and reels are identically formed and assembled by anonymous robots in the Far East, but it was not always the case. I have one or two unique items of tackle that were made by real people and it is possible with a bit of research to get to know a bit about the makers. Using online resources and some of the many books devoted to the history of fishing tackle I was able to piece together some history surrounding the makers of the old tackle that I own.

One rod that had been mis-described in an auction listing, is endorsed ‘JA Walker, Alnwick’ and was made by James Alexander Walker who I discovered started his apprenticeship at his uncle’s firm of JJS Walker & Co. of Alnwick in 1907. His uncle John James Selby Walker was one of several cabinet makers recruited by the Hardy brothers to make fishing rods for their company in 1879.

The Hardy brothers had steamed apart, or ‘reverse engineered’ as they called it, a split cane rod that had been imported

34 etcetera

from the American firm Leonard. Once they knew how these rods had been made they then used skilled local cabinet makers to build their own rods. John Walker was head of the rod making department when he left Hardy in 1907 to form his own business, and nephew James was his first apprentice.

By Clive Kenyon

born in the Midlands and had served time with two of England’s most famous reel makers - Ruben Heaton in Birmingham and Slaters of Newark - before being headhunted by Hardy in 1891 to design and produce ground breaking new models for them. He was head of the reel making side of things at Hardy when he left in October 1911 to join his friend and church fellow JJS Walker.

In 1913 JJS Walker & Co. had been joined by another former Hardy foreman.

Charles Bampton, a specialist brass Initially working from JJS Walker’s worker trained as a naval instrument premises Dingley later founded his own maker before turning his hand to fishing company ‘The Climax Reel Works’ in 1916 equipment. Bampton made the brass and went on to produce highly sought fittings for rods and nets and on joining after reels in his Alnwick workshop for the company it became known as JJS many years. Dingley’s reels are famous for Walker their quality and were Bampton & Co. regarded as technically Each one of my old cane rods superior to the models sold by James worked for his uncle up and old reels has a story to tell the leading manufacturer, his to the late former employer, Hardy.

1920s when ill Reels of this type would be cast health forced him to sell the business in alloy by a specialist foundry using the to Farlows. new electro smelting process and left to Following John Walker’s retirement cure for several weeks. Following that it James Walker went into business on his would have been mounted in a lathe in own operating from a new workshop in order for all the holes to be cut or drilled Alnwick up to the outbreak of WW2. out, the casting trimmed and polished and Salmon and trout fly rods made by JA fitted with a hardened steel spindle. Then Walker, Alnwick with their typical claret all the brass and steel components - lever, wrappings and lock-fast ferrules were pawl, adjuster screw, flat springs and retailed by the most renown dealers and straps - had to be cut out of raw metal, are still very much sought after by shaped, drilled, tempered and fitted to the collectors. The one I have however is casting. An alloy spool would be cut out by definitely not a fly rod. The spacing and lathe, shaped, drilled and fitted with design of the lined rings, a delicate reel spokes, handles, a check cog, and drum seat above the slim handle points towards and the release mechanism. It would have this rod being a single handed trout taken Dingley over 27 working hours from spinning rod. It would have been designed putting the casting into the lathe to the specifically to be used with the newfinal polish of the finished reel. fangled threadline reels that were capable Many of Dingley’s reels have a distinctive of casting light lures long distances. This ‘D’ stamped somewhere inside, but his type of outfit was highly controversial in designs and craftsmanship are even more the 1930s with many prominent anglers recognisable, and you will find Dingley forecasting the demise of river trout due to made reels branded by the top retailers of the efficiency of spinning using what are the day who could specify which design now known as fixed spool reels. and finish they wanted for their reels that I also have a reel that shares the Walker / were then branded with their own trade Alnwick history in that it was made in the name. Each one of my old cane rods and same building where young James Walker old reels has a story to tell, and I find worked. The reel was made by William H. using rods and reels that have some Dingley who was responsible for the history far more satisfying than the development of two of Hardy’s finest reels; perfect, super smooth modern tackle that the ‘Perfect’ and the ‘Silex’. Dingley was has little if any character.

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wildlife The bare face at the base of the slender bill marks out the Rook

Two Ravens disputing a meal show their huge size and massive bills

38 etcetera

The Carrion Crow’s heavy bill is distinctive, but it is only two-thirds the size of the Raven

Stone o The Crows!

wildlife

By Mik

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

DO YOU KNOW A ROOK FROM A RAVEN? DON’T WORRY IF YOU DON’T, YOU'RE NOT ON YOUR OWN!

T

he big black bird was flying overhead.

Someone asked me, “Is that a rook or a crow?” My initial response was that it could be both. A rook is a member of the crow family (the Corvidae), so if it were a rook it would have both bases covered.

That was a rather cheap get-out, though, as I knew what my friend meant; was it a Rook or a Carrion Crow?

In our part of France we usually see seven different species of the crow family: the Raven, the Carrion Crow, the Hooded Crow, the Rook, the Jackdaw, the Magpie and the Jay. There are rarities like the Chough, which lives on the cliffs of Spain and Brittany, and the Azure-winged Magpie which inhabits pine-woods in Spain, but they are so unlikely to be seen that we will ignore them.

have given them a bad press. Their formidable-looking beaks are in fact illequipped for tearing or breaking open corpses, so they tend to seek out road-kill or mangled material, which is why they are so associated with battlefields.

with a window. Show a Magpie its own reflection, however, and it will just check out its feathers and go on with its plans for the rest of the day. It is “mirror-aware” and recognises the reflection as itself. This is a very high-level response.

Who’s a clever birdie, then?

Many birds pick up sticks or twigs and use them to probe for food. The New Caledonian crow (Corvus moneduloides) can actually make a tool by combining or modifying leaves to probe for grubs. It has even been observed to pick up a length of copper wire (which the bird in question had never seen before) and bend the end into a hook which it then used to retrieve food. Tool-making! Humans were pretty pleased with themselves when they cracked that one!

The crow's main distinguishing characteristic, however, is its intelligence.

Now intelligence is a difficult thing to quantify, and even to define for another species than our own, but if we define it as problem-solving, we may understand it a bit more.

“Bird-brain” is a common term of abuse, and indeed if we measure the absolute size of a bird’s brain, even a crow’s, we will come up with pretty small numbers.

However, if we measure the ratio of brain A Very Remarkable Family to body-size, we can reach some different conclusions.

But before we look at the Crows have a individual species, let us brain-tolook at the crows as a family, They have been seen to sit on a body ratio because they are telegraph wire and do a complete similar to quite remarkable. spin around the wire, holding on that of The crow family is large, and chimpanzees with their feet, just for fun covers most of the world. A and few members are quite gaily cetaceans; coloured, but the majority only the are shades of black or grey. Generally Great Apes and humans score higher (and speaking, they are large birds, although Callorhinchus, the rather odd Elephant there are one or two small species, more in Fish, which has a higher ratio even than tropical areas, for the family covers Man, but nobody knows why). This gives practically every type of habitat. crows the capacity to use their brains on a rather higher level than their fellow-birds.

One characteristic of the family is its love of flying. Many species of crow seem sometimes to fly for the sheer fun of it.

You will see them on gusty, windy days, swooping and tumbling for no discernible reason apart from pure enjoyment. They have been seen to sit on a telegraph wire and do a complete spin around the wire, holding on with their feet, just for fun.

Short-winged crows such as the Jay and Magpie, however, with their slightly more lumbering flight, do not seem to derive the same enjoyment.

Sadly, their generally carnivorous habits (although they will eat anything edible)

39 etcetera

Now I am not suggesting that they will write great poetry any time soon, or solve The Times crossword, but when it comes to solving problems of food-gathering and responding to the world around them, they are streets ahead of any other creature.

Take reflections, for example. Show most birds, particularly male birds, a reflection of themselves in a mirror, or even a window-pane, and the bird will assume it is seeing a rival, and react accordingly.

Most of us have had the experience of seeing a bird fighting a one-sided battle

Talking about cracking, a lot of crows like nuts. However, their beaks, which look fairly fearsome, in fact lack the strength to crack hard nuts. However, a crow was seen in Asia, carrying its walnuts to a trafficcrossing and placing them on the ground, waiting until the passing cars had cracked the shells, then flying down to retrieve the kernels. So what? Well, the bird chose a traffic-light controlled crossing, so that it could fly down when the lights went red to stop the traffic, and thus avoided becoming a traffic accident itself.

What about Aesop’s fable of the bird that dropped stones into a water-pitcher to raise the water-level and enable it to reach a piece of floating food? Fantasy? Crows have been observed to do this, picking out from a pile of assorted fragments only those dense enough to sink and displace the water.

We think squirrels are good at laying-up stores of food for the winter. Crows can do this, too, but they are also very cute at watching out for other stores being set up that they can raid, and also at

etcetera 39

wildlife The Jay’s peach and blue colouration marks it out from the other corvids

A Jackdaw, showing the white nape of the neck, the grey eye and short bill typical of his species

40 etcetera

wildlife

The very distinctive Magpie, with white underparts, blue wings and long tail

concealing their own hiding-places. They even remember how long their items have been stored for, so they can go back and consume perishables before their eat-by date. I wish I could do that for the stuff in my own ‘fridge!

mantelée) which has a grey back and belly. These two interbreed, so sorting out the offspring can be fun.

The Rook Corvus frugilegus (Fr: Corbeau freux) is much the same size as a Carrion Crow, but has a face that is bare and There are many other examples of this whitish. The bill is slightly more slender sort of problem-solving, and research is than the Crow’s, and still going on. (Why paler. The Rook also not? It sounds has shaggy The feeling at present is that fun!). The feeling at “trousers” on present is that its thighs. crows in general have the crows in general problem-solving abilities of a Another have the problemseven-year-old human child distinguishing solving abilities of a characteristic of the seven-year-old Rook is its human child. gregarious nature.

When I asked an old theapart? hedgehogs thrive in your garden So how do we tellHelp them Devonian the difference between a rook To repeat, they are all crows and a crow, he said, “If you see one rook sensu extenso. on its own, it’s a crow. If you see a whole lot of crows together, they’re rooks.”

The Raven Corvus corax (Fr: Grand Generally speaking, that works. corbeau) is the largest – about the size of a buzzard. In flight, it has a triangular The Jackdaw Corvus monedula (Fr: end to its tail, unlike the other crows. It Choucas des tours) is smaller than the is all-black, with a beak that looks as preceeding birds – about the size of a though it could open a safe, but in fact is pigeon. It is described as being “jauntier” relatively weak, and has not the drilling than the other crows (unless, of course, ability of, say, the woodpecker (though it it has just been cursed by the Bishop could take your eye out if it felt so of Rheims). inclined). If you want to see one, go to The Magpie and the Jay are also the Tower of London, where a few are described as “pigeon-sized”, and are very always on display. Once seen, never easily recognised. The Magpie Pica pica forgotten! These birds, with their long, (Fr: Pie bavarde) with its black-andwide wings just made for aerobatics, are white markings and its proud strut, is the past-masters of aerial display. unmistakeable. The Jay Garrulus The Carrion Crow Corvus corone (Fr: glandrius (Fr: Geai des chênes) with its Corneille noire) is helpfully described as pinkish body-colour and black-and“crow-sized” in one of my books – I hope white wings can be mistaken for a you know what that means! It is allHoopoe at a quick glance, but if you get a black, right to the bill, and like the Raven good look at it, the blue patches on the enjoys soaring flight. There is a subwings stand out and make species, the Hooded Crow (Fr: Corneille identification certain.

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR ▪ 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. as you raid your wood-pile for fuel, take care not to disturb any hibernators, to whom a log-pile is a mansion.

▪ I know I say it every autumn, but 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 avoids incinerating any hapless hibernators.

▪ Your garden will be covered with leaves just about now. All the 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

fungi

The Cep or Penny Bun Boletus edulis. Very popular eating in Autumn. The French like it raw in salads if it is very young.

The Golden Chanterelle or Girolle Cantharellus cibarius. Reputedly excellent eating, but is becoming harder to find due to acid rain.

The

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

Third Kingdom

By Mik

WE ALL LOVE OUR AUTUMN MUSHROOMS, BUT THERE IS MORE TO THEM THAN MEETS THE EYE, AND THERE IS DANGER, TOO.

o

nce upon a time there were two great Kingdoms of living organisms: the plants (plantae) and the animals (animalia). Everything fitted into one or the other. It made perfect sense. Fungi?

Well, they grew but didn’t move around, they released seeds (well, spores, but so what?), and you could pick them and, with certain exceptions, eat them. Clearly they were plants.

photosynthesize either, but they steal nutrients directly from other plants.

This, plus genetic studies and a closer study of the sparse fossil evidence for fungi, have led to the setting-up of a third Kingdom, fungi, especially to contain them. More surprising yet is the fact that the fungal kingdom is believed to have arisen after the plant and animal Kingdoms split, and moreover branched off from the animal kingdom. This is because they have chitin, rather than lignin, strengthening their cell walls.

Then a closer examination revealed that things were not quite so simple. Fungi didn’t walk around, but they could certainly travel, often reasonably quickly, This is slightly interesting, by progressing their rootit doesn’t really impact systems and popping up Only about a dozen fungi but on our appreciation of some distance from where can be described as fungi themselves, they started. OK, you say, very poisonous particularly from the so do plants, but not in gourmet point of view. quite the same way. What Autumn is the time when wild mushrooms pops up in the next field is the same become available. Truffles from Périgord organism, not an offspring. A honey and Italy appear in the most expensive fungus measuring 2.4 miles (3.8 km) restaurants, and ceps, girolles and Horns across, growing in the Blue Mountains of of Plenty (known to the French, strangely, Oregon, USA, is believed to be the largest as trompettes de mort) appear in single living organism on Earth. Its total specialist markets. area is 8.9 sq km (2,200 acres) and it is believed to be around 2400 years old. Its There is an enormous range of fine fungi to total weight has been estimated at be had, and the knowledgeable collector 605 tons. can enjoy a feast of subtle flavours in return for a few hours searching in Also, fungi obtain food by digesting other meadows or broad-leafed woodlands. molecules in their environment and However, many British people are afraid to absorbing them. They do not tap into this bounty in case they eat photosynthesize. Of course, there are something deadly. parasitic plants that do not

42 etcetera

e Geo r ge

And indeed, there are some dangerous fungi out there, but far less than you might imagine. In fact, only about a dozen fungi can be described as very poisonous, though many more produce stomach pains or sickness. However, the three deadliest are relatively common and, worse, look to the untrained eye very like edible mushrooms.

These three are the Olive Death Cap (Amanita phalloides) (French: amanite phalloïde), the Destroying Angel (Amanita virosa) (French: amanite vireuse) and the Panther Cap (Amanita pantherina) (French: amanite panthère), images on page 44). If only a few grams of any of these are eaten, physical distress sets in after about 24 hours, and death will follow in about 3 days. There is no antidote.

Worse, if the amanitas are placed in a basket with other, edible fungi the toxin can taint these and render them harmful.

If a moderately light dose has been ingested, monitoring of liver and kidney function, and careful electrolyte balancing, can lead to recovery, but death occurs in about 90% of sufferers. Even if you survive, liver damage is inevitable. Often there is a false recovery, when it seems as though the patient has survived, but continuing liver damage results in death shortly after.

Although these deadly fungi can look like edible mushrooms to the untrained eye, the former tend to occur in broad-leaved woodland, while edible mushrooms are

fungi The problem is they cam be so variable.

Phalloides is typically olive green, but can be yellowish and even white. Virosa is normally white. Pantheria is brown with spots and muscaria red with spots - that is usually pretty definite, but again ageing examples can bleach. That is why mushroom collecting is such a game of Russian Roulette.

The Horn of Plenty or Trompette des Morts Craterellus cornucopioides. Good eating, and not at all poisonous despite its doom-laden French name!

more open-field. Also the differences, once you know them, are clear enough. The deadly fungi grow initially in a sheath, and the base of the broken sheath clings to the base of the fungus’s stem forming a ring or even a fringe, while the fragments of the upper part of the sheath remain on the cap, to give the “spots” so distinctive of these fungi. None of this is seen on the edible mushroom.

The fungus we are taught to fear as children, the Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria) (French: amanite tue-mouche) with its distinctive white-spotted red cap, is indeed poisonous, but less so than its three deadly relatives. It is, however, strongly narcotic, and some human cultures use it as a free (but risky) “high”. Reindeer eat this fungus without undue harm apart from developing a distinct friskiness, and it is reported that Lapp reindeer herdsmen prize the urine of the reindeer at mushroom time, as the narcotic element becomes concentrated there. Could this be why Santa’s reindeer can fly?

The Magic Mushroom or Liberty Cap Psilocybe semilanceata.

This will blow your mind – the poor man’s LSD!

The famous “Magic mushroom”, the Liberty Cap (Psilocybe semilanceata), is well known as a hallucinogen, and became very soughtafter during the years of Flower Power.

Now it is illegal in many countries even to have specimens in your possession!

Other fungi can have rather odd effects upon the eater. The Common Ink Cap (Coprinus atramentarius) (French: coprin noir d’encre) is edible, and if you enjoy it as part of a temperance meal it will do you no harm. Drink alcohol, however, and you will have a very unpleasant night to follow! This is because the fungus contains a chemical closely related to “antabuse”, the drug that used to be given to alcoholics to try to discourage them from drinking by causing them to vomit if they did.

Many fungi will cause acute or prolonged gastric distress, but some act in entirely different ways. The fungus that affects grasses, especially cereals, called Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) manifests itself as a black powder on the flowers and cereal grains. For centuries it was ignored – the link between the fungus and the symptoms

The Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria.

Dangerously poisonous, but less so than the other Amanitids

etcetera 43

fungi was only finally made in the 20th century.

There were two distinct manifestations. The toxins, some related to lysergic acid diethylamid (LSD), act by restricting capillary blood-vessels. If they attack those in the extremities of the body, they will produce painful and persistent pins-andneedles, and may eventually lead to tissue damage, gangrene, blood poisoning and death. This used to be known as St Anthony’s Fire, and was believed to be a punishment for sins. Alternatively, if the blood-vessels in the brain are affected, then delusional behaviour, confusion and psychosis can result. This was almost certainly the cause of the mass delusionary behaviour at Salem, Massachusetts in 16923, that led to the false execution of 20 men and women accused of witchcraft.

The Olive Death-cap Amanita phalloides. The most poisonous fungus in Europe.

Death is almost inevitable if you eat even a few grams of this.

Another fact to bear in mind is that very similar-looking fungi can have very different effects upon you. For example, the Cep (Boletus edulis) (Fr: Cêpe de Bordeaux) is highly prized as a delicious fungus (my French fungus book describes it as “le roi des champignons”), but another species, the Devil’s Cep Boletus satanus (Fr: Bolet de Satan), which to the untrained eye looks

French adore their mushrooms, and tend to be very protective about the best sources very similar except for a slight redness in the gills, can be strongly poisonous, though rarely fatal.

Some very surprising fungi can be excellent eating. I have fried slices of fresh-grown Giant Puffball (Lagermannia gigantea) (French: vesse-de-loup géante) lightly in butter and found them delicious.

The Destroying Angel Amanita virosa.

As deadly as the Death-cap.

The Panther-cap Amanita pantheria.

Extremely poisonous – death can result from eating this

Of course, with every fungus, what you are eating is the fruiting-body, where the spores develop and from where they are released.

The main plant, normally a mass of rootlike filaments called mycelium, continues its life within the substrate in which it is embedded (earth, rotting log, whatever).

Most mushrooms need to be eaten when they are young – any sign of serious bruising or woody formation, or serious spore release, usually means they are too old to eat. It is usually a decision between flavour and size.

If you decide that you want to learn about fungi, especially how and what to collect and to avoid, there are plenty of local collectors who can guide you. You can even take your mushrooms to your local pharmacist, whose personnel are trained in fungus recognition and will warn you if you have any poisonous specimens. The best reasonably-priced book on the subject in English is Mushrooms by Roger Phillips (Macmillan £18.99). This tells you which fungi are edible and even how tasty they are.

Always remember, however, that the French adore their mushrooms, and tend to be very protective about the best sources. If you go collecting in some out-of-the-way place, do not be surprised if an irate French gentleman tells you to make yourself scarce.

44 etcetera

astronomy

By Clair Wardla e w

The

Night Sky THIS MONTH, ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE MANY OBJECTS AND EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO

W

e can watch a Blue Moon rising on Halloween, see the spectacular salmon pink colour of a brightening Mars, enjoy one of the best meteor showers this year emanating from the constellation of Orion, and explore the beautiful 'Winged Horse' constellation which is positioned close to our nearest galaxy neighbour- Andromeda.

Regulus and Algieba - look towards the east. The waxing Moon will be passing close to Saturn and Jupiter from the 21st to 23rd, looking towards the south around 8pm. The Moon and Mars will again be close together in the eastern evening sky on 29th at around 8pm.

Meteor Shower in October

The Orionids, so called as they seemingly emanate from the constellation of Orion, are best viewed when the constellation has The first of two full moons of the month risen further above the horizon. This will be on the 1st around 10pm. A treat shower can have around 25 meteors per coming up will be a 'Blue Moon' (song hour. They are very fast and can have anyone?). The name of Blue Moon is given persistent trains. The peak for these to a second full moon in one calendar meteors will last for a week from 20th to month or the third of four full moons in a 27th. The Moon will be brightening in its season. This month the Blue Moon will phase so it will be easier to catch a occur on the 31st, rising in a Halloween sky shooting star on and will be full just 20th. These before 4pm. You won't Our continued desire to study and the meteors are see a blue colouring, although this can occur if explore Mars saw the launch this associated with the July of three missions Comet 1P/Halley. atmospherics are When planning affected by, for example, your night with the meteors do ensure you volcanic eruptions. The darkest skies this have allowed your eyes to become dark month will be from around the 10th to adjusted, lie back on the ground or on a 23rd, when the moon phases are less deckchair and observe as wide an area of bright. The planets will be beautiful this the sky as possible. month. Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars will all be visible and will form a variety of A Mars Special conjunctions with other celestial objects.

The stunning red planet of Mars will be at Firstly we turn to Venus. On the morning 'Opposition' this month. This is when the of the 3rd at around 5.30am, she will be Earth sits directly between the Sun and close to the star Regulus (in Leo) when Mars and as a result will make it easier to rising in the east. A little later on the same observe. As the planets do not have morning, looking south west, the Moon completely circular orbits - they travel in and Mars will appear very close together in ellipses - at times they will appear bigger a brightening sky. On the mornings of the when closer to the Earth. This also makes 13th and 14th a pretty crescent Moon will be positioned close to Venus and the stars observations much easier and more The Moon and Planets in October

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.

rewarding. When a planet is closest to the Earth in its orbit it is said to be at 'Perihelion'. Both of these events occur this month. 'Opposition' for the planet of Mars will occur on 13th and 'Perihelion' on 6th.

Mars has been brightening through the month of September, surpassing the brightness of Jupiter by month end. It will truly be a spectacular sight. We have been fascinated by the planet for a very long time and our continued desire to study and explore Mars saw the launch this July of three missions. These missions named Hope, Tianwen-1 and Nasa's 'Perseverance' rover will have a variety of goals: studying the weather and climate, searching for landing sites for a future rover, and the NASA rover collecting rock and soil samples to return to Earth in a future mission.

MARS FACTS! DID YOU KNOW….? − Mars is almost half the size of the Earth − The temperature on the surface ranges from -153 degrees to 20 degrees − A year lasts 687 days − Mars has the largest volcano in our solar system - 'Olympus Mons', 25km high − It is the fourth planet from the sun orbiting at an average 228 million km − The atmosphere on Mars is around 96% Carbon dioxide − Mars has 2 Moons: Phobos and Deimos Sketching Fun Whether you are new to the world of stargazing or you are a seasoned astronomer, taking the time to sit back and look at the night sky with paper and pencil in hand can be a great fun way to see, look and learn. This can be a good introduction to the world of Astronomy for children (particularly if they get to stay up late!). Find a dark spot on a clear night and begin to look up. With imaginations at the ready start to add the star patterns, shapes and designs you can spot in small areas of the sky. While many of these already have names and numbers associated with them, can you see any objects, patterns, shapes or animals of your own? Give them your own names and maybe even add stories about them. Do you see Lions, Swans, Fish, Hunters or Bears? Or do you see something else? People have been

etcetera 45

astronomy / home recording the patterns in the night sky for centuries. The Lascaux caves here in France for example contain images which it is believed record astronomical events from around 15,200 BCE. As a child, long before I knew anything about Astronomy, I remember recognizing a favourite pattern in the skies (not every night because I lived in Scotland!). I remember searching for that pattern whenever I could see beyond the clouds. It turns out that it was an area of the constellation of Orion. I still look for that pattern now whenever I am out under the skies here in France. You don't have to be a da Vinci or Rembrandt to try sketching, just mark down what you see....

Constellation of the Month: Pegasus The constellation of 'Pegasus' or the Winged Horse from Greek mythology, is well positioned this month passing from south west to south east. It follows Cygnus (the Swan) across the sky. It is the seventh largest of 88 modern listed constellations, covering a vast area of the sky - 1,121 square degrees. The main 'asterism' or star pattern within the constellation is known as The Great Square of Pegasus. The Greek myth of Pegasus states that the Gorgon Medusa (who had been a beautiful young woman) was beheaded by Perseus and the white winged horse then sprang from her neck.

Finding Pegasus is made easier because, apart from Andromeda which is to the north west, some of the other surrounding constellations lack any bright stars. The

Pegasus

Great Square pattern is easy to spot as a result. Two of the brightest stars in the square pattern are Alpheratz (the north eastern point of the square, and part of Andromeda) and Markab (to the south west). In clear, really dark skies it may be possible to spot M15 with the naked eye. It is a globular cluster which, with binoculars, will appear as a bright nebulous ball. It sits slightly to the north west of the star Enif (the brightest of the constellation). This is where the nose of the horse is positioned.

The Nuits des Etoiles 2020 This year's event, set in the beautiful village of Licheres, Charente was not quite

so busy due to the Covid - 19 restrictions, but it was still such a pleasure and a thrill to share in the reactions of children and adults who were seeing planets, stars and even the sun for the first time with the aid of telescopes and guides. We enjoyed many hours of clear skies, viewed prominences on the sun through a special solar scope, observed Jupiter, Saturn and Mars, and explored many deep sky objects such as the Andromeda Galaxy. We watched the Moon rising through broken clouds and packed our scopes away for another year. I reflected how fortunate I am to be able to share these beautiful clear skies here in France. See you next year?

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getting connected SATELLITE TV

STUART WALLACE THE FRENCH HOUSE

O

ctober? Already? Where has this year gone? It’s not like anything out of the ordinary has happened. OK, I had a bit of hassle getting a new alternator for all the van, Hello and welcome.

How are you but apart from that, what else has doing? Well, I hope. Surviving the heat happened?

Maybe I’m getting old? so, at and the continuing requirement toIfwear least I still have my looks. masks?

I’ve actually been told that wearing a mask makes meWell, morethat’s attractive.

No? Nobody buying that? your I’m not sureofifcourse, that's in a '50 Shades of prerogative but, really?

Nobody?

Grey' scenario, or, more likely, it’s an Shame on you. After all the effort I put into insult. Still, I don’t care. I’ve got thick this column (sips beer, scratches bum). skin. Which I guess, is another downside to my features. in the world of satellite It’s all changing internet. As of pretty much now, but

certainly from January, all satellite internet from the UK order one. I Amazon UK.or However, across France will be provided by Nordnet, really cannot recommend they won’t deliver to An increasing amount of new TVs have a who are a subsidiary of Orange.

They have them.

Yes, France.

So,they’ll that’swork not satellite tuner already built into them. purchased ‘all available capacity’ from during decent weather, really that much use. but This means you the do not need to use a Eutelsat whothat operate satellite.

Not sure come autumn Another sellerand is winter, seperate satellitefor receiver what this means BigBlu(Sky (whobox, were they will be World, the firstwho to lose Currys/PC Freesat boxrecently etc) forpurchased UK TV reception.

You themselves

by Eutelsat) reception. please, like also don’t So deliver here. willtheir knowcustomers. if it has one a) looking for and I’llby update my website Zammo, just say no.

DVB-S on thepage specifications more and Facebook as soon asor, I hear Please be aware that Humax no longer likely, b) by looking to see if it has anything, so please ‘like’ the page toabe And, it’s still not the same Freeview. makes Freesat receivers.

So,asthere’s no threaded male connection point next to kept informed. need to say ‘I want to order a Humax box’ the traditional push fit aerial socket. If it Freesat remains as what you really mean is that has, you’re good to A little late to the party, as I not the same you want to order a Freesat box. go.They are thing Please be aware that wasn’t notified until after last sometimes little as Freeview.aSome Humax were simply one of a article had been Humax no longer makes month’s ofless youuser are friendly still number of manufacturers who submitted, but at present, there Freesat receivers than something doing it though. If havenoproduced boxes Tooway for the are new domestic Freesat box, itlike saysa Freeview on receptioninternet) of the Freesat service. (satellite activations. butbox youthen can it’s create the no The new Freesat+ receivers are This is due to the fact that Beam 15, which a favourites listreception to make life easier.

Do not good for UK TV here.

It’s Freesat now available, butregion if it’s made

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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

Clive Masters

For as little as 35€ ttc

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

Air Source Heat Pumps / Ground Source Heat Pumps / Solar Water Heating / Photovoltaic Electricity / Air-conditioning / Electrical / Siret: 451 371 579 00017

Advertise Your Business

Wood Burning Stoves and much more

T:05 55 78 66 35 Depts. 16, 19, 24, 86 & 87 M: 06 17 32 02 12 E: clive@masters-electricite.com W: www.masters-electricite.com

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

OIL

HEATING

GAS SOLID FUEL INSTALLATION SERVICING REPAIRS

Siret: 491827705 00022

PARTENAIRE

DARREN LUCKHURST

Siret. 80438547400015

Siret: 82450859200014

GARY MOORE

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

3 Rue des Terrasses 87310 St. Auvent

DARREN LUCKHURST

Kev Pope, the Computer Man

PC repairs, upgrades, internet, home service

Email sales@anglocomputers.com

Email T: 05 49 62 87 10 sales@anglocomputers.com

e-mail: kpcservice@wanadoo.fr 86460 Availles-Limouzine

Piegut-Pluviers, Dordogne

Siret no: 453 868 275 00034 Siret 49239708800021

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

siret no 523 998 557 00020

ADRIAN AMOS

HILL TOP TILING

SPECIALIST CARPENTER/JOINER

Interior & exterior tiling Travertine, marble, cement Ceramic, porcelain, mosaics

DOORS-SHUTTERS-STAIRS-FLOORINGKITCHENS

Paul Hill 05 45 24 01 45 hilltoptiling@hotmail.co.uk

BESPOKE JOINERY & RENOVATIONS

Siret 818 782 468 00016

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

Plastering & Bespoke Microcement finishes

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

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

hilltoptiling

www.evenflow-betoncire.fr

SIRET : 508 248 747 000 18

Tom Turnbull Siret 489 815 258 00012

ODD JOB TOM 1 HOUR RADIUS 86400 CHAMPNIERS Siret 8423761 3900015

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

Depts 79, 16 & 86

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

Dominic Smith

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

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

H TAYLOR KEITARTISAN

Sun Terraces (traditional joinery),

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

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

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

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

C&C Carpentry & Joinery CABINET MAKING ~ KITCHENS Siret: 511294373 00010

The Maintenance Man @ Chaillac Free estimates, friendly and reliable service Tel: 06 17 89 06 39 30 years’ exp paul_pickup@hotmail.com Fully

www.limousincarpenter.com

52 etcetera

Free quotes

Qualified

artisans

M&M Sandblasting ~ Services ~

J. W. Services Siret 832922447RM086

EXTERIOR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

Superior Services - Good Workmanship - Honesty

Insurance guarantee on all work. 15 years’ experience

3500 PSI HIGH PRESSURE CLEANER

CONTACT: PAUL CHARLESWORTH

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

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

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

Siret 82184631800011

Glyn Chubb

Monique PEYNAUD

Staircases, windows, Doors, Gates, Barn Doors, Kitchens

French Architectural Designer

Carpenter/Joiner Roofing, plasterboarding, tiling Restoration and general building 25 years experience

Permis de construire Déclaration préalable

email: glynn.chubb79@orange.fr Tel: 05 49 27 67 29

monique@dessinarchi.fr www.dessinarchi.fr

Siret No. 494 068 315 00014

06 30 91 81 84

Troy Davey

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

Based 87330 References Available

Ruffec, Sauzé-Vassais, Civray & surrounding areas

Landscaping / Driveways Pointing / Roof Repairs Stonework No Job Too Small

05 17 34 10 94 / 07 83 87 54 49

ARCHITECT 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

Roofing / Renovatio Roofing / Renovations

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

- General Building Work -

Siret. 500 835 189 000 16

ROOFING SPECIALISTS

RUST REMOVAL - OAK BEAM BLASTING BRICK CLEANING - METAL - CONCRETE & STONE - TIMBER - CHIMNEY RESTORATION

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

Siret: 828 984 815 0013

Carpentry - Kitchen/Bathroom Fitting - Tiling & Plastering

Highly experienced in most aspects of building repairs & renovations Self-employed since 1989 TEN YEAR INSURANCE L'assurance de responsabilité civile décennale References available

Small jobs no problem!

Plasterboarding / Rendering Renovations

Siret: 502 353 675 00015

HUARD FONTAINE

Based in 87 - will travel

Mobile: 06 49 86 09 26 E-mail: huardfontaine@yahoo.com

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

etcetera 53

section artisans

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

54 etcetera

Tel: 05 46 70 25 87

info@lionrouge.eu

section artisans

www.etceteraonline.org

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

etcetera 55

artisans

Experts in working with slate, clay & zinc

Siret: 842 248 692 00019

SARL

the roof, the whole roof and nothing but the roof

Over 40 years’ experience

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

Siret 800 969 438 00020

JM Roofing

All Insurance work welcome

Carpentry ~ Roofing ■ Clay Tile Roofs ■ All Timberwork ■ Metal Sheet Hangars

■ All Zinc Work ■ Zinc Gutter Fascia

Full 10 Year Décennal Insurance

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

French & English Speaking

56 etcetera

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

www.artisancentral.fr/JMToitures

artisans

M C SCAFFOLDING Siret: 80025145600011

Full English Scaffolding Service 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 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 Decennale insured

Siret 527 736 326 00010

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

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

Siret: 49411778100018

Siret 525 171 864 00016

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

etcetera 57

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

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

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

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

Est. since 2004 siret 53821341400013

CARS MOTORCYCLES LIGHT TRUCKS

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

siret: 48252490700011

TRANSITION REMOVALS Full and Part Loads To and From the UK

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....

Relocations in France UK Depot for Deliveries Storage Options Available 20m3 Luton Vans with Tail Lifts

Tel: 05 49 07 24 85

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

F RENCH V AN M AN

Scott Marshall www.frenchvanman.eu

Siret: 53021364400012

09 82 12 69 73 / 06 06 40 81 07 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

etcetera 59

motors & removals

ROCKET VAN

PATRICK NICHOLLS

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

Charente based

Siret en cours

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 Est’d 2007

Van Rouge

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

Call/email Ray (+33) 05.87.14.09.84 (+33) 07.61.21.85.15 (+44) 07900-105752

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

Regular UK trips Part loads and single items Efficient and reliable service 18m3 van with a 4.5m load length

66 03 52 89

France UK Spain

Email: vanrouge@mail.com Website: themanwithavan.info

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

60 etcetera

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

Please contact us if you are looking for a property to buy or you have a property to sell in the west Haute-Vienne, or nearby.

www.bellefranceimmobilier.com Franรงoise 0683297593 / Rebekah 0616834510

62 etcetera

listing

64 etcetera

listing

etcetera 65

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

68 etcetera