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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Welcome!
to Issue 8 of ‘The Vendée Monthly’ magazine! Well, Christmas is upon us, and as I write this in mid November, I’m already feeling festive and ready for the big day! Having a publication to prepare for this time of year certainly organises you to have things ready in good time. I have chosen which events and markets I’d like to visit (some local and others a little further away) plus I now have a number of gift ideas up my sleeve! Sadly, this will be the final issue of this publication for the Vendée. We have thoroughly enjoyed our journey exploring the area, and would like to thank you all for your readership, contributions and general help and support since we launched in May 2013. If you are located close to the border of Deux-‐Sèvres, you may be interested to know of our sister magazine, ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’. It is a similar publication to this, but with articles, events, and advertisers particular to the department of Deux-‐Sèvres (79). As with this publication, all issues can be viewed online at www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr or postal subscriptions can be arranged. Rob and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, with lots of fun, laughter and plenty of happiness for 2014. One final note -‐ apologies, but the cheeky Elves have got to this issue before us!
à plus, Sarah.
Email: info@thevendeemonthly.fr or Tel: 05 49 70 26 21. website: www.thevendeemonthly.fr
Contents... What’s On..........................................................................4 Getting Out & About.........................................................6 Hobbies, Clubs & Associations..........................................11 Our Furry Friends.............................................................. 12 The Great Outdoors.......................................................... 13 Health, Beauty & Fitness...................................................14 Motoring........................................................................... 15 Spotlight On................................................................... 16 Take a Break...................................................................... 18 French Life, Food & Drink.............................................. 19 French Adventures........................................................... 22 Communications.............................................................. 23 Building & Renovation...................................................... 25 Business, Finance & Property........................................... 27
This Month’s Advertisers... Abattage Service (Slaughter house for poultry)................................................. 20 Affordable UK Design...........................................................................................2 ARB French Property............................................................................................30 Assurances Maucort (GAN)................................................................................. 29 Bill McEvoy (Plumber / Heating Engineer).......................................................... 25 Blevins Franks Financial Management................................................................ 27 Cafe Cour du Miracle........................................................................................... 21 Chateau de Puybelliard (Gourmet food and luxury accommodation)............... 6 Corbin Electrical................................................................................................... 25 Currencies Direct (Money Transfers)................................................................... 29 David Watkins (Chimney Sweep)......................................................................... 26 Edward Lizard (Wooden Sculpture and Furniture)............................................. 26 Elliott Gardening Services.................................................................................... 14 English Spoken..................................................................................................... 24 Evelyne Mallet (French Lessons & Translations)................................................. 8 Insink Plumbing................................................................................................... 25 Jon Crocker Photography..................................................................................... 14 Julie’s Cleaning Services.......................................................................................29 Leggett Immobilier............................................................................................... 30 Le Pub des Halles................................................................................................. 20 Ma Maison Parfaite............................................................................................. 30 Marie Stuart Hotel............................................................................................... 20 ML Computers..................................................................................................... 24 Nathan Foster Building Services.......................................................................... 26 Polar Express (Frozen Foods).............................................................................. 20 Rob Berry (Plasterer)........................................................................................... 25 Ross Hendry (Interface Consulting & Engineering)............................................. 23 Sandy G Hairdressing.......................................................................................... 14 Sarah Berry Online (Websites and Graphic Design)............................................ 24 Satellite TV (Nigel Gubb)......................................................................................24 Simon the Tiler..................................................................................................... 26 Spectrum IFA Group (Amanda Johnson)............................................................. 28 Sue Burgess (French Courses & Translation)....................................................... 8 Taylor Electricité.................................................................................................. 25 Val Assist (Translation Services)........................................................................... 8 Vendée Pools....................................................................................................... 25
Emergency Numbers: 15 SAMU, Medical 17 Gendarmes, Police 18 Pompiers, Fire
112 European emergency 113 Drugs and alcohol
© Sarah Berry 2013. All rights reserved. Material may not be reproduced without permission. While care is taken to ensure that articles and features are accurate, Sarah Berry accepts no liability for reader dissatisfaction. The opinions expressed and experiences shared are given by individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the publisher. Please ensure you verify that the company you are dealing with is a registered trading company in France and/or elsewhere. <<The Vendêe Monthly>> est édité par Sarah Berry, La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Tél: 05 49 70 26 21. Directeur de la publication et rédacteur en chef: Sarah Berry. Crédits photos: Sarah Berry, Clkr et morgeufile.com. Impression: Raynaud Imprimeurs, zone industrielle, BP13, 79160, Coulonges-‐sur-‐l’Autize. Dépôt légal: decembre 2013 -‐ Tirage: 3500 exemplaires. Siret: 515 249 738 00011 ISSN: 2115-‐4848
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What’s On... December 2013 1st December -‐ Marché de Noël At the Salle des Fetes, Fenioux (79160), 10am-‐6pm. See advert on P.5 for further details. 1st December -‐ Christmas Market At Pause! café, L’Absie (79240) from 11am-‐5pm. Lots to see and do including a visit from Santa! 1st December -‐ Marché de Noël At Espace Prévoirie, Soullans (85300) 10am-‐7pm. 4th December -‐ NALA Quiz At the Auberge St Vincent Sterlange (85110) -‐ start time 8pm. Could Quizzers please note: January Quiz will be on the second Wednesday of the month as the first is a public holiday. 6th December -‐ Mini Christmas Market At the Bar Tipsy, Coulonges sur l'Autize 79160, 4pm -‐ 6pm. Books, Christmas cards & crackers. Gifts, mince pies & other seasonal goodies. Mulled wine & hot chocolate! 7th December -‐ NALA Xmas Fair At the Château de Puybelliard, Puybelliard near Chantonnay (85110). See back page for further information. 8th December -‐ Christmas Market At Salle des Fetes, Terves (79300) 11am-‐6pm. More information can be found on P.5. 8th December -‐ Marché de Noël At Salles de Basket, Martinet (85150). 9am-‐6pm. 14th/15th December -‐ Marché de Noël At Salles des Sports, Sallertaine (85300). 14th:2pm-‐7pm, 15th:10am-‐7pm 15th December -‐ Concert in Aid of the Red Cross At the Chapelle of Sainte Ursule in Luçon (85400) at 4.30pm. Please see P.5 for further details. 17th December -‐ Quiz night At Le Pub des Halles, Sainte Hermine (85210). Please see advert on P.20 for contact details. 22nd December -‐ Concert in Aid of the Soroptomists At the Église of Notre Dame in Luçon (85400) at 5.30pm. Please see P.5 for further details. Monthly Supper and Fun Quiz Nights The last Thursday of every month at The Mangoustan Restaurant, Mervent (85200). Printed quiz sheets (for the hard of hearing) good prizes, hot supper. For details call Jackie 02 51 00 50 59 or Email: jackiepedrick@hotmail.com.
For more Christmas events in the Vendée, please see our guide on Page 16.
Paperback Jan Books in English
30th Nov: Café des Belles Fleurs, Fenioux 79160. 4pm -‐ 6pm 1st Dec: Pause! Cafe, L’Absie 79240. 11am -‐ 5pm 3rd Dec: Civray Christmas fête, Salle de Fete 86400. 11am -‐ 4pm 4th Dec: Café Cour de Miracle, Vouvant 85120. 2.30pm -‐ 4.30pm 5th Dec: Brasserie Vue du Chateau, Bressuire 79300. 11am -‐ 1pm 5th Dec: Bar le Palais, St Aubin le Cloud 79450. 2pm-‐5pm 6th Dec: Bar de la Paix, Thouars 79100. 12pm -‐ 2pm 6th Dec: Le Tipsy Bar, Coulonges sur l’Autize 79100. 12pm -‐ 2pm 7th Dec: Chateau Puybelliard NALA xmas fete 8th Dec: TERVES Christmas Fete 11th Dec: Les Jardins St Laurent, Parthenay 79200. 10.30am-‐12.30pm 11th Dec: Le Don Jon Bar, Moncontour 86330. 4pm -‐ 6pm 12th Dec: Pause! Cafe, L’Absie 79240. 2pm-‐ 5pm 13th Dec: Jan’s home, La Ferrière-‐en-‐Parthenay 79390. 11am -‐ 4pm 14th Dec: Cafe Le Chauray, St Maixent l’Ecole 79400. 10am -‐ 1pm For more info contact Jan on: 06 08 30 73 29 or email: paperbackjan@gmail.com
ALL SAINTS, VENDEE We hold four services each month in the Vendée at: La Chapelle Palluau on the 1st Sunday, Puy de Serre on the 2nd & 4th Sundays and La Chapelle Achard on the 3rd Sunday All Services start at 11am and are followed by tea, coffee and a`bring and share` lunch to which you are warmly invited. For details of all our activities, copies of recent newsletters and more information, please check our website: www.allsaintsvendee.fr A VERY WARM WELCOME awaits you at ESCOVAL (The English Speaking Church of the Valley of the Loire). Communion Services are held on the 3rd Sunday of each month at La Chapelle de la Bonne Dame de Ranton at 11.30am followed by a Bring and Share lunch. Full details of how to find us can be found on our website at: www.escoval.org or please telephone us on: 05 49 66 79 14. Our GPS address is 46˚59'25.30 N 0˚02'06.22 W. You will be warmly welcomed at Joie de Vie Christian Fellowship in St Gilles Croix de Vie. We meet every Sunday in Espace Notre Dame, Rue Gautte, St Gilles. May to end of September, 6.00pm and October to end of March at 11.00am. We are an English Speaking Church, but welcome French speakers and hold occasional bi-‐lingual services. To find out more see our website www.joiedevie.org or contact Rev. Roger Fray on: 02 51 33 27 81. We look forward to meeting you. A warm welcome awaits you at The Rendez-‐Vous Christian Fellowship near St Pierre du Chemin. We meet every 1st and 3rd Sunday in the month at La Brionnière, near St Pierre du Chemin at 11.00am. To find out more see our website www.therendezvous.fr or contact Chris Taylor on 09 60 49 78 50.
The National Holidays, Religious and Feast Days 2013 Wednesday 25th December. Christmas Day (Noël)
La Vendée Chippy Traditional Fish & Chips in France! • Wednesdays (December 4th and 11th only) Bar ‘Auberge le St Vincent’, St Vincent Sterlanges • Thursdays - Bar ‘La Rando’, Mervent.
Returning in March 2014. Watch this space! • Fridays (December 6th and 13th only) Bar ‘Au Bon Coin’, Thoursais Bouildroux
For more info please visit website: www.lavendeechippy.com
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
We have a wonderful variety of Christmas gifts for all ages, beautifully gift wrapped while you enjoy a leisurely browse.
Christmas Concerts in Luçon The La Rochelle-‐based Vocal Ensemble, Col Canto, which includes some British singers, will be giving two Concerts in December. The first, in aid of the Red Cross in Luçon, is in the delightful Chapelle of Sainte Ursule (right) on Sunday 15th December at 16h30. The s e c o n d , i n a i d o f t h e Soroptomists in La Rochelle, is in the église of Notre Dame on Sunday 22nd December at 17h30. The programme, an eclectic mixture of Christmas music and carols from Russia, Finland, Poland, France and Britain, contains some old favourites and some with different arrangements. The La Rochelle Christmas Concert has been an annual event for some years with capacity audiences in recent years whilst Luçon is a new venture for the group. Tickets for both concerts are 12€, free up to 18 years. For Luçon, tickets may be booked on 06 32 96 63 14 and for La Rochelle on 06 70 71 95 28. For non-‐French speakers, the first number is better for both concerts. This is an ideal opportunity to get Christmas off to a great start with some excellent Christmas music combined with the warm feeling of contributing to good causes. So please come and join us. More information on Col Canto, including musical excerpts, can be found on www.colcanto.fr
YOUR Book Reviews... I enjoyed this book so much, I thought I’d share it with you! Sarah B
‘The Disappearance of Emily Marr’ by Louise Candlish After Emily moves into a new flat on The Grove, she strikes up a love affair with Arthur, husband of a fellow resident, and as a result is forced to leave the area and disappear. She and Arthur had dreamt of visiting the idyllic hideaway, Ile de Ré, together one day, but instead she finds herself there alone. When she finds a stranger asleep in her rented accommodation one af ternoon, she takes the opportunity to enjoy some company and chooses to help the penniless and lonely Tabatha. Together they form a friendship and work the summer season in the touristic port of La Flotte, cleaning gites and holiday homes. Tabatha believes she can help reunite Emily with lost love Arthur, and one day returns to the UK to locate him. This trip throws up some very unexpected surprises and the story continues to twist and turn in this manner right to the end. A really good read that had me gripped right to the end. I loved being able to visualise all the places mentioned on the Ile de Re!
A BIG Thank You to all who have sent in Book Reviews for publication. Page 5
THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Getting Out & About... this A New Chapter for Chateau Puybelliard
Christmas
After nearly 30 years the gates of the Château de Puybelliard have re-‐opened with the recent launch of a new gourmet restaurant, ‘La Table de la Chatelaine’ to make a superb addition to the four large luxury bedrooms available to rent as Chambres d’Hotes. The Château has been renovated over a number of years by the current owners Maeve & Jerome Hoffman, an Irish and Welsh couple. The Château de Puybelliard opens its doors to welcome all to the Christmas Fair in aid of NALA (Notre Amis Les Animeaux) on the 7th of December 2013. The Christmas Fair, which has generated a huge response from stallholders, thanks to recent articles in ‘The Vendee Monthly’ magazine, boasts more than 18 different stallholders featuring the work of local artists, local crafts including jewellery, cards and Christmas flowers. There will be food available giving a taste of Christmas and the bar will be open serving mulled wine and a full selection of drinks. There will also be a visit from Santa Claus and his Siberian Huskies! Visitors can stroll through the renovated public rooms of the Château and also visit the new restaurant which can seat 34 people across two rooms, and offers opportunities for private dining. Candlelit and intimate, these beautiful rooms reflect the unique hospitality experience available to the people of the region and is supported by a menu which features local, seasonal produce and dishes in the grand traditional style of the great French Chefs. In keeping with the traditions of such a great house the Château produces as much as is possible au maison including its own bread and butter, ice creams and sorbets, foie gras, smoked duck and the petit fours and chocolates. Duck and pigeon come from L’Oie, cheese comes from the nearby villages of Mouchamps and L’Angle, vegetables from L’Angle and Mereuil and wines from La Barbinere. Truly there is not another restaurant like this in the area.
The Chateau is open all year round for Chambre d’Hotes and the Restaurant opens for lunches on Thursday and Friday, dinner on Friday and Saturday and for Sunday lunch; the bar is also open during these hours. The Chateau is available for private events including weddings, private hire and business events. It is a wonderful venue for a special lunch or dinner in the run up to Christmas and there is a very special New Year’s Eve Degustation Dinner, with Caviar no less! For further information, reservations or to arrange a visit you can contact the Château on 02 51 48 19 35 or 06 42 00 27 96 or email chateaupuybelliard@yahoo.fr.
Head Chef Maeve Hoffman and Maitre D’Hotel Hoel Kermovant take great delight in welcoming you to this exciting new location serving the public with the combination of delightful bedrooms, the gourmet restaurant and the bar stocked with a fine selection of whiskies, rums, brandies and everything else you could desire for a fabulous experience. The long history of the Chateau de Puybelliard has had its twists and turns; built by the family Querqui in 1856 after fire destroyed the Grand Logis, on the site which had stood for almost 700 years. It remained in the family until 1936 when it was purchased by the Barrier family in whose ownership it remained through its occupation by the Nazis during the war. The last member of the family to live in the Chateau, Madame Barrier, spent many years in the property, alone, occupying only two rooms. After her death in 1984 the Chateau remained unoccupied for over 7 years. Since its sale in 1991 the Chateau passed through the hands of three proprietors who never lived in it permanently. It was only in 2006 when the current owners Maeve & Jerome Hoffman took ownership that the Chateau was used as a family home again. They began the slow renovation process to return the Chateau to a living and breathing house. With a building of this type the renovations will always continue and there remains much to do, but at last the house is open to the public and available for visitors to enjoy. The current owners are excited to start a happy chapter in the history of this wonderful building. Page 6
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Bibliothèque Municipale ‘Le Petit Prince’ 85410 St Cyr des Gâts Welcome to our new Library. Situated in the heart of the village of St Cyr des Gâts, it is full of light and colour and offers a warm welcome to everyone, French and English alike. The name of the library is based on the novel written in 1943 by Antoine de Saint-‐ Exupèry (1900-‐1944), which many of you will have heard of and perhaps read. Early next year we will be holding a large exhibition on his life and work. My French colleague and I took over the running of this library some six years ago and until a few months ago, were situated in a small room in the Mairie (14sq metres!). Late in 2011 a decision was made to construct a new library and garderie (before and after school child care). Construction finally began in late 2012 and we finally took up residence in May with the official opening at the end of September this year. On first taking over in 2007, I started an English section. It is based on a very simple principle -‐ donations! Anyone joining the library agrees to give me first refusal on any books they plan to get rid of. Thus, I have built up a collection of nearly 1000 books -‐ mostly paperbacks; at no cost to the Mairie or myself. What kind of English books do we stock? Mostly fiction, divided into Crime & Thrillers, General Fiction and Romance. We also have a non-‐fiction section, recently substantially increased with a generous grant from the Mairie. Anyone can join (you don’t have to be a member of the Commune) and it’s free! You can borrow 4 books for 4 weeks, free of charge. We are open Wednesdays 3 -‐ 5pm and Fridays 4.30 -‐ 6.30pm. There will almost always be an English speaking volunteer to welcome and help you find what you need. Come and see us soon and take advantage of this opportunity to join and borrow books at no cost to yourself! Contact: Evelyn O’Connor by email: bibli.lepetitprince@orange.fr or visit Bibliothèque Municipale, "Le Petit Prince", 2 rue du Fief, St Cyr des Gats, Vendée.
We have a lot of Reaction members living in the Vendée and many loyal supporters, so it is sad to learn that ‘The Vendée Monthly’ will not appear after this issue. I know many of you read ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’ regularly and may you keep supporting Sarah Berry for years to come. Thank you all for your support to the Reaction Theatre and don’t forget to keep visiting our website for details of all our groups. www.reactiontheatre.fr. You will always be welcome if, in the future, you would like to come along and join any of our groups. 2013 productions may be over for the actors, our technical and back stage staff but not for our committee and Play Reading group. It is the responsibility of the Play Reading group to recommend plays which they believe you, our audience, would like to see performed. It is probably no surprise to find out that you all like different things and this is what makes the Play Reading group’s task that bit more difficult. The group recommends two or three plays they believe would be good for our audience and the committee has to select plays for the next twelve months. Let’s hope they choose the type of play you like! The Keynotes singers don’t have any bookings in the Vendée in December but there are a couple in Deux-‐Sevres you might like to come to:-‐ • Friday 6th December, Carols at restaurant A La Bonne Vie, Le Beugnon starting around 7pm. You will need to book a meal. • Sunday 8th December, Carols at the Terves Christmas Market Singing around 2pm. The Keynotes may not be appearing in the Vendée but I am! Some of you might know that Santa has once again asked me to stand in for him at a few events because he is so busy. I’m going to be at the beautiful Chateau de Puybelliard, Chantonnay on Saturday 7th December. Bring your Christmas list, and the kids’, and I’ll make sure Santa gets it. Oh yes, there is also a Christmas Fair in aid of NALA animal association and you can buy our calendar there. The Art Scene We now have our own page on the Reaction website where you can see our programme for the rest of this year. www.Reactiontheatre.fr If it’s not too far for you to travel we would love you to join us. Christmas is coming and if you need to fill someone’s stocking, what better way to do it than to give them one of our Reaction Theatre Alternative Calendar Girls calendar. The Calendars are still for sale at the following four venues and will remain so for the rest of the year: A La Bonne Vie at Le Beugnon, Cafe des Belles Fleurs at Fenioux, Pause! Cafe at L’Absie, Cafe Cour du Miracle at Vouvant. Remember ALL money received will go to Cancer Research organizations in both Britain and France. We have now collected well over 8,000 euros but our target is 10,000 so come on and help by buying a few more calendars.
Best wishes for Christmas and 2014
John Blair: 05 49 63 23 50 ~ email: johnblair@btopenworld.com
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Learn French with Evelyne by Evelyne Mallet
Joyeux Noël!
Vous ne pourrez pas y échapper, décembre = Noël. There’s no escaping it. Traditionally, Christmas is a religious celebration. French Catholic churches, often deserted for the weekly service, are once again packed with people on this occasion. La messe de minuit is particularly popular, but check the time, it could be at 9pm. Different families will have different traditions: recevoir la famille ou partir dans la famille (have the family here or go to them), à tour de rôle, ou toujours chez les mêmes (taking it in turns or always at the same place), grand repas pour le réveillon de Noël ou le jour même (big meal on Christmas Eve or on the day), c’est selon (it depends). Quelques étapes importantes (a few important stages): Décorer la maison, le sapin, la table, avec des guirlandes (électriques ou pas), des boules et des étoiles, installer la crèche (decorate the house, the tree, the table, with garlands, baubles and stars, set up the Nativity scene). Préparer les menus, souvent avec des fruits de mer (huîtres, crevettes), du saumon fumé, du foie gras, de la dinde aux marrons, la bûche de Noël (prepare the menus, often with sea food (oysters, prawns), smoked salmon, turkey with chestnuts, or more exotic meats available at Christmas, Christmas log). Préparer la liste des courses, aller aux magasins, retourner aux magasins pour acheter ce que vous avez oublié la première fois ou ce qui a été ajouté à la liste depuis (prepare your shopping list, go to the shops, go back there to buy what you forgot the first time, or what has been added to the list since). Emballer les cadeaux (wrap the presents). Surtout, rester calmes ! (above all, stay calm!) Here too, Christmas has become a huge commercial event. It’s all a question of balance, and quantities (introduced by ‘de’). To protect yourself from advertising onslaught, you can place a sticker on your letter box saying ‘Pas de pub, merci’ (No ads, thanks). Pour moi, beaucoup d’heures passées à table, un peu de foie gras, encore plus de chocolat que d’habitude, pleins de jeux et de rires en famille. (For me, many hours spent at the table, a little foie gras, even more chocolate than usual, lots of games and laughter with the family.) Christmas is generally a family event, while le réveillon du Nouvel An (New Year’s Eve) is often spent with friends. ‘Bonne année et bonne santé!’ ‘Merci, vous aussi’ are usual greetings throughout January. Passez d’excellentes fêtes et tous mes vœux pour la nouvelle année.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
Contact Evelyne Mallet by Tel: 02 51 00 47 13 Email: evelyne.mallet2@gmail.com
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Did you know?...
by Vanda Lawrence
Continuing with our nautical theme from last month....
by Ian Wallace
Christmas
As a Christian I struggle to enjoy christmas. I struggle with the annual routine and hype, the massive expectations, the drain on the wallet, the demand from society to follow the pied piper that christmas has become. Please note that I haven't used a capital “C” for christmas. To me “Christmas” with a capital “C” is something different . 1 -‐ It’s about the Birth of Jesus Christ -‐ not the prime retail season of the year. 2-‐ It’s a time when I think about the significance of the Birth of Christ when God came into our lives as a human being in the humblest manner -‐ not in the sometimes sanitised versions as pictured on christmas cards but in the stark realities of life 2000 years ago. 3 -‐ When I think about how he led his life on earth -‐ and how he treated all who came into contact with him. 4 -‐ His presence amongst us where he taught us that life as a good human being can be rewarding if we follow a simple set of principles which include • Love your neighbour as yourself • Be generous with your love to your family, friends, the stranger across the road, your enemy • Be honest with yourself • Be at one with all of humanity and the Earth So I'll enjoy the presents I give to my children, family and friends, to sing carols, eat too much, enjoy a glass or two with friends and play the classical christmas music such as Slade, The Pogues with Kirsty McColl, Band Aid and “I Believe In Father Christmas” -‐ by Greg Lake and if my daughter has her way anything by One Direction!! whilst I mull over the TV schedules. The skill is (and I am not perfect at this!) to underpin what I do at Christmas with the principles of my faith. I sometimes pause at the end of a church service at Christmas, partly as there is the unusual crush, but also to wonder if the Story of Christ's Birth is added on to the Christmas list of things to do or is the Story of Christ’s Mass something that has a real significance in how we live our lives each and every day. So if you have the chance to just stop for a minute or two, to briefly consider what Christmas means to you in our modern society, then I thank you. In the meantime, and I along with all those in our church say this from the heart -‐ may all of you have a great and fun christmas and for those who struggle to see the joy of the season for whatever reason, our prayers and hopes go with you. We would love it if you want to join us at one of our Carol services or for that matter any time at any service over the festive period where you will always be welcome, not just because we want to bring people to faith but simply to share the good tidings of the season and to wish you a happy Christmas, a happy new year and peace to all on earth. Our carol service will be on Friday 13th December at 7pm: Bilingual Carol Service at Puy de Serre, followed by mulled wine and mince pies. Other Christmas services can be seen on our website www.allsaintsvendee.fr
Historically, after a sea battle the victors would sail back into port with their flags proudly flying from the mast -‐ they had won with ‘flying colours‘. If a ship surrendered, their flags would be lowered to indicate this, but if the crew ‘nailed their colours to the mast’ they had no intention of surrendering and were completely loyal to their side. On a lighter note, what about ‘show a leg‘? Apparently, when ships of old were about to leave port it was not unheard of for sailors to try to hide a lady on board, concealing her in their hammock. Officers would do a final inspection of the ship and crew before she sailed and anybody in a hammock was instructed to show a leg! Obviously, a hairless and shapely one was not going to be a Jack Tar and would swiftly be evicted. Why is a sailor called a Jack Tar? There are several possible reasons: • Seamen used to tar their clothes before sailing to make them waterproof. • Seamen used to plait their long hair into a ponytail and smear with tar to prevent it getting caught in the ship’s equipment. • In the age of wooden sailing vessels, a ship’s rigging was made of hemp which rotted quickly in the damp environment. Ropes and cables were soaked in tar to extend their life. ‘Splice the mainbrace’ is an order given aboard naval vessels to issue the crew with a drink. Originally an order for a difficult and dangerous repair job on a sailing ship, in later years it was a euphemism for a celebratory drink to grant the crew an extra ration of rum. Well, if you insist .. Cheers!
Your Local Markets Mondays: Tuesdays:
Wednesdays: Thursdays:
Fridays: Saturdays:
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Benet 85490 La Roche-sur-Yon 85000 Challans 85300 Chantonnay 85110 La Roche-sur-Yon 85000 St-Giles-Croix-de-Vie 85800 Luçon 85400 Les Sables-d’Olonne 85100 Beauvoir-sur-Mer 85230 Chantonnay 85110 Les Herbiers 85500 Pouzauges 85700 La Roche-sur-Yon 85000 Les Sables-d’Olonne 85100 Ste Hermine 85210 Chantonnay 85110 Fontenay-le-Comte 85201 Les Herbiers 85550 Luçon 85400 La Roche-sur-Yon 85000 Les Sables-d’Olonne 85100
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
ARTicles
by Josie Bounds
Kid’s Korner Here’s a little bit of fun for the children this month...
Piet Mondrian 1872-1944 Building a path to a better society through abstraction
Connect the dots from 1 to 20 and colour the picture when you have finished!
Another vehicle for Mondrian, which developed his visual language, was the art movement De Stijl. De Stijl was an alliance of architects, designers and artists brought together by Theo Van Doesburg. The paths of Van Doesburg, communicated their desires for a better society. The use of horizontal and vertical lines, right angles, and rectangular areas of flat colours characterised their work of the period. De Stijl translates into The Style. ‘On The Spiritual In Art’ was an important text for them; Kandinsky’s writings enabled the artists to embed their abstract foundations. At the core of much of De Stijl thinking lay a spiritual, even mystical attitude. Together the group were interested in the spiritual aspects of other thinkers, such as the neo-‐Platonic philosopher M. J. H. Schoenmaekers, who was a close friend of Mondrian and Kandinsky. Schoenmaekers’ writings put forward an argument, which describes a fundamental geometric ordering of the universe and gave metaphysical meanings for the three primary colours red, yellow and blue.
Above: Composition C (No.III) with Red, Yellow and Blue 1935
In 1917 Mondrian published his first article for De Stijl manifesto, Monthly Review for New Art, Science and Culture. The new Plastic in Painting Mondrian suggests that Theosophy is simply another expression of the same spiritual movement that is being seen in painting. Mondrian now submits that there is a single universal content, which is embedded in a series of different forms. ‘Art, Type to tenter text although an end in itself, like religion – is the means hrough which we can know the universe’. ‘Truth in art is the unity of a thing with itself: the outward rendered expressive of the inward; the soul made incarnate, the body instinct with spirit.’ This aphorism by Oscar Wilde applies to both early and late abstract art, which was able to achieve the move from the representational to abstraction. 1. Golding, J (2000) Path to the Absolute Mondrian, Malevich, Kandinsky, Pollock, Newman, Rothko, S=ll, Thames & Hudson, London, p. 26. 2. Holtzman, H & James, M. S (1987) (edited and translated by) The New Life, The New Art: The Collec=ve wri=ngs of Piet Mondrian, London, p. 42. 3. Maine G F (edited by) (1954) De Profundis, The Works of Oscar Wilde, New York, p. 864.
Find Josie Bounds at Le Studio, 79240 Le Busseau www.monpentcoeur.info
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Hobbies, Clubs & Associations... Cercle des Anglophiles et des Anglophones de la Cote de Lumière. The CAACL is a bilingual association offering a convivial and friendly atmosphere where people can learn the language. Regular meetings are held on Wednesday afternoons in a room belonging to the Mairie du Fenouiller. We work in very small groups, two of our girls look after the British class whilst another four are busy with the French members.
Association Le Pont à Sion Come along and share ideas (in either English or French) over a cup of tea in a warm & comfortable atmosphere. All welcome. At Salle communale, Place Gaston Pateau 85270 Sion-sur-lʼOcean, Thursdays 6pm to 8pm and Fridays 10am to 12noon. www.lepontasion.org
If you would like to join us, please call Raymonde Mc Kenna on 02 51 54 29 89.
If you have some time to spare and are interested to help us as a volunteer, please contact us for more information.
Cancer Support Vendée Helpline: 02 51 00 58 21 or email: csvpresident@orange.fr.
Through the Lens Group Local photography group meets on the last Monday in each month to chat about all things photography! New members welcome. For further information contact: Ian Gawn: 02 51 00 84 52 or Brian Preece: 05 49 72 09 94
“Nalliers Welcome”
Soirée Franglais -‐ at Le Pub Des Halles, St Hermine Every Monday from 7pm.
Learning another language is not always easy. So why not come along and participate in our evening dedicated to people wanting to learn and chat in English/French. All levels welcome. Call 02 51 30 23 95 for details. A R E Y O U A M O D E L R A I L W A Y ENTHUSIAST? If so, join a group of likeminded modellers who meet on a monthly basis to visit members' layouts and swap information. We are based on the DeuxSevres/Vendee border but also have members in the Vienne and Charente. If you are interested please contact Gerry Riley for more information on 05 49 63 34 01.
Alone in France? We are a group of people living alone in the L'Absie area who meet regularly for coffee and lunches. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 11am for coffee at the Pause cafe in L'Absie. Our lunches are at different venues each month. There's a warm welcome if you'd like to join us. More details from Frank 05 49 69 80 47.
Vendee Women’s Fellowship Meetings held the third Thursday each month at ‘Le Mangoustan’ in Mervent. We share hobbies and interests and organise trips to places of interest, primarily offering friendship and support to English speaking ladies. Come and join us and you will be sure of a warm welcome. Contact: Carol 02 51 52 10 48 or Shirley 02 51 51 49 39 The Filling Station ~ Poitou-Charentes and Vendée The Filling Station is a network of local Christians of all denominations who meet together regularly for spiritual renewal & evangelism purposes. ALL WELCOME. Please see our website for details of meetings and spring programmes www.the@illingstation.org.uk or locally contact 05 49 87 18 58 or email:michael.willisfr.fr
Anglo/French Social Club Every Tuesday evening/Chaque mardi soir 19h15 - 21h00 ~ Salle Polyvalente, 85370 Nalliers
Contact Karen Ross on 02 51 56 14 28 email: j.a.ross@talk21.com
I am a Jewish man with a non-‐Jewish wife from the UK looking for Jewish people of any nationality living in the area of La Chataignerie who would like to meet for tea and conversation. Please email: suelauris@hotmail.co.uk
Association Welcome Vendée
Based in Saint Christophe du Ligneron with events at various locations in North West Vendée. Meet and make friends and learn about each other’s language and customs in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Many activities planned for autumn, early winter and beyond. For more information telephone Maggie on 02 28 10 20 06, or email: welcome-‐vendee@outlook.com
Secondigny Running Club... Put the bounce back in your step. Join our friendly and supportive running group. All abilities welcome. Email Kelly for more details: kellyencezelle@hotmail.co.uk
2nd Sunday Motorcycle Club www.2ndsundayclub.fr If you would like to attend our coffee mornings please contact us via the website........New members always welcome!
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lph’s udoFurry ROur Friends... THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
A New Hope? It's always seemed to us that "just" finding new homes for unwanted animals was going to be an endless task. That's why since launching NALA we've considered lobbying and meeting with the authorities an important part of our task in order to change attitudes and remedy bad habits. However, one wearying aspect has been the naysayers who claim that it is not possible to make a difference, that it's been tried before and nothing ever changes. So it was a real eye-‐opener for us to attend the first ever conference on the Welfare of Cats and Dogs in the EU organised by the European Commission and supported by the Eurogroup for animals, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe and Vier Pfoten International. The purpose of the conference was to bring together many of the diverse stakeholders to discuss the practical considerations of improving pet welfare. Over the course of a single day we had the opportunity to listen to seventeen presentations given by vets, scientists, governmental officials, r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f industry and NGOs. The subjects ranged from legislation to breeding and trade to statistics on pet ownership in different countries. (Romania has the highest pet ownership figures: about 45% of the population has at least one cat and about 45% has at least one dog!) One surprising thing that we learnt was that the EU has no direct competence in the area of animal welfare except where it impacts on trade and health. That means that current EU initiatives are primarily to do with identification and registration, transport between countries and transmission of diseases. Not so surprising was learning that in rural areas, cats and dogs are more valued for their utility whilst in urban areas they are more valued for their companionship. One speaker showed how this companionship has positive health benefits for the pet's owner. It was encouraging to hear about the legislation in some countries: Italy is cracking down on puppy farms, strays are protected from being put down for reasons of “convenience” and are sterilised when adopted. In Belgium pet shops can sell animal supplies, but not animals. Pets are sold with a guarantee... which sounds a little bit strange but works quite well in practice as we learnt from a Belgian lawyer sitting next to us. There is a huge trade in Europe of dogs raised in appalling conditions in puppy farms. Many are sold too young so they haven't learnt social skills and their immune system is not mature. Prior to the introduction of the guarantee, it was nearly impossible for an owner to sue the seller if their puppy died or had chronic health issues. The cost of the court case was prohibitive compared to the value of the animal. The lawyer told us that since the introduction of the guarantee, the success rate is nearly 100%. Switzerland amazed us: before being able to buy a dog the prospective owner has to undertake a 4 hour theory course and then a 4 hour practical training course once they have acquired an
animal. This practical training has to be repeated every time they get another dog. Given that badly trained dogs and their owners are a major cause of accidents and dogs being abandoned, we are definitely in favour of such training. Now if only it applied to parents too... There were over 400 participants at this conference, although of the big 3 French organisations for the protection of animals only the SPA was present, which perhaps explains why France is lagging behind many other countries. It was very encouraging to see that although the conference ran late only a small number of people left before the end. In short it was morale boosting to learn that we're not alone in wanting to change the system and that remarkable success has been achieved in some countries. So we will ignore the naysayers and carry on our own attempts with renewed vigour... Meanwhile we still have animals to adopt, cash to collect and foster families to find, so if you can help ...contact us: 07 70 31 54 59, email: nala85480@hotmail.com, www.nosamislesanimaux.com
Nos Amis Les Animaux 85480 (NALA 85480). Tel: 07 70 31 54 59 ~
Email: nala85480@hotmail.com www.nosamislesanimaux.com
AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION...Crip
CRIP
This 12 year old Spaniel is a grand old gent called CRIP and all he's asking for is a safe and loving home in which to live out the rest of his days comfortably. . He is a lovely friendly fella who gets on well with everyone, dogs, cats and children. CRIP is house trained, non-‐destructive, non-‐ barking and would love a small garden in which to potter about during the day and a cosy place near a fire to curl up beside in the evenings. Not much to ask , is it? He has been fostered long-‐term in an appartment, but unfortunately due to their profession the foster family are having to move and are unable to take CRIP with them. CRIP is microchipped, his vaccinations are up-‐to-‐date but he hasn't been neutered due to his age. Is there someone out there who can offer this 'oldie' a loving home? If you would like more information about CRIP please contact MARY: 05 49 50 69 41, email: orfeeinenglish2@gmail.com NICOLETTE: 07 80 09 33 53, email: orfeeinenglish@gmail.com http://orfeeinenglish.canalblog.com
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orth Pole N The Great Outdoors...
THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Love Your Garden
by Babs Kolthammer
As I look out of my kitchen window onto the garden each morning, I’m heartened to see the clematis ‘Jingle Bells’ in full flower, twining its way up an old nectarine tree. The flowers, creamy white, speckled with maroon and with deeper maroon centres, are draped like bells in such profusion all the way up the trunk. The occasional solitary bee enjoys the pollen and the birds from the nearby bird table seem to like the petals! This is an evergreen variety of clematis which puts on a huge amount of growth during the summer and is such a valuable asset at this time of year when most of the other plants have either been cut back or are looking a bit bedraggled. The seasons here always seem to be a bit in advance and the spring crocuses are already flowering. The yellow autumn crocuses lasted well into November and strangely, I had flowers on the clematis Montana which usually flowers later in spring, so I’m hoping that this was just a ‘blip’ of nature and it will bloom again at the ‘proper’ time! Our temperatures are still comparatively warm and there is much new basal growth on the sedums and penstemons which I’m mulching around carefully in case we do have a sudden really severe frost. The greenhouse is full of developing cuttings and I’m looking forward to digging a new bed in the spring in which I’m going to plant hostas and grasses. I visited the fête de plantes at Prissé-‐la-‐Charrière in October where there was a wonderful collection of grasses, shrubs, trees and perennials all within the grounds of the old chateau. I bought a few to enhance my ‘collection’, irresistible for me, as I’m like a child in a sweet shop where plants on sale are concerned! It’s such a good opportunity to see plants outside of the ‘retail circuit’ where all the same varieties are much of the time. If you missed it, there is a fête at Prissé twice a year, one in June and the other in the autumn. The address is Domaine de Péré, Prissé-‐la-‐Charrière 79360, it’s on the web, if you want to check it out and log it in the diary for next year. Tea and cake are available! Although much of our attention will be drawn towards Christmas, there’s nothing better than being outside, pottering, planning and making decisions about changes that can be made whilst the outlines of the garden are easier to see, that awkward shrub can be moved, that overgrown tangled climber can be cut back and that plant that you never liked can be discarded! Now is the time to: If you haven’t pruned your grape vine, now is the last chance to do so because the sap begins to rise in January and you risk the plant ‘bleeding’ to death if you cut it then. Trees and shrubs can be planted if the ground is not frozen, some of the best varieties for winter colour are sarococca box (tiny white flowers with wonderful scent) daphné odorata (lovely scent too) and cornus (colourful stems). Any of the winter flowering clematis can be planted, there are usually several of the cirrhosa types available which have the rusty/maroon flowers that will last well into spring. Hellebores are good to plant at this time of year and are good self seeders, so economical too. If there are still perennials which need to be moved this can be done, weather permitting.
Take hardwood cuttings of wisteria, grape, Virginia creeper, elder, hydrangea, weigela and soft fruits such as black and white currant. The cuttings are easily made: cut lengths of new stem (about 25 cms), cut off the soft tip at the top, cutting at an angle (helps the rain to run off), make a straight cut just below a bud at the base (this will just feel like a bump in the stem) and plant either in a deepish trench in the garden or around the edge of large pots filled with compost. Water in and forget about them. Check in about three months time to see if there is any new green growth. It’s the ‘checking and cleaning’ season! Check stored veg/ fruit for signs of rot; examine fruit trees for canker and brown rot; if you’ve lifted and stored dahlia tubers, check that they are dry and that there is no mould developing; clean paths and patios and cover wooden furniture; clean tools and machinery (I must do that this year!) and check for lurking pests. Cover external taps with bubble wrap to prevent freezing; clean out pond pumps; wash seed trays and pots; mend any fences; clean out gutters to prevent blockages by fallen leaves; clear fallen leaves from the surface of ponds. Plant bare root roses and shorten long stems to prevent root rock in high winds. Ensuring that the base is well covered with soil helps to reduce the risk of this too. Cut back chrysanthemums that have finished flowering. Deadhead pansies and violas. Plant lily-‐of-‐the-‐valley in pots or beds. Cover large, permanently potted outdoor plants with fleece to prevent the compost from freezing…..frozen compost cannot take in water and it may also crack the pot. Cut back thick overlong branches on fig trees. Mulch around the base of fruit trees with compost and sulphate of potash to encourage flowering and fruiting in spring. It’s the last chance to plant tulips and lilies can be planted in pots now too. Remove old foliage from epimediums. New growth begins in January and there’s a danger of cutting it off if pruning is left until then. Dig over any empty beds, forking in old compost or well rotted manure and cover with black plastic to discourage weed growth. Just as I’ve finished writing this, I’ve received a message from Sarah to let me know that this will be the last edition of the Vendée magazine. I can’t say how sad that makes me feel and how much I’ve valued the magazine myself. I’ve so enjoyed sharing the pleasure of gardening with you all and meeting and talking with many of you. I have appreciated the positive feedback that I have received. Gardening is a wonderful, absorbing activity (compulsive some would say!) but in its own way a great contribution to the ecology and the ‘greenness’ of our environment. Perhaps, with the gardening clubs that exist in the area, we can stay in contact and keep sharing and learning together. I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy and safe 2014 and thank you. With sadness, Babs. You can contact Babs by email:123sissinghurst456@gmail.com
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
What Soil Type do You Have? Clay/heavy soil; Sandy soil; Silt soil; Loam; Peat soil; Chalky soil. This will have a bearing on what shrubs and plants flourish in your garden.
Clay soils are potentially very fertile as the clay particles hold nutrients in the soil. However, they also hold a high proportion of water which drains slowly. Clay soil takes longer to warm up in Spring than sandy soil. Clay is easily compacted when wet and bakes hard in summer with noticeable cracking on the surface. Sandy soils on the other hand have a high proportion of sand particles with little clay and therefore is classed as a 'light' soil -‐ easily drained and easily cultivated. These soils warm quickly in Spring but are low in nutrients which are quickly washed out by rain. Sandy soils also dry out quickly. They are often acidic. Silty soil is fertile, light and moisture retentive, but is easily compacted; Loams are a mixture of clay, sand and silt; Peat soil is high in moisture and organic matter and chalky soils are very alkaline.
To identify your soil type take a handful and roll it in your hands: Sandy soil has a gritty feel -‐ you can feel the sand grains within it but you will not be able to roll a sausage shape. Clay soil is sticky when wet and is easily rolled into a 'sausage'. It will become shiny if you rub with your finger. A light clay soil will not be as shiny and will not make a sausage shape quite so well. Silt soils have a soapy, slippery texture and will not clump easily. If soil froths when dropped into a cup of vinegar this indicates that it contains chalk or limestone and is lime rich. All soils benefit from the addition of organic matter with the exception of chalky soil. This soil is not suitable for ericaceous plants needing acid soil conditions. It is not possible to make a chalky soil acidic -‐ much better to choose plants that thrive in alkaline conditions.
Health, Beauty & Fitness...
For all advertising with our sister magazine, please contact: ‘The Deux-‐Sèvres Monthly’
Tel: 05 49 70 26 21 Email: info@thevendeemonthly.fr or please visit our website:
www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Motoring...
The Alpine Way
by Helen Tait-Wright
With the winter weather setting in, for motorsport lovers it’s rally season! The harsh world of rallying has produced some superstar cars over the years, most famously the cars of the Group B era, but in historic terms, there are a few surprising little gems to be found. One such car is one of my favorite French cars and so this month we look at the Renault Alpine A110. Alpine was the official competition arm of Renault between 1955 and 1974, run by Jean Redele from his factory in Dieppe. Redele’s formula for success was to produce a car which had a lightweight body and a tuned rear engine driving the rear wheels. The A110, also known as the ‘Berlinette’, was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1962, and produced until 1977. The car used Renault 8 parts, and characteristically featured a steel backbone chassis with fiberglass body, and an offset rear-‐mounted engine. Over the course of its life the car was powered by various Renault engines as its performance was honed. Most Alpine A110 Berlinettes were built in Dieppe, but variants were also built under licence in Brazil, Bulgaria, Mexico and Spain. All the cars are left hand drive and the A110 was never offered for sale as new in the UK. Successful in motorsport throughout its life, this lightweight, manoeuvrable little car reached international fame during the 1970-‐1972 seasons when it participated in the newly created “International Championship for Manufacturers”, winning several events around Europe and being considered one of the strongest rally cars of its time.
Notable performances from the car include victory on the 1971 Monte Carlo Rally. This incarnation of the car had an aluminium block Renault 16 engine, allowing even the production 1600S to reach a top speed of 210 km/h (130 mph). The A110 was essentially a motorsports vehicle that was also available to amateur drivers looking for thrills. Even so, there was absolutely no question of adapting your new Alpine for urban or family use. Drivers, be they professionals or amateurs, had to shoehorn themselves into the minuscule cabin and squeeze their legs into the tunnel as best they could. Only then could they experience the joys of driving this lively sports model! Such was the impact of the A110 that to mark the 50th anniversary of its debut, Renault have recently (May 2012) announced a “new” A110 concept car, designed to pay homage to the original, which has a body crafted from carbon fibre and dipped in a shade of the same iconic Alpine Blue we all know and love. Under the skin though, this is a different beast altogether with a 3.5 litre V6 mid mounted engine producing 400bhp, and benefits from the latest technology. There is a great piece of video featuring the two cars together at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-‐11A-‐FtTibs Personally, I’ll hang out for the original version with the 1.6 litre engine, which these days can fetch anything between 55,000 and 110,000 Euros. So, I still need to win the lottery, or hope that Santa is feeling particularly generous, but if I get one, don’t bother thumbing a lift -‐ there ain’t room!!
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Spotlight On...
Christmas Events Cycliste in the Vendée Tour de Vendée
by Mick Austin
'Tis the season to be jolly: Fa la la la la la la la la. Yes, it’s that time of year again. Mince pies, roasted chestnuts and plenty to see and do throughout the region. There’s bound to be a Christmas market or two close to you, but to help you on your way here’s The Vendée Monthly’s one-‐stop guide to some of the major attractions.
1
Château de Tiffauges Christmas Market
In the heart of a forest of snow-‐covered pine trees, in wooden chalets, 50 craft and gourmet artisans present their often unique Christmas gifts in a magical setting. Sweet fragrances, mulled wines, roasted chestnuts, ice sculptures, traditional Christmas carols and pony rides. And don’t miss a concert from the biggest travelling carillon in France, complete with 53 bells that should cure any pre-‐festive hangover! Saturday & Sunday December 7th & 8th and 14th & 15th. Saturdays 2 -‐ 10pm, Sundays 11am -‐ 8pm. Entry free. Tel: 02 51 65 70 51. Internet: www.vendee.fr
2
La Tranche-‐sur-‐Mer Christmas Special
3
Foussais-‐Payré Christmas Market
4
Beaulieu-‐sous-‐la-‐Roche Christmas Market
Annual entertainment in this seaside town. Plenty to do for young and old with an ice rink, merry-‐go-‐rounds, a games village and a chalet with drinks. Friday December 20th until Sunday January 5th. Every day 2.30 -‐ 7.30pm except December 25th and January 1st. Entry free. Tel: 02 51 30 33 96. Internet: www.latranchesurmer.fr Some 40 artisans, retailers and individuals selling a variety of products for gifts and festive tables in the hall and garden of the priory. Also secondhand toys sale at the Paul de Vendée space from 9am-‐6pm. Sunday December 8th. 9am -‐ 7pm. Entry free. Tel: 02 51 51 41 23. Internet: www.foussais-‐payre.fr One of the biggest Christmas events in the Vendée. A multitude of themed attractions spread over two months, featuring the famous Christmas market (130 exhibitors and numerous attractions) and the renowned La Féerie des Santons. Explore the fantastic miniature villages inhabited by more than 600 figurines (santons) made by France’s most famous ‘santonniers’. Its animated nativity scene is a very popular attraction in the region and a son et lumière show lets you experience the magic of Christmas from days gone by. In the town centre there are dozens of animated shop window displays and an exhibition of Playmobil toys covering more than 250sqm in the Déesse workshop.
Château de Tiffauges
Find our map on Page 31
5
L’Abbaye de Maillezais Christmas Fair
6
La Chabotterie, Saint-‐Sulpice-‐le-‐Verdon
Immerse yourself in the warm Oriental atmosphere of Christmas 2000 years ago. Search the souk stalls and desert tents in front of the cathedral for that special gift. Various attractions include camel back rides, storytelling for children, traditional music and singing and the abbey illuminations. Saturday & Sunday December 14th & 15th. Saturday 2pm-‐-‐8pm, Sunday 10.30am -‐ 7pm. Entry free. Tel: 02 51 87 22 80. Internet: www.vendee.fr An enchanting world with shows for the whole family and, because it’s Christmas, with special emphasis on children: theatre, puppets, singing, dancing and a merry-‐go-‐round. Saturday & Sunday December 21st & 22nd. Logis de la Chabotterie. Tel: 02 51 42 81 00. La Chabotterie
Christmas market: Friday November 29th 4pm -‐ 9.30pm, Saturday November 30th 10am -‐ 9.30pm, Sunday December 1st 10am -‐ 7pm. Entry free. La Féerie des Santons, place de l’église: November 29th until January 26th. Open every day 2pm -‐ 6.30pm. Adults 6€, 10 -‐ 15 year olds 3€, under 10s free. Animated shop window displays, place du marché: November 29th until January 26th. Every day 3pm -‐ 9pm. Free Playmobil toys exhibition, rue du stade: November 29th until January 5th. Every day 2.30 -‐ 6.30pm then Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays until January 26th when admission is 2€ for adults, 1€ for 10-‐15s and under 10s free. Tel: 02 51 98 80 38 (Mairie). Internet: www.feeriesantons.fr Page 16
THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
7
Christmas at the Haras, La Roche-‐sur-‐Yon
Family entertainment with the horses. Equestrian shows, rides in a horse-‐drawn carriage, games of discovery and stories for children. Plus demonstrations from experts from national stud farms. Thursday December 26th until Tuesday December 31st. Tel: 02 51 37 48 48. Internet: www.haras.vendee.fr
8
Le Grand Noel au Puy du Fou, Les Epesses
Unforgettable Christmas for the whole family. Snow-‐covered villages with their craftsmen and a new version of the Mystère de Noël (Mystery of Christmas) show featuring the Prague Philarmonic Orchestra. Saturday November 30th until Monday December 23rd. Adults 21€, 5 -‐ 13 year olds 13€, under 5s free. Tel: 0 820 09 10 10. Internet: www.puydufou.com
9
Children’s Choir Festival, Nieul-‐sur-‐L’Autise Abbey, Faymoreau and Doix
Four unmissable concerts for the festive season with young choir singers from throughout Europe. Thursday December 12th until Sunday December 15th. Full price 1€8, concessions 7€. Information and booking: 02 51 50 43 10.
Vincent-‐sur-‐Jard Christmas Market 10 Saint Crafts, mulled wine, roasted chestnuts and Santa Claus on a horse-‐drawn carriage. Yes, it’s that time of year! Sunday December 1st. Salle des Fêtes Clemenceau, 9am -‐ 6pm. Tel: 02 51 33 62 06. Internet: www.ot-‐stvincentsurjard.com
Sables-‐d’Olonne Christmas Market 13 Les Decorations, gift ideas, delicacies and stories for children on
Saturday at 4pm. Saturday & Sunday, December 7th & 8th. 86 bis avenue Alcide Gabaret, 10am -‐ 6pm. Entry free.
14
Olonne-‐sur-‐Mer Christmas Market
Festive exhibits around the church and free animations throughout the day. Sunday December 15th. Espace culturel le Havre d’Olonne, Rue du 8 Mai 1945, 10am -‐ 7pm. Tel: 02 51 90 75 45. Internet: www.olonnesurmer.fr
Spectacle de la Crèche Vivant de Noël, Cholet 15 Le One hundred-‐plus people taking part in a 45-‐minute nativity tableau in the town’s main square. Saturday & Sunday December 14th & 15th and 21st & 22nd. Place Travot, 5.30pm -‐ 6.30pm. Free admission. Internet: www.ot-‐cholet.fr
sur-‐Mer Christmas Market 16 Longeville-‐ Large Christmas market with over 70 exhibitors. Events
including Ice Sculptor, children's carousel ride, "Charly the Clown" on Sunday, Santa Claus, pony rides in the streets, makeup workshop for children, dancers. Restaurant on site. Friday December 6th 4pm -‐ 8pm with official opening at 6.30pm. Saturday December 7th 10am -‐ 8pm. Sunday December 8th 10am -‐ 6.30pm. Free entry. Tel. 06 06 41 08 58 Internet: http://www.vendee-‐tourisme.com/ evenement/marche-‐de-‐noel-‐de-‐longeville-‐sur-‐mer
Legends at L’Echiquier, Pouzauges 11 Celtic Spectacular compendium of Irish culture. Frenzied tap,
magical ballads and traditional dance from a group fresh from their latest European tour. Thursday December 5th. 8.30pm -‐ 10pm, La Fournière. Entry 32€, concessions 29€. Tel: 02 51 61 46 10. Internet: www.echiquier-‐paysdepouzauges.fr
12
*Dates and times were correct as we went to press but please check the event is still happening before you set off.
A Taste of Christmas at Chantonnay
Festive foods, arts and crafts, garden decorations and plants, greetings cards and even a Siberian Husky team! Saturday December 7th. Château Puybelliard, Rue des Dames, 10am -‐ 5pm. Tel: 02 51 48 19 35. Internet: www.chateaudepuybelliard.com
Mick Austin is a freelance journalist based in the Pays-‐de-‐la-‐Loire. He has had his work published in several expat magazines and newspapers and has also written the Mayenne Tourist Board’s only English-‐language brochure. He
runs a gite business at www.gitefortwo.com.
Le Grand Noël, Puy du Fou
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Festive
THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Take a Break... VM Easy Crossword... Across: 8. Evergreen tree popular at Christmas (5) 9. Spur on or encourage (7) 10. Sea faring criminals (7) 11. Large bird (5) 12. Totally (8) 13. Fewer (4) 15. Pretty, attractive (4) 17. 12th day of Christmas characters (8) 21. The cost of something (5) 22. Try (7) 24. Bring out the truth (7) 25. Private teacher (5)
Down: 1. What a 10 across would attack (4) 2. Dry red Bordeaux wine (6) 3. Something that baffles understanding (7) 4. Xmas decoration (6) 5. East Anglian county (5) 6. and 20 down. Christmas song (6,5) 7. Drives backward (8) 12. A wild and exciting undertaking (8) 14. Copy or mimick (7) 16. Steal (6) 18. Grim person who brings in the harvest! (6) 19. A state of deep-‐seated ill-‐will (6) 20. See 6 down 23. Rubber hoop around a wheel (4)
VM Anagram Crossword...
All the clues are anagrams; this is a real toughie!
21
Across: 1. ARCHIVES STEM (12) 7. ACE TAKE (7) 9. CAPER (5) 10. TEAR (4) 11. DEAL SEER (8) 12. BROTHS (6) 14. PHASES (6) 17. ICED LIPS (8) 19. OAFS (4) 22. GREET (5) 23. GRAD WIN (7) 24. COACHMEN RENT (12)
Down: 1. REACT (5) 2. CREATOR (7) 3. RATS (4) 4. CRECHES (7) 5. SCIVE (5) 6. PASSED (6) 8. VEER (4) 12. RIDE IT (6) 13. BRISTLE (7) 15. RIFLE TOP (7) 16. LEDS (4) 18. RISEN (5) 20. STANG (5) 21. ACHE (4)
Sudoku Corner...
Please see website: www.thevendeemonthly.fr for answers
Hard
www.websudoku.com
Easy
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
French Life, Food & Drink... Food, Family & Friends - Life in the Vendée by Helena Boyle Yet again, I have been driving over to the UK and back again this month. It feels as though I can’t remember which country I’m in when I wake up in the morning! It is so lovely to be back in my own home again, even though the family is in the UK. I went back this month as it was my little Grandson’s 2nd birthday (another reminder of how the time whizzes past) and we had a birthday party for him. How he loved all the people and his presents -‐ although, as usual, the wrapping paper and boxes were almost of equal pleasure to him as the contents inside! The weather on both sides of the channel has definitely taken a turn for the worse although it is far colder in the UK than it is here. In fact, it’s still quite balmy here most of the time, considering that we are well into November now. This is how I remember it used to be 10 years ago, before we started to have longer, colder, wetter winters. In fact, I remember driving down to La Rochelle on New Year’s Eve a couple of times, and sitting outside on the quayside eating in the open air. This has certainly not been possible over the last few years, so here’s hoping for a return to the beautiful winter weather we used to get! With the return to the darker evenings, and the clocks changing for the winter, I have started thinking about making more comfort foods. One thing I have been making is English Crumpets. They are so easy, and taste so much better than anything you can buy.
Several readers have asked about a Christmas Cake recipe. I use Nigella Lawson’s recipe from ‘How To Be A Domestic Goddess’. Over the last couple of years I have made a few changes and I now, almost always use golden raisins and substitute the rest of the dried fruit with a mixture of dried pineapple and mango cubes. These are very easily available in 250g packs from all supermarkets (Magasins ‘U’, LeClerc, Intermarché etc). Whilst typing this article I was very sad to receive an email from Sarah, informing us all that this will be the final issue of the ‘The Vendée Monthly’. This is such a shame, as I have heard nothing but complimentary and favourable comments about the magazine. Of course I understand that advertising revenue is the life-‐blood of the publication and the way in which it is offered ‘free’ to the community, but the closure will be a real loss to the area. Very many thanks to Sarah for all her hard work and effort, and perhaps in the future…?? Have a very happy Christmas and New Year. Best wishes to everyone and please get in touch via the email below if I can help in any way. Helena contact Helena Boyle on: labourseguinaise@gmail.com
by John Sherwin.
ENGLISH MUFFINS • • • • • •
650g bread flour 20g fresh yeast (1/2 cube L’hirondelle brand) 60g butter (melted) 250ml milk and water (luke warm) ½ tsp salt Polenta (optional) for dusting surfaces of muffins
METHOD OF PREPARATION • In a jug/bowl, dissolve yeast in the warm milk and water. • In a food mixer with the dough hook attached (or large bowl), put the flour and add most of the liquid, with it turned on at a low speed, and mix to make a soft dough – add enough liquid to make it very soft. Knead for approximately 5 minutes in the mixer. If making by hand, add the liquid as before, mixing to a soft dough, then turn out onto an oiled or floured surface and knead by hand for approximately 5 to 7 minutes until really smooth. • Place in greased bowl, cover with oiled clingfilm, and let rise for approximately 30 minutes until doubled in size. • At the end of the rising time, turn the dough out onto the oiled/ floured surface and gently knead for a minute or two to flatten it. Roll out to about 1cm thick. • Cut rounds with a biscuit cutter. Sprinkle a tray, or other suitable flat container, with polenta and set the rounds on this to rise. Dust the tops of the muffins with polenta also. Cover and let rise for approximately 30 minutes. • Heat a heavy frying pan or griddle. Cook muffins on griddle about 10 minutes on each side on medium heat. • Keep baked muffins in a warm oven until all have been cooked. Allow to cool and place in plastic bags for storage. To use, split and toast.
CHRISTMAS CAKE
• 1200g dried fruit (mixture sultanas/currants/cherries/peel or 500g golden sultanas + 700g pineapple/mango cubes) You can easily use less fruit, but will be a different texture! • 250g butter • 200g brown sugar (I use soft ‘viergeoise’ blonde or brune’) • 4 large eggs • 350g flour sifted METHOD OF PREPARATION • Preheat oven to 150C and prepare and line a deep 20cm diameter cake tin • Place dried fruit in a bowl and add approx 100ml of your preferred alcohol -‐ brandy, whiskey, cointreau etc. Stir well, cover bowl with clingfilm and leave to soak overnight. • Cream softened butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. • Add the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour each time, to avoid the mixture ‘splitting’. However, it is not a disaster if it does split, it just may not rise quite as high! • If using traditional fruit mixture, you can add ¼ teaspoonful of mixed spice and/or cinnamon at stage 5, mixed into the flour + 1 tbsp marmalade, stirred into the mixture, if desired. • Add the flour, alternately with the fruit to mix well • Turn mixture into the prepared tin and bake for approximately 3 to 3½ hours. Cover the tin with foil if the top is browning too much. • Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from the tin and storing in an airtight container – or vac packing!
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Trendy or Tripe-eater? The Port Problem
by John Sherwin
It was late, getting on for chucking-‐out time at the Guindalense Futebol Clube. More of a working men’s club (no-‐one can remember the last time they actually fielded a football team), it boasts a stupendous view over the Luis I bridge spanning the Douro river, and Vila Nova de Gaia beyond. Downtown Porto at its best. My mate Julio was looking morose. He’s a semi-‐professional fado singer and this is a hazard of the job, so I didn’t think too much of it. A playlist consisting of lost love, shipwrecks and having the family pig nicked just before Easter can do that to a man, even of Julio’s impressive girth. He was cradling a vintage port like it was a baby in his big bruiser’s hands. He looked over at the port godowns in Gaia and sniffed loudly. “Drink port like this,” he said, holding up his glass, “is the tripeiros way. Is good to be a tripe-‐ eater.” (Tripe-‐eater is the traditional term for a native of Porto, and unaccountably proud of it they are.) “But my Maria. Drinking, drinking…” his eyes moistened and I gave him a playful punch, “… drinking port in…cocktails”. Earlier that evening I had met up with Julio’s daughter, Maria, at the Ateneia tea room. In the 1930s society ladies had assembled here to get quietly sozzled on ‘white tea’, that is wine served from a teapot to disguise their evil ways. No such camouflage needed for today’s liberated gal. She was starting the evening with a Ruby Sparkler (see below) and kicking off at her old man like only callous youth can. “S’boring just drinking port straight. Old men in clubs do it. I mean, get with it”. (I know, I know, too many American films – sorry, movies.) If you do want to get with it, set a trend and cut a dash, then here are some recipes. For a Ruby Sparkler mix one part Ruby port with two parts sparkling brut and garnish with a blackberry, strawberry, or whatever you have to hand. On the tawny side, take a measure of chilled Tawny and splash in some Scotch whiskey, the idea being that the Scotch throws the caramel, nutty and toasty flavours of the port into relief. The imaginatively named White Port and Tonic mixes one part of each over ice with a twist of lemon and a sprig of mint.
Mulled wine is a beverage usually
made with red wine along with various spices and raisins. It is served hot or warm and may be alcoholic or non-‐alcoholic. It is a traditional drink during winter, especially around Christmas. Ingredients: • 2 unwaxed oranges • 1 lemon, peel only • 150g caster sugar • 5 cloves, plus extra for garnish • 5 cardamom pods, bruised
• • • •
1 cinnamon stick A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg 2 bottles of fruity, red wine 150ml ginger wine
The Orion family
Method: 1. Peel and juice 1 orange, and add to a large saucepan along with the lemon peel, sugar and spices. Add enough wine to just cover the sugar, and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 – 8 minutes until you have a thick syrup. 2. Meanwhile, if you're serving the mulled wine immediately, stud the second orange with 6 vertical lines of cloves, and then cut into segments to use as a garnish. 3. Turn the heat down, and pour the rest of the wine into the saucepan, along with the ginger wine. Gently heat through and serve with the orange segments as a garnish. Alternatively, you can allow the syrup to cool, and pour it into sterilised bottles for use at a later date.
On the other hand (that is the right hand, the one you use to pass the decanter to the left) if you want to draw up a stool with the tripe-‐eaters, then the following are some classic and not-‐so-‐classic combinations. Vintage Port with Stilton is the classic and needs no further comment. Port and dark chocolate has increased in popularity over the last few years. Try a Ruby with dark chocolate desserts, particularly combined with red fruits. Tawnies can be a nifty alternative to Sauternes with foie gras, also with cured hams, and an aged Tawny is classic with crème brulée. Also, try a Tawny with cod, or pigeon-‐based dishes. Now all I have to do is convince my friends it’s possible to be a trendy tripe-‐eater!
John Sherwin, French Wine Tours Tel: 02 51 66 13 05 Email: john@french-‐wine-‐tours.com www.french-‐wine-‐tours.com Page21 21 Page
THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
French Adventures... Finding their Feet in the Vendée We all know and love France as a holiday destination, but could they really make a go of living, and more to the point, working in a country where people drive on the right, speak a different language and…………..eat snails?? This is the story of how David & Karen Taylor found their feet in the Vendée…. Our French Adventure started four years ago when I was offered a two year secondment to Alsace with my company, to work on the manufacture of an electric Smart car. It was an area of France that I knew nothing about, as family holidays in the past had always been concentrated on the coast, but with Strasbourg as its capital I knew that it would have a lot to offer. The decision to accept the position was a relatively easy one as I was being offered a new challenge in a different country, yet with the safety net of being able to return to work in the UK at the end of the project. It was a more difficult decision for my wife, Karen, who was working as a secondary school teacher at the time. But, like me, the temptation of living in France for two years was too good to resist, so Karen left the security of her job in Oxfordshire to plunge into the bureaucratic paperwork of France! Our language skills improved rapidly in an area where German is the second language and English a poor third. There were times when we both returned home exhausted -‐ me from attempting to understand my French and German colleagues at work, and Karen from battling with yet another government department which couldn’t understand why we were living and working in France yet still under the British legal regime. Ironically, just as we were beginning to find our feet both socially and professionally in France (Karen by this time had managed to find temporary teaching work), it looked as though our French Adventure was about to come to an end as the finish date for my secondment rapidly approached. Decision time -‐ return to the UK as planned or take our chances in France on our own? The decision was easier than we would have thought; with both children now through university and settled in jobs in the UK, we both realised that this was the ideal time to ‘go it alone’ in France.
I always had a soft spot for 2CVs, so what better place to start my collection than in France? We soon acquired a cute little red 2CV known affectionately as Dizzy, but before we had a chance to give her the TLC she so desperately needed, I slipped a disc in April of this year and spent a week in hospital! Although the car work had to be put on hold, on the plus side, my knowledge of French medical terms improved dramatically! Over the following couple of months, I had plenty of time to ponder my next move, which actually came from an unexpected quarter. I was flicking through the July edition of ‘The Vendée Monthly’ when a property article caught my eye -‐ Leggett, the long established British estate agency in France, were expanding their sales team of Agents Commercials in the Vendée. The next few months were a blur of training courses, paperwork and legal documents, but by the end of October my status as auto-‐ entrepreneur was confirmed, I had received my carte professionnelle and was adding new properties onto the Leggett website. “My new career is just the challenge that I needed, and I’m loving every minute of it! With the support of the Leggett network I’m rapidly building a portfolio of properties for sale, for prospective buyers from both France and overseas. Busy days ahead!!“ says David. If you have a property for sale or you are interested in buying, David can be contacted on: 02 51 40 50 63 / 06 45 24 50 03 or by email: dtaylor@leggett.fr. The Leggett website can be accessed on www.frenchestateagents.com.
Having owned a rental house in the Vendée since 2004, and a holiday home since 2007, it made sense for us to make the move across the country to carve out a new life for ourselves on the west coast. With her experience of teaching in Alsace, Karen soon found first temporary then permanent work with a language agency in La Roche-‐sur-‐Yon. I, however, was seemingly not so employable, so spent my first Vendéen year completing the renovation work on what had originally been our maison secondaire but was now our permanent home. The building work, although tough physically, was a welcome change from the mental stress of the vehicle manufacturing work in Alsace. It also expanded the French vocabulary considerably, which to date had been primarily centered around cars! But when the renovation work was complete and there was still no prospect of a ’proper’ job (despite regular visits to the pôle emploi), my thoughts turned once again to cars……………
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Communications... Using Your PC... How to share your digital photos free of charge
by Ross Hendry
Once you have transferred your photos onto your PC, you will probably want to share some or all of these with family and friends. Those of you who have tried this by email will realise that this can be a very long process, many service providers restrict the size of emails making it difficult to send more than a few photos in one email. This is further compounded by the fact that digital cameras are recording more and more megapixels (MP), making each photo file size much bigger. For example, my digital camera is a 4MP one and the best quality photo was around 1megabyte (MB) in size on my hard disk drive. My wife's newer digital camera has 14MP, thus each .jpeg photo is around 3.2MB. The new Nokia mobile telephone boasts a 41megapixel camera, so each photo (in raw format) could be in excess of 50MB! This makes sending images by email nearly impossible. The solution is to use one of the online photo sharing services, of which there are many. Some come with free software to organise your photos on your computer, as well as making it easy to create your own online photo album/s to share with your family and friends. This means selecting the photos you want to share and uploading them to your online service, then letting the people you want to share the photos with know where to go and see them with a simple email containing a link to your online album. There are many benefits to this -‐ you only have to send them once to your online service (a relatively slow process compared to sending a quick email telling people where to view your photos), you can add tags describing the photo or event, and you have a copy of your photos that the online provider keeps safe for you. You may also selectively permit the viewers to take copies for themselves, contribute photos and text too, and print from your albums. I recently researched who is offering the free photo sharing services and found several sites that provide sharing for free. I personally use Google’s Picasa: www.picasa.google.com finding this easy to use and taking advantage of the 15GB of online storage space. However if I want more online space I can pay for it
and it is not expensive, after all 1GB represents around 1,000 photos of my old 4MP camera, and 300 on Sandy’s 14MP one. Two relatively new services are www.keepandshare.com (6GB or 1,500 photos) and believe it or not Microsoft’s new Windows SkyDrive service allows you to store 7GB of photos and documents totally free. You can find more info at http://windows.microsoft.com/ en-‐gb/skydrive/download although this seemed less friendly to use than Keep and Share or Picasa. F o r e a s e o f u s e , I t h i n k www.keepandshare.com is brilliant as it has superb video tutorials explaining how to use the service and a generous capacity of 6GB of storage for free and the ability to subscribe to get extra capacity. For personal use I will stick to Google’s Picasa as it suits my needs at present, however as my photo library grows, I guess I will have to scan the internet again for more free space and see what is on offer. In the light of the internet security scandals of late, I am researching secure cloud storage and how to encrypt your data before you store it on the cloud. Indeed choosing the right Cloud Storage Partner might not be the easiest decision to make. Ross Hendry is the proprietor of Interface Consulting and Engineering, who has over 42 years experience in Communications, Computer Technology and Direct Marketing.
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Contact ‘The Vendée Monthly’ La Bartière, 79130, Secondigny. Tel: 05 49 70 26 21 or email: info@thevendeemonthly.fr
www.thevendeemonthly.fr
Useful English Language Numbers... Cancer Support Vendée:
02 51 00 58 21
French State health insurance (C.P.A.M.) advice line:
08 11 36 36 46
Elizabeth Finn Care (Grants and advice if in Financial need):
04 68 23 43 79
Orange Helpline:
09 69 36 39 00
EDF International Customer Service:
05 62 16 49 08
CLEISS (Social security advice between countries):
01 45 26 33 41
Funeral Information (AFIF):
01 45 44 90 03 or www.afif.asso.fr
Passport Advice:
0044 208 082 4729
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Building & Renovation... with
the Elves
on’s Seasetings! Gre
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
USEFUL FRENCH VOCABULARY absorbeur (m) -‐ solar panel agrandissement (m) -‐ extension alarme (f) -‐ alarm alimenter (v) -‐ to supply antenne (f) -‐ antenna bâche (f) -‐ tarpaulin baguette (f) -‐ cable conduit bâtir (v) -‐ to build bloc plein en béton (m) -‐ solid concrete block borne (f) -‐ electrical terminal boue (f) -‐ mud blocage (m) -‐ blockage boîte aux lettres (f) -‐ letter box boulonnerie (f) -‐ nuts and bolts bouton (m) -‐ knob brancher (v) -‐ to connect / to link up brosse (f) -‐ brush cadenas à clef (m) -‐ padlock chariot à roulettes (m) -‐ wheeled trolley chauffer (v) -‐ to heat cheminée (f) -‐ flue circuit (m) -‐ electrical circuit cisailles (fpl) -‐ wire cutters clé (f) -‐ key coquille (f) -‐ bearing cuivre (m) -‐ copper défaut (m) -‐ fault drainage (m) -‐ drainage éclairage (f) -‐ lighting
échafaudage (m) -‐ scaffolding égout (m) -‐ drain évier (m) -‐sink fiche (f) -‐ plug fuite (f) -‐ leak/leakage gaine (f) -‐ corrugated flexible cable sheathing interrupteur (m) -‐ switch laiton (m) -‐ brass mur (m) -‐ wall parpaing (m) -‐ breezeblock peinture (f) -‐ paint perceuse (f) -‐ drill permis de construire -‐ building permit pile (f) -‐ pile piquet (m) -‐ stake plaque de renfort (f) -‐ reinforcing plate poutre en fer (f) -‐ RSJ prise (f) -‐ socket puissance (f) -‐ power/wattage retrait d’argent (m) -‐ cash withdrawal scie (f) -‐ saw taxe habitation (f) -‐ habitation tax taxe foncière (f) -‐ property tax tension (f) -‐ voltage terrain constructible (m) -‐ building land terre (f) -‐ earth toit (m) -‐ roof travailleur (m) -‐ labourer virement (m) -‐ bank transfer Page 26
THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Business, Finance & Property...
Wealth Management in the 21st Century The tax planning, investment and general wealth management landscape has changed considerably over recent years. Savings interest rates are at historic lows. Inflation constantly erodes the value of capital and income. We have had the economic crisis, banking crisis and Euro crisis. There is a loss of trust and confidence in banks and their financial products. In Europe, including France, we have the imposition of higher and higher taxes. All this has brought renewed emphasis on wealth preservation, and an increasing understanding of the need for diversification within your investment portfolio and tax efficient investment structures. Many investors today are concerned with maintaining the value of their money over the long term. It is important, with the help of a professional wealth manager, to devise a strategy across your savings and investment portfolio that employs asset allocation and diversification to lower risk. This strategy should be based on your specific circumstances and investment objectives. As governments in Europe struggle to reduce their debt, they are desperately seeking every opportunity to increase tax revenues. Their main target has been private capital, on which they are imposing higher taxes on income and gains. France has a particularly high tax burden. In addition, wealthy families are subject to inheritance (and/or succession) taxes and, here in France, a wealth tax.
by Bradley Warden, Partner, Blevins Franks
The impact of taxation on savings income and investment growth has become a bigger issue. What matters are after-tax returns, so your wealth management strategies require both investment expertise and tax expertise. At the same time, tax authorities are closing many exemptions and tax planning arrangements – there are concerns here in France about changes to Assurance Vie, attacking offshore tax havens and demanding higher levels of disclosure. There is now unprecedented political support for automatic exchange of information. In view of all these changes and the complex world we find ourselves in today, wealth management advice is more important than ever before. A wealth manager will review your current financial planning and advise you on how to protect and grow your wealth; to legitimately mitigate the amount of tax that you pay and control when and where you pay it; to protect your investments from institutional failure and to ensure your wealth will be distributed on your death according to your wishes and with as little succession/inheritance taxes as possible. Your aim should be to have the peace of mind that comes from the certain knowledge that your financial affairs are in order, so you can enjoy your chosen lifestyle here in France. To keep in touch with the latest developments in the offshore world, check out the latest news on our website www.blevinsfranks.com
French tax changes. Your wealth. We need to talk.
05 49 75 07 24 WNT01-fr
bradley.warden@blevinsfranks.com Blevins Franks Financial Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK, reference number 179731. Where advice is provided overseas, via the Insurance Mediation Directive from Malta, the regulatory system differs in some respects from that of the UK. Blevins Franks Tax Limited’s advisers only give taxation advice and are fully qualified.
w w w. b l e v i n s f r a n k s . c o m
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Ask Amanda.
TRADE FAIR 2013 SUCCESS
There are so many differing thoughts & views on Expat forums & websites, how do I know what is fact & what is opinion?
Saturday September 21st saw the success of our second Anglo-‐ French Trade Fair in Secondigny.
Living permanently in France, one thing I notice is the vast amount of information available for expats. Whether on the internet via websites and discussion forums, or as printed media, such as ‘The Vendée Monthly’ magazine, there is always information and opinion for any specific queries you may have. The hardest task I find is sifting through the raft of varied opinions and recommendations, to get to the facts that will help me choose the path which is right for me. If I want an electrician or heating engineer to look after my house, I will look for someone whose business is registered to provide the service I want and who has a proven track record in this industry. I am sure most of you would do the same? Managing your finances is another key area where you want to be sure the information you receive is accurate, up to date and provides you with the professional peace of mind you need to protect your assets. The Spectrum IFA Group’s French company, TSG Insurance Services S.A.R.L. is regulated in France by ANACOFI-‐CIF and ORIAS (see our website for details of these organisations) to provide financial advice. Our free financial consultation means that you do not have to spend your valuable time separating fact from opinion when ensuring your estate is as tax efficient as possible. When it comes to keeping abreast of changes to French financial legislation you can always register for the Spectrum IFA Group’s regular newsletter. It will provide details on changes in the law and the impact this could have on you, as well as bringing you details on financial road shows which you can attend and hear from many leading financial organisations first hand. Whether you want to register for our newsletter, attend one of our road shows or speak to me directly, please call or email me on the contacts below & I will be glad to help you. We do not charge for reviews, reports or recommendations we provide. Amanda Johnson, The Spectrum IFA Group. Tel: 05 49 98 97 46 Mob: 06 73 27 25 43 www.spectrum-‐ifa.com/johnsonloire.shtml or “Ask Amanda” at finance@thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
Located in the salle Alauna overlooking the fabulous lac des Effres, this year's event was bigger and better than the last year with a fabulous atmosphere. The warm, sunny day encouraged many visitors to come and see what was on offer. With over 70 exhibitors offering a wide variety of services from jewellery to estate agency, to Fosse Septique installation to reflexology to digger hire to Double-‐glazed windows and doors and loads more; there was definitely something for everyone! I n t e g ra t i o n i n t o t h e community is vital for a successful business and we constantly strive to build good connections with our local French businesses. We were pleased to receive such a positive response to this year's event with a good number of local French Monsieur Vitré and I at the event opening exhibitors and visitors. Monsieur le Maire once again opened the event and he also spoke of the importance of our Anglo-‐French connection. This year we aided visitors and exhibitors with any language difficulties by providing the free services of translators throughout the day. If anyone was in need of any help, a flag was waved and help arrived! The local scout group were busy selling their 2014 calendars and did a super job welcoming all visitors. They counted more than 650 people during the day. During the course of the day there were a couple of competitions to take part in, and we have those results here. Sarl Prince gave away a beautiful wool rug to the lucky winner: Mr Mick Laverick, while Bradley Warden of Blevins Franks kept visitors busy with a quiz. The winner of this quiz was Les Ellington. Thanks to all who took part. The Anglo-‐French Trade Fair will be repeated next year on Saturday 20th September 2014. If you would like to reserve your stand now, please feel free to complete the online booking form on our website: www.thedeuxsevresmonthly.fr
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Momentum Swings in Pound’s Favour by Sue Cook
The pound started the month in a prime posiƒon as it pushed towards the key level of 1.20 against the euro on a 2013 year high. The move higher in the pound had been driven by economic data releases that far outstripped expectaƒons from each sector of the UK economy with services, construcƒon and manufacturing all performing strongly. The knock on effect of UK data, surprising to the upside, led to the markets’ expectaƒons of raising interest rates for the UK sooner than the Bank of England had set out in their forward guidance policy. The Bank of England has been drumming home the expectaƒon that rates will not rise unƒl 2016, however the markets were now pricing in a rate rise in mid to late 2015. The reason for this divergence is the fact that robust economic growth would help to trigger one or a combinaƒon of the Bank of England’s knock outs whereby interest rates would need to rise. As we moved through the month the rally in the pound started to fade and in particular against the euro; there were two reasons behind this. Firstly, the UK economic data started to slow down and now data releases that came in as expected or below led to a fall in the pound. This emphasised the mentality of the markets which were looking for data to come in above expectations to further buy into the pound. This was clearly evident on the release of the preliminary UK GDP data for the third quarter which although coming in at a robust 0.8% as expected led to a fall in the pound. Secondly, the euro was also on a fantastic run and was garnering support from a weaker USD in light of the debt negotiation debacle and the expectation that the US Federal Reserve were not looking to imminently scale back their asset purchase programme. The euro was the main beneficiary of USD weakness as it acquired demand as an alternative option outside the USD and economic data was showing a steady pace of recovery in Europe. In addition, the sound-‐bites from the European Central Bank did not point towards extra liquidity measures or an interest rate cut in the near term, further supporting the euro rally. These factors led to a 3 per cent fall in the GBP/EUR rate towards the end of October.
Nowotny, commented on this point and asserted that extra liquidity was necessary especially as the LTRO programme in place comes to its conclusion. This has raised the prospect of the European Central Bank implementing measures sooner rather than later and possibly at their next meeting on 7 November. In the meantime, we have, once again, witnessed good data from the UK with service sector PMI rising at its fastest pace in a decade, and almost simultaneously the EU downgrading their growth forecasts for 2014. At the moment, the momentum has swung back in favour of the pound and all eyes will be on the European Central Bank decision and the quarterly inflation report from the UK for further momentum.
Sue Cook, Currencies Direct Tel: 06 89 99 28 89 Email: sue.c@currenciesdirect.com
However, the story flip flopped once again following the interest rate meeting by the US Federal Reserve on the 30th October. The FOMC were surprisingly optimistic and kept the door open for a potential taper of their asset purchase programme in December or January against the markets expectation of March 2014 at the earliest. This ruffled a few feathers and has also served to raise the pressure on the European Central Bank to do more to maintain liquidity in Europe should the US taper. One ECB member,
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THE VENDÉE MONTHLY
Vendée is on the Up! The Republic bounced its way out with a growth this quarter of 0.5%. This makes it the fastest growth since 2011 -‐ certainly tourist numbers in France are much higher this year. The Vendée has seen a bumper month with most holiday accommodation full. I can't remember seeing things this busy for at least 3 years. This season there were more Brits, Dutch and, of course, French, than in the last 7 years. At the moment there are still some bargains to be found in the property market but this is sure to change quickly as there are already signs that the French banks are once again freely offering mortgages. Whilst looking for Australian clients at the moment I have seen some super places for under 80,000 euros. Speaking to a local Bank Official this week she informed me that they are positively lending once again. She has seen a shift though from people seeking to borrow against new builds to purchasing older stone properties. This is backed up by local Agents who say there is a shortage of period properties on the market and more clients than homes to offer. If you are thinking of investing in French property, either for a personal home or to let as a gite, now could just be that time to snap up a bargain before prices start to rise. In the Vendée properties within 20 minutes of the coast are always in demand and have a good letting season if you are looking to subsidise a French mortgage. If you are looking to buy in this wonderful sunny part of France, think 27˚C to 30˚C sunshine right through the Summer, then please do give us a call and we can find your special place by the sea before the prices rise.
www.mamaisonparfaite.com Tel: +33 (0)6 21 74 75 01 Email: info.mamaisonparfaite@gmail.com
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Location of Christmas Event! See our guide on pages 16 & 17 for details.
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