The Quercy & Périgord Local May - March 2019

March – May 2019

The

uercy & érigord Local The Region’s FREE magazine in English

& Français

The Spring Edition Inside – Chillies, Coypu & lots of Chocolate Une Révolution aux pieds nus Georges Bégué, Son of Périgueux Bon Coeur – a Great Quercy Charity St. George, L’Alambic & Tax Changes for 2019 54 • THE QUERCY LOCAL JENNY SMALL

ARBRESERVICES

Agent Immobilier in the Quercy & Perigord www.agencenewton.com e: jenny@agencenewton.com t: +33 (0) 9 53 43 68 24 m: +33 (0) 6 47 78 49 16 Tours 47340 Cassignas 05 53 95 80 27/ 06 45 25 65 58 matt@arbreservices.com www.arbreservices.com

Matt Strawbridgewww.localmagazinesfrance.com

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4 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

CONTENTS Welcome to the spring edition The first edition of the year, the first edition of the joint magazine and what’s more, my first edition in charge!

I look forward to hearing from more people in the region about what they would like to see in this magazine. We have included both languages again and would love to receive contributions from anyone who has a story to tell, or fascinating interest to share.

This edition covers the Easter Holidays and so we have made a great effort to get a suitable amount of chocolate between the covers.

We all love a hero and so as 23rd of April is St George’s Day, we’ve revisited the legend. Then we’ve taken a closer look at a more recent hero, Georges Bégué a hero of WW2.

We have also got some interesting ideas about the cooking of Coypu, growing your own chillies and reconnecting, bare foot, with your body.

Hopefully there is a bit of something for everyone.

Please support our advertisers, without them there is no magazine.

Bienvenue dans l’édition du printemps

60’s Musical

p.6

General Taxation

p.10

Life advice - This is not a rehearsal France Tax changes for 2019 Tasting the Lot

p.15 p.16

p.22

p.24

Chillies- Spice up your life

p.26

Club de jardinage- Lauzerte

p.30

Espace point de vue

p.34

La première édition de l’année, la première édition du magazine combiné et, de plus, ma première édition en charge!

J’espère que davantage de gens de la région puissent nous dire ce qu’ils aimeraient trouver dans ce magazine. Nous avons à nouveau inclus des articles dans les deux langues et aimerions recevoir des textes de tous ceux qui ont une histoire à raconter ou un centre d’intérêt fascinant à partager.

Cette édition couvre les vacances de Pâques et nous avons donc fait de gros efforts pour insérer une quantité appropriée de chocolat entre les pages !

Qui n’aime pas les histoires d’héros ? Nous avons revisité la légende de la Saint-Georges, le 23 avril. Ensuite, nous avons étudié de plus près un héros plus récent, Georges Bégué, un héros de la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

Enfin, nous avons des idées intéressantes sur la cuisine du ragondin, la culture de vos propres piments et la reconnexion, pieds nus, avec votre corps.

Nous espérons qu’il y en ait pour tous les goûts !

Merci de soutenir nos annonceurs, sans eux, il n’y a pas de magazine.

Update from the Anglican church- Cahors

www.localmagazinesfrance.com Email: localsfrance@gmail.com

Jess

22

p.12

Chocolate orange cake Quercy cat chat

p.42

St George’s Day

p.44

Une Révolution aux pieds nus Bon Coeur

p.46

p.48

Festival International de Guitares

Georges Bégué- Périgueux’s Son and Hero

p.50

p.52

Poem- Les atroces d’Hélène

p.54

L’Alambic

p.56

Snow White and the Seven giants

p.58

Le savoir-faire des “petites mains”

p.60

Cooking up a Coypu

p.64

46

52

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A partir de notre site internet, vous pouvez souscrire pour recevoir notre magazine par la poste, lire nos éditions en ligne, vous enregistrer pour recevoir la newsletter et consulter nos tarifs de publicité. @Perigord_Quercy The Local Magazine - Périgord & Quercy perigordandquercylocals The Quercy and Perigord Local ISSN: (en cours).

No part of this publication may be copied, used or reproduced without written consent. No responsibility is accepted for any claim made by advertisers/contributors.

Please check that advertisers are appropriately registered.

Toute reproduction, utilisation ou copie, même partielles, de cette édition sont interdites sans un accord écrit de la direction du magazine. Nous déclinons toute responsabilité pour les éventuelles réclamations des annonceurs ou intervenants. Merci de vérifier que les annonceurs sont enregistrés convenablement. Propriété et direction : J Small, Found de Vers, Touffailles (82190) Siret: 844 95 32 16 000 18. Assistée par Valérie Rousseau. Imprimé par - Gráficas Piquer.

THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 5

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

6 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

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Those Were The Days – a 60s Musical Une comédie musicale des années 60 A musical journey though the decade that rocked the world The show is the brainchild of local musician Mick Bass, who is also the Musical Director. The script was written by Marc d’Aboville, visuals are being handled by Brian Plews and the show will be directed by Joyce Dowson.

Further details of the location and dates of the shows will follow. Keep an eye on the The Local Magazine - Périgord & Quercy Facebook page and on the show’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ TWTD-The-Musical-1994416150612248/).

A web site is also likely to follow.

T

hey say that if you can remember the 60s you weren’t really there. A group of local actors and musicians will be aiming to jog some of those memories with an exciting new musical called Those Were The Days. And if you are not “of a certain age”, why not come along anyway and find out more about this fascinating decade?

On dit que si vous vous souvenez des années 60, vous n’étiez pas vraiment là. Un groupe d’acteurs et de musiciens locaux s’efforcera de faire revivre certains de ces souvenirs avec une nouvelle comédie musicale passionnante appelée Those Were The Days.

La comédie musicale sera présentée à la fin du mois de Mai/début du mois de Juin et comportera des actualités, des images et des films des années 60, ainsi qu’une histoire de rencontres entre garçons et filles et un groupe live interprétant de nombreuses chansons de cette époque.

The musical will be performed at the end of May / beginning of June and will feature news, images and films from the 60s, as well as a boy-meets-girl story and a live band performing many of the great songs from that era.

Meanwhile, to whet your appetite we have a competition with a prize of two free tickets to the show of your choice. Just answer the following questions and send your answers to twtd1960s@outlook.com before 15 March 2019.

Nous organisons un concours comprenant deux billets gratuits pour le spectacle de votre choix.

Répondez simplement aux questions suivantes et envoyez vos réponses avant le 15 Mars 2019 1) Who sang the song / Qui a chanté la chanson Those Were The Days?

2) Who was the Prime Minister of France / Qui fut le Premier ministre de la France de 1962 à 1968?

3) What was the date of the first moon landing?/ Quelle était la date du premier atterrissage sur la lune?

Good luck and see you at the show!

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 7

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

8 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

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THE QUERCYTHE & PÉRIGORD QUERCY LOCAL • 9

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The simplicity of construction means that these pools can easily be self-installed making huge savings for you on your pool installation.

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

10 • THE QUERCY LOCAL

Meet: Chloé Moore from French Business Management

‘A friendly, dynamic, bilingual team, helping you and your business succeed’

Changes following the Gilets Jaunes protest and General Taxation The French Government passed a law in December 2018 introducing various fiscal changes. In this article we take a quick look at those which are likely to be most relevant to us here in the Quercy and Périgord.

Following the Gilets Jaunes protests the Government has introduced some urgent changes.

- End of year payment for employees earning up to 3600 euros a month – the 13th month payment will be free of social charges and taxes (up to 1000) - Overtime – no tax or social charges - Retirees - Scrapping of the CSG rise for those with an income less than 25800 (34636 for a couple), effective on 1st July 2019 at the latest and retroactive to 1st January.

- Prime d’activité payments- adjusted to raise the salary of a single person without children by 100 euros to 1560 euros net

Taxation for individuals: Prélevément à Source The major change this year will be the introduction of a PAYE type taxation system. This new PAS (Prélvément à Source) scheme came into force on the 1st January 2019. PAS will apply to everyone, including pensioners. Revenue for 2018 should be declared by everyone as normal this year. In 2019 income taxes will be paid based on revenue in 2017.

This of course will mean that there are changes to consider for those running businesses.

For example, companies employing people will now have to apply tax rates allocated by the Tax Office on the salaries they pay, collect the corresponding sum, declare and send this to the tax authorities. Auto Entrepreneurs and other forms of small business will also see changes, deductions will be made around the same time as their social charges are paid and will be based on declared revenue from the previous year so in 2019 this will be based on 2017 revenues.

Of course, if there are any major changes to your circumstances during the year you will be able to declare these to the tax office and ask them to recalculate your payments. We are aware this is a huge change and

will probably come back to this topic in more detail later in the year.

Tax credits for ‘transition énergetique’: These have been extended for one year before changing to an allowance for low-income households. Tax credits are available on certain works to improve the energy efficiency of a principal residence, depending on the work realised.

Up to a maximum of 8 000 euros (16 000 for a couple) plus 400 for additional dependents over a period of 5 years.

There is a list of eligible equipment, materials eligible for the credits along with minimal performance criteria available on the government website. https://www.ademe.fr/particuliers-eco-citoyens/financerprojet/renovation/dossier/credit-dimpot/conditionsbeneficier-credit-dimpot-transition-energetique-2018

Zero-interest Eco Loans These have been extended until 2021 and will change progressively in 2019. Until 1 July 2019 the current restrictions remain in place: - Open to anyone owning a home built before 1990, without income conditions, engaging on work to improve the energy performance of buildings used as principal residences. Insulation, heating, hot water, renewable energy etc. The maximum loan is 30 000 euros, repayable within 10 years (15 for certain works). Currently the regulations require that certain types of work are carried out together or that a certain energy efficiency is reached. This condition will be scrapped from 1st March 2019.

Business Taxation Firstly, a quick reminder that the Corporation Tax rate is being reduced. Article 41 of the 2018 Finance Act agreed the progressive reduction of Corporation Tax over the next 5 years to 25% to bring it in-line with the European average (25.6%).

The reductions will work as follows; 2018 – Corporation Tax at 28% for all companies at 500,000 euro profit or less, (33.33% above that) 2019 – Corporation Tax at 28% as above, but a reduction to 31% above 500 000 euros 2020 – Corporation Tax at 28% for all companies at all levels of profit

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 11

2021 - Corporation Tax at 26.5% for all companies at all levels of profit.

2022 – Corporation Tax 25% for all companies at all levels of profit.

Reduced rates of PME maintained.

PMEs will still benefit from a reduced rate of Corporation Tax (15,5%) within the limit of 38.120 euros if the turnover doesn’t exceed 7.63 million euros. Measures by the previous government to raise the ceiling on turnover allowing companies to benefit from a reduced Corporation Tax rate have been scrapped.

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Other changes concerning business / Micro Entrepreneurs From the 1st January personal training hours acquired on a Compte Personnel de Formation (CDF) can be converted into euros at a rate of 15e per hour.

A new measure to encourage new business creation came into force on 1st January 2019. Those who start a new business with a revenue less than 40 000e in their first year will be exempt from social charges. This exemption will form part of an extension to ACCRE which was previously limited to unemployed people creating a new business. The change will benefit around 350,000 business owners each year.

Artisans registering a business for the first time have up until now been required to complete the Stage de Préparation à l’Installation (SPI) course. The Sénat has recently agreed legislation which will make the course voluntary from now on for those registering in 2019 onwards. It will still be possible to take the course should you wish, either online or at a CMA, the cost has now been reduced from 250e to 194e.

Please note that we still do not have an official date for this to be put into application.

A dedicated bank account will no longer be necessary for everyone. From 1st January 2015 Auto-Entrepreneurs were required to open a bank account dedicated to their activity within a year of the creation of their business.

This requirement has now been removed for AutoEntrepreneurs whose annual turnover does not exceed 5,000e. In addition, the micro-entrepreneur can exceed this turnover limit (5,000e.) two years in succession before they will be required to open a separate account dedicated to their professional activity.

Anyone starting a new business in 2019 will automatically be affiliated to La Caisse primaire d’assurance maladie (CPAM). This is part of the wind-down of the RSI. Registered independent workers are being gradually changed over so expect to receive correspondence to this effect over the next few months.

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

12 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

This is not a rehearsal

T

his morning I have made soup, cleaned the grouting on the kitchen floor and rearranged the CDs. All this, I might add, was in order to avoid sitting down and doing some writing. And since I have sat down to write I have checked my emails twice, even though there’s a little window that pops up on my screen if I’ve got a new email. When it comes to things like keeping on top of admin and writing my motto is, as Mark Twain is supposed to have said, ‘never put off till tomorrow what you can put off till the day after tomorrow.’

Someone once told me that procrastination involved the relationship of anger to fear. He believed that we put things off because we are angry about having to do them and that the fear of the consequences of not doing them is the final motivator. That makes sense with things like tax returns and filing. But why do we put things off that ultimately give us - and others - pleasure?

A friend of mine is a very talented artist. But she has now joined an online language course on the two afternoons a week she was going to ring-fence for painting. She is retired and has recently put a lot of energy into converting a shed on her property into a studio. And now she’s decided that she wants to learn Japanese so that she can go to Japan and study traditional silk screen printing. Sound familiar? Your levels of procrastination may not be as drastic but can you honestly say you are making room in your life for the projects you may have dreamed of before you moved to France? Can you always find a good reason to do almost anything other than the thing you say you’d really like to do? What’s going on?

Fear of failure can be a good deterrent. When we

paint a picture or write an article or stand up in front of a group and sing a song we are taking a risk. We risk being judged and found lacking. Fair enough. But, let’s face it, many of us may be past the point where we are going to burst on to the world stage and have our talent recognised for what it is. When we do something creative it ought to be mainly for the sheer pleasure and challenge of doing it. So what’s stopping you from just having fun and maybe getting some appreciation along the way?

In my work as a therapist I discovered that there are mainly two reasons why adults don’t pursue creative ventures. Some are programmed to put other people’s needs before their own. I once worked with a woman who thought she was being selfish if she took time in the day to do something just for her. Are you one of those people? Or are you someone to whom things came easily when you were a child? On some level do you think you should be able to produce a good painting or short story or play an instrument without putting in lots of hard work? It’s a good idea to remind yourself that effort is crucial to creativity and that failure is part of success.

Statistics show that most people who succeed in kicking the smoking habit do so after the 7th attempt. 7th!!

The author Samuel Beckett understood this.

He wrote: ‘Fail again. Fail better.’ Life, as the saying goes, is not a dress rehearsal. It will not be alright on the night. This is the night. So go out there and give it all you’ve got.

Anne Kearns is a retired psychotherapist and author who enjoys helping people to unblock their creativity.

She is based in Le Vigan and can be contacted at ap.kearns@gmail.com.

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 13

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

14 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

The B-word.

What does it mean for you?

Love it or hate it, there is no escaping it, so our spring seminars will take a close look at what Brexit means for UK nationals in France.

While the key concerns for many expatriates are residence rights and healthcare, we will also consider how Brexit could affect pensions and discuss potential implications for taxation, estate planning and your savings and investments.

Seminars

Tue 2 Apr AUCH (32) Wed 3 Apr LIMOGES (87) Thu 4 Apr BERGERAC (24) Book your seat now

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We are also happy to arrange a personal consultation, at any time, to discuss your tax and financial planning in France.

S1-fr

INTERNATIONAL TAX ADVICE • INVESTMENTS • ESTATE PLANNING • PENSIONS Blevins Franks Financial Management Limited (BFFM) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, reference number 179731. Where advice is provided outside the UK, via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system differs in some respects from that of the UK. Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of trusts and companies. Blevins Franks France SASU (BFF), is registered with ORIAS, registered number 07 027 475, and authorised as ‘Conseil en Investissements Financiers’ and ‘Courtiers d’Assurance’ Category B (register can be consulted on www.orias.fr). Member of ANACOFI-CIF. BFF’s registered office: 1 rue Pablo Neruda, 33140 Villenave d’Ornon – RCS BX 498 800 465 APE 6622Z. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et Financier and L512-6 and 512-7 du Code des Assurances (assureur MMA). Blevins Franks Tax Limited provides taxation advice; its advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFFM.

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 15

FRANCE TAX CHANGES FOR 2019

By Peter Wakelin, Blevins Franks

A new year in France usually sees the introduction of some new tax rules or rates. This year is no exception, although the changes are rather muted compared to last year’s big reforms to the taxation of investment income and wealth tax.

The biggest changes in 2019 are the introduction of a pay-as-you-earn system for income tax, and a reduction to social charges imposed on investment income for many retired expatriates.

This is a good time to review your tax planning, to make sure you know where you stand with your taxes and establish how you can limit your exposure to unnecessary taxes.

Income tax There are no changes to French income tax rates for 2019 (payable on 2018 income). The income tax bands for each rate have increased very slightly to index them for inflation, so the current bands rates are: Income

Tax rate

Up to e9,964 Nil e9,964 to e27,519 14% e27,519 to e73,779 30% e73,779 to e156,244 41%

Over e156,244 45%

The ‘exceptional tax’ remains in place for 2018 income. This charges an extra 3% or 4% for income over e250,000 and e500,000 respectively, with higher thresholds for families.

Income tax is payable on earnings, pensions and rental income at the above rates, and you are taxed as a household rather than an individual (which can be beneficial for some families).

Investment income is taxed at a fixed rate (the Prélèvement Forfaitaire Unique or PFU) of 30% which includes both income tax and social charges. This has not changed since last year.

If you do not earn much investment income you can opt to use the progressive rates of income tax instead, for all your income, plus social charges.

For non-residents, the minimum tax rate on French source income has increased from 20% to 30%.

PAYE France has begun implementing a pay-as-you-earn system from 1st January 2019.

It applies to employment income, retirement income (pensions, lifetime annuities), rental income (including French property rental income of UK residents), taxable state benefits, maintenance payments, non-French income taxable in France, business profits and consultancy fees/independent income.

Income tax will now be deducted at source for French employment income and pensions each month. For other affected income, such as self-employment earnings, rental income and UK pensions, tax will be collected through monthly or quarterly direct debit from your bank account.

The amount payable is calculated on your last income tax return (so for 2019 it will be your 2017 return), with any balance due by the end of the year.

Investment income – interest, dividends, capital gains and gains from life insurance policies/non-French assurance-vie –

is excluded from PAYE. It also does not apply to non-French income that receives a tax credit in France under a double tax treaty.

Social charges Social charges remain at 9.7% for employment/self-employment income, 9.1% for pension income and 17.2% for investment income including rental income.

However, for individuals in receipt of pension income of less than e2,000 per month (e3,000 for a couple) the charges will be reduced back to the 2017 rate, i.e. 7.4%.

Individuals covered under the health system of another EU/ EEA country are no longer subject to the contribution sociale généralisée (CSG) or contribution au remboursement de la dette sociale (CRDS) social charges on their investment income and capital gains. Instead, the new prélèvement de solidarité will apply at a flat rate of 7.5%.

This is good news for those holding Form S1 and non-residents, since their social charge burden on investment income reduces from 17.2% to 7.5%.

You can submit refund claims for any charges paid at the higher rate during 2018, speak to your tax accountant.

Wealth tax / real estate tax (IFI) There are no changes from 2018, so ‘wealth tax’ is only levied on real estate assets. The threshold for this Impôt sur la Fortune Immobilière (IFI) tax remains e1,300,000 and the scale rates of tax are the same as last year. The 75% limitation also stays in place.

Following demonstrations in France, a committee has been set up to review whether the ‘old style’ wealth tax (which applied to most worldwide assets) should be reintroduced next year.

Other measures for 2019 The changes to the calculation of taxe d’habitation, introduced in the previous budget, mean that 65% of French households will be exempt from this tax in 2019.

There are reductions for certain components of the social security contributions for employees and employers. The main rate of corporation tax reduces to 31% (from 33 1/3%).

Tax planning It is important to understand how French taxation affects you personally, and establish tax planning solutions based on your objectives and family circumstances. Regular reviews are essential to make sure your arrangements are up to date.

For expatriates, an adviser with cross-border experience can help you make the most of opportunities offered by the French tax system.

Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any statements concerning taxation are based upon our understanding of current taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax information has been summarised; an individual is advised to seek personalised advice.

Keep up to date on the financial issues that may affect you on the Blevins Franks news page at www.blevinsfranks.com

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

16 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Tasting the lot This Easter, why not -

chocolate & wine?

At last Spring is here! We have come through dry January, Veganuary, Januhairy and many other ideas to take our minds off Brexit. Writing this in January it’s hard to know what the next few weeks is going to bring us. So, I have resorted to comfort foods.

The foods we feel we must shy away from including wine and of course, chocolate; not always an easy mix; but with the right match, truly delicious.

Simply eating chocolate with wine can be difficult but done correctly the acidity in the wine can cut through the chocolate’s fat content, thereby enhancing both. As with most things in life, a careful balance is what is needed.

Personal tastes differ but if you love either chocolate or wine (preferably both) I think you will enjoy these recipes.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like more information.

White chocolate scallops with cauliflower puree Ingredients 6 oz. fresh scallops, Cocoa for dusting, 8 oz cauliflower, 300 ml salted water, 3 tbsp. thick cream, heated, 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 oz butter - room temperature, 1 tbsp. white chocolate - chopped, 1 tsp. chopped parsley and salt to taste and violet flowers to decorate (optional) Method Trim the cauliflower to create florets. In a small saucepan, heat salted water to a boil. Place half the cauliflower in the water and boil just until soft, about 3 minutes. Drain and blend the cauliflower. Add 2 tablespoons of the cream and the butter and puree on high speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the white chocolate to the remaining cream and stir until it is completely melted and keep this mixture hot. Heat the oil in a small sauté pan and sauté the

remaining cauliflower florets until golden brown. Season them with salt. Dust the scallops in the cocoa, season them with salt and heat a sauté pan to medium-high heat.

Add the scallops to the pan and allow them to cook to a golden colour on both sides. Place a few dollops of the cauliflower puree onto a plate. Place the seared scallops on top of the puree. Arrange the sautéed cauliflower in a scattered fashion around the scallops. Drizzle a small amount of the white chocolate over the plate. To finish, sprinkle the parsley over the scallops and serve hot. If serving for Easter, also decorate with violet flowers.

This is delicious with a sparkling Malbec, I prefer to drink Chateau Eugenie’s and I have been known to splash out on the sparkling from Georges Vigouroux! Or, in the Périgord there is the lovely Chateau Lestevenie Brut, found at Le Gadon, 24240 Gageac et Rouillac.

Alternatively, try a very crisp Champagne.

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Prune stuffed lamb with berry chocolate sauce Ingredients For the stuffing: 130ml olive oil (or rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable) 1 onion - chopped, 2 cloves garlic - crushed, 250 g pitted prune d’Agen - roughly chopped, 100 g flaked almonds - toasted, 5 g fresh rosemary - chopped, 100 g breadcrumbs, salt and pepper For the roast: 3 kg deboned lamb loin For the berry bitter chocolate sauce: 250 ml meat stock, 250 ml Cahors or Périgord wine (heavy on the cabernet sauvignon side), 2 rosemary stalks - chopped, 2 tbsp chopped dark chocolate, 50 g fresh blueberries, 50 g fresh raspberries Method Preheat the oven to 200°C. Start with the stuffing. Add the olive oil to a saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until soft. Set aside to cool. When the onion mix has cooled add the prunes, almonds, rosemary, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix to combine well.

Open up the deboned lamb and spread the stuffing on the bottom half. Tie tightly with string to keep the stuffing intact. Place in a roasting dish and into a hot oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 180°C and cook for a further hour until golden but still slightly pink inside. Allow to sit covered for 10 minutes before carving.

While the meat is cooking, make the sauce. Pour the stock, red wine and rosemary into a small saucepan.

Over medium heat, reduce the liquid by half. This should take roughly 20 minutes. While still hot, add the chocolate to thicken the sauce. Just before serving, add the fresh berries and gently squash them to release their sweet juice into the sauce.

Wine to match this meal needs to be hearty with some tannins. Try one of the delicious wines from Chateau Eugenie in Albas. I will be! With my back-up wine being Ordalia, Merlot from the co-operative from Sigoules, Vin du Pays du Périgord.

A very Happy Easter to you all from Tasting The Lot. Please do follow on our Facebook page, Twitter or Instagram for more recipes, tastings and lovely things to do in The Lot or get in touch on tastingthelot@gmail.com for information regarding upcoming wine tastings.

Luci Cox

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

18 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Or, if you would prefer duck this Easter...

Quercy duck breasts with chocolate and Cahors wine sauce Ingredients For the sauce: 1 red onion - chopped, 1 celery stalk - diced, 1 carrot - sliced into rounds, 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, 375 ml red wine, 375 ml beef broth, 30 ml or 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp molasses, 55 g 85% dark chocolate - chopped For the duck: 2 duck breasts, about 340 g each, 1 small red onion thinly sliced, 40 g dried cranberries, 120 g kale, stems removed - coarsely chopped Method - sauce In a pot or large skillet over high heat, brown the onion, celery and carrot in the oil. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomato paste and molasses.

Generously season with pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce reduces by half, about 15 minutes. Strain through a sieve set over a pot. Add the chocolate to the pot and stir until melted. Keep warm.

Method - duck Using a sharp knife, remove some of the duck fat so only a thin layer remains. Score the fat in a criss-cross pattern without cutting into the meat. Season with salt and pepper.

In a skillet over medium heat, brown the duck breasts, fat side down, for 10 minutes or until the fat is golden brown and crisp. Flip the duck breasts and cook for 2 minutes for rare doneness or continue cooking for the desired doneness. Let rest on a plate for 10 minutes. Pour the rendered duck fat into a bowl. In the same skillet, soften the onion and cranberries in 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the duck fat for 2 minutes. Set aside on a plate and keep warm.

In the same skillet, soften the kale in 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the duck fat for 3 minutes or until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Thinly slice the duck and serve with the kale and onioncranberry mixture. Drizzle with the sauce.

Now for dessert.

There are a whole host of delicious chocolate desserts but I still prefer the old traditional puddings served with a pudding wine. Rogomme is the latest label to look out for. A few vineyards make it and it is one step on from Ratafia (unfermented grape juice mixed with eau de vie). Rogomme is an old French cooking term that translates as ‘a mixture’. This wine was, apparently, enjoyed at the time of the French Revolution!

The Rogomme making process is quite unique, involving gently heating Malbec grapes (stems removed) in a large pot. Once cooled the juice is transferred to old oak barrels and fortified with high-alcohol wine brandy (eau-de vie) to 17% alcohol.

This liquor matures ‘in barrel’ for a minimum of 2 years before it is ready to be blended with older Rogommes.

The blending of older and younger vintages gives the wine a varied complexity. It is quite simply delicious and makes a great gift! I have been given a few and I prefer the Rogomme from Lafon in Luzech. I have been lucky

enough to have been trained by all sorts of amazing chefs in my time. Reading their books after being totally absorbed in their classes has encouraged me to tweak recipes as I get more experimental. This recipe is tweaked to create a not-too-sweet cake with just enough wine in the batter to give it a slight kick!

Red wine cake to be served with Rogomme Ingredients 240 plain flour, 90g unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt, 240g unsalted butter - softened, 100g sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 300ml Cahors or Périgord wine, icing sugar for dusting and some cream for serving Method Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan (you know the one with the hole in the middle of it). In a bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter

with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy - about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat for 2 minutes longer. Working in two batches, alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine, until just incorporated.

Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack; let cool completely. Dust the cake with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream and ice cold Rogomme (or if you wish any delicious Monbazillac is always rewarding).

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

Chocolate Orange Cake

THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 23

Chocolate Orange Cake Method

Ingredients For the sponge: • 250g butter at room temperature • 250g + 3 tbsp caster sugar • 250g self raising flour • 4 large eggs • 1 tsp baking powder • 1 large orange (zest and juice)

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 170oC /340oF. Add all the cake ingredients into a free standing mixer or large bowl: the butter, 250g of sugar, selfraising flour (sifted), eggs, baking powder and orange zest. Whisk together until smooth. Carefully fill the lined cake tin. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack when cool enough to handle.

When cooled, take the cake and cut in half horizontally so you have two layers.

For the orange buttercream: • 125g butter at room temperature • 250g icing sugar • 2 tbsp milk • Zest of 1 orange

Make an orange syrup for the sponge: In a saucepan, gently heat the juice of the orange with 3 tablespoons of caster sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, take off the heat and gently spoon the syrup over the two halves of the cake until it has all soaked in.

To make the orange buttercream: Place the butter in a free standing mixer and beat for a minute or two until pale in colour. Add half the icing sugar and beat for a further minute. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat again until smooth.

Add in the orange zest and a splash of milk and beat again until creamy.

For the chocolate orange ganache: • 100g dark chocolate • 100ml heavy cream • zest of half an orange • 15g butter

Put together the cake: Place the bottom layer of the sponge on a cake stand. Spread on half of the buttercream evenly. Place on the top layer and spread the rest of the buttercream on top and round the sides, making the top as flat as possible. Place in the fridge to firm up for 30 minutes.

To decorate: • Orange slices dried out in an oven for 15 minutes at 160oC • Rosemary sprigs • Other edible flowers or herbs • Chopped hazelnuts

To make the chocolate orange ganache: Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a bowl with the butter.

Gently heat the cream and orange zest in a saucepan. Just before it starts to boil, take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until all the chocolate has melted and and you have a smooth ganache.

You will need: • 1 x 20cm cake tin buttered and lined with greaseproof paper

To decorate: Pour the slightly cooled ganache on to the top of the cake and use a spatula to carefully push it towards the edge so it just spills over slightly and runs down the sides of the cake. Before the ganache sets, place the dried oranges, chopped hazelnuts, and other herbs and flowers you’re using to decorate on top of the cake.

Le Caillau: Nestled in the heart of the Cahors vineyards you’ll find Le Caillau, a family run Restaurant, Café and Pottery Painting Atelier. In 2011, Caroline and Chas Sharp opened the doors of Le Caillau, a renovated 300 year old winery. Our aim is simple - to produce great quality, simple and tasty food.

In our restaurant kitchen our small team creates dishes based on vegetables from our own kitchen garden and local seasonal produce, (with some more exotic ingredients thrown in for variety and a different flavour from traditional Quercy cuisine). Our Pottery Painting Café will be open by appointment only so if you’d like to get creative just give us a call.

Restaurant opening hours: Monday: 12pm - 2pm, Tuesday: closed, Wednesday: 12pm - 2pm & 7pm - 11pm, Thursday: 12pm - 2pm & 7pm - 11pm, Friday: 12pm - 2pm & 7pm - 11pm, Saturday: 12pm - 2pm & 7pm - 11pm, Sunday: 12pm - 2pm.

Le Caillau, 46700 Vire sur Lot. Telephone: 05 65 23 78 04 www.lecaillau.com lecaillau

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

24 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

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Most responsible people do not wish to add to the number of unwanted cats and kittens already looking for homes. Neutering a cat not only prevents unwanted pregnancies occurring, but also curbs unwanted behavioural patterns associated with sexual maturity and reduces the risk of certain diseases.

Reasons for neutering • Population control. It is important to neuter a female cat before she can have kittens herself.

• Control of nuisance. Female cats will ‘call’ (come into season and be receptive to the male cat) regularly, about every three weeks during sexually active times of the year if they do not get pregnant Unneutered male cats are likely to stray over a large area, will mark their territory with a very pungent spray and are much more likely to fight – with attendant noise nuisance.

• Welfare issues. Unwanted kittens may not be cared for and are likely to suffer from various infectious diseases such as cat ‘flu or worse. There are unlikely to be enough new homes available for them.

•H ealth issues. Female cats which are not neutered are more likely to suffer from pyometra (infection of the womb) later in life and with mammary tumours.

Fighting males are much more likely to spread diseases such as FIV and FeLV to other cats. They are also likely to suffer from fight injuries such as abscesses. Because they wander over a large area they are also at greater risk of suffering road traffic accidents.

•P et issues. Unneutered male cats will wander from home and may not return.

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 25

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

26 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Chillies - spice up your life!

A

sk a handful of Brits what they miss most about life in the UK and “a good curry” is sure to pop up. While there are some specialty cuisine options throughout the region, many of the Quercy’s eateries are either traditionally French or pizzerias, and so it’s useful to arm yourself with a few good cookery books and create your own feast. Except that the availability of both chilli plants and chilli fruits is rather limited in rural South West France. You can easily buy dried chili flakes and spicy sauces, of course, and some fruits and plants can occasionally be found but if it’s a bountiful supply of fresh, spicy chillies that you like, it’s worth considering growing your own. Chilli plants do take a little bit of work, but a bit of time and effort reaps huge rewards.

Chilli peppers are perennial plants (though are mostly grown as annuals as they are not hardy) belonging to the solanaceae family (nightshades), which also includes potatoes, aubergines and tomatoes. They belong to the genus capsicum, which incorporates both sweet bell peppers and chilli peppers, and are divided into five distinct species: Capsicum annum, Capsicum baccatum, Capsicum chinense, Capsicum frutescens and Capsicum pubescens.

Chillies originated in Central and South America, and are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Americas, with evidence dating back to before 7000 B.C. in Mexico. They were, however, undiscovered by the rest of the world, until Christopher Columbus’s voyages

in 1492, after which they spread quickly, and became incorporated into many world cuisines.

Today there are thousands of different varieties of chilies to be found all over the world, with varying degrees of spiciness. The strength of a chilli is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU), named after the pharmacist Wilbur L. Scoville, who in 1912 developed the system of measuring the concentration of capsaicinoids, the compounds in capsicums which give them their heat.

Sweet capsicums, such as bell peppers, range from 0 to 1000 SHU. Mild capsicums, such as ortega peppers, range from 1000 to 3000 SHU. Medium capsicums, such as the jalapeno peppers, range from 3000 to 6000 SHU. Hot capsicums, such as serrano peppers, range from 5000 to 100,000 SHU. Very Hot Peppers, such as habaneros, range from 80,000 to 300,000 SHU. For those who like their chillies at the top end of the Scoville scale, there are super hot chillies available, and the world’s top 3 hottest chillies are the Carolina Reaper, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, and the 7 Pod Douglah.

In third place, the 7 Pod Douglah has a rating of up to 1,853,936 SHU, which is 480 times hotter than an average jalapeño. Most of the super hot chilli varieties are red, but this pepper, which originates from Trinidad, is different, in that it is chocolate coloured. The name

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NEW OFFICE NOW OPEN IN MONTCUQ IN THE HEART OF THE QUERCY BLANC

Mouly immobilier is a specialist, expert property agency who have been an authority in property sales for half a century. Three successive generations have resulted in us having great knowledge, dynamism and a reputation for quality and reliability. We pride ourselves on treating everyone as individuals.

With a Head Office on the main boulevard in Cahors and a local and international client data base we can help you with all aspects of buying and selling your French property.

You can contact Marianne Charpentier on 06 71 71 77 22 or at mouly.montcuq@gmail.com You can also visit our website: www.mouly-immobilier.com Mouly Immobilier, 4 Avenue de la Promenade, 46800, Montcuq of this pepper derives from the fact that just one of them is said to be strong enough to heat seven pots of stew.

Second place is another chilli from Trinidad, the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, and with a rating of up to 2,009,231 SHU, it is 800 times hotter than an average jalapeño. This red coloured chilli has a pointed bottom, which is said to resemble a scorpion’s stinger, and it certainly has a sting in its tail. It was the previous world champion, and held the position of hottest chilli from 2011 to 2013, when it was toppled from its spot by the current number one.

While there is talk of an even hotter pepper (the Dragon’s Breath, developed in Denbighshire, and named after the Welsh Dragon), this has yet to be confirmed

by Guinness World Records, so the official number one hottest chilli in the world still remains the formidable sounding Carolina Reaper. With a rating of up to 2,200,000 SHU, this is a staggering 880 times hotter than an average jalapeño. The reaper was developed in South Carolina by a grower interested in the health promoting, cancer preventing qualities of chillies, and he has certainly created a potent pepper.

The capsaicin levels vary not just in different plant varieties, but from plant to plant, depending on their age and growing conditions. Keeping your capsicum fairly dry, for instance, will result in mild water stress, and will result in a higher SHU (not too dry, though, or you’ll weaken the plant and reduce the yield). Food stress is also effective, so don’t over feed (though again, no feed at all will weaken the plant, so balance your requirements of strength and volume of fruits). Also, ensure you

use the correct feed: one that is lower in nitrogen (which encourages leaf growth) but high in phosphorus (which encourages flower and fruit development) and an adequate quantity of potassium, which promotes overall health. Tomato feeds, which optimise the growth of the solanaceae family, are ideal, and readily available. Turning up the heat will increase the heat, and the hotter the growing conditions, the hotter the chilli, so choose warm conditions for germination and growth. Fruits become stronger as they mature, so as well as picking young, green fruits, leave some on the plant to turn red (or orange, purple etc) to allow them to achieve their full potential.

Chillies are one of the earliest seeds you can sow, so they’re a good option for keen gardeners who are eager to get stuck into the beginning of the growing season. If sowing indoors and using heat, you can begin as early as January, though you can continue until early Spring. As a general rule, the hotter your chilli varieties, the earlier you should sow, as they tend to need a longer growing period, but as slow growers, all capsicumss will benefit from plenty of time to grow, flower and fruit.

Capsicums need warm conditions to germinate, at least 20°C, otherwise they will remain dormant.

You can choose from a range of heating methods to suit your requirements: a heated propagator; a heat mat; a heated conservatory or greenhouse; an airing cupboard; or a plastic bag or sheet. At this stage, they don’t need light, just adequate amounts of heat, moisture and oxygen.

Sow seeds in moist potting compost, in seed

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

28 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

ARBRESERVICES Matt Strawbridge Tree Surgeon Elagueur Arboriste trays, plug trays or small pots, and cover with a thin layer of compost or vermiculite (not too deep, or the seedlings won’t have enough energy to reach the surface). Alternatively, for a compost free option, place seeds inside a folded damp paper towel, placed inside a plastic bag. Our preferred sowing medium is in the individual cells of plug tays, as when it comes to re-potting the seedlings, you can pop out the seedling complete with its compost, without disturbing the root ball.

For the next week or two (germination usually takes 7-10 days) check the seeds regularly (e.g. morning and night) for moisture levels, using a hand sprayer on mist settings, to keep soil slightly moist, but not wet, which could rot the seeds. Ventilate the seeds as well, to prevent fungi, which could damage both seeds and vulnerable seedlings.

Different species have different germination times.

For impatient gardeners, keen to see some progress, Capsicum annuum varieties are the quickest. These include, cayenne, jalapeño, paprika and serrano, as well bell peppers. Capsicum chinense varieties, meanwhile, are slower to germinate, so you need a little more patience for chillies such as Habaneros, Scotch Bonnets, Trinidad Scorpions, Bhut Jolokia and Carolina Reaper, though they are well worth the wait. To speed up germination of any species, you can pre-soak the seeds overnight, which will soften the outer casing, but this is not compulsory.

Once seeds have germinated they will require light as well as heat, oxygen and moisture, so place them on a sunny windowsill (draft-free) or a bench in a heated greenhouse. Leaving them too long on a heat mat or in a propagator will result in stretched, leggy plants that are weak and prone to flopping. This is something to watch out for if buying plants from some garden centers, who force on their plants for a quick profit, with no concern for quality.

As seedlings grow, you will need to move them into increasingly bigger pots. From their initial germination tray/pot/paper, transplant each individual seedling into its own 9 cm pot. Chillies are lazy growers and will grow slowly into incrementally bigger pots, providing the best yield if given adequate space to develop over time, so be prepared to move them into 1 Litre, 2 Litre, and finally 5 Litre pots (or grow bags with a maximum of

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3 plants, or planted in the garden in a sunny, protected spot, once all risk of frosts has passed). Wait until seedlings are big enough to handle, a few inches tall, and with a second set of leaves, before repotting. If they look too delicate, wait a few days, as you do not want to risk crushing the stem or tearing the root ball.

When repotting, ensure that roots are well covered and leaves are just above the surface of the compost.

If plants have become a little leggy, you can sink them down slightly lower into the compost. The plants will need repotting into the next sized pot every month or so, depending on growing conditions. Check the bottom of the pot, and once the roots become visible through the drainage holes, you can move the plant up to the next sized pot. If the final planting is to be directly into the ground, acclimatise your plant gradually to outdoor conditions, over one or two weeks, before transplanting into fertile, moist, well-drained soil, with plants spaced 50 cm apart.

Continue to water plants regularly but not excessively, and once the first fruits have set, feed them weekly with a high phosphorus and potassium tomato fertiliser.

As they grow and produce fruit, varieties that are taller and have heavier fruits may require staking. If you wish, you can mulch around the base of the plants to help conserve moisture and suppress weed growth.

Your chilli peppers should be ready for harvesting from July onwards, depending on weather conditions.

With our long, hot summers here, they tend to do well.

Harvest individual peppers with scissors or secateurs, leaving some fruits to fully mature on the plant for enhanced colour, strength and flavour. Remember though that this will inhibit further fruit production, so balance your requirements of quality with quantity, and remember that regular harvesting enables the plant to put its energy into producing more fruit, so enjoy the fruits of your labour!

John and Debbie (Le Jardin des Espiemonts) 06 44 23 73 65

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 29

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

30 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Our 2019 Programme: Mar 12: Apr 09:

Apr ** Apr 21: May 08-11: May 14: May **: Jun 11:

Jun ** Jul 09: Jul ** Aug Sep 10: Sep ** Oct 08: Oct ** Nov 12: Nov 17: Dec 10:

“An Introduction to Planting Design” by Yvonne Innes John & Debbie Sargeant of Jardins d’Espiemonts “Companion Planting” + Plant Swap Visit to a Spring Garden Place aux Fleurs, Lauzerte Club trip to Languedoc Didier Veaux of A la Lumiere du Jour “Roses” Visits to Member’s Gardens Garden Party/Plant Swap + “Gardening on Clay”

by Julia Barton Visit to Nurseries in the Lot, with lunch Summer BBQ Visit to Bamboo Garden & Water Gardens with Picnic no club activities planned for this busy summer month “Flower Arranging” Visit to Jardins de Martel + nursery “Preparing for Winter” Propagation workshop + Plant Swap “The Christopher Columbus Legacy” by Mal Casson Journée de l’Arbre + Making a Small Bug Hotel Club Christmas Lunch

** Dates to be confirmed

Spring is one of the most glorious times of year in the garden, with such a profusion of new growth, and masses of colour. Even if your growing area is restricted to a few containers, there is so much that can be grown to delight the eye, and your palate, as well as providing much needed nectar for the bees and butterflies. Mixing herbs and mini-vegetables with flowers can give delightful and tasty results.

At the Place aux Fleurs in Lauzerte on 21st April, members of the club will be giving demonstrations and sharing all sorts of ideas for varied planting schemes, in both traditional and original containers. We’ll also advise on practical tips to help you succeed! So do come along and see us there, or join us at our informative meetings, which encourage us to make our gardens and villages a joy to behold.

Our friendly bi-lingual gardening club holds meetings throughout the year: in the winter months at 2pm on the 2nd Tuesday of each month in the Salle des Fetes, Lauzerte. In the summer, you’ll also find us out and about visiting the glorious gardens, nurseries (and restaurants) that surround us. If you feel you’d like to do the same, why don’t you pop along to one of our meetings? There is no obligation to become a member on your first visit, but you will receive a warm welcome and a cup of tea! Just contact our club secretary, Pam Westcott, who will be delighted to hear from you.

Tel: 07 86 40 05 29 or secretary@cjl82.fr.

Find us on Facebook – Club de Jardinage de Lauzerte Website – www.cjl82.fr

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 31

Quercy Builders (82150)

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info@quercybuilders.com www.quercybuilders.com 06 52 49 03 57 Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

32 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 33

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Meet with the client Planning advice Prepare the plan for the garden

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

34 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Come, see, experience & enjoy

By Jeanne McCaul, Lauzerte 82110

Once again, the season of art exhibitions is about to begin in Lauzerte, where promoting culture in all its forms has become a signature activity: contemporary art, crafts, architectural heritage as well as renovation.

A

year ago, as part of a series of articles on local towns, the Quercy Local reported on the history and present-day goings-on in Lauzerte, as well as its state supported plans and projects for the future. Anyone visiting the village today, will notice quite some activity in the context of upgrading the quality of life of the citizens. Several, long abandoned, properties have changed hands and are in the process of being renovated, improving the general look and feel of the village, notably of the medieval upper town. In addition, a number of new small businesses have opened, including a carpentry and a third bakery and pastry shop.

This year the municipality hopes to continue some of its own projects. As an example, the post office has already been moved from the main, essentially pedestrian, upper town square to another on the western edge of the lower town, with parking facility, and has become a large central sorting station for the area. Meanwhile, the former post office will soon re-invent itself as a public service and tourism centre,

complete with interactive screens illustrating the history and heritage of the region.

But back to exhibitions. First on the calendar will be the annual arts and crafts fair, the Journées Européennes des Métiers d’Art (JEMA), to be held for 3 days from Friday, April 5th to Sunday 7th, 10h00 to 18h00, in 16 venues all over town, some of them places not normally open to the public, such as the impressive vaulted storage cellars of what used to be the seat of the local seneschal. This event has been steadily growing in importance and this year there will be 50 participants representing a panoply of 30 different arts and crafts. Entrance to all venues is free and there will also be workshops and demonstrations.

This will be followed by the first exhibition of the annual season proposed by the non-profit association Art Points de Vue and held at the Espace Points de Vue. This historical venue is situated on the southern edge of the medieval town, overlooking the valley and the Jardin des Pèlerins on the Compostella pilgrimage route.

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 35

S a i s o n 2019

D'Avril à Octobre

Espace Points de Vue Expositions d'art actuel

artpointsdevue.com

The venue itself has benefitted from significant upgrading. A ramp has been built at the entrance, facilitating access for all, the reception space has been redesigned and appointed (featuring a vintage lead pane window recuperated from a medieval house in

L a u z e r t e (82) town) and new lighting has been fitted, better suited to highlight the art work.

The official opening of the exhibition season will be held at 18h on Tuesday April 9th and is open to the public. From May to October, the official openings all take place at 18h on the 1st of each month. This year 27 artists will show their creations from April to October, in groups of 3 to 4 per month.

Since its foundation in 2012, the association has been pursuing a policy of steadily improving the quality and variety of the exhibitions. This year the selection is made up of professional, predominately well-known artists, but also includes a promising student currently enrolled at the Beaux Arts in Paris. Once again, the public will be invited to enjoy creative inspiration and accomplishment in a wide variety of disciplines, materials and artistic techniques and approaches.

If last year’s attendance is anything to go by, over 12.000 visitors can be expected from April to October.

All exhibits are of course also for sale and offer opportunities to purchase inspiring and valuable art work at reasonable prices.

For additional information on the full season, profiles of artists, becoming a member of the association or submitting a request to exhibit, please visit our website: www.artpointsdevue.com.

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

36 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 37

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38 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Café & Restaurant

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Come and celebrate the arrival of spring on our terrace See our Facebook page for upcoming events. Our restaurant is open every lunchtime and Friday and Saturday evenings. The bar is open Monday From 7am to 2pm, Tuesday to Saturday from 7am to 9pm and Sunday from 8am to 9pm.

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 39

ARBFrenchProperty.com

Nestled in the Seoune Valley, La Grange de Truffes offers you a chance to explore a large, wonderful selection of collectables, antiques and furniture.

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 41

AUBERGE DU BRELAN In a lovely rural setting you can enjoy our fine cuisine with fresh ingredients cooked over a wood fire.

We offer a lovely terrace setting for your relaxing family or celebration meal.

Also available, vegetarian and gluten free foods.

Open from Easter to November. Catering for groups, wedding parties including a buffet option, available all year. Pâtisserie et conserves to take away.

You can find us easily on the D656. We look forward to welcoming you.

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Ironwood Motif Artist Blacksmith, Ferronnerie d’Art

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Take a look at our website and follow us on Ironwood Motif, Ferronnerie d’Art and on Instagram Ironwood Motif 46330, BLARS, 00 33 (0)5 65 30 53 99, www.ironwoodmotif.com SIRET: 481 198 638 00019 Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

42 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

L’ECOLE FRANCAISE welcomes you to the heart of the beautiful city of CAHORS. We provide top level classes in French, taught by professionals in the field of teaching French as a second language (FLE) We also provide practical training to prepare for the DELF (Certificate in French Language Studies) (A1-C2) which is mandatory if you want to apply for citizenship or legal papers in France.

www.lecolefrancaise.org +33 689 1158 99 190 Avenue Jean Jaures 46000 Cahors

The classes are held in CAHORS, but can be relocated at your convenience to other cities around.

Classes of 10 persons max.

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Anglican Chaplaincy of Midi-Pyrénées & Aude Update from the Cahors Congregation

All services are held at 10.00am – Centre Paroissial, 75 av J Lurçat, Terre Rouge, 46000 Cahors This season brings the most important event for all Christians, that of Easter. The anticipation of Easter begins with Lent; the forty day period synonymous with fasting and preparation for Easter. This year Lent begins on March 6th ( Ash Wednesday) and ends on Easter Sunday. Lent, for Christians, is about repentance and penitence. “If only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” (Rom 8:17).

The day before Ash Wednesday is of course, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day. The name is derived from the word “shrive”, which means to confess and receive absolution. The English tradition of eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday came about as a way to use as much milk, fats, and eggs as possible before Lent began.

In France, the consumption of all fats and fatty foods on this day coined the name “Fat Tuesday” or Mardi Gras.

Ash Wednesday derives its name from the practice of blessing ashes made from palm branches blessed on the previous year’s Palm Sunday. These are used in the Ash Wednesday service by Priests to mark a cross on the forehead of participants saying “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return”.

The length of the Lenten fast was established in the 4th century as 46 days (40 days, not counting Sundays). However, over the

centuries Lenten observances have developed a much more “sacramental” value. The focus for Christians is on repenting of sin and consecrating oneself to God. Mothering Sunday is the fourth Sunday in Lent and this year is celebrated on Sunday March 31st. Centuries ago, it was considered important for people to return to their home or ‘mother’ church once a year. So each year in the middle of Lent, everyone would return to their families and “mother church”. The fasting rules for Lent were relaxed that day and a Simnel cake was eaten. The fruit cake with almond paste and eleven marzipan balls are placed on top representing the 11 disciples, Judas excluded.

Holy Week, the week leading up to Christ’s death starts on Palm Sunday,(April 14th this year) when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The atmosphere of the season darkens and our Bible readings anticipate the story of Christ’s suffering and death.

Easter Day is 21st April and we celebrate Christ’s resurrection, the fundamental tenet of our faith.

All of our services can be found on our website ( detailed above ) or on our Facebook pages. We enjoy welcoming new people whether you are resident in the Lot or a visitor. Please come and join us.

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 43

Do you need a helping hand?

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Loren and Pierre look forward to welcoming you to their lovely restaurant in the heart of Puy L’Évêque, deep in the Lot valley. Where you will find both local and refined dishes all accompanied by a large range of great wines.

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Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

44 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

St. George’s Day Crosses, Charlatans and a Crocodile St. George was a venerated military-figure, widely recognised for his dragon slaying ability.

St. George’s Day is celebrated on the 23rd April each year. It’s not a national holiday in England and is less well-celebrated than Wales’ St. David’s Day or Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day. This red cross had previously been associated with the Knights Templars and the Second Crusade in 1145. The cross then became linked to George when Genoa in the 12th century adopted the symbol for its national flag and then St. George as its Patron Saint, linking the two!

The path leading to this red cross becoming an English symbol is convoluted. Importantly, the City of London and English merchant ships paid fees to Genoa to be allowed to fly this Genoese national flag on their ships entering the Mediterranean. This allowed them to benefit from protection from the Genoese Fleet.

Gradually this allowed the red cross to become associated with England. Nothing to do with St. George himself but instead a global, international, medieval trading-world. A world that importantly included the much-travelled Plantagenet Kings (particularly Richard the Lion Heart).

The Crocodile

W

hy the 23rd of April? This was the date of George’s death in 303AD, at the hands of the Roman army (in which he served) by order of Emperor Diocletian. His crime was his refusal to renounce Christianity. Diocletian had tried to bribe George to worship the Roman Gods, George refused and was tortured before his eventual decapitation. Moved by his refusal to deny his faith others, including the Roman Empress Alexandra, converted to Christianity and were themselves put to death.

In England, it wasn’t until 1222 that April 23rd was declared St. Georges Day. Then in 1552 St. George replaced St. Edmund the Confessor as England’s Patron Saint.

The Cross The simple red cross on a white background now known as The Cross of St. George did not become synonymous with the Saint until the 15th century.

When it became popular to assign heraldic designs to ancient, venerated figures.

The legend of St. George slaying a dragon isn’t supported by the various accounts of his life (and there are many). The dragon was most likely a rather belligerent Libyan crocodile that had been terrifying a town. A monstrous beast that was (as with legends) being placated with gifts of sheep and local virgins.

George, travelling locally, heard that the supply of local virgins had been exhausted and that a local princess was about to be sacrificed. This was the age of chivalry, so George, lance in-hand, slayed the menace and the town and princess were saved. Stories of George’s bravery travelled the world; and the crocodile grew into a dragon!

Charlatans Patriotism and nationalism originally enjoyed virtually equivalent meanings. However, there’s now an uncomfortable fissure stretching between their connotations; creating space that’s now been occupied by contradiction and intolerance.

Patriotism is the belief in the inherent goodness of a country and its people. Nationalism also involves a belief in a country and its people but crucially this

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 45

Le 23 avril est le jour de la Saint George, le Saint Patron de l’Angleterre.

St George n’avait rien à voir avec l’Angleterre, il n’y était jamais. Il était d’origine grecque, né en Turquie et vivait dans la ville romanopalestinienne de Lydda. Il a servi dans l’armée romaine mais a été tué par les Romains quand il a refusé de renoncer au christianisme. Il existe une légende selon laquelle St George aurait tué un dragon… qui aurait plutôt été un crocodile !

Le drapeau national de l’Angleterre, qui représente la croix de Saint-Georges, a été adopté par des groupes nationalistes souhaitant préserver «l’Angleterre, uniquement pour les Anglais». Cela a rendu très difficile l’affichage patriotique de ce drapeau national.

belief can extend to the detriment of other nations or people; inviting notions of supremacy.

This delineation is illustrated by the shifting perception of two British flags. The Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom remains an acceptable symbol of celebration and patriotism.

Whereas the Cross of St George, the national flag of England has increasingly been appropriated as a symbol of nationalistic intolerance.

Ironically, people and groups seeking to preserve England ‘only for the English’ drape themselves in the heraldic flag of a foreign saint, a man venerated in both the Muslim and Christian worlds. St. George, the Patron Saint of England never set foot on what would become English soil. There’s no evidence that he ever gave the ‘English’ a thought!

Nationalists have assumed the symbol of a man who exemplified chivalry, fairness, faith and bravery and whose entire life was spent protecting regions and peoples of the world that many ‘English nationalists’ would condemn and abandon.

Do these self-styled ‘flag bearers’ appreciate that their apparent ‘English hero’ was born in Cappadocia (Eastern Turkey) around 275AD to Greek parents?

George then grew-up in the ‘then’ Roman-Palestine town of Lydda (where he was later buried) and he went on to join the Roman army.

George was a truly global-figure who fought injustices in-and-around Syrian, Palestine and even Libya; a military Saint and an inspiration to the Crusaders. Stories of his greatness became so widespread that overtime he became the Patron Saint of many places including, Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia.

Today, there are hundreds of ‘places of worship’ throughout the world dedicated to St. George.

Ranging from St. George’s Forane Church, Kochi, India (Asia’s largest shrine to St. George, 5 000 000 people visit each year); to St. George’s Basilica, the oldest church within Prague Castle, Czech Republic.

So, what would St. George think today? Everything about this Saint’s life tells us that he’d be horrified with the ‘inappropriate’ use of what became his personal heraldry.

English nationalists identifying with the Cross of St. George would have to be described as nothing less than charlatans.

By A Atkinson

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

46 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Une révolution aux pieds nus :

l’Earthing, ou Grounding ou reconnexion à la terre !

O

n a tous déjà remarqué combien il est agréable de marcher pieds nus sur une plage ou dans un jardin, mais combien d’entre nous savent que cette sensation vient du fait que nous recevons des électrons bienfaisants qui émanent du sol ?

La Terre est comme une batterie tournant autour du soleil et les électrons à sa surface, stimulés par l’astre solaire, donnent aux sols une légère charge négative. Ainsi, si vous êtes pieds nus, ces électrons affluent dans votre corps telle une « transfusion » virtuelle au pouvoir guérisseur.

Nos anciens ont toujours privilégié une relation avec la Terre nourricière - cette terre qui nourrit grâce à l’agriculture et l’élevage, nourrit donc aussi par son champ magnétique. Ils marchaient pieds nus ou portaient des chaussures en peaux ou cuir qui permettaient à l’énergie de la terre de les pénétrer.

Ils étaient connectés.

Aujourd’hui, avec les nouvelles technologies tant vestimentaires (chaussures à semelles plastiques jouant le rôle d’isolants, …) qu’environnementales (ondes nocives, matériaux synthétiques dans la maison ou la voiture, …), nous avons établi des barrières entre cette énergie tellurique bienfaisante et nos corps. Et ces perturbations qui nous entourent sont autant d’explications au stress, douleurs, et même maladies chroniques.

Pourtant, notre organisme se sent soulagé lorsque le corps (ou une partie de celui-ci) est mis en contact direct avec la terre car nous sommes, par notre constitution essentielle d’eau et de minéraux, d’excellents conducteurs d’électrons…

Cette connexion à la Terre, c’est ce qu’on appelle le Earthing, ou Grounding.

C’est marcher pieds nus, se coucher sur l’herbe, mettre les mains dans le sable, recréer un contact avec cette énergie naturelle de la surface de la Terre.

Se reconnecter est l’une des choses les plus naturelles et simples à faire, c’est passez du temps dans la nature, mais aussi nager en eaux naturelles, jardiner mains nues, dormir par terre au camping, s’adosser à un arbre, marcher pieds nus sur la terre, le sable, l’herbe ou le béton, méditer dehors, étreignez un arbre ou ancrez-vous dans le sol, vos pieds comme des racines et jambes comme un tronc, votre torse, vos bras et votre tête comme les branches et laissez l’énergie de la Terre vous imprégner… Ou encore, visualisez-vous telle une montagne …

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 47

Charpente neuve Traditionelle et Rénovation, Bois et Bardages, Toits (démoussage et nettoyage), Zinguerie, Sols et Revêtements bois, Abris et Auvents La taille de nos charpentes se fabrique dans nos ateliers.

Garantie décennale.

M. 06 85 53 19 17 T. 05 63 94 32 73 elkessi@orange.fr www.elkessi.com EURL El Kessi

Depuis

1996

Nous intervenons sur un rayon de 50 kms autour de Montaigu de Quercy (82150). (46, 47, 82)

Les bienfaits de la connexion à la Terre sont multiples : elle aide notamment à soulager efficacement l’inflammation dans votre corps, à calmer le système nerveux pour réguler le rythme cardiaque qui, à son tour, équilibre vos cellules, elle stimule aussi vos organes. Les personnes qui pratiquent régulièrement l’Earthing dorment mieux et parlent d’une sensation globale de bien-être. En somme, la terre se comporte comme un anti-inflammatoire puissant et naturel et certaines recherches tendent à démontrer que les effets de cet anti-inflammatoire ont des conséquences positives sur la santé, sur le soulagement de la douleur, les maladies chroniques ainsi que les maladies du vieillissement, voire le processus de vieillissement lui-même ! * Nous avons perdu nos racines électriques et sommes déconnectés, il faut y remédier ! Le contact direct et prolongé avec la Terre vous permettra de vous sentir tellement mieux…

Clinton Ober made the link between his work of installing electric cables and the need for the installation of an earthing rod, as well as wearing insulated shoes can have an adverse effect on your health. 12 years later, he published his book “earthing- the most important heath discovery ever?” Clint Ober suggests the missing connection to the ground could contribute to chronic illnesses.

Earthing or Grounding is a way of connecting to the ground whilst benefiting from its anti-oxidant qualities for the proper functioning of our circulatory and immune systems.

Recherches Valérie Rousseau

* CLINTON OBER : En 1998, en faisant le lien avec son travail d’installation de câbles et la sécurité de mise à la terre des systèmes électriques, il se pose la question sur le fait de porter des chaussures isolantes qui affecteraient notre état de santé ?

Douze ans plus tard, il publie le livre « Earthing – la plus importante des découvertes de santé ? », co-écrit avec le cardiologue Stephen T SINATRA et l’écrivain spécialiste Martin ZUCKER. Personne jusque-là, ou très peu, avaient fait le rapprochement entre santé et relation à la terre. The barefoot révolution était née ! Clint Ober indique que ce manque de connexion à la Terre semble être un fil conducteur sous-jacent dans la plupart des maladies chroniques – un phénomène qu’il nomme « le syndrome de déficience électrique ».

Using your sense of touch to its full potential, walking barefoot, hugging a tree or scooping grass heads on your walk, to simply meditating by visualizing all the energising elements such as whistling windy mountains, shallow streams and flickering fires.

We live a hectic lifestyle with a throw away attitude and plastic features everywhere and in everything we do. This synthetic barrier prevents the natural energy having a positive anti-inflammatory effect on our bodies; to the point where even the soles of our shoes stop the natural energy exchange between us and the earth.

Get reconnected!

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

2018A busy year for Bon Coeur 48 • THE QUERCY LOCAL

by Charles Miskin - President

B

on Coeur - Association (Loi 1901) raises funds for many, mainly local, good causes.

Already gifts of over 60,000e have been made in less than 6 years to help human and animal needs!

The volunteer manned boutique in Beauville next to the Mairie sells a range of brocante / clothes & accessories / jewellery / books. Stock changes frequently – especially with the seasons.

2018 was exceptionally busy for Bon Coeur and the hardworking volunteers. We launched our website in the spring: www.boncoeur47.fr. which has details of shop opening hours / events and gifts we have made etc.

Gifts: We passed the milestone of e50,000 in “Gifts” in the summer and at the New Year we are now at e60,000 ! These gifts have gone to an even wider range of good causes and charities than in the past.

Bon Coeur gave 4 new bikes and 2 kick scooters to the Roseraie refuge in Agen that we support.

At an emotional presentation the children had made a bicycle shaped cake!

In 2018 we made donations to several new (and very appreciative) beneficiaries – including Trem plein d’Espoir at Montaigu and AFDAS in Agen for example.

A couple of new donkey rescue centres are starting up and we were able to help them with construction of hardstanding and shelters. We continued to help people with the costs of a number of cat sterilisations / neutering where they were needed, generally near Beauville – this is possible as we get a separate grant from the UK. A chart shows a breakdown by category of the beneficiaries – and there are more details on the Bon Coeur website.

BON COEUR DONATIONS TO END 2018 Total €60,000 in Gifts

Cancer Support France 10%

15%

Other Cancer 7%

International welfare 8%

21% 8%

Local health People in need Beauville amenties / School Culture / Environment

13%

11% 6% 1%

Horse / donkey rescue Dog / cat rescue Cat care (grant from UK)

Events:

Our biggest ever annual book sale was on the 1st May and attracted regular and new visitors to the event with over 12,000 books available. In 2019 it will be repeated and combined with a “Spring Bazaar” offering clothes and Brocante as well as the books / dvds etc.

In May we also hosted the Cancer Support France cyclists for a welcome coffee stop on the canal and presented CSF Lot et Garonne with a cheque. Look out for details of 2019’s one at https://csfcycleforlife.org/

In June we co-operated with the Tourist Office and Beauvillenvie – Comité des Fêtes in order to put on very well-received Journee de l’élevage (essentially a county show) – the finest cattle of Lot et Garonne and other prize-winning animals enjoyed the shade of Place du Carré and we hope the event will come back in the future. As many of us live in farming communities it’s a great chance to get up close with the farmers who breed and care for these key animals. There was also a honey and cheese competition.

On the 14th July Bon Coeur organised the traditional – Franco-Britannique Pétanque competition which was again popular – any pétanque players welcome when we do the 26th edition this summer.

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 49

Bon Coeur

Charity Boutique

Beauville 47470, Sous les Cornières, Place de la Mairie

FOR SALE

Books, clothes, brocante & jewellery in aid of mainly local good causes (for both people & animals) & all run by volunteers. Donations always welcome.

Mardi, Mercredi, Vendredi – 14h00 – 16h00 Jeudi – 15h00 – 17h00 Vendredi & Dimanche 10h00 – 12h00 www.boncoeur47.fr boncoeur@boncour47.fr Bon Coeur 06 89 53 24 78 If you have larger donations (or even collections) please do contact us in advance as our teams need to deal with them outside the shop premises.

For the second year we were delighted to welcome Antic-Disposition’s Much Ado about Nothing in early August and again the Bon Coeur picnics were much appreciated before the show which was extremely well attended and acted – followed by a meal with cast and crew. Dates are being finalised for 2019 much ado pics The biggest event of the year was the amazing 2-day GRAND BAZAAR – where I think everyone managed to find some great bargains – the Salle des fêtes was filled with thousands of items of clothing, tables laden with bargain-priced brocante and a good selection of books too. As at the book sale the refreshments / light lunches were well received too. A repeat in 2019 is planned on 16/17 November. The 2018 event raised around e4,000!

Volunteers: In 2018 we had a change of committee and a number of new volunteers came on board to help in the shop & for events – it’s through everyone’s tremendous efforts that we can continue to raise money for the other good causes so I would like to thank everyone that has made it possible. If you would like to volunteer to help in the shop, at events or behind the scenes, please do contact us.

Donations: We do get, and deal with, a lot of donations – good quality clothes / brocante / books / jewellery are always welcome – we try to sort them and pass on to others anything unsuitable for sale at the shop or events.

In 2019: The Bon Coeur events above are scheduled again – and each time we hope to improve them and ideas are welcome.

In addition, we often have stalls at other events (Brocante / MacMillan coffee morning / Xmas market) so we hope to see you there too!

We are making up a 2020 Bon Coeur calendar with watercolours of local views which will make a great souvenir and will be on sale through the website, shop and at events.

A French version of the website is progressing well and should help broaden the appeal.

There will be an “Open Garden” – 26th May and 2nd June at St Amans du Pech. We also hope to do some more publicity for Octobre Rose – cancer awareness.

Contact: – see www.boncoeur47.fr – or you can email us at boncoeur@boncoeur47.fr or phone 0769 53 24 78 – Also we are on Facebook as Bon Coeur with the rainbow logo.

There is a regular “What’s on” email that I send out so please ask to be included to keep up to date with what is happening. Our opening times are in the regular advert above – copies are available in the boutique too.

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

50 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Régis CASSÉ

Traditional Stonework ~ New and Restoration 82190 Fauroux ~ 06 40 20 68 94 ~ English spoken ~ angeregis@hotmail.fr

Rescuing, helping and caring for abused and neglected donkeys

HeeHaws - for the Love of Donkeys Contact: heehawsfr@gmail.com 06 37 36 78 04 www.heehaws.fr 24500 Razac d’Eymet

But this is an international festival so we venture from Spain to South America for an Argentine evening with German born Nora Buschmann and Argentine Augustin Luna on Friday 26th.

Acclaimed Roberto Aussel, on 24th, considered a Master of classical guitar, is also Argentinian, now combining teaching at the Koln Music School with his prestigious concert career. His repertoire ranges from the baroque to contemporary, including folk, Basque and popular works from Latin America.

French Cassie Martin, playing for us 25th, is just 4th International Guitar Festival of Puy l’Eveque 17 years old but started her musical education aged 5.

At the age of 15 she obtained her DEM Diploma with he open-air Theatre just below the church in Puy honours. Since then she has won several competitions and prizes, and played with some notable artists. l’Eveque is quiet and empty now, but plans are She is now studying at the CRR Conservatory in Paris. already in place to transform once again it into And of course this is Puy l’Eveque so our very own the colourful and vibrant guitar village for the fourth Cecile Cardinot and Olivier Bensa return with a different Le Temps des Guitares festival in July. selection from their huge range of talents – Cecile’s pure To improve on last year’s festival was quite a challenge. Who will forget the magic of that impromptu voice and guitar, Olivier’s guitar and Lute, guitar classics jam session with Balake Sissoko on his Kora and Joseph and some of his own acclaimed compositions.

Tawadros on his Oud? But we hope our faithful followers There will also be variations to the early evening as well as new friends will indeed relish what is on offer activities in the Guitar village: demonstrations of guitarthis year. making again but with a novel addition of poetry to guitar People kept asking us for Flamenco ....... so music, an exhibition about Flamenco, and other music Flamenco it will be for the final Saturday evening 27th, on the small side stage under the tree. And not to forget with the authentic Andalusian gypsy Sandie Santiago a local wine-maker offering their wonderful reds and and her group – Blas Deleria singing, Juan Santiago on rosés each evening – a glass of wine is included in your guitar and Jose Bouba Deleria on percussion. And some ticket price. And some delicious light food to complete of that fiery spirit too on the Thursday 25th with the your delight. celebrated flamenco guitarist Pedro Soler and Gaspar See you there!

Claus on Cello. www.letempsdesguitares.com

T

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52 • THE QUERCY LOCAL

Périgueux’s Son and Hero Georges Bégué MC a brave, highly-competent, unassuming man, born in France who studied and fell in love in Hull. Fought for the French and then the British in WW2 and was awarded the Military Cross.

G

eorges Bégué was born in Périgueux in 1911.

His father who was an engineer went on to run the tram system in Alexandria, Egypt.

Georges also trained as an engineer and then went to University in Hull (UK) to learn English. Whilst in England he met and married an English woman, Rosemary. He served his national service as a signaller in the French Army, and was then called up in 1939.

Georges’ English language skills earned him a liaison-role with the British Expeditionary Force.

At Dunkirk he escaped back to England. Then after France surrendered, Georges volunteered to fight with the British Army as a sergeant in the Royal Signals.

In 1940 SOE’s new French Section (Section F) were recruiting for operations in France. After a short training course Georges was selected as the first agent to parachute into France. In May 1941, he was dropped in the Indre, in what was Vichy France.

It was a time of great uncertainty in France and many people did not know whether to follow Pétain and accept German rule or to heed General de Gaulle’s request for resistance. Max Hymans the

Socialist deputy in the Indre wasn’t uncertain and he got a letter through to London to offer his services to the Allies. It was decided to direct Georges to meet with Hymans. Georges received instruction to make his way, along with his heavy radio transmitter (hidden in a suitcase), to the village of Valençay where Hymans was laying-low. On Georges’ arrival, it took many hours for him to persuade Max that he was a British agent and not German.

Once convinced of Georges’ credentials, Hymans’ fellow socialists helped him set up his transmitter in lodgings in Châteauroux. On May 9, 1941, he transmitted his first message to London, notifying them of the address of a chemist whose premises were the contact point for incoming agents. He was soon welcoming many incoming agents, some of whom were to be instrumental in the development of the SOE; he arranged arms drops and even the first ‘Lysander Landing’.

SOE operatives were all over France but they all depended on Georges to communicate with London. Some days he transmitted three times a day, sometimes for many hours. He processed coded

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 53 Perigueux

Special Operations Executive The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a British WW2 organisation. Formed in 1940 its remit was to carryout espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in occupied Europe (and later, in occupied SE Asia) against the Axis powers, and to aid local resistance groups.

Few people were aware of SOE’s existence. Although it directly employed or controlled more than 13,000 people, including about 3,200 women.

messages, acted as his own courier, travelling great distances to deliver messages. It was tireless and dangerous work. Meanwhile the Germans were tracking his transmitter and the French police were searching for a foreign agent. To reduce the dangerous time spent transmitting, Georges asked London if they could use the BBC to broadcast pre-arranged messages about agent pick-ups or drop offs. A system which was adopted and went on to be used right across Europe.

The luck of these brave people was about to change.

A new agent, Gerry Morel, set off to try and identify new possible ‘resisters’. He was arrested in Limoges and had on him the address of the garage which had replaced the chemist as the contact-point for incoming agents.

The garage owner, Marcel Fleuret, was arrested and the premises put under observation and many agents were arrested. It was a while later and after the discovery of yet more safe-houses that Georges himself was arrested. He found himself among a total of 12 SOE agents in a prison at Périgueux, charged with ‘undermining the security of the French state’ which was a capital offence! After a dreadful winter’s incarceration, enduring freezing temperatures, hunger, vermin and disease the agents were sent (with no trial) to the concentration camp in Mauzac (Dordogne).

Georges was clearly an exceptional individual.

His had great leadership skills and was supremely resourceful. He kept his comrades’ morale up by encouraging them to plan their escape. He found a way to smuggle out a coded message telling London where they were. He contacted the newly-formed ‘Vic’ escape line*. He arranged to smuggle money into the camp to bribe the guard in one of the watchtowers on the night of their planned escape. He fashioned a key to open the door of their camp hut. He then carefully prepared timed movements to avoid them all being spotted as they all crawled through the wire.

Once free, they were all eventually smuggled across the Pyrenees into Spain and brought to Britain.

Georges’ return, however, took a little longer as he was caught by the Spanish police and detained in Franco’s

Some of the very bravest-ever men and women worked-for, and died because-of, SOE. Its history (the bit we are aware of) is littered with heroes and heroines.

Lysander Landings

The Westland Lysander aircraft had proved unsuccessful in combat but its real advantage was discovered in a role as support to the SOE. The ‘Lizzie’ as it was often called could be landed in remote places, cleared areas of forest, fields, tracks and so on. The pilots were highly skilled and very brave. They had to fly in darkness using the moon and carefully prepared maps.

The Resistance would use torches and flames to identify the runway. The pilots, of course, had to be extremely careful that they were not landing into a German trap. For all concerned it was extremely dangerous.

The planes were often painted completely black, they had additional large fuel tanks added, to increase their flying time and they had a ladder fixed to the side to help with picking up and dropping of agents. Their aim was duel, to drop off and pick up in one very speedy landing.

Much of the operational detail remains secret, but many people (agents and shot-down airmen) owed their lives to these planes and their brave crews who constantly flew into danger to support the Resisters on the ground.

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

54 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Concentration Camp at Mauzac

Les atroces d’Hélène Helen Mudge

In Mauzac (Dordogne) a gunpowder factory had been built as part of the French Government’s armament campaign. After the defeat of France, the factory was turned into an internment camp. It was used to hold people considered to be ‘dangerous to national security’ such as communists, Resistance fighters, political prisoners, foreigners and Jews. Jewish prisoners were held for onward transportation.

The camp was important to the Government of Marechal Pétain in his fight against the Resistance.

The camp was also used to train guards for work at concentration camps elsewhere in Europe. The camp was liberated at the end of the war by the Resistance group known as ‘Cerisier’ (Cherry Tree).

notorious camp at Miranda do Ebro. He finally arrived in Britain in October 1942. Once back at F Section, he was awarded the Military Cross (MC) and engaged as a Signals Officer in F Section. The original staff, who had recruited Georges had been replaced and their replacements never realised just what a skilled man was back among them. They never took the chance to use his skills again during the war.

After the war, Georges emigrated to America and modestly undertook various lowly paid jobs until he could return to his work as an electrical engineer.

He became an American citizen but remained always, as noted by his earlier superior, Tom Cadett, “a prince among French patriots”.

Georges Bégué died in 1993 and was survived by his wife and two daughters.

I listen to the messages My friends leave on the phone It almost drives me off me ‘ead That’s why me brains are blown.

The messages themselves aren’t bad It’s ‘missed calls’ that I hate Because the voice inside the phone Puts me in a state.

I dread retrieving them so much They gather in a ruck And days go by with blink of eye And I don’t give a f**k.

Eventually I have to Listen to the voice It says I’ve twenty-five missed calls, I really have no choice.

With pen and paper handy and a glass of gin close by, I sit there with the ruddy phone, I swig and close me eyes, “Vous avez vingt-cinq messages: …and more ’n that besides….

The first is zero cinq, vingt-trois, I take another gulp.

Soixante-dix-neuf, quarante-quatre … me brain’s all gone to pulp.

She marches on quite self-possessed while I have a few more, And have to phone her up again to get the next in store.

It’s encore, après ça, encore. I ring her up again To get the quatre-vingt dix-huit, the cinquante-sept, quatorze; Me brain’s gone numb, I’m overcome, and under chest-of-drawers.

But still I’m battling on you see, I’m used to Trojan Wars.

And while I’m lying on the floor in excruciating pain, With numeros-de-telephone hurtling thru’ me brain, In’t distance I can hear ‘er voice still rattling on and on Soixante-quatorze, seize, quatre-vingt and soixantetrois-et-un.

The bloody Hundred Years are up, the Battle of Waterloo, The two World Wars, the Prussians, and the Yanks against the Sioux, They did their damage to the world and yet the French outwits With numeros-de-telephone, Ils sont le vraiment PITS !

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 55

Victoria and Fabrice welcome you to their restaurant for all seasons – in winter there’s an open fire, charming open stone-work and a lovely cosy ambiance then in summer there’s a large shaded terrace

Fresh seasonal produce used to prepare fine cuisine. Easy parking opposite.

Closing hours- Tuesday and Wednesday. Visit our Facebook page for regular updates

L’Atelier, 66 tour de ville, 24560 Issigeac 05 53 23 49 78 Restaurant L’Atelier Issigeac

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English-speaking advisors are just a phone call away !

Crédit Agricole Charente-Périgord regional branch, cooperative organisational structure with variable capital, approved as a credit institution - Head office : 28-30 rue d’Espagnac, Soyaux (Charente) - Registered on the Angoulême companies register, under the number 775 569 726 - Insurance broker registered on ORIAS, the French Organisation for the register of Insurance Intermediaries, under the number 07 008 428. © Photo credits : Jean-Marc Barrère - Design : Maïa www.maia-creation.com - 05/2018

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

56 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

L’alambic change de famille !

Numéro 242192 : Ce n’est pas un matricule de prisonnier, mais le numéro de cet alambic Stupfler qui vient d’être racheté par Arnaud Lapouge de La Vignasse à Daglan. Et il était temps car au bout de 3 ans sans service, l’alambic aurait été percé par les douanes et relégué aux antiquités utilisables uniquement en décoration !

C

et alambic de 1953, entièrement en cuivre et doté d’une chaudière à bois, qui appartenait à la famille Terral de Saint-Pompon, va donc pouvoir reprendre du service avec Arnaud, nouveau “loueur d’alambic ambulant”(l’alambic est sur une charrette et non fixe comme dans une distillerie), qui va pouvoir ainsi compléter son travail de viticulteur(1) et développer une gamme de digestifs et d’apéritifs avec les produits de son exploitation(2) grâce aux recettes de famille transmises de génération en génération.

Contrairement à ce que pensent beaucoup de personnes, le métier n’est effectivement pas voué obligatoirement à se perdre puisque toute personne qui fait les démarches auprès des douanes, de la préfecture et de la commune peut racheter un alambic et devenir bouilleur ambulant(3).

Seul le “privilège” des anciens bouilleurs de crus(4) est amené à disparaitre, puisque non transmissible, qui consistait pour ceux qui cotisaient à la MSA en 1959 à pouvoir distiller gratuitement 20 litres d’eau de vie à 50 degrés. Mais la suppression du privilège n entraîne pas la fin de la distillation car toutes les personnes, propriétaires de parcelles classées en verger ou vignes sur le cadastre, exploitants agricoles mais aussi simples particuliers propriétaires de quelques fruitiers, ont le droit de faire distiller leur propre récolte, en payant une participation aux douanes, taxe basée sur l’alcool pur (50 % sur les dix premiers litres d’alcool pur ou 20 litres d’eau de vie à 50°, 100 % ensuite). La seule obligation est d’être propriétaire des arbres fruitiers, pas question d’acheter vos fruits au supermarché pour faire de l’eau de vie ! Il est possible cependant d’ajouter les fruits d’une année à celle de

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 57

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l’année précédente, la seule contrainte étant technique, l’alambic nécessitant 150 kg de fruits minimum pour faire une chauffe.

De par l’existence de cette taxe, les douanes n’ont aucun avantage à ce que le métier se perde ! Tout est simplement rigoureusement contrôlé, l’alambic est scellé en fin de saison de distillation.

Distiller l’eau de vie était une occupation de famille chez les Terral, depuis l’arrière grand-père Jean en 1902, le grand-père Moïse, puis Roger, mais cette activité s’est achevée il y a 2 ans lorsque Marie-José Terral qui reprend l’affaire de son père en 2006 (à sa demande) décide d’arrêter, sans regret, n’ayant jamais été passionnée par ce métier de bouilleur, très dur physiquement surtout pour une femme, ne serait-ce déjà que pour soulever le couvercle et basculer la très lourde marmite !

En 2006, l’alambic explose lors d’une chauffe, causant des brûlures à son fils présent ce jour-là.

Heureusement les clients étaient partis se promener.

L’alambic réparé par le même établissement(5) qui l’a vendu et le suit depuis le début, reprend malgré tout le service, pour faire plaisir au père de Marie-José qui désirait que la tradition familiale se poursuive. Quelques clients vous diront d’ailleurs que les rôtis de porcs que Roger faisait cuire dans le marc de vin pendant la distillation étaient fort goûteux !

Se promenant au début de son histoire d’atelier public en atelier public, ateliers désignés par les douanes sur diverses communes de la région, Daglan, Bouzic, Florimont, Campagnac, La Chapelle Péchaud etc., l’alambic fut ensuite stationné sur celui de SaintPompon, le puits de La Garde, les gens ayant alors des véhicules pour s’en rapprocher, et le lieu ayant l’avantage d’avoir une source (500 litres d’eau sont en effet nécessaires pour une chauffe, une journée peut représenter 3 à 4 chauffes).

La saison commence le 1er octobre et s’achève le 31 mai. Prunes, poires, mirabelles, figues, kiwis ou autres, vos fruits seront les bienvenus cette année Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

58 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

sur l’atelier d’Arnaud à La Vignasse ! Ramassez les très murs au sol puis laissez les fermenter en barrique 2 mois minimum avec une pincée de sucre en attendant le jour de la distillation. Tél pour plus de renseignements : 06 30 28 29 63 (1) cf. article dans Réussir le Périgord 2106 du 11 juillet 2014 (2) L’exploitation ayant un statut commercial. Les particuliers qui distillent n’ont pas le droit de vendre l’eau de vie, faite à usage personnel uniquement.

L’alambic devant être détenu par un particulier et non par une société, Arnaud sera prestataire de service pour l’exploitation.

(3) Le propriétaire de l’alambic, le distillateur qui se met au service du bouilleur de cru (4) Le récoltant, celui qui amène ses fruits (5) L’entreprise “Alambics STUPFLER”, fondée à Bordeaux en 1925, est spécialisée dans la conception et la fabrication d’alambics pour eaux de vie et spiritueux de très haut de gamme. Grâce à l’invention et à la conception unique de la colonne de rectification, la “colonne Stupfler”, ces alambics distillent plus rapidement plus d’alcool de cœur produisant des eaux de vie plus rondes en une seule passe.

Text and photos by Dominique Buridant

Snow White and the seven giants???

On one of the wettest weekends of 2019, the Troupe d’Acteurs de Quercy brought colour and life to the Salle des Fêtes in Montaigu de Quercy. This rather drab municipal building was transformed into a magical place – at least in the eyes of the children who came to watch the show.

For the last 16 years the Troupe has put on a bilingual pantomime, bringing a very British tradition to rural south west France. This year’s panto was Snow White and the 7 dwarfs, using a rather large pinch of artistic licence when it comes to the term “dwarf”.

Each year the Troupe invites local schools to attend a free show on the Friday afternoon, but due to increasing popularity, this year put on two free school performances as well as two public performances on the Saturday night and the Sunday afternoon. Montaigu was ringing with the sound of over 300 very excited kids shouting “Behind you” and “Oh no it isn’t” and booing every time the wicked Queen appeared on stage.

If you have never been to a Montaigu panto, you would be amazed at the transformation of the village hall into a semi professional theatre. The sets and the costumes bring the West End to the Tarn et Garonne (albeit on a much smaller budget!). The chairs are still sadly lacking

in padding, but the lighting and atmosphere help make up for any discomfort. Or a special tip – bring a cushion!

La Troupe d’acteurs du Quercy is a growing amateur dramatic association with over 70 members but we are always on the look out for fresh blood – whether for people to tread the boards or for behind the scenes or front of house roles. Apart from acting, there are a whole host of skills needed to help in a theatre group – from technical (sound, lighting, web design, set design) to artistic (set and costume design and painting, sourcing or making relevant stage props, make up); from marketing (production of posters and advertising materials, programmes, using social media,) to customer service and finance (ticket desk, bar management, meet and greet and raffle sales).

So there is something to suit all personalities.

We are also a very friendly and busy social group – in addition to putting on up to 3 theatrical shows per year, we also run quizzes, talent shows, Barn dances and meals for our members.

So if you fancy finding out more about the Troupe, or simply want to know about future productions, why not visit our new website https://www.quercyacteurs. fr/ . Or if you want an informal chat, please contact the President, John Blaus, on 05 63 05 18 99 or 07 87 65 07 98 or via email to jblaus@outlook.com.

Fillol, 82150 Montaigu de Quercy

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Le savoir-faire des«petites mains»*! * Dans les ateliers de couture, les ouvrières ont longtemps été appelées petites mains. Au siècle dernier, la petite main était une ouvrière d’exécution, elle est aujourd’hui une ouvrière qualifiée.

Les « Fashion weeks » se succèdent et nos armoires débordent de vêtements peu – ou pas ! – utilisés…

Pourquoi alors ne pas « relooker » nos petits hauts préférés et autres pantalons déchus au fil de notre inspiration ? Que vous soyez vous-mêmes une « petite main » de qualité, ou que vous ayez l’idée de

votre customisation. Nous vous présentons quelques ateliers locaux dont le savoir-faire en matière de vêtements, d’ameublement et …. bien d’autres domaines inattendus, vous permettra de collaborer en matière de retouches, créations et autres réalisations stylées. A vos aiguilles

Périgueux, ML CREATION

Le monde de la couture se déploie autant dans le quotidien que dans une activité de création qu’elle met au service de ses clients. « …je me suis installée en 1990 et j’ai débuté avec ma petite machine familiale dans mon salon ! La formation m’a permis d’évoluer et de m’épanouir dans ce métier-passion et réaliser mon rêve : avoir un vrai Atelier de Couture! » Ensemble, pour trouver une réponse personnalisée à chaque besoin ou désir, Marie-Laure fait de son mieux pour réaliser ce que nous avons en tête pour le quotidien ou les occasions les plus festives de la vie. « J’ai toujours marié la couture avec l’environnement et l’écologie en proposant divers services » dit-elle.

Et c’est vrai que les services qu’elle propose sont en rapport avec ses idées : la retouche ou le relooking de vêtements : parce que nous avons tous dans nos

L’ambiance et l’univers d’un véritable atelier de couture, c’est ce que vous retrouverez à l’Atelier des Voiles et Soies à Périgueux. Voici bientôt vingt- neuf ans que Marie-Laure Méry est au service de la couture et sa clientèle est aussi bien locale, régionale que nationale.

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THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL • 61

armoires des vêtements que nous ne portons plus depuis longtemps, et qui finiront par être donnés ou jetés. Et pourtant il suffit souvent d’une simple retouche pour redonner une seconde jeunesse à votre robe ou votre veste... un petit “coup de mode” ; surtout si un vêtement ancien d’un tissu de belle qualité peut être réactualisé et devenir le « must » de sa garde-robe !

Un accroc sur votre veste ou votre tricot préféré, rien n’est perdu avec la technique du « stoppage et remaillage », vous pourrez porter à nouveau votre vêtement sans qu’il n’y paraisse, et c’est une technique de tissage fils ou laine qui demande beaucoup de minutie et de patience à Marie-Laure.

L’ameublement est aussi un de ses domaines pour créer (rideaux, coussins, …) ou rénover votre mobilier (chaise, canapé, fauteuil, abat-jours..) en harmonie avec votre intérieur, et vos goûts du moment … Quoi de mieux plutôt que de jeter et racheter !

La création est bien entendu également au coeur de ses pensées avec, dès le début de son activité, l’envie de Couture sur Mesure. Forte de plusieurs milliers d’heures de formation par le biais de l’Ecole de Couture de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, elle a, à son actif, la création de centaines de vêtements, accessoires et robes de mariées, tous très différents, personnalisés… du « Sur Mesure » !

ML CREATION 32 rue Romaine - 24000 PÉRIGUEUX Tél. : 05 53 08 47 49 www.atelier-couture-ml.com

LA CORDONNERIE 15 Rue Albert Caillau 82150 Montaigu De Quercy Téléphone: 06 32 83 51 38

Horaires d’ouvertures: Mercredi, Jeudi ,Vendredi: 9h30 à 12h30 et 15h30 à 18h30 Samedi matin: 10h à 12h30 Réparation de chaussures, sacs, blousons, etc...

Pose de fermetures éclairs sur blouson, sacs, portes monnaies...

Reproduction de clés...

Produits entretiens pour chaussures Créations de ceintures en cuir Créations de petits objets en cuir et feutre Ne pas hésiter à venir me voir avant de jeter Shoe repair, bags, jackets, etc Zippers on jackets, bags, purses Key cutting | Shoe care products Leather belts | Leather and felt designs

I can upcycle and repair!

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

62 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Cahors, CHRYSALIDE COUTURE

« Chrysalide Couture », c’est Christine Vitoriano, une couturière de 20 ans d’expérience dans la création, la conception et la fabrication de vêtements classiques et originaux du simple « top » à la robe de mariée…

Pour des créations, des retouches, des transformations de vêtements pour femmes, hommes ou enfants, ou des accessoires, tels que des étoles, sacs, pochettes…. Christine ne vous reçoit pas chez elle, mais se déplace à domicile, sur Cahors et dans un rayon de 20 kms. Pratique, non ?!

Depuis quelques temps, elle travaille beaucoup sur la transformation de vêtements (veste, robe de mariée, …) car c’est un travail sympathique et surtout valorisant par le fait de redonner une autre vie à chaque pièce.

Il y a plusieurs façons de travailler le changement de vêtements : un simple remplacement de boutons, la pose de perles, ajouter biais, dentelles, galons pour le personnaliser et conserver son vêtement fétiche, jusqu’à la transformation complète du vêtement comme par exemple passer d’un pantalon à une robe en un tournemain ! Sa formation de relooking permet d’utiliser les codes de la colorimétrie ainsi que celles de la morphologie afin d’opter pour des modifications de

vêtements optimum, car on a toujours des vêtements que l’on ne met pas sans savoir pourquoi !

La mode actuelle utilise beaucoup de perles et c’est pour cela que Christine s’est aujourd’hui équipée d’une machine qui pose les perles de manière rapide et minutieuse autant sur les tissus que sur les cuirs.

Alors, vous comprenez pourquoi son activité s’appelle « Chrysalide » ?!....

Chrysalide Couture 05 65 23 31 10- 06 84 44 67 49 www.creation-vetements-cahors.fr

Montcuq, QUERCY CRE’ACTION

Créé en février 2018 à Montcuq par l’association Quercy Contacts, l’atelier Quercy Cré’Action tente de faire renaître au niveau local le savoir-faire artisanal en matière de couture. Avec ses 3 couturiers salariés et quelques bénévoles compétents, Quercy Cré’Action conçoit et réalise de nombreux projets liés au textile.

La boutique dispose d’un véritable espace de travail pour les activités de couture, équipé de machines à coudre et d’une table de coupe professionnelle. Le service de retouche permet à des particuliers de faire réaliser des travaux sur tous types de vêtements et autres objets en tissu. Mais l’atelier travaille aussi pour des professionnels : ainsi une créatrice de mode de la région, fait assembler sa ligne de vêtements pour enfants par nos couturiers.

Grâce au savoir-faire des 3 couturiers, l’atelier peut réaliser toute sorte de créations sur mesure , comme des vêtements personnalisés : robes, robes de mariage, chemisiers … Mais également des costumes de théâtre pour une représentation de Molière par les collégiens du collège de Puy L’Evêque et l’atelier a également réalisé des « culottes d’ânes » permettant de protéger les pattes des animaux des piqûres d’insectes, sans avoir recours à des produits chimiques à la demande de plusieurs asineries alentour. Un projet d’exportation de ces fameuses culottes est même à l’ordre du jour ….

Soucieux de l’impact écologique engendré par les

déchets textiles, Quercy Cre’Action a fait le choix de recycler une partie de ces mêmes déchets textiles et d’en faire des créations uniques, comme des petits sacs shopping, entièrement réalisés avec des chutes de tissus. Un label a même été spécialement créé pour ces sacs, le label Ecolo-me, permettant de valoriser la dimension écologique de nos produits.

Actuellement les sacs sont en vente chez un partenaire bio-alimentaire de Cahors.

L’atelier de Quercy Cré’Action fourmille d’idées et vous serez bien avisés d’aller leur rendre visite et, pourquoi pas, devenir bénévole dans leur boutique solidaire ….

Montcuq 21 allée des Marronniers Ouverte lundi au vendredi de 10h à 12h30, 14h à 18h et le samedi de 9h à 12h30.

Plus d’informations sur www.quercycreaction.com et sur notre page facebook

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0800 900 324 info@leggett.fr www.leggettfrance.com Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

64 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

Cooking up a Coypu

by Mike Alexander The coypu is a large semi aquatic rodent that has made its home here on the lakes, ponds and waterways of France. The French name for this animal is ragondin and the scientific name Myocastor coypu is derived from a combination of myu for rat and castor for beaver, which just about perfectly describes it. Seen gliding through the water, it would be easy to mistake a coypu for a beaver. It is only when one sees the animal more closely, that a major physical difference becomes obvious. Instead of the flat tail of the beaver, the ragondin has the thin bald tail of a rat.

A

native of South America, the coypu was imported to Europe in the 19th century by breeders who would then use the pelts for the booming fur trade. When fur fell from fashion in the 1930s coypu farmers found themselves with a stock of animals for which there was no longer any demand. Very quickly the animals were either released or allowed to escape and they made their homes in any waterways that they deemed convenient. Despite the obvious temperature differences to that of their native homelands, the coypu very quickly found that things were not so bad here on the continent.

There were no natural predators, housing was easy to find and the food was just wonderful. Like many of

us expats, they settled and were soon thriving in their adopted homeland. There was a problem however; coypu do immense damage to the environment. The burrows they dig for their dens can be as deep as two meters, causing erosion problems, and their love of local plants mean that they often denude areas of vegetation that is important for the indigenous wildlife.

A ragondin can eat as much as twenty five percent of his body weight per day and usually wastes as much as four times that in plant material it discards. Given that a male animal can reach up to nine kilograms, the effect on native vegetation can quickly become extreme.

One obvious solution to this burgeoning problem would be to simply eat the interlopers to extinction. Their flesh is high in protein, and cooked correctly, is quite

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delicious. Unfortunately, very few French people have taken to the idea of eating ragondin. The problem lies in that bald tail. Had the coypu not been blessed with this appendage, which makes it look so like a giant rat, it is highly likely that it would never have developed into the environmental threat that it poses today. It would have simply become yet another unusual delicacy adorning the menus down at your local bistro. Instead, mention the idea of ragondin ragout to your neighbour, and he is likely to roll his eyes and look at you as though you are even crazier than we foreigners are generally perceived to be. It is somewhat ironic that an invasive species that is quietly munching and digging its way through the environment is viewed with such repugnance in a country with such a fondness for frog’s legs and snails, but then, who are we to judge.

There are some French people for whom the concept of eating coypu is not as disgusting as it is for most of the populace. Very shortly after arriving here, I was served a ragondin ragout made by a farmer who had trapped the animal in one of his streams. There are also still a handful of producers who tin and sell a variety of ragondin products including pate, rillette and civet. They admit that most of their product is bought for its novelty factor, but if you are an adventurous eater, I can assure that the taste is not at all bad and you can tee it up to doing something good for the environment.

L’Ostal Lavercantière 46340

Saturday/samedi 27April/avril 10.00 - 16.00

* Artisanat Local/Local Crafts * Tombola * Plantes * Bouquins/Books * La Saucisserie * Cod en Bleu - fish & chips * CSF "Dream Team" thé, café, pâtisseries Email: delot-vice-treasurer@cancersupportfrance.org

Come and help us celebrate Spring and at the same time support our CSF Association which provides help and support to English speaking people living in France touched by cancer.

Twilight Retirement Home for Dogs Twilightdogshome www.twilightchiens.com

There will be a selection of stalls, including Arts & Crafts : Second Hand Books : Plants & Flowers : Cakes : Local Produce and a Tombola with quality prizes. There will be refreshments available throughout the day including Fish & Chips from Cod En Bleu and bacon, sausages, pies and sausage rolls from La Saucisserie.

As always our own CSF Dream Team will be providing tea, coffee and cakes.

Published March, June, September and December each year. The Quercy & Périgord Local • March - May 2019 Spring

66 • THE QUERCY & PÉRIGORD LOCAL

& Purchase | Sale | Valuation

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PISCINES • Conception et realisation de piscines • Spas, Sauna, Hamman

BÂTIMENT GÉNÉRAL • Restauration de bâtiments • Constructions de bâtiments • Assainissement et recuperation d’eau • Amènagements extérieurs

TENNIS • Réalisation et renovation

WWW.QUERCY-BLEU.COM

Paret Neuve 82150 Roquecor Tél: 05 63 95 22 21 Fax: 05 63 95 27 14 quercy.bleu@wanadoo.fr Quercy Bleu quercybleu