November 2009

Solar power set to arrive in the LimousinTwo large solar power stations are to be built in the Limousin near Bonnat (Creuse) and Bessines-sur-Gartempe (Haute-Vienne). With over €50 million of investment planned, solar power is coming to the Limousin.

2,000-year-old sausage rediscovered in CreuseLocal butcher, Patrice

Caro, from Sainte-Feyre (23) has recreated a spe-cial type of sausage that has not been seen for

hundreds, if not thousands of years. The Bugle went to meet him to hear the story.

At first glance his ‘Bâton de Gaudy’ is nothing special to look at, much like any other dry sausage you would expect to see in a butcher’s window. However, this sausage is the result of two years of painstaking work.

The story of the sausage dates back 2,000 years. Legend has it that local Druids convened in the granite hills to the east of Creuse to conjure up a food that would give the defending Gauls the power to defeat the invad-ing Roman army. Of course, history tells us that the Romans won, but the sausage survived.

Based on this legend, local secrets, 30 years of experience (and pos-sibly a touch of poetic license), M. Caro has recreated this sausage at his butcher’s in Sainte-Feyre. The result is a sausage with a slight nutty flavour (attributed to the mixture of pork and beef), which is far less fatty than you would expect from a dry sausage.

All the ingredients are sourced lo-cally. When asked where the meat comes from, M. Caro casually leads us outside and points to a field on the

horizon. Even the splash of alcohol he uses is locally distilled. In fact, the only ingredients not sourced from Creuse are a few aromatics unavail-able here. It is made and dried entire-ly on site by M. Caro’s own hands.

The idea came to M. Caro several years ago when discussing local sau-sages with a butcher from another part of France. It took over two years to get the recipe just right; the bal-ance of spices, the quantities of meat, the right dash of alcohol, the drying

time. The result was worth the effort.

Although he has plans to sell this sau-sage in some local shops, it is current-ly only available from his butcher’s in Sainte-Feyre, just round the back of the church. Why not pay him a visit at the Fête de la Pomme in Sainte-Feyre on November 8th (see page 24 for more details). When we were there he assured us he had a large batch of Bâ-ton de Gaudy drying out back.

Not content with re-inventing a

2000-year-old sausage, M. Caro’s next project is getting to the bottom of the recipe for chapelette, a locally famous type of andouillette created by a butcher in Chapelle-Taillefert. This butcher retired, taking his recipe with him, and M. Caro plans to be selling his version of it in the near future.

Before we left, we asked M. Caro more about the recipe for Bâton de Gaudy. He just smiled - that is stay-ing a closely guarded secret! ■

Page 5

SPORT... p9Limousin loses out on World Rally stage

FRENCH LIFE... p14Kissing map of France - how many is polite?

Le grand viaduc de Millau - The biggest viaduct in the world

FEATURE... p12-13

INSIDE > > >

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

2 2 ♦ IN THIS EDITION

Welcome to The Bugle

Hello and wel-come to the very first edition of The Bugle. I

hope you enjoy reading our brand new newspaper as much as we have enjoyed putting it together. Getting our launch edition written, edited, printed and distrib-uted right across Creuse and Haute-Vienne by the first of November has not been without its challenges, but it has been an exciting adven-ture and if you are reading this, then we made it!

The Bugle is a newspaper with a local feel, one which contains a good mix of news and events, light-hearted stories and discussions on more serious topics. We have spoken to a vast num-ber of English speakers across the region and one theme that kept cropping up was that it is hard keeping up to date with local (and to a certain extent national) French news. Most of us have an ever-improving lev-el of French which enables us to live, work and commu-nicate in a French-speaking country, but not as many of us have the level of French which allows us to browse La Montagne or Le Monde over a coffee, or sit down in an evening and watch the news on TF1. Our principle objective in founding The Bugle is to bring French news to the English-speak-ing community, with an em-phasis on local news stories affecting Creuse, Haute-Vienne and the surrounding areas.

We will not stop with the news, however, and The Bugle is jam-packed with content. Each month we will have articles on living

more than happy to help raise awareness. Advertis-ers with The Bugle can also place commercial listings for upcoming events in our What’s On section (pages 23-24) or on our Notice Board (see page 22).

We want you to enjoy read-ing this paper and we wel-come all and any feedback you may have. Whether you have something to say about an article, sugges-tions about future content, or you want to get involved with The Bugle as a con-tributor, please feel free to contact me (Steve) at editor@thebugle.eu. Each month we will feature a Letters to the Editor page. We have a few topical is-sues on this page to get you going in our first month and we look forward to hearing your views on these or any other issues.

We have tried to write this paper with the reader in mind and hope that you find it enjoyable and informa-tive. We started this project in the height of summer, but looking out of my win-dow now, the landscape is slowly turning the auburn shades of autumn. As sum-mer ends and the leaves die, our newspaper is being born. We hope it has a long and enjoyable life in this beautiful part of the world.

Until next month.

Steve MartindaleEditor

in France, What’s On list-ings, practical advice, con-tributions from regular col-umnists and a centre-page, in-depth feature article.

This month Aubusson’s tapestries are inducted into UNESCO, the building of two new solar power sta-tions is announced and Sar-kozy gets in more trouble with the announcement that his son is set to get a top job in a government agency. Also this month: should Sundays be sacred; how far were French monks prepared to go to eat frogs legs; why Marie Antoinette was obsessed with cake; and when are you most likely to spot a sanglier? All of this and more in No-vember’s Bugle.

Something else we have noticed on our travels across central France over the last few months are the number of things going on that we knew nothing about. With this in mind, we will be putting a large emphasis on our What’s On section. We will always place any non-commercial events in the paper for free, whether you are an adver-tiser or not. So if you run a book-swap, a charity event, a social group or any other not-for-profit event, please let us know and we will be

INSIDE this editionNews >>

1 & 3>6 Local News:In 2009, the Limousin has so far seen its driest year for 30 years.

Doctors warn against panic as the colder weather brings Swine Flu worries.

Aubusson’s tapestries are recognised by UNESCO.

Solar power arrives in the Limousin with the announcement that two large power stations will be built in the coming years.

The Bugle talks to the Commercial Manager of Limoges International Airport and gets his views on the impact on the region of the credit crunch.

7>8 National News:New license plate laws come into force for second hand cars.

France Telecom’s second in command resigns amid growing pressure over staff suicides.

McDonald’s announces the opening of a restau-rant in the Louvre museum in Paris.

French Life >>10>11 & 14>15 Chicken Corner - Paul Lay considers what to do when your hens stop laying.

I Spy..... a sanglier. In the first of a monthly feature, we look at wildlife common to the Limousin.

How many kisses is polite? We share with you a ‘kissing map’ of France.

Pouring money down the drain - how much is the water in our gutters worth?

Letters to The Editor >>19 Letter from The Editor; your thoughts and comments.

What do you miss from home?

Should Sundays be sacred?

Is the recession really over?

Language & Games >>20>21 Mangetout Rodney - classic French mistransla-tion.

Marie Antoinette - what did she really mean?

Crossword, Sudoku, Food wordsearch and Spot the Difference.

Feature >>12>13 The modern wonder that is the Millau Viaduct.

Directory >>16 > 17 The Bugle Business Directory.

What’s On >>22 Community Notice Board.

23>24 Event listings for November.

Managing Editor: Steve MartindaleEditor-in-Chief: Steve MartindaleRegistered Address: Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St Yrieix-Les-Bois France

SIRET: 514 989 748 00017Print Run: 7000 copiesDirecteur: Steve Martindale

Rédacteur-en-chef: Steve MartindaleSiège Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St Yrieix-Les-Bois France

SIRET: 514 989 748 00017Tirage: 7000 copies

CONTACT us Tel: 05.55.41.17.76 General: editor@thebugle.eu Advertising: sales@thebugle.eu Subscriptions: subscriptions@thebugle.eu

Write to: The Bugle Les Quatre Chemins 23150 St Yrieix-Les-Bois France

“Le Nouveau Beaujolias est Arrivé” - Novem-ber 15th is party time as the new Beaujolais is released.

After a few difficult years, French wine sales continue their decline globally while New World wines flourish.

Sport >>9 Online gaming set to become legal in France after laws are relaxed.

France centre Mathieu Bastareaud is suspended for 3 months after phantom injuries in NZ.

The Limousin misses out on hosting a stage of the World Rally Championship.

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

3 LOCAL NEWS ♦

Limousin sees driest year in 3 decades

In the first nine months of 2009, the Limousin has so far seen one of the driest

years on record for 30 years. Coupled with above average temperatures, the lack of rain has seen the ‘green and blue’ region of France less green than usual. The dry conditions have been most noticeable in Haute-Vi-enne and north-west Creuse where the grass all but stopped growing this summer. Good news for those of us with large gardens and small lawnmow-ers! Five days of heavy rain in late August ensured that the rivers stayed full and the fields green in Corrèze, however.

In September, the Météo

France station at Limoges-Bellegarde recorded just 27mm of rain – significantly down on the average 84mm that would be expected for this time of year. However, Françoise Marguerat, cli-mate technician at Météo France, has been keen to stress that no one is blam-ing global warming for this year’s lack of rain, pointing out that 2007 and 2008 were both cooler years with above average rainfall, with 2008 in particular proving to be one of the wettest on record. With long periods of hot weather and sunshine, not too many here have been complaining about the lack of rain. But we should may-be spare a thought for those across the channel in the UK, who were promised a ‘bar-beque summer’ by the Met Office, only to find summer 2009 disappointing, much along the lines of the previ-ous two years. ■

Meteorologists report that whilst not being the hottest, 2009 has so far been the driest year on records for 30 years.

Photo: Michael Patterson

Petrol most expensive in AubussonAUBUSSON – Fill up your tanks before you get to Au-busson. The Mayor of Au-busson has written to the two largest sellers of pet-rol in his commune to ask why prices in Aubusson are higher than anywhere else in Creuse. He has asked that they align their prices with those of the other towns in the surrounding regions, noting that petrol is often 2 cents a litre more expensive, if not more.

Angry shop workers strikeGUERET - Intermarché in Guéret saw angry scenes in October as workers pro-tested against what they see as unacceptable working conditions. Staff wanted to question their Director, who was not present, about be-ing ‘treated like animals’. Complaints included un-reasonable working hours, unpaid overtime and stress in the workplace. After mak-ing their protest and handing out leaflets to customers, the store reopened for business.

€4,000 donation to giant mazeGUERET – Crédit Agricole has donated €4,000 to the Labyrinthe Géant des Monts de Guéret to help revital-ise rural economies. The Labyrinth, whilst receiving far fewer visitors than its neighbour, the wolf park, nonetheless had its best ever year. With over 21,000 paying visitors, owners put the success down, in part, to the improved weather, but also to an advertising cam-paign that saw 40 billboards placed around the region. They say they intend to use the money to further promote the attraction next summer.

Work was halted recently at the abattoirs of both

Limoges and Bessines as veterinarian staff went on strike, effectively closing the facilities. Without the vets present, no animals can legally be slaughtered.

The vets were responding to a national call for strike

action following proposed plans to restructure the in-dustry and remove the in-dependence of veterinary agents.

The vets are currently em-ployees of the state, charged with maintaining national and European laws on ani-mal slaughter and do not work directly for the abat-toirs. They are responsible for detecting sick animals, maintaining health stan-dards along the slaughter lines and preventing conta-gious diseases from spread-ing amongst livestock.

The proposed changes will see the abattoirs employ their own vets. The vets claim that if private sector industrialists are respon-sible for implementing their own animal welfare procedures, standards will drop and costs will be cut, which will lead to poorer conditions for the animals and, more importantly, in-creased danger for the pub-lic. ■

Vet strike causes abattoir closures Fearing for both their own jobs and animal welfare, a vets’ strike caused the closure of two of Haute-Vienne’s biggest abattoirs.

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NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

4 4 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

Church restoredS A I N T- M A RT I A L - L E -VIEUX - Since 2001, lo-cal authorities and residents alike have been battling to raise money to restore the 12th century church in Saint-Martial-le-Vieux. After years of fund-raising efforts, and 66,000 euros later, the work is now complete. Next step, say those in charge of the church, is the interior and the stained-glass windows!

Saint-Vaury finally gets a market daySAINT-VAURY – Residents of Saint-Vaury now have their own market-day. Since the end of the summer, on the second Sunday of every month, 30 stallholders take over the Place de l’Eglise to sell their wares. The decision was made by a committee of elected officials and mem-bers of the public, with the mayor claiming its initial success proves they were responding to a need within the town, especially after the recent closure of the town’s épicerie.

Encouraging Tourist NumbersLA COURTINE - The tour-ist offices of La Courtine and Mérinchal have this month released figures showing more people than ever have visited looking for informa-tion. They reported visitor numbers of 3,072, represent-ing an increase of 400 on the previous year.

With colder weather arriving, doctors call for calm over Swine Flu fearsWith the first few cold snaps here, doctors at Guéret hospital have seen an increase in patients worried they have swine flu.

Doctors Advice:• If you are worried, get yourself vaccinated• Wash your hands thoroughly and regularly• Cough into a handkerchief• Shake hands rather than kiss where appropriate

With the Indian sum-mer coming to an end, the spectre

of Swine Flu (‘la grippe A’ in French) is again expected to raise its head in the coming months. Hospital leaders have been urging the public to re-main calm and follow simple guidelines.

As temperatures cool across the Limousin, Guéret hospital has already noticed an increase in the number of people com-ing through its doors with

cold-like symptoms, but wor-ried about swine flu. Add to this the number of calls they are receiving from anxious members of the public, and it is already becoming a drain on resources, say hospital admin-istrators.

The advice remains the same.

If you are worried, or if you are elderly or infirm, ask your doc-tor for a flu jab. This will vac-cinate you against the standard winter flu that claims 2,500 lives each year in France. It is being advised to do this sooner rather than later, as you must wait 3 weeks between receiv-ing a standard flu jab and the vaccine against H1N1. It is ex-pected that the vaccine against swine flu will be available from the beginning of November.

The swine flu vaccine will

be freely available to any-one and will be adminis-tered in two doses, three weeks apart. It will then take a further 15 days for the antibodies to be fully produced in your system and for you to be immun-ised.

In the meantime, the ad-vice is: wash your hands thoroughly and regularly, cough into a handkerchief and greet people with a handshake, not a kiss. ■

H1N1 under the microscope

France Telecom removing phoneboxesFrance Telecom is re-

moving telephone boxes that it con-

siders to be used ‘too in-frequently’. The mayor of Crocq recently received no-tice that two of the town’s three telephone boxes were being decommissioned, with France Telecom claim-ing that the phones were used for ‘a matter of min-utes’ every month.

Crocq, like large parts of Creuse, is in an area known as a zone blanche – some-where with no mobile phone signal. The mayor claims that the phone booths are vital not only to his commu-nity, but also to the tourists that pass through each year.

In nearby Felletin, the situ-ation is worse, with the phone box at the entrance to the commune due to be removed in the next few weeks. ■

Aubusson weaves its way to World Heritage status

The world-re-nowned tapes-tries of Aubus-son have been announced as

one of 76 recent additions to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It joins alongside other cultural ele-ments like the tango of Ar-gentina and Uraguay.

The list, which currently con-tains 166 elements of culture from 76 countries, has been created to raise public aware-ness regarding the importance of intangible heritage – or living heritage - and its safe-guarding.

The Intangible Cultural Heri-tage List is a counterpart

to the World Heritage List, which aims to recognise the importance of and help pro-tect physical sites, such as buildings and monuments.

Intangible heritage includes such domains as oral tradi-tions and expressions; per-forming arts; social practices, rituals and festive events; knowledge and practices con-cerning nature and the uni-verse; traditional craftsman-ship.

UNESCO has recognized the importance of the Aubusson tapestries. The tradition of the craft dates back almost six centuries and is today still practiced by three small busi-nesses and ten or so artisan weavers in and around Aubus-son and Felletin.

The UNESCO citation notes that Aubusson has become as-sociated with tapestry to such an extent that the word Au-busson has become a proper noun in some languages.

UNESCO states that “To sta-bilize the level of activity and avoid breaking the line of transmission, the interest of the young must be stimulated

and this heritage promoted.”

The tapestry museum in Au-busson is open every day except Tuesday from 09:30 -

12:00 and 14:00 - 18:00, Tel: 05 55 83 08 30. Guided tours are included as part of the ticket price. ■

Aubusson has made its way into UNESCO as its tapestries are recog-nised as an important worlwide element of cultural heritage.

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05.55.41.17.76editor@thebugle.eu

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THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

5 LOCAL NEWS ♦

School goes high-techBUSSIERE-DUNOISE - The primary school in Bussière-Dunoise has become one of three schools in Creuse to be equipped with computers for all children as part of a scheme to modernise rural schools. The computers in the classrooms, available for the first time this school year, are equipped with Wi-Fi and teachers can interact with all their pupils’ screens from the front of the class.

New square inauguratedEVAUX-LES-BAINS - Octo-ber saw a new square inaugurat-ed in Evaux-les-Bains, Creuse. In June 1994, while battling a blaze on a local farm, local fireman, Gaston Vincent, was crushed by a wall behind which he was taking shelter. He left behind a wife and four children. Two other pompiers who were evacuated to Montluçon hos-pital were lucky to escape with their lives. To commemorate his bravery and acknowledge the work of local firefighters, a plaque was unveiled in a cer-emony attended by Gaston’s wife, family and friends as well as local dignitaries and a delega-tion of sapeurs-pompiers.

First vintage for Italian vineS A I N T- S U L P I C E - L E -GUERETOIS – A vine given to Saint-Sulpice-le-Guérétois by its twinned town in Italy, has this year produced its first vin-tage. From a humble 30cm tall sapling, the vine has grown to produce grapes which locals de-scribed as having a strawberry-like flavour.

3G+ comes to St-LéonardSAINT-LEONARD-DE-NOB-LAT – Next generation mobile phone users will be pleased to note that 3G+ is now available throughout the commune of Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat. This technology will allow those with compatible handsets or laptops to stream television and make videocalls.

Solar power arrives in the Limousin

Bonnat, in northern Creuse is set to become the site of the first solar pow-

er station in the Limousin. Led by the Marseille-based firm, Conexia, the project looks set to get underway in 2010, despite originally be-ing planned for this year.

Solar power is not generally considered a particularly lu-crative form of energy pro-duction, but following recent changes in energy buy-back rates and some technical evo-lutions, the Limousin looks set to see more and more of these plants collecting our sun in the coming years.

The project near Bonnat will see an investment of 23 mil-lion euros to cover 10 hect-ares of land with solar panels. These panels will produce 5 megawatts of energy, equiva-lent to the annual energy con-sumption of a town of 5,000 people.

New rules recently estab-

lished mean that EDF will buy back any solar energy created at preferential rates imposed by the state, and these prices will be fixed for 20 years. It is this guarantee that makes it an at-tractive investment opportuni-ty, indicating an annual return of around 10%.

So what is in it for the people of Bonnat? The site currently be-longs to the commune and will be loaned to Conexia for a pe-riod of 20 years, which means that the commune will receive

ground rent for the land, based on a share of the profits. The commune will also receive a professional tax of 200,000 eu-ros (although this is not guar-anteed for the whole 20 years). When the 20 year agreement expires, Conexia will put the site back to its original state.

The solar panels will be in-stalled at ground level, make no noise and contain no dan-gerous chemicals (gone are the days of Cadmium in the solar cells). This makes them a much

more attractive option than the wind farms with all their asso-ciated noise and wildlife prob-lems.

Despite not being as sunny as other regions of France, the Creuse benefits from its alti-tude. Believe it or not, solar panels can get too hot, and the cool breezes associated with Creuse will help keep the pan-els cool and the energy flow-ing.

Bonnat is not alone in lead-

ing the way in solar power in the Limousin. Plans are also in place for a massive 25 hectare solar power station near Bessines-sur-Gartempe. This facility will generate an impressive 8.5 megawatts, or in other words, three times the current consumption of Bessines, making it the larg-est solar power station in the Limousin.

The project is being run by Areva in collaboration with the commune and will be situated on the former min-ing land of the old Cogéma site at Bellezane. There will be no impact on agriculture, and there is no housing near-by.

Solar power is not necessar-ily just for big business. For individuals looking to install solar panels on their home, the average investment would be around 25,000 eu-ros for 20 metres squared. This sounds like a lot, but if you are quick, you will still be eligible for a tax credit on this amount, and you can also expect to make back 2,000 euros a year via the EDF buy-back scheme.

This return would put you into profit in 10 years, which makes it an investment worth considering for many people. ■

With nearly €60 mil-lion to be invested in two sites in the com-ing years, solar power looks set to become part of the Limousin’s future

Hornets’ nest surprises localsAs autumn arrived and

the leaves began to fall, the residents of La

Roche near Saint-Yrieix-sous-Aixe received a surprise in the branches of a tree. A hornets’ nest - one metre across - was revealed, much to everyone’s alarm.

Despite its enormous size, the nest was well camouflaged

against the tree and had not been noticed up until that point. And although no one had been bitten by any of the estimated 3,000 Asian hornets thought to be living there, residents want-ed the nest removed.

Asian hornets are a recent ar-rival to these shores, can grow up to 5 cm long, and prey on honey bees amongst other

things (see also page 11).

The responsibility for the re-moval of the nest was disputed. The tree is on private land, but the branches hang over a public footpath. The fire brigade were quick to point out that they will not remove wasp or hornet nests unless there is a real dan-ger to the public, for example if the nest is by a school or a hospital.

In the end it was up to the own-er of the property to arrange for a private firm to remove the hornets’ home. ■

Two men, aged 22 and 33, have been convicted in Limoges of the ag-

gravated assault of a 74-year-old lady in Limoges on October 6th.

While in Limoges for a medi-cal appointment, the 22 year old man stole the lady’s hand-bag on avenue Ernest-Ruben, before jumping into his accom-plice’s car and making off. The pair stole cards and cash which they used to fill up their car

with petrol, do some grocery shopping and treat themselves to a restaurant meal before heading back to Brive where they both live.

The men were taken into custo-dy the following day, however, thanks to an eagle-eyed witness who managed to take down their number plate.

The pair have been sentence to eight months in jail, suspended for two years. ■

Speedy conviction for thugs

If you have a news story for The Bugle, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Do you have an article you would like to con-tribute, or maybe you would like to be a regular columnist? We are looking for ideas, suggestions and contributions from our readers and will reply to all correspondence, so don’t be shy. You can reach us at The Bugle, Les Quatre Chemins, 23150 St Yrieix-les-Bois or at editor@thebugle.eu

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NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

6 6 ♦ LOCAL NEWS

main popular with residents, with the average flight being 70-75 % full. Flights in the height of the summer this year ran at almost full capacity.

When you add to this the encourag-ing numbers released by the INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies) earlier this year, you start to see a positive picture of the Limousin emerging. Based on the 2006 census, the INSEE figures show that the population of the Lim-ousin is on the increase. INSEE not-ed that although 48,200 people left the region during the period 2001-2006, 60,200 took their place, with a net gain of 12,000 inhabitants. Un-til recent times, the population was both declining and ageing, and M. Lartigaut believes that a big factor in the re-population of the Limousin is the 12,000 or so British residents currently living in the region.

The Limousin remains an at-tractive place to live and visit

So why does the Limousin remain so attractive? In short, house prices are still the cheapest in France and it goes without saying you get a lot more for your money here than you do in the UK. The lifestyle is un-

Airport passenger figures remain strong despite the financial crisis

Limoges International Airport saw a record number of passengers this summer

Eric Lartigaut, the Com-mercial Manager at Limo-ges International Airport spoke at length with The

Bugle on a number of topical issues regarding passenger numbers and the airport’s plans for the future.

Record numbers for 2009

With more and more anecdotal evi-dence of expats flocking home, there has been a general feeling among some this year that the global finan-cial crisis and the weakness of the pound have begun to take their toll on British homeowners in the Lim-ousin. Not so, says Eric Lartigaut, who is seeing record numbers of pas-sengers through the doors of Limo-ges airport. Amongst these he counts businessmen and women, working in the UK during the week and return-ing to the Limousin at the weekend.

In fact, Limoges International Air-port showed record figures for travel this summer, smashing its previous personal bests for global travel in July and for international travel in August. 45,703 passengers were transported to and from the airport in July alone, the first time ever that numbers have surpassed 45,000 in one month. Of the 44,144 passengers it saw in August, 41,877 travelled to international destinations, showing the success of the low cost airline routes to the UK.

In general terms in 2009, Limoges airport has noted stable traffic on the low cost airlines, with predicted annual traffic only slightly down on 2008, and not greatly affected by the Credit Crunch. Off-season flights re-

beatable (no more long commutes packed like sardines onto trains, or stuck on the M25) and the magnifi-cent surroundings in the so-called “green and blue” region make it one of the most beautiful parts of France.

The Limousin is continually evolv-ing as an attractive destination for tourists, with a large number of events organised by the tourist bod-ies and fascinating and enjoyable places to visit. The Bugle is work-ing closely with tourist offices all over the region to help promote local events – see our What’s On? section for a just a selection of these.

The success of the low cost air-lines

The introduction of four new Ry-anair routes this summer proved to be a huge success, in particular the flights to Edinburgh and Bristol. The end of the summer season unfortu-nately means the end of the flights to Luton and Bournemouth, but the ever popular Stansted (Ryanair) and Southampton (FlyBe) routes will continue to carry passengers to the capital and the south coast.

Discussions have been taking place for some time about the possibility of flights to Ireland (either Dublin or Shannon) and this is something that Limoges airport is very keen to see happen. M. Lartigaut sees the poten-tial in opening up a route to Ireland, not only to service the Irish living in the region, but also to encourage French holiday makers to discover what Ireland has to offer, and notes a particular reciprocal interest to fish-ermen and golfers of both countries. M. Lartigaut would also like to see the return of the route to Brussels Charleroi (Ryanair) which proved very popular but is not currently op-

erating.

According to an article published in Le Populaire on 5th October, the air-port is seeing more and more French on low cost flights, particularly the young. Residents of the Limousin are tempted by the lure of unbeat-able value, punctuality (Ryanair flights are reputed to be very punc-tual), ease of ticket purchase online and the fact London is an important transport hub with connections all over the world.

Continually improving the ser-vice it provides

Limoges International Airport has seen many improvements to the service it provides in recent years, including the renovation of the car park, the opening of its restaurant Les Hélices and the introduction of the navette service in summer months to the centre of Limoges, to name but a few.

The airport was designed and built before the arrival of the low cost airlines and does suffer from some criticism about the level of com-fort in the small departure lounges. M. Lartigaut is well aware of con-cerns regarding overcrowding and is working towards improving facili-ties for passengers waiting to board their flight. One such initiative is the planned removal of the current seating downstairs and replacement with more space-efficient solutions, including upright lean-to rests such

as those commonly found on tube trains. He is also planning to place water distributors (paid, but not ex-pensive) in the halls to complement the existing snack machines. An improvement already in place is the desk located at the top of the escala-tor after customs at which boarding cards are now scanned, so there is no need to keep your documents out in order to board the aircraft. This frees up hands for carrying luggage, chil-dren etc.

The airport has introduced a spe-cial training programme aimed at improving the level of English of all airport staff. The management recognises the importance of making passengers feel at ease when trav-elling, especially those who have a fear of flying (which M. Lartigaut puts at a surprising 10% of all pas-sengers).

The airport is keen for feedback and during our time with M. Lartigaut, The Bugle made a couple of sugges-tions of our own. For those of you it may help, a chair is going to be installed in the baby-changing area for Mum’s wishing to breastfeed and the airport is looking into placing a notice on the parking payment ma-chines explaining more clearly how to use your bank card. The machines currently offer 2 options when pay-ing by card - Moneo and carte ban-caire - which confuses users. We suggested that these options be made clear in a notice in English on the machines.

If you have any further suggestions or comments on your time at the airport, fill out the questionnaire available from the reception desk (Acceuil) the next time you are there, or use the contact form on the Contact Us sec-tion of the airport website www. aero-portlimoges.com/en-EN/. ■

The Bugle recently met with the Commercial Manager at Limoges International Air-port where passenger num-bers have hit record figures this summer and plans for the future indicate a posi-tive outlook for 2010 and beyond.

New route between Limoges and Leeds-Bradford

Ryanair the lowest fares airline and Limoges International airport are pleased to announce a new route between Limoges and Leeds-Bradford airport.This new route will link Limoges to Leeds with 2 weekly flights starting 28th March 2010, on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Schedules will be as follows:Leeds 13h35 Limoges 16h25Limoges 16h50 Leeds 17h45

Information and bookings on: www.ryanair.com

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

7 NATIONAL NEWS ♦

have one number plate for life.

The popular system whereby a vehicle’s home department could be established from the last two digits of the

France Telecom boss resignsfollowing staff suicides

Following a spate of staff sui-cides, France Telecom’s Depu-ty Chief Executive has finally

resigned amid growing pressure from unhappy union leaders, and mounting public demand.

Charged with modernising the for-mer state-run monopoly, Louis-Pierre Wenes, 60, was running a tough cost-cutting campaign at Europe’s third largest phone company. Follow-ing the acquisition of Orange at the height of the Telecoms boom, France Telecom ran up a deficit of €80 bil-lion, and is currently trying to cut an-nual costs by nearly €2 billion in the next two years.

State-run until the late nineties, 65% of staff still have protected civil ser-vant contracts and are virtually un-sackable, and the company as a whole has an average age of 48. Unions claim that France Telecom has been moving these workers into high-pres-sure, call-centre jobs where salaries are performance based, in a move designed to encourage them to resign.

When Jean-Paul Rouanet, a 51-year-old father-of-two, jumped from a bridge in the Alps, he left his wife a note blaming pressure at work for his decision. He be-came the 24th France Telecom employ-ee to take their own life in 20 months.

The negative publicity has been a public-relations nightmare for France Telecom, with the number of customers cancelling their subscriptions ‘for ethi-cal reasons’ doubling in recent weeks.

France Telecom bosses have been quick to point out that the numbers involved are well within national averages. France has one of the highest levels of work-related suicides in the world, with around 400 a year. According to the World Health Organisation, France has an annual suicide rate of 26.4 per 100,000 for men and 9.2 for women. France Telecom has about 100,000 em-ployees, so whilst 24 suicides in nearly 2 years is a lot, it is not statistically un-likely.

France Telecom has now suspended plans to transfer a further 500 staff until at least the end of the year.

Louis-Pierre Wenes has been replaced as number two by a former chief of staff at the Finance Ministry, Stephane Rich-ard, a close personal friend of President Sarkozy. ■

New license plate rules come into force for all cars

All new and second-hand cars must now use the new license plate system

Following the intro-duction of the new system of registra-tion plates for new cars back in April, all second-hand cars must now also carry the new plates.

One forthe roadPARIS - A coach driver was arrested in Paris recently whilst preparing to drive tourists across the capital. Despite working for a company, not only did he not a have a valid li-cence, but admitted to having drunk 7.5 litres of beer!

Largest ever dino footprint foundAmateur paleontologists have this month discovered what are believed to be the largest collection of dino-saur footprints ever found in France. The footprints, up to two metres in diameter, come from the sauropod dinosaur, a giant herbivore which roamed the region in the late Juras-sic period 150 million years ago.

No more phones in schoolsFrance has, since October, banned the use of mobile phones in all pre-schools, primary schools and col-lèges, under a law aimed to protect the health of children.

Volcano eruption is imminentREUNION – The active volcano of Piton de la Fournaise on the French overseas territory of Réunion is on the point of erupting, it has been recently warned. A series of mini-eruptions have been detected by seismologists on the island, causing the alert level to be raised to 1, its highest level and indicating that an eruption is imminent.

110km/h on motorwarys to limit CO2LORRAINE – A trial scheme is un-derway that is attempting to lower CO2 emissions by reducing the maximum speed from 130 km/h to 110km/h on a 180km stretch of mo-torway in Lorraine. Although the Secretary of State for Ecology ad-mits that the scheme is not ‘the most important one’ for reducing overall CO2 emissions, no decisions will be made until the results of the trial be-come available.

Sarkozy under fire as son looks set for top jobPresident Nicolas Sarkozy is

again embroiled in a nepotism row after his second son from

his first marriage has been tipped for a top job with a public agency.

Despite still being a student, Jean Sarkozy, 23, looks set to become the head of the La Défense development agency, EPAD. This agency, which was once run by his father Nicolas, is charged with the modernization and development of Paris’ financial district, La Défense, already one of the major financial areas in Europe and with plans to rival the City of London.

“Prince Jean”, as he has been dubbed in the French press, does have some experience. He has been a local councillor in the wealthy Pa-risian suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, where his father was once mayor, for two years. Married to the heiress of a retail company and expecting the first presidential grandchild in December, Jean Sarkozy has always struggled to escape from the shadow of the soap-opera of the presiden-tial family life. He has asked to be judged, not on his name, but on his actions.

The top job at EPAD has become available as the outgoing head,

Patrick Devedjian, has reached the ceiling age for the job of 65. As a key member of President Sarkozy’s governing centre-right UMP party, Patrick Devedjian has endorsed Jean Sarkozy’s appointment, despite condemnation from opponents.

Socialist deputy Michèle Delau-nay condemned the appointment as a further example of “a policy of clans, family and personal interests” and accused President Sarkozy of “nepotism and provocation”. ■

Gone - the old system will become increasingly rare

Anyone who has bought a new car since 15th April will be

well aware of the new num-ber plate system now in force in France. In fact, more and more cars bearing the new number plates can be seen on the roads of France ev-ery month. The new system, which brings France into line with European standards, was originally due to be put in place at the beginning of the year, but the project has been beset by teething problems.

At the time of the launch of

ber can be of the owner’s choosing. A vehicle showing 87 will not necessarily come from Haute-Vienne, the car’s owner may simply be a fan of Limoges.

Several reasons have been given for the change. There are currently over 150 million vehicles registered in France, but only about 40 million are in use. The rest have simply not been declared when they were scrapped. Another im-pending problem was Paris, where the current system, dating back to 1950, was due to run out of numbers some time in 2016. ■

the system for new cars, it was planned that the same rules would be applied for second-hand cars from 15th June, but with a speed unlike-ly to set many speed cameras flashing, the new system has finally come into practice for all cars from 15th October. If you now buy a new or sec-ond-hand car, you will need to get a new number plate.

Historically, a car could have many number plates over the course of its life. If you moved department, you would have to re-register your car, and receive new plates, every time. The new system means that a car will

number plate has also been abandoned but a department number will still form part of the plate. This number will be displayed in a mandatory blue strip to the right of the number plate, but the num-

Jean Sarkozy in 2008

After 24 staff suicides in 20 months, the man in charge of cost-cutting at France Telecom has resigned amid growing public pressure.

Got a story for The Bugle?Contact us:05.55.41.17.76

editor@thebugle.eu

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

8 8 ♦ NATIONAL NEWSwhere the younger genera-tions are choosing to grab a sandwich or a panini at lunchtime, rather than the traditional sit-down meal more commonly associated with the French.

Another key factor in Mc-Do’s success has been its acceptance by France’s notorious agricultural in-dustry. By sourcing 80% of its produce locally, it has brought the French farm-ers onside and avoided any protests from that sector.

Industry insiders are yet to confirm, however, that Ronald McDonald will be the face of next year’s mod-ern art award, the McTurn-er Prize! ■

Taxes will not risePARIS - President Sarkozy has again stated that he “did not get elected to raise taxes” and assured the public that he has no plans to do so.

French go online for 118A survey has show that fewer and fewer people are dialling 118 numbers to get infor-mation. Only 25% of those surveyed said that they used these numbers, the main re-son being cost, with most of this type of information be-ing free on the internet

243km/h through ParisA Dutch driver was recently caught travelling at 243 km/h on the A1 just outside Paris. Although he got to keep his vehicle, his need for speed cost him €750.

Sweet toothAn eight-year-old boy stole €1,600 from his parents to buy himself sweets. When he revelead his fortune to the stunned shopkeeper, rather than a sackful of sweets, the boy ended up with a trip to police station.

Will 2009 really be the best Bordeaux ever?A glimmer of good

news is being whis-pered in the wine

world. The French wine industry has not had much to be cheerful about in re-cent years (see pg 15), but the 2009 Bordeaux vintage is already being touted as a good one, a very good one. Some are even daring to say this could be the best year ever.

The wine-makers of Bor-deaux are famous for their rhetoric, and this is not the first time that a particu-lar year’s vintage has been hyped. After 2005’s ‘perfect year’, skeptics are saying it is convenient that anoth-er should come around so soon, just as French wine sales continue their world-wide decline.

It will not be known for

some time if 2009 turns out to be as good as some are predicting as the grapes are still being picked and the wines will not even be tasted en primeur until next year. Wine growers are reporting that conditions have, however, been near-perfect this summer. Long, dry, hot days throughout July and August, and at just the right moment, the rains came in late summer. Sunny days and cool nights followed in the lead up to grape picking, allowing the grapes to develop the right balance of sugars and tan-nins required.

The Bordeaux buyer of the British wine importer, Berry Brothers & Rudd wrote in

his company’s wine blog: “The weather in Bordeaux (and the rest of France) has been text-book, with the fruits being the healthiest I have ever seen. All the in-gredients of a good vintage look to be in place.”

Time will tell if 2009 is the vintage everyone is hoping for, but it will offer some re-lief to France’s beleaguered wine industry if it really is ‘the best ever’. ■

Experts must wait until 2010

The cost of a bottle of Champagne looks set to plummet before

Christmas as producers look to offload excess stock.

Champagne sales have suf-fered as a result of the re-cession, with sales down by 45% in 2009. In some circles, drinking expen-sive champagne is being frowned upon while so many are tightening their fi-nancial belts, and more and more of us are switching to cheaper sparkling whites such as Cava and Prosecco.

Some experts are predicting that the price of a bottle of Champagne could drop by as much as 50%.

You will need to be quick to snap up any bargain bubbly, however, with the price set to rise again in 2010. The bigger Champagne produc-ers are worried about deval-uing their brands and, per-haps taking their lead from the oil-producing countries of the world, the industry has already taken steps to reduce production next year and keep prices up. ■

Champagneprices to plummetby Christmas

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There were audible gasps around the world this month as it was an-

nounced that McDonald’s is to open a restaurant and McCafé in the Louvre mu-seum in Paris. That Mc-Donald’s is to be serving fries in the land of haute-cuisine, within sniffing dis-tance of “La Joconde” (the French name for the Mona Lisa) seemed inconceiv-able.

The news, however, has been met with quiet indif-ference in France, and that is a story in itself. The fact that McDonald’s, or McDo as the French like to call it, has become such an inte-gral part of French culture that it can open a fast-food joint in the cultural heart of Paris without protest, speaks volumes for the company’s success on these

shores.

A massive marketing cam-paign by the US fast food

giant, with restaurant interi-ors being refurbished, store

frontages toned down, free Wi-Fi and healthier meal choices, has led to France becoming McDonald’s big-

gest market outside of the US. With 1,180 outlets, the

French spend more per cap-ita on McDonald’s than any other country.

Besides simply being cheap in difficult economic times, McDo has also benefited from a shift in eating hab-its among France’s youth.

‘Le Snacking’ is a much-re-ported recent phenomenon

I’m Louvre-in it

McDonalds - coming soon to a museum near you

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

9 SPORT ♦

Up-and-coming France centre, Mathieu Bastareaud, has paid

the price for the scandal he caused in New Zealand in June of this year. Bastareaud, 21, caused a stir when, sport-ing serious facial injuries, he claimed he had been set upon by a gang of youths outside his Wellington hotel during France’s recent tour to New Zealand.

The incident caused New Zealand Prime Minister John Key to apologise on behalf of his country. Days later, how-ever, CCTV footage showed Bastareaud entering the hotel unharmed, forcing the Stade Français player to admit that his injuries were the result of a drunken fall in his hotel room.

French Prime Minister Fran-çois Fillon subsequently apol-ogised himself to the Kiwi Premier for Bastareaud’s be-haviour.

In October, the French dis-

ciplinary committee handed Bastareaud a three-month sus-pended ban from rugby.

French coach, Marc Lièvre-mont, said he was happy with the punishment, but will not be picking Bastareaud for the upcoming November interna-tionals. The international door has not been closed, however, and Lièvremont has stated that the matter is now over and he still sees Bastareaud as a key member of his 2011 World Cup squad. ■

French centre suspended for 3 months

France are due to play three autumn internationals:

13/11/2009 South Africa at Toulouse.21/11/2009 Samoa at Stade de France 28/11/2009 New Zealand at Marseille

© Felipe Vaiano

Limousin misses out on World Rally stage

Dreams that the Lim-ousin would be-come a stage on the

World Rally Championship from 2010 to 2012 were this month dashed as organis-ers have narrowed down the field to Corsica and Alsace.

Hopes had been high that the Limousin stood a good chance of joining the pres-tigious rally circuit, and it has been on course to do just that for two years now. However, the WRC’s gov-erning body, the FIA, this

month rejected the Limou-sin bid on account of lack of funding.

The organisers of the Rally of Limousin were quick to point the finger of blame at the Conseil général, who they accuse of back-ped-dling on financial promises to the Limousin bid. They claim that had this not been an election year, the funds would have been forthcom-ing and Limousin would have won the bid.

The Conseil général, de-spite saying that they sup-ported the bid, claimed that they did not have the budget and also raised the ecologi-cal banner, asking whether promoting motor sports was in line with their environ-mental strategy.

Either way, it is bad news for local motorsport fans, as a stage on the World Rally would have brought a de-gree of fame (not to men-tion tourists) to this part of central France. ■

Further drugs controversy over 2009 Tour de FranceMore drugs-relat-

ed controversy erupted over the

Tour de France this month, but for once it was noth-ing to do with a rider being caught; the complaint being made was that no rider was caught.

The 2009 Tour, the first ‘clean’ Tour since 2005, was jointly monitored this year by the AFLD (Agence française de lutte contre le dopage – the French anti-doping agency) and the UCI (International Cy-cling Union). In a report published in Le Monde newspaper, the AFLD ac-cused the UCI of giving the Astana team preferen-tial treatment during this year’s Tour when it came to drug testing. The 2009 Astana team contained both the eventual winner, Span-

iard Alberto Contador, and Lance Armstrong, long a target of the AFLD.

Allegations included that Astana were ‘always the last to be tested’ and that ‘there were always delays in presenting Astana riders to the testers’. Mentions were also made of incom-plete information on riders’ whereabouts.

It is the delays in attending tests that have most out-raged the AFLD. Bernard Kohl, caught for doping in 2008, confessed that part of the strategy to avoid detec-tion was to dilute urine or blood in the time between being told they would be tested and actually turning up for the test. The AFLD claim this was, on occa-sion, as long as one hour for Astana riders.

Both the UCI and Asta-na reacted angrily to the claims, with accusations of unprofessional behav-iour thrown backwards and forwards. One thing is for sure; the UCI and AFLD have both said that they will not work to-gether in the future, which throws into doubt how the anti-doping testing will be carried out in the 2010 Tour. ■

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Online gambling laws to be relaxedOnline gambling

laws look set to be relaxed in France, allowing private

companies to offer gambling and fixed-odds betting online. France is one of the last remaining European countries to open up their online gambling markets, worth billions a year, and has been under pressure from both the EU and private gam-ing firms, to do just that.

Under the current system, two state-owned businesses have a mo-nopoly on online gambling: PMU (Pari Mutuel Urbain), which runs online horse betting, and Fran-çaise des Jeux, which runs the lot-tery and other games of chance. The government currently makes around €5 billion a year from this monopoly.

Although online gambling is il-legal in France, it is estimated that over 3 million French regularly use foreign-based gambling sites. Sup-porters of the bill to relax gambling regulations claim that by opening up the market, it will allow for

stricter regulation and tighter con-trols. Not all sites operating abroad offer anti-addiction and some even allow under-aged players to gamble.

If the bill is passed, businesses will be able to apply for a five-year license to offer online betting on games of skill, such as poker and fixed-odds horse betting. PMU will still maintain the rights to the system it currently operates, simi-lar to the Tote in Britain, where odds are based on the amount bet

on each runner at the time the race starts and not fixed beforehand. Française des Jeux will also main-tain its monopoly on the Lottery.

Despite undoubtedly losing out on income from the PMU and Fran-çaise des Jeux, the government will still make money via taxes to be levied on the gambling profits of any new companies, whilst at the same time satisfying EU regu-lators.

Advertising will also become

legal for online gambling com-panies. This is also currently ille-gal, but creative ways have been found to circumvent the law. For example, when Lyon played football matches abroad in com-petitions such as the Champions’ League, their players wore shirts advertising an online betting sponsor, which is not illegal under current laws.

Opponents of the scheme claim that the bill is another example of Sarkozy ‘clan politics’ and claim that the State is simply giving over €5 billion of annual profits to private business leaders with stakes in private online gaming companies who are close friends of President Sarkozy. The ruling UMP party strongly reject this claim. ■

It will no longer be illegal to gamble online

© www.freebets.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

10 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

Meat or mate...?In the first edition of his monthly column CHICKEN CORNER, Paul Lay considers what to do when your chickens stop laying.

Several years ago I bought my first few chicks for the princely sum of three euros each, and have been keeping

a small flock going ever since. What started off as a bit of fun and a way to get cheap eggs has turned into a minor obsession, and now I couldn’t imagine life without ‘my girls’ roaming around the back garden. The idea behind my column here is just to share with you my experiences of raising chickens and offer my thoughts on chicken-re-lated matters.

This month my mind has been on meat and the relationship we have with the animals we eat. I have always looked at my flock as primarily a source of eggs. As a few of my girls have reached re-tirement age and egg production has dropped off (or in some cases stopped), I have always added a few new chicks in to keep the egg numbers up and kept the old girls on as pets.

But for some time now I have been coming to the realisation that this is simply not sustainable; I will end up with a very aged flock that has a lot of mouths to feed and not many eggs to

collect. I have lost a few to predators and illness over the years which has helped keep the numbers down, but something must surely be done.

This month my hand was forced when one of my number injured herself very badly getting down from the nest box-es. She had basically lost the use of a leg and was obviously in discomfort. I decided the time was right to get to

grips with the idea of dispatching one of my chickens. There are several methods (more on that another time

maybe), but I opted for the cleaver. It was quick, surprisingly easy and I was putting her out of her pain. But still I could not bring myself to look on her as food and instead gave her a respect-ful burial in the far corner of the gar-den.

Why could I not eat her? It would be easy to say, “Oh, I don’t know how to prepare the carcass”, “It’s too messy”

or “It’s more hassle than it’s worth”, but these would be lies. I simply didn’t like the thought of eating something I

had an emotional attachment to.

In my opinion, the vegetables from my veggie garden taste twice as nice as anything from the supermarket, and buying watery, battery eggs is anathe-ma to me after the joys of organic eggs from the garden… So by that logic, the chickens themselves should also taste that much nicer. I’m sure if I could get over the mental hurdle involved I would find that to be true. I know they have had fresh air and good food all their lives, they don’t know what the inside of a cage looks like and I am passionate about their welfare, yet I will happily go to the supermarket and buy mass-produced, battery chicken breasts and not bat an eyelid.

In my opinion we have become too dissociated from the meat we eat, we have lost that link between the product we see in Styrofoam packets on super-market shelves and the living, breath-ing animal itself. I think it is important that myself and my family regain that link.

That is why I am going to get myself down the market and pick up a young turkey. We are going to call him Noel, and he is going to be next year’s Christ-mas dinner. Maybe if I see him as food from day one, I will find it easier to eat him when the day arrives. Only time will tell, but I will keep you posted.

Until next time. ■

It was with great de-light that my wife and I recently accepted an invitation to the 80th

birthday celebrations of our closest neighbours. We moved into our little hamlet of seven houses nearly four years ago, and right from the word go we made as much effort as we could to integrate and in-gratiate ourselves with all our neighbours. We hit it off in-stantly with the couple living opposite, despite the nearly 50 year age gap! The friendship has proved to be most benefi-cial from our point of view as, being former city slickers, we were well and truly out of our depth in La France Profonde and our friendly neighbours proved to be an invaluable goldmine of information.

They are a true Creusois fam-ily, born and rasied here, with children, grandchildren and great grandchildren living not two kilometres away. That we had been accepted into this little community to such an extent was touching.

The invitation cordially invited us to arrive at their daughter’s house at midday for the sur-prise meal. We have a young baby, and with a small amount of schedule jiggery-pokery, we fed the little ’un just before we left, confidently assuming we would be back within three or four hours to feed her again. We were travelling light.

We were about to learn exactly what a family meal consists of French-style.

Upon arrival we were warmly greeted and made to feel right at home, despite the fact that we were virtually the only non-family members in atten-dance. Without pause, a rather generous measure of Ricard was thrust into my hand. Ah, a rite of passage. No problem. Since moving to France I’ve had plenty of practice drink-ing Ricard at aperitif o’clock (which I have subsequently learned only narrows it down as far as sunlight hours). An-other swiftly followed, but I held my own. Fortunately for

my wife, she was still breast-feeding, so had a bullet-proof excuse to dodge the alcohol.

After aperitifs and nibbles we got down to serious business. Out came the starter: a huge

terrine dish of home-made pâté, a cross-section of which easily filled a large plate. Deep breath, eyes down, don’t

eat too much bread with it or you’ll fill yourself up, I told myself. A glass of wine helped it down. Then came a type of salmon bread. More wine. Next there was a large bowl of couscous salad with tomatoes, followed by a large helping of a rice salad, all with more wine.

Alarm bells started ringing. Now, now; calm down. They do things differently over here. It was dawning on me that it was already three o’clock, the

baby needed feeding and I had a sneaky suspicion we had not even arrived at the main course yet. I was filling up fast,

and was starting to worry that those Ricard really were quite generous measures indeed.

Course upon course followed: more salad; grilled pork; pan-fried beef; the cheese course alone would have filled me for a day. And the wine – Bac-chus himself would have been proud. Dessert followed, then birthday cake and finally – blessed relief – coffee.

I can honestly say, with hand on heart, I have never felt so

full in all my life. It was well past eight o’clock in the eve-ning, we’d been home twice to feed the baby and we had just

Making a meal of itWe are always looking for contributions from our readers and we will en-deavour to publish any suitable articles we receive. This month we have a touching account of a family meal, French-style.

finished lunch.

We have both noted in the past that when you go out to a res-taurant on a Saturday or Sun-day lunchtime, you will often see three or four generations of the same family sat round a table enjoying a conviv-ial meal. Sunday roasts were never such peaceful affairs at my house growing up. Throw extended family into the mix and the result was often bed-lam.

But at that 80th birthday meal there were family members aged three to eighty-seven. Everyone sat peacefully all day, ate and laughed. OK, the three year old may have gone for an afternoon nap, but we’ll let her off – I certainly would have, given half a chance. The conversation ranged from fond family memories to seri-ous politics, from pranks on slightly deaf granny to out-right Brit-baiting (we never bit). You can’t help but wish that more families were like this – starting with my own!

We were truly honoured to have been able to share that day with an amazing fam-ily. Aside from the memories, the one thing I will take away with me is that next time I will be better prepared and perhaps skip that morning fry-up! ■

Happy Birthday Lucien - 80 years young!!

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

11 FRENCH LIFE ♦

I Spy...... a sanglierEach month we feature an animal that (if you’re lucky) you can see running wild in the countryside of central France. This month, I Spy…… a sanglier.

Sangliers, or wild boar, are indigenous to central Eu-rope and are particularly

abundant in France, despite be-ing the most hunted animal in the country. Tens of thousands of boar are hunted each year by La

Chasse (the hunt) but the num-bers killed are closely monitored and regulated, resulting in a sus-tainable, stable boar population.

Despised by many farmers for the damage they can cause to crops, the animals are not easy to spot and you will need to be

incredibly lucky to come across one. Wild boar are crepuscular, so you will be most likely to see them at dawn or at dusk, or dur-ing the night if skies are clear and there is a full moon. Their preferred habitat is wooded with

access to water and they will eat almost anything they come across, including grass, nuts, berries, carrion, roots, tubers, refuse, insects, small reptiles - even young deer and lambs.

Although generally considered shy animals, they will defend

themselves vigorously if sur-prised or cornered. A male will charge with its head lowered and then slash upwards with its tusks. Females will charge with their heads up, mouths open and bite. Although capable of caus-ing serious injury, deaths caused by wild boar are almost unheard of.

A sanglier’s physical character-istics are best summed up by one word: power. The body of the boar is compact, the head is large

and the legs short. Average adult boars are 120-180 cm in length

and will usually weigh in the re-gion of 70-90 kg. However, one fine specimen shot in 1999 near the Belgian border weighed in at a colossal 227 kg.

A boar’s tusks are actually its ca-nine teeth which grow continu-ally throughout life and are often 20 cm in length, although only 10 cm will normally protrude out of the mouth. Females have much smaller tusks which rarely protrude from the mouth.

Boar live in small groups called sounders which number 20-30

individuals and normally consist of several sows and their off-spring. Adult males are solitary and will only join the sounder during breeding cycles of which there are two to three per year. The gestation period of a wild boar is easy to remember: 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days. A typical litter will contain 8-12

piglets which at birth are a much lighter shade of brown with dark stripes down the length of the body. The young are self suffi-cient by about 6 months old, but will stay with the sounder until they are 2 or 3. The young be-come fully adult at about 5 or 6 and can expect to live on average for 10 to 12 years. ■

The piglets have lighter fur with distinctive dark stripes

A wild boar’s tusks can grow up to 20 cm in length

The best time to spot a sanglier is at dawn or dusk

Is there a plan bee?Bee numbers across

Europe and indeed across the world have been in de-

cline over recent years. Many experts estimate that there are now as few as half as many bees as there were 50 years ago.

Fewer bees means fewer stings and fewer cold summer drinks wasted when the little blighters go for an ill-advised swim, no? This couldn’t be further from the truth. Humans need bees and increasingly bees are start-ing to rely on humans for their very existence.

In the US, for example, 15-30% of all food consumed is grown via direct pollination by bees. No bees means no food. The problem is a very real one and steps have at last been

taken.

Environmentalists have long maintained that the declining

bee populations were a direct result of the overuse of pesti-cides, particularly Regent and Gaucho, two pesticides thought

to enter the hives through the pollen collected by the bees. These are used in large quanti-ties to treat France’s ubiquitous

sunflowers.

Both these pesticides were banned in 2005 and the fol-

lowing year, apiculturists re-ported a mere 10% decline in bee numbers over the winter period, which is considered a normal seasonal loss.

The good news was short- lived, however, and soon bee-keepers were again reporting winter mortality rates of up to 60%.

The pesticides’ manufactur-ers, German chemical giants BASF and Bayer, have denied that their products are toxic for humans or bees. And others lay the blame squarely at the door of the apiculturists themselves.

Whereas in the past different regions, and even different valleys, would have their own strain of bee naturally adapted to that environment, recently bee-keepers have been buy-ing in foreign bees from South America to cross with their own strains in an attempt to in-crease yield. This has resulted

in a more homogenised popu-lation that is more susceptible to pandemic infections.

The most serious of these in-fections comes from the Varroa Destructor mite, which is now rampant across large parts of Europe and weakens the bees’ defences.

The Asian Hornet, a recent ar-rival to these shores (allegedly arriving in a shipment of pot-

tery), preys on honey bees and its remarkable success is at-tributed as another cause of the declining bee population (see page 5).

Anecdotal evidence this year points towards a better year for the French bee popula-tion. Farmers and apicultur-ists across Europe are crossing their fingers. But if numbers continue to slide, what is plan bee? ■

Honey bee numbers have been in steady decline in recent years

The Asian Hornet has arrived in France and preys on honey bees

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NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

12 ♦ FEATURE

Le Grand Viaduc de Millau, span-ning the Tarn valley in the Aveyron department of southern France is a wonder of modern engineering. Unveiled in 2004 to international

acclaim by President Jacques Chirac as a mod-ern fusion of art and architecture, the viaduct is both taller than the Eiffel Tower and longer than the Champs Elysées. With the tallest of its seven slender pillars rising to 340 metres, one of the many poetic newspaper front pages of the time described the appearance of the bridge as “like needles supporting a taught thread”.

The 2.5 km bridge, built in three years at a cost of €394 million, is regarded not merely as a gateway to the south of France above one of the nation’s most notorious bottlenecks, but as a shining embodiment of Gallic flair, a harmoni-ous marriage of the function and the aesthetics.

At the time of its unveiling, President Chirac addressed the world’s media as French air force jets swept through the clear skies overhead. “The Millau viaduct takes its place among our most shining works of civil engineering. It bril-liantly embodies the verve of our research and technology. It is a magnificent example, in the long and great French tradition, of audacious works of art, a tradition begun at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries by the great Gustave Eiffel. The French people are rightly proud of the feats accomplished here - feats which speak for France. A modern France, an enterprising, successful France, a France which invests in its future.”

At the time, Chirac made less mention of the fact that this was in reality a joint Anglo-French proj-ect, designed by the renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster, and carrying on in the tradi-tion of such collaborative projects as Concorde and the Channel Tunnel.

This road through the clouds which soars across the Tarn valley below is not only the tallest in the world, beating the then-record 282 metre towers of the Akashi Kaikyo bridge in Japan, it is also the world’s longest multi-span, cable-stayed bridge. The highest bridge in the world

however, when measured by distance from deck to ground level, remains the Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, which is 320 metres above the river Arkansas.

Unusually for a French project on such a huge scale, the entire cost of the project was funded by the private sector, with construction giant Eiffage earning the right to collect tolls for 75 years in return. It was commissioned in order to open up a new north-south route across central France and relieve pressure from the saturated Rhone valley corridor to the east caused by lorry-drivers and tourists bound for the Mediter-ranean and Spain.

Since December 2004, up to 28,000 vehicles a day have paid a fee to speed above the town of Millau. The price for avoiding the bottleneck is currently €6.00 for a car off-season and €7.70 in the peak summer months. The owners originally predicted an average of 10,000 vehicles per day, with a peak of 25,000 during the summer season with the increased tariffs. If the bridge proves unexpectedly profitable, the French state has re-served the right to take possession from 2044.

On 5th July 2009 at 14:41 a lone motorcyclist crossed the 2.5 km of bridge to unwittingly be-come the 20 millionth vehicle through the toll barriers, putting Eiffage well on track to recoup-ing the nearly €400 million it required to build the bridge.

Weighing in at 36,000 tonnes, the bridge was as-sembled as much as possible off-site. Large sec-tions were lifted by giant crane and slid onto the pillars, with the two ends finally meeting in May 2004. It has been built to withstand wind-speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour.

Because of its height it is frequently above the cloudline and can be seen rising out of the mist like the Golden Gate bridge of San Fransisco. As a piece of engineering, the bridge is undoubtedly breathtaking, and the natural curve with which is has been designed allows road users to see the full scale and beauty of the bridge as they fly across the Tarn gorge. The architect, Sir Norman Fos-ter, is himself quoted as saying that crossing the bridge “should be like flying by car”. He happens to be a pilot; drivers of a more grounded persua-sion may find the experience daunting, at least at first, but as the crossing will take on average just over a minute, the bridge will appear and disap-pear like a trick of the light.

No new initiative on this scale is without its de-tractors however. And as an awestruck nation gazed skyward, the inevitable criticism came from an unlikely source down in the valley below. After decades of campaigning for a bypass to save their town from the cars and HGVs, shop-keepers in Millau soon began to mount a new complaint: that they are losing out on passing trade. ■

The world’s largest viaduct

Crossing the bridge should be like flying a car.

The French people are rightly proud of the feats accomplished here

How the bridge was builtBypassing the town of Millau in the

Aveyron department of southern France, the Millau Viaduct is one of the most impressive engineering feats

of recent years. A true collaboration of French and British expertise, the viaduct was designed jointly by the French structural engineer Michel Virlo-geux and British architect Sir Norman Foster. It opened at the end of 2004 and completed the A75 motorway link to the south coast.

La Méridienne

Work on the A75 began in 1975 and, complement-ing the A71 from Orléans to Clermont-Ferrand, opened up a fourth route through France in ad-dition to the three existing routes via Bordeaux, Limoges and Lyon. The new motorway, called La Méridienne, eased pressure on the Rhone val-ley which at that time carried most traffic between northern Europe and the Iberian peninsula, and connected Clermont-Ferrand to the rest of France. The building of the motorway was in itself an im-pressive piece of engineering, with much of the motorway crossing the Massif Central at a height

of over 800 m, and with 50 km of the motorway being above 1,000 m.

The Tarn river proved a more difficult obstacle however and could only be crossed via a bridge on the valley floor in the town of Millau. This

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

13 FEATURE ♦

crossing soon became a traffic black spot, and the lengthy delays earned Millau an unenviable repu-tation, especially in the summer months.

Crossing the Tarn

Discussions began on proposed solutions in 1987. Several routes and solutions were investigated, with factors such as cost, environmental issues and the needs of local populations taken into account, and in 1991 it was decided on a high-crossing of the valley just to the west of the town. For 2 years, Michel Virlogeux directed a committee studying the feasibility of proposed structural solutions and by 1993 over 50 structural engineers and archi-tects had put themselves forward for the ambitious project. By 1995, five propositions remained and the following year, the cable-stayed bridge put forward by Sir Norman Foster was declared the winner. By 1998, after several alterations, the final design was approved and plans for construction began.

Building the Viaduct

The French Ministry of Public Works put the proj-ect up for tender, which was eventually won by Eiffage, the construction consortium who had in

1994 completed another record breaking engineer-ing masterpiece, the Channel Tunnel and has its roots in the works of Eiffel himself. Construction costs ran to a total of 394 million euros. In return, Eiffage was granted a concession to collect Tolls for 75 years, until 2080. Building ended in 2004 to finally complete the A75 project. ■

Millau - a brief history

Millau is in the heart of the Parc Naturel Région-al des Grands

Causses where the four pla-teaux (Causses in the local pa-tois) have been formed by the deep valleys of the rivers Tarn, Jonte and Dourbie. The town’s strategic position has always been key to its regional impor-tance. With Albi to the west, Clermont Ferrand to the north and Montpellier to the south, from a traveller’s perspective Millau could historically not easily be avoided.

The town of Millau was al-ready an influential commer-cial township 200 years ago, with one of the largest potter-ies in the Western Roman Em-pire. Its geographical position and ample clean water offered an ideal location and for over 150 years it remained a pow-erful center of commerce. By the 12th Century, however, the limitless supply of hides from the sheep grazing high on the nearby Causses, along with the abundant river water, meant that an alternative industry was fast replacing pottery: leather. Leather production involved three distinct processes; hide preparation, tanning and tai-loring, all of which required a skilled workforce. This work-force gradually specialized in the production of gloves, and soon Millau became the world capital of glove-making, a posi-tion it retains to this day.

The glove manufacturers of Millau still make in excess of 200,000 pairs annually. How-ever, good quality leather

gloves have become far less fashionable in recent years and more and more of Millau’s leather output is now making its way to prestigious furniture makers and top fashion houses.

The narrow streets of Millau’s old quarter still give a good in-dication of the town’s leather history. Rue des Cuirs is not far from Quai de la Tannerie and Rue des Coloristes, and the re-maining pillars of the medieval bridge are still dominated by

the old water.

The four Causses which sur-round Millau offer much variety for walking and mountain bik-ing. The rivers flowing through deep gorges offer canoeing, kayaking and canyoning. It is also a only a short drive from Millau to Roquefort with its famous blue cheese caves, and only a stone’s throw away you can find the fabulous Templar villages of the Causse du Lar-zac, and La Couvertoirade. ■

Millau’s gloves have been worn by the likes of Audrey Hepburn

2,460 m: total length of the roadway 7: number of piers 77 m: height of Pier 7, the shortest 343 m: height of Pier 2, the tallest (245 m at the roadway’s level) 87 m: height of a mast 154: number of shrouds 270 m: average height of the roadway 4.20 m: thickness of the roadway 32.05 m: width of the roadway 85,000 m3: total volume of concrete used 290,000 tonnes: total weight of the bridge 10,000–25,000 vehicles: average daily traffic €6.00 – €7.70: typical car toll 20 km: horizontal radius of curvature of the road deck

Millau - A bridge in numbers

DID YOU KNOW...? Millau is twinned with Bridlington, England

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

14 ♦ FRENCH LIFE

2 bises or not 2 bises - that is the question!We’ve all been there,

that awkward mo-ment when you

greet someone and you’re not sure how many kisses to go for. Ah, the humiliation when you try to give a third or fourth kiss to someone who turns their head away after just two. Many is the one-cheek kisser who has been left gawping as a double-cheeker lunges at them a sec-ond time.

The thing is, even the French get confused. After all, the number of kisses varies from region to region (even from department to department in some cases!) The number ranges from one to four (five is too much, even for the French!) and the correct order is right cheek, left cheek, right cheek etc.

So confusing is this custom that French computer expert, Gilles Debunne, has launched

a website, ‘Combien de Bises’ (How many Kisses) to resolve the matter. He has invited users to vote on the number of kisses deemed acceptable in their re-gion and has used this informa-tion to create a French kissing map to refer to when in doubt.

As a general rule, one kiss is form in just two departments – Finistere in Brittany and DeuxSevres in the Centre. Two

The Netherlands: Begin and end on the same cheek. Three kisses are expected, but if greeting an elderly or close family member add a few more. Right cheek first.

Italy: Kissing is restricted to very close friends or family. The number is optional and as there are no rules on which cheek to kiss first, there are frequent clashes!

Belgium: If the same age as the other person, one kiss is the rule. For someone ten years older, three is a mark of respect. This is hazardous if you are bad at judging ages!

Spain, Austria and Scandinavia: All are content with the two-kisses ritual. In Spain the rule is strictly right cheek first.

Germany: Tends to restrict kissing to family and very close friends. Handshakes predominate and all meetings begin and end with this formality.

Kissing cousins: how they do it across Europe

kisses are de rigueur in Paris, central and south-western France, three in the south-east and four are preferred in much of northern France.

And the confusion doesn’t end there. While we in the Limou-sin are used to two kisses, four are reserved for special occa-sions. If in doubt, hold back and see what everyone else does! ■

The number of acceptable kisses in France by region

Records show that nearly two thousand years ago, frogs’ legs

were a national dish in China. In South America, too, the Aztecs are known to have regularly dined on a cuisse or two. No literary mention is subsequently made of them as a foodstuff, however, before cropping up in European Cath-olic church accounts in the 12th century in, you guessed it, France.

The records in question show that industrious monks suc-cessfully had frogs reclassified as fish in order to keep eating their favourite delicacy fol-lowing a papal edict banning them from eating meat on cer-tain days of the year.

The British have long since as-sociated the French with frogs’ legs, or cuisses de grenouille, and records show they have been using the term ‘frog’ to taunt their European cousins since at least the 16th century.

Frogs’ legs did, however, en-

joy a brief moment of culinary fame in Britain when the fa-mous French chef, Auguste Escoffier, cooked them for the Prince of Wales in 1908. The love affair was short-lived.

France currently consumes over 4,000 tonnes of frogs’ legs a year, but these days only a fraction of those are domes-tic (around 70 tonnes). With the loss of habitat, pollution, disease and the banning of commercial farming, the ma-jority are now imported from countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam.

Since 1980, commercial frog farming has been banned in France. Avid frog eaters still claim it is possible to maintain a steady local source of frogs’ legs, but with fines of up to €10,000 and confiscation of all equipment, the penalties for being caught are serious.

These days, a few regional au-thorities in France still allow the capture of limited numbers of frogs, strictly for personal consumption and provided they are boiled, fried or bar-becued and then consumed on the spot. ■

There’s something fishy about frogs’ legs

The French consume 4,000 tonnes of frogs’ legs each year

With fresh-water short-ages around the world

making more and more headlines, could we all be doing more with the water that falls on our heads?

Looking at the figures for the last 10 years, Limousin has an average annual rain-fall of just over 1,000 mm – or in other words, you’d be standing in it up to your chest. That’s a lot of water, but we shouldn’t complain as we have it to thank for the lush, green countryside we all enjoy.

Keeping our own gardens lush and green in summer is not always that straight-

forward, especially when hosepipe bans come into

effect. Most people in this part of France have a gar-den that requires a degree of extra water in summer, be it vegetables, flowers or just keeping the lawn nice and green.

The metre of water that typ-ically falls on our roof every year goes down the drains, into the water table and is eventually resold to us to keep our gardens healthy.

Just how much is this water

worth? If we say an average house is 10 metres long by 6 metres wide, then it has a surface area of 60 metres squared when viewed from the perspective of a rain cloud. Which means that our 6 x 10 m house would pro-cess an astonishing 60 cubic

metres of water through its gutters in one year.

On your water bill, a cubic meter of water will cost you in the region of 0.84 euros before tax, so the rain fall-ing on our average-sized house represents over 50 euros in liquid cash.

50 euros may not be a for-tune, but it’s certainly worth thinking about next time it’s raining. ■

Pouring money down the drain

Liquid cash - the average house pours €50 down the drain

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THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

15 FRENCH LIFE ♦

French wine sales continue their declineWith sales in de-

cline (some re-ports even say

freefall), both at home and abroad, what can the French wine industry do to pull it-self back to the position it once held as the world’s pre-eminent wine producer? The industry has been in turmoil for many years as sales have declined and new kids on the block, largely from the southern hemisphere, have moved in and steadily eaten away at their market share overseas. Why are sales fall-ing at such an alarming rate and what can the industry do to reverse this decline?

The French people them-selves are staying loyal to French wine, but are drink-ing less and less. Domestic sales account for about 70% of all wine sales, but small cultural shifts and tighter drink-driving laws have seen a steady drop in domes-tic consumption over the last decade. An obvious recent cause has been the economic downturn with overall wine consumption decreasing globally. The strength of the euro against the pound and the dollar have made French

wines that much more ex-pensive when compared against those from one-time viticultural backwaters such as Argentina, Chile and New Zealand. Producers do not want to reduce their prices by 20% to maintain market share in overseas markets.

But these economic fac-tors do not show the whole

picture as, taking Britain as an example, whilst French wine sales declined 5.6% in 2008, Italian wine sales rose 14.9%. The only French wine to appear in the top 25 wine brands sold in the UK was J.P. Chenet (which was itself heading south with a drop of 10%). Why should Italian brands be far-ing so much better than their

French counterparts? Proba-bly the two main reasons are Pinot Grigio and Prosecco. Pinot Grigio has become the unthinking wine-drinker’s tipple of choice. Its bland, inoffensive lack of character is the very key to its success.

An often quoted factor in the decline is the USA’s re-sponse to France’s opposi-

tion to George Bush’s ‘war on terror’ and the Iraqi inva-sion in particular. Whilst the patriotic public’s call for a boycott of French products did result in a peak drop of 26% and a 13% average drop over the 6 months the war lasted, sales did eventually recover to about the same as the levels recorded before the boycott began.

Industry insiders put the main reasons for France’s falling wine exports as two-fold: other countries have become much better at mass-producing wine and have marketed it much bet-ter throughout the world. The classic example is the New World wines, Austra-lia in particular. The single-vineyard wines of France are just not as consistent in qual-ity and taste year-on-year as the built wines of Australia, where grapes and juice are often sourced widely, flat-tening variations caused by annual harvests, weather and land. Modern consumers want to know what they are going to get and they want the same every time.

And France has all sorts of

French cheeses still rule the world

That was over 40 years ago and these days France officially

boasts more than 400 types of cheese. When Europeans think of France, it is often the image of a big piece of cheese accompanied by a crusty baguette and a glass of red wine that springs to mind. The French have a strong love affair with their cheeses and with world famous AOC (Appellation d’Origine Con-trôlée) cheeses such as Cam-embert, Roquefort, and Brie de Meaux, France is a true cheese lover’s paradise.

De Gaulle must have had some sympathy with Churchill who had to gov-ern a country which now offers more than 700 recog-nised types of cheese! With cheeses ranging from the

strongest Stilton to the mild-est Wensleydale, why are British cheeses not as famous

as their French counter-parts? Perhaps it is because a French cheese – for example, a Pouligny-Saint-Pierre – just sounds more sophisticated than a Somerset Brie or a Cornish Blue? Or it may be as simple as an image prob-lem, with French cheese be-ing more successfully mar-keted around the world?

“Du pain, du vin, du boursin” anyone? ■

Comment voulez-vous gouverner un pays qui a deux cent quarante-six variétés de fromage?”

Corks will be popping around the world this month as lovers of Beaujolais Nou-veau mark the start of a new French vin-

tage by enjoying large quantities of the popular tipple.

At one past midnight on the Thursday 19th No-vember, from chateaux, villages and towns, over a million cases of Beaujolais Nouveau will begin their journey through the French countryside to Paris for immediate shipment to all parts of the world. Soon banners right across the globe will proclaim: “Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé!”. One of the most frivolous and animated rituals in the wine world has begun.

In a few short months, over 65 million bottles, which represents nearly half of the region’s to-tal annual production, will have been distributed and drunk around the world.

Made from Gamay grapes fermented for only a few short weeks, Beaujolais Nouveau wine typi-cally has a fruity taste devoid of the types of tan-nic flavours usually associated with a more ma-ture red wine. This makes it much closer in taste to a white wine and could go some way to ex-plaining its popularity worldwide, even amongst those who are not necessarily habitual red wine drinkers.

The annual race from grape to glass may seem

Charles de Gaulle once said of France: “How can you govern a coun-try that has 246 variet-ies of cheese?”

Le nouveau Beaujolais est arrivé

faintly ridiculous to those wine buffs who pour scorn on a Beaujolais Nouveau’s lack of com-plexity, but the numbers speak for the drink’s enduring popularity. Besides which, half the fun is knowing that on the same night, in homes, cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars and bistros around the world, the same celebration is taking place. ■

arcane rules about what its wines can and cannot say on their labels. Contrast the simplicity of an Australian Chardonnay’s label, “Pen-fold’s Yattarna Chardonnay, Victoria” with “Louis Jadot Chevalier Montrachet Les Demoiselles Grand Cru”. The Australian formula of “producer, brand, grape variety, region” is simple. The grape variety gives you clues as to how it will taste, even if you know nothing about regional characteris-tics or who the best produc-ers are. The French label, on the other hand, tells you almost nothing, unless you are a wine connoisseur who understands the minutiae of French wine labels. No hint of grape variety, a compli-cated name of vineyard (or is it a brand?), and not even a suggestion that this comes from Burgundy.

Until French wine produc-ers examine what has made wines from places like Cali-fornia and Australia so suc-cessful over the last decade and adapt accordingly, sales do not look like they are set to improve. ■

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

16 ♦ DIRECTORY

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Building Services

Advertise your company here.

This advert only costs €15/

month.

ArchitecturalDRAWING SERVICE

Renovating your French property?New build?

Dossiers prepared - Permis de Construire Déclarations Préalables

Tel/Fax: 05 53 52 36 05lavieilleabbaye@orange.fr

SIRET: 493 770 358 00015

THE BUGLEDIRECTORY

This colour advert costs just €270 per year

(€22.50/month)05.55.41.17.76

sales@thebugle.eu

La RécréRestaurant/Bar

38, Rue de Limoges, 23150 Ahun05.55.62.56.44

5 days a week 10am - 8pmSun 10am -3pm, Wed 8am - 3pm

Lunch Mon-Fri 12 - 2Food served all day incl Sat

Evening/Sunday meals please reservelarecre@orange.fr

www.larecre-ahun.comSIRET: 509 171 740 00012

Le CreusoisBar/Restaurant

High quality British & French food at reasonable prices. Menu

du Jour €12, Traditional Pub Food, Vegetarian dishes, childrens

& snack menus also available05.55.63.90.79

www.lecreusoisbistro.com

Food& Drink

AlteatudeSalon de Thé

ÉpicerieChocolate, dried fruits,

biscuits, olives and a range of beautiful gifts.

See the huge range of teas and coffees available, all prepared in comfortable

surroundings.Tel: 05.55.02.24.69

24, Place des Carreaux, St-JunienSIREN: 493 918 395

Reach English Speakers across Haute-Vienne &

Creuse from just €15/month

05.55.41.17.76sales@thebugle.eu

AVON05.87.00.40.65 / 06.33.90.07.58

Looking for the perfect part-time, flexible job? Avon could just be the answer. Have fun, meet people and earn money.

Full training and support given. Opportunities for promotion.pat.rumble@gmail.com

The CornerShop

Large range of British foods.Special orders can be catered for.Usually cheaper than the super-

markets!!5km west of Aubusson

05.55.67.58.87SIRET: 504 584 228 00010

HarlequinDevelopments

05.55.68.67.5606.06.60.46.97

All aspects of renovation and refurbishment, big or small,

undertaken. Harlequin Develop-ments are a System Partner for Ecopower, an established and

respected renewable energy com-pany based in the Dordogne.

harlequindevelopments@live.comwww.harlequindevelopments.com

SIRET: 494.501.067.00016

Reflexologyby Kim of Santenaturel is now

being offered at The Retreat, Le Dorat. The Retreat also offers

aromatherapy, facials and wax-ing among other spa treatments. For appointments, please call:

05.55.76.55.50 info@santenatural.fr

SIRET: 500 596 291 0020

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

17 DIRECTORY ♦

Each month we will run classified ads in this section of the newspaper. In the short term this will be free. So if you have something you are trying to sell, or something specific you are looking to buy, send us an email to notices@thebugle.eu and we will get your ad into next month’s Bugle. Please contact us about accompanying photos, as this may not always be possible.

An EnglishNursery in France

05 46 33 66 17(Office hours; closed Mon)

Order your Bramley apple tree now; others include Blenhiem

Orange; Ellison’s Orange; Lord Lambourne; Worcester Permain;

Victoria Plum; Merryweather Damson. Further details on our

website or phone 05 46 33 66 17lacourtyard@gmail.com

www.anenglishnurseryinfrance.comSIRET: 441 257 615 00019

Large Directory Ad50mm x 66.5mm(Actual Size)

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The Bugle Business DirectoryBlack & White Colour

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Please fill out this coupon and send it with appropriate payment to the following address (cheques made payable to Steve Martindale. Payment must be processed in full before your advert will appear):

The BugleLes Quatre CheminsSt Yrieix-Les-Bois, 23150FRANCETel: 05.55.41.17.76

Alternatively, please send all the information contained in this form to: sales@thebugle.eu

Please fill out the following con-tact details for our records (these will not be included in your advert):

Name:

Address:

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Please fill out the following details to be included in your advert (phone/email count as one word, all fields are optinal):Business Name:Business Type:Telephone:Mobile:Website:SIRET/SIREN:Advert Text:

Red Orange YellowPurpleGreen Cyan Blue Brown

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Miscellaneous

P & SRemovals Ltd

(0033) 02 54 47 14 08(0044) 07896 670958

info@pandsremovals.co.ukwww.pandsremovals.co.uk

Friendly, professional company, com-petitive rates. £25,000 Goods in Transit Insurance included as standard. Weekly

runs to France. Free quotation.

French/UK Tax Advice Centre

French Personal Tax Returns, UK Self Assessment Tax Returns, UK Income Tax Repayment Claims, Social Charges Ad-

vice, General Income Tax Advice, French and English Business Registration Advice

02.96.83.41.09frenchtaxadvice@gmail.com

JewelleryMaking CoursesLearn how to make stun-ning jewellery and stay at

our beautiful B&Bwww.hiddenfrance.co.uk

05.55.81.30.39SIRET: 479 965 758 00010

Advertise your company here.

This advert only costs €15/month

The ExchangeRochechouart

SECOND HAND BOOK SHOP. GREAT SE-LECTION OF GIFTS, CARDS, CANDLES,AND

HAND-CRAFTED PRODUCTSTue 2.30pm - 5pm

Thu, Fri, Sat 9:15-12:15 & 2:15-5pm05 55 78 19 24

www.theexchangerouchechouart.com9 rue Dr Charles Poitevine

SIRET 484 479 480 00010

L’Arbre de FilCraft Supplies & Soft Furnishings.

Repairs and Alterations. Clothes, Curtains and Soft

Furnishings Made to Order.Tue-Thu & Sat 9-12 & 2-5:30

Fri 9-12 & 2-705.55.03.23.39

6 rue du Charles Poitevine, RochechouartSIRET 508 376 670 00016

To subscribe toThe Bugle

email:subscriptions@thebugle.eu

05.55.41.17.76sales@thebugle.eu

BUGLE CLASSIFIED DIRECTORY

All prices below are for a 12 month contract and no TVA/VAT is applicable.

Please mention The Bugle when responding

to adverts

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

18 ♦ DIRECTORYADVERTORIAL

ADVERTORIAL

After a year of doom and gloom amid the current glob-al crisis, there does finally appear to be light at the end of the tunnel. With France now out of recession, how has this affected the property market?

Recent notaires’ reports have shown that over the past 12 months property prices in gen-eral have dropped throughout France. A few departments and regions have proved to be the exception to this, and the Limousin is one of those exceptions, showing a slight increase in prices with the de-mand for property continuing. Although property sales have slowed, the lower end of the market still continues to be strong with a continuous flow of purchasers. It has been very noticeable that purchasers still trust in investing money in bricks and mortar, rather than gaining very low rates of re-turn in the banks.

For anyone with savings at the moment, this is the time to

be purchasing a property in France, whether it be a holi-day home, a buy to let or just as a general investment. Many of the larger towns have short-ages of good quality rental properties and although rental income is not as strong as that in the UK, most French rental contracts are for a period of 3 years, so there is a guaranteed income for your investment.

A typical town rental invest-ment is a 2-3 bedroom property at a cost of around 130 000€ - 140 000€, generating a month-ly income, depending on loca-tion, of 500€-600€ per month. For anyone looking for general investment, a traditional habit-able country cottage in need of cosmetic works can be found for as little as 45,000€. This is a good solid investment; with a view to selling in 5 years or 10 years, it certainly gives a better dividend return than the bank-ing sector.

The Limousin has always been a stronghold for property purchases, as it offers prob-

ably the best value for money for properties in France, and continues to attract purchasers from across the whole of Eu-rope. Despite current reports about the Brits flocking back to the UK, we at IEA France see very little evidence of this, and although the return on pensions, for example, is not as good as it was, retired people are tightening up their belts and staying put. As most of them state, what are they going to gain by going back?

The Limousin has property to suit all tastes and budgets, from pretty little country cot-tages to large castles and es-tates, with an almost limitless variety to choose from. For those of you looking for a peaceful and tranquil life, this really is the region for you. As one of the lowest populated re-gions in France, the Limousin has largely escaped the onward march of progress and retains some of the most beautiful countryside in Europe.

Agence Marche Limousin IEA

France has over 30 years ex-perience in the French market. We pride ourselves on the level of service we provide, and our aim is at all times to provide a service to every one of our clients which betters expecta-tions. IEA France supports cli-ents through the whole of the buying process, from initial appointments to view, to the final signing with the notaire.

The Service and Law Depart-ment within IEA France will provide all the assistance you require to safely and securely buy property in France. All documents used in the pur-chase or sale of a property are bilingual and approved by the notaries. Our teams are dedi-cated professionals, who will support you in your property search and will accompany you through the complete pur-chase process.

For further details of our prop-erties, contact us on 00.33.(0)5.55.63.13.87 or visit our website www.agence-marche-limousin.com/ ■

All is not Doom and Gloom for Property Markets

292,000€ - Agency fees included

18th century stone built ‘maison de maître’ with a living room, library, kitchen, dining room (25m²), pantry room, wine cellar & shower room and WC.

8 bedrooms.

Land of 2,000m² and a swimming pool. Terrace and summer room.

49,950€ - Agency fees included

Pretty little semi detached property for renovation situated in a small hamlet of 5 houses.

6,500m² land and beautiful country views.

134,500€ - Agency fees included

Ready to move into farmhouse with two barns.

Vaulted cellar, living room with wood burner, equipped/fitted kitchen, WC, bathroom and a util-ity room. 3 bedrooms, 2 shower rooms and toilet.

Attached to the house is a large barn and a barn just alongside but not attached.

There is around 2,500m² of land.

189,950€ - Agency fees included

Renovated country cottage, two barns and one hect-are of attached paddocks and woodland.

Ground floor: large country kitchen dinning room, with a solid fuel cooker installed, small lounge, util-

ity room, and downstairs toilet.1st floor: two good size bedrooms, bathroom with

bath and shower, with a large master bedroom on the 2nd floor. Barn and stables.

Do you want to spotlight your business? Our Advertorials are available in 1/3 page, 2/3 page and Full page options.Contact The Bugle on 05.55.41.17.76 or email sales@thebugle.eu for more information.

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

19 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ♦

Letters to The Editor

We are keen to hear your views and o p i n i o n s ,

whatever they may be. Each month we will have a Letters To The Editor page to high-light as much of your corre-spondence as we can. Don’t be afraid to write in on any issue raised in The Bugle, or equally, feel free to write in whatever is on your mind. I will try to respond to your letters personally, and also in-clude as many as I can on this page in The Bugle.

With this being our first month, obviously we do not have a lot of correspondence

to share with you. So instead, we have included a number of short articles on hot topics to get your creative juices flow-ing. Don’t restrict yourselves to these subjects though. Give us your well thought out, rea-soned opinion on anything that comes to mind. Alterna-tively, just have a good old

rant… it’s cathartic, and you can always send it anony-mously!!

Send any email correspon-dence to Steve at:

editor@thebugle.eu

Or the old fashioned way to:

The Bugle,Les Quatre Chemins,23150 St-Yrieix-les-Bois.

I should mention at this point, however, that the opinions ex-pressed by our readers do not always represent those of The Bugle (phew, that should keep the lawyers happy). ■

France is out of recession, but have you felt an improvement?

The economies of France and Germany, the two largest in the eurozone,

both posted growth figures of 0.3% for the second quarter of 2009, bringing to an end a reces-sion that had lasted for a year (a recession being defined as two or more consecutive quarters of negative growth). These figures were better than analysts had predicted, and markets around Europe reacted positively, de-spite the fact that the eurozone as a whole again remained in recession, contracting by 0.1%.With positive news also emerg-

ing from other economies worldwide, it seems like Le Crunch may finally be coming to an end. The UK and Ireland

remained in recession, howev-er, with the UK economy con-tracting by 0.8% in the same period. ■

How has Le Crunch affected you? Have you noticed things improving for you economically? Are we about to enter an economic boom phase? What is more important to you, the stock market or the euro exchange rate?

Write to us at: The Bugle, Les Quatre Chemins, 23150 St Yrieix-les-Bois

Should Sundays be sacred?Nicolas Sarkozy re-

cently pushed for-ward with his re-

forms aimed at creating a more entrepreneurial society by relaxing the laws on Sun-day trading.

Whilst France is not as strict as countries such as Ger-many, where Sunday trad-ing is highly restricted, far more shops are open on a Sunday in Britain than on an equivalent high street here in France.

In a country where le repos dominical (Sunday’s rest) has enjoyed a sacred halo since it was first established back in 1906 as one of France’s first acquis social (a collec-tively earned social right), the issue has created much

debate. Defenders of the bill claim that workers will be paid overtime on Sundays and have the right to refuse to work. Opponents, how-ever, point out that in reality this will not be the case and in areas deemed of ‘tour-ist attraction’, shop owners

are not even obliged to pay overtime. They believe that although the bill is initially only aimed at the three large population centres of Paris, Lille and Marseilles, it is the thin end of a wedge that will result in the demise of the day of rest. ■

What do you think of Sunday trading laws being relaxed? Do you enjoy the peace that comes with a quiet day of rest, or do you think it is our right to be able to shop freely any day of the week?

Email us at: editor@thebugle.eu

What do you miss from home?

Creamy Camembert, a crusty baguette fresh from the oven and a

glass of red from Bordeaux - France is a culinary paradise. It makes you hungry just thinking about it! But whilst most expats embrace the de-lights of French cuisine, we are not all necessarily happy to say goodbye to British food forever.

A nice mature piece of ched-dar in a Warburton’s bread sandwich with some salt and vinegar crisps on the side, washed down with a cold can of Irn Bru – not so easy to do when you live in central

France.

Whilst doing without these old favourites is often a small price to pay to live in this beautiful part of the world, there are al-ways some food items we just can’t seem to stop thinking

about. And not being able to have them only makes the itch that much harder to ignore.

Personally, I just can’t live without PG Tips, marmite and orange cordial. I have even been known to manipulate the travel plans of visitors from the UK to ensure a constant supply of these staples over the course of the year!

French supermarkets are stocking more and more for-eign produce in speciality aisles, but the prices are often prohibitively expensive. Luck-ily for us there are a few Brit-ish grocers across the region who stock a lot of these ‘must haves’, such as The Corner Shop in Farges (see our Direc-tory). ■

What do you miss from back home? Have you managed to find French equivalents to old fa-vourites like Heinz baked beans? Are you happy to pay the inflated supermarket prices to get hold of that bar of Cadbury’s chocolate?

Email us at: editor@thebugle.eu

Advertise in The BugleThis full colour banner advert costs from just €61/month

For more information contact The Bugle on 05.55.41.17.76

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

20 ♦ LANGUAGE & GAMES

Only Fools and Horses really was the crème de la menthe of Brit-

ish comedy for over a decade. Derek Trotter’s frequent mis-use of everyday French words and expressions made for some of the funniest comedy moments seen on TV - mon dieu!!

None more so than the clas-sic converstaion between Del Boy and Rodney in the 2002 Christmas special “Strangers on the Shore” when the broth-ers head to France in Uncle Al-bert’s honour for a naval me-morial ceremony (see right).

Del’s stereotyping of the aver-age Frenchman as a workshy, horsemeat-selling smoker driving a battered Citroën 2CV won’t have done much for the entente cordiale, but then again, Del probably thought that was a new type of cocktail on offer down the Nag’s Head.

Luvvly Jubbly!!! ■

Mange tout Rodney

Del: One of my most favouritist meals is Duck à l’Orange, but I don’t know how to say that in French.Rodney: It’s canard.Del: You can say that again bruv!Rodney: No the French word for duck is canard.Del: Is it? I thought that was something to do with the QE2?Rodney: No that’s Cunard. They’re the ones with the boats and what have you. The French for duck is canard.Del: Right lovely jubbly. So how do the French say à l’Orange then?Rodney: A l’Orange!Del: What, the same as we do?Rodney: YesDel: Oh dear, it’s a pity they don’t use more of our words innit eh?

The most famous libel case in history?

Upon hearing that the people of Paris were starving because

they could not afford to buy bread, Marie Antoinette fa-mously shouted at her advis-ers, “Let them eat cake!”. This solution to a growing problem fuelled her image as a callous, indulgent socialite, disconnected from the people and ignorant of the reality of day-to-day hardships in pre-revolutionary France.

Historians have since ques-tioned whether she really was quite such a tyrant. The exact quote is:

Whilst the common transla-tion is a good approxima-

tion, brioche is not cake. At that time in France, the law forced bakers to sell all loaves at the same price in order to stop them selling only expensive breads. So a loaf of brioche from the baker cost the same as a loaf

of bread. Marie Antoinette may have meant that the law should be enforced so that, if plain bread was running out, the poor could eat brioche for the same price.

In fact it has since been es-tablished that she did not say these words at all. They are a quote from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s autobiography, Confessions, in which he wrote: “At length I recol-

lected the thoughtless say-ing of a great princess, who, on being informed that the country people had no bread, replied, “Then let them eat brioche!”. Rousseau doesn’t name the ‘princess’, and Ma-rie Antoinette didn’t arrive at

Versailles until 1770, three years after Rousseau had written the above passage.

This didn’t help Marie An-toinette, though, and shortly after the revolution she lost her head.

Reports that she went to the guillotine with the revolu-tionaries shouting “Flour to the people” have never been officially verified! ■

Condemned as an in-dulgent socialite and publicly executed, was Marie Antoinette re-ally such a tyrant...?

Marie-Antoinette was publicly executed for cake-crimes

Across: 1. Large house (7) 5. Pieces of information (5) 8. Profits (5) 9. Gruesome (7)10. Retaliated (7)11. Form of transport (5)12. Hostility (6)14. Stick (6)18. Permit (5)20. Sincere (7)22. Creatures (7)23. Doctrine (5)24. Ledge (5)25. Sweet (7)

Down: 1. Tycoon (7) 2. Dissonance (5) 3. Perceptiveness (7) 4. Wanderers (6) 5. Aspect (5) 6. Vegetable (7) 7. Austere (5)13. Discomfort (7)15. Mocks (7)16. Pull out (7)17. Stopped (6)18. Accumulate (5)19. Dock (5)21. Bird of prey (5)

Crossword

The solution to this month’s crossword can be found on page 23

Clues and answers in English

Bringing you news, views and events from across

Haute-Vienne and Creuse

© BBC

S’ils n’ont plus de pain, qu’ils man-gent de la brioche.

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

21 LANGUAGE & GAMES ♦

SUDOKU - EASY SUDOKU - MEDUIM SUDOKU - HARD

Bilingual Wordsearch - FOODThe clues are in English, but the words you have to find are in French. So, to get you started, the clue is peach, but you should be looking for pêche.

peachmushroomlemoncornspoonto drinkbread

juicecucumbercupriceoniontomatogarlic

herbvegetablebuttersaladoilchampagne

The solution to this month’s wordsearch and all three Sudoku puzzles can be found on page 23

Spot the DifferenceCan you spot the differences between the two photos below? There are 14 to find in total, some easy.... some hard!! Good luck!!

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

22 ♦ COMMUNITY

To place something on the Notice Board, please email us on notices@thebugle.euor call us on 05.55.41.17.76

Rules of the Notice Board:• Contact us if you want anything added to the Notice Board.• ThisNoticeBoardisalwaysfreeforanynon-profitevents,iecharity events, book clubs, social groups etc.• Advertisers may place commercial listings on the Notice Board for any events they have planned.• The Notice Board can be used for anything, so even if you just want to say Hi to someone or announce a special occasion, let us know.

La Récré - Ahun12-Nov - Fish & Chips night.26-Nov - Mussels & Chips night.3rd, 11th & 18th December are Turkey & Tinsel Nights.6th Dec - Christmas Fête.20th Dec - Christmas Sunday lunch.25th Dec - “XMAS DAY” (please book by the end of November)26th Dec - Buffet 4pm - 8pm31st Dec - Buffet & Disco NightSee our Directory ad for contact details.

Cancer Support France - Creuse Branch (see opposite)are holding their annual Christmas Feyre at Ferme Auberge in Ourdeaux (Alleyrat) on 29th November from 10am to 6pm.

There will be a few stalls, tombola, raffle for a christmas hamper, as well as a tea, coffee and cake stall. Father Christmas will be making an appearance and there will be balloon modelling and face painting for the kids.

Entrance is fee and all proceeds will obviously be going the Cancer Support France - Creuse branch. We hope to see you there!

Bar Creusois - AzerablesFri 30th Oct - Music night with Frank the Hat. Food available by prior reservationSat 7th Nov - Quiz night, €5p/p includes sup-per & prizes. Reservations recommended.Sat 14th Nov - Karaoke evening, free entry, food available by prior reservation(see our Directory ad for contact details.)

BugleNoticeBoard

Emergency Numbers15 Medical - SAMU17 Police - Gendarmes18 Fire - Pompiers119 Child abuse Hotline115 Homeless Hotline113 Drugs & Alcohol Hotline

If you are calling from a mobile phone you should use the single european emergency call number: 112

For Sale

Marquee. 12m x 6m. Aluminium frame, can-vas roof and sides. Picture available on request. Only used once for a wedding. €400. Tel: 06 04 17 80 93

Cancer Support France - Creuse Branch are looking for volunteers to help as active listeners (no experience neccessary as we provide training and support), fundraisers and admin assis-tants.

Please contact Liz at:elizabeth.bole@sfr.fr

THE BUGLE ○ NOVEMBER 2009

23 WHAT’S ON ♦

CANCER SUPPORT FRANCE

CREUSE BRANCH(LUTTER CONTRE LE CANCER EN FRANCE)

IF YOU OR ANYONE CLOSE TO YOU HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND WOULD LIKE HELP OR SUPPORT, WE ARE HERE FOR YOU.

IF YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO WE HAVE A HELPLINE AVAILABLE AND IF WE ARE NOT THERE WE WILL CALL YOU BACK WITHIN 24 HOURS.

OUR HELPLINE NUMBER IS: 06.06.47.18.60We provide a service for all English speakers, whatever their coun-try of origin.

Association No: 02030006004

SOLUTIONS TO THIS MONTH’S QUIZESSUDOKU - EASY

SUDOKU - HARD

SUDOKU - MEDIUM

MARKET DAYSEvaux-les-BainsMérinchal (1st Mon)

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAYAuzancesBénévant-l’AbbayeBussière-PoitevineChampagnac-la-RivièreGouzonLaurièrePeyrat-le-ChâteauRochechouartRoyère-de-Vassiv-ièreSaint-Suplice-les-Feuilles

AhunBourganeufChambon-sur-VoueizeCognac-la-ForêtIsleLe DoratNantiatSereilhac

BoussacCoussac-BonnevalDun-le-PalastelGuéretLa SouterraineMagnac-Laval (heb-domodaire)Oradour-sur-Vayres (except 3rd Thu)Peyrat-le-ChâteauSaint-Victurnien

Aixe-sur-VienneAmbazacBessines-sur-Gar-tempeBosmie l’Aiguille (16h - 19h30)BujaleufChâlus (except 2nd Fri)ChâteauponsacCouzeix (16h30 - 19h30)FelletinLe DoratNexonPierre-BuffièreRochechouartSaint-Sulpice-Lau-rièreVerneuil-sur-Vienne(15h - 18h30)

Aixe-sur-VienneAubussonBellacBussière-PoitevineChâteauponsacCondat-sur-VienneEymoutiersFeytiatFlavignacGuéretLa Jonchère-Saint-MauriceLa SouterraineLe Palais-sur-Vi-enneNantiatPeyrat-le-ChâteauRochechouartSaint-JunienSaint-Léonard-de-NoblatSaint-MathieuSaint-Yrieix-la-Perche (1st and 3rd Sat)

Bessines-sur-Gar-tempeBlondCrocq (1st and 3rd Sun)PanazolPeyrat-le-ChâteauSaint-PaulVeyrac (2nd Sun)

All markets are in the morning unless stated othrrwise.Limoges has a covered market (Les Halles) in the town centre.There is also a market somewhere in Limoges every day of the week.

NOVEMBER 2009 ○ THE BUGLE

24 ♦ WHAT’S ON

Sat 10th Oct to Sat 14th Nov AUBUSSONExposition ‘TOYS’Cross-discipline art exhibition - 22 exhibitors from across Europe.Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Art (ENSA building), Place Vil-leneuve, Aubusson. 10h - 12h & 14h - 17h (closed 11 Nov). Free entry.Contact: Tel 05.55.83.05.40

Sat 10th Oct to Tues 17th Nov AHUN‘Rêves et réveries’ art exhibitionExhibition of the works of 16 local artists on the theme ‘Dreams and daydreams’. Visitors are asked to vote for their favourites.Office de tourisme Ahun. Mon-Sat 10h - 12h & 14h - 18hContact: Office de tourisme Ahun - Tel 05.55.62.55.93 - www.ahun-creuse-tourisme.com

Sat 24th Oct to Wed 4th Nov LA SOUTERRAINEExpo peinture - Painting exhibition‘Black, Brown and Beige’ - Paintings by Claude LaroudieCirque Valdi, La Souterraine. 14h - 18h. Free entry.Office de tourisme du Pays Sostranien -Contact: Tel 05.55.63.10.06 - www.jazz.lasout.com

Sun 1st Nov JANAILHACFête du terroir & vide-grenier160 stalls selling regional produce. Vide-grenier.Janailhac centre. 9h - 18h.Contact: Tel 05.55.58.18.17

Tues 3rd to Thurs 26th Nov BELLACMosaic exhibitionOffice de tourisme Bellac. Mon-Fri 9h30 - 12h30 & 14h - 17h30, Sat a.m.Contact: Office de tourisme du Haut Limousin -Tel 05.55.68.12.79

Wed 4th Nov CHENIERSPottery workshopIntroduction to pottery workshop, in English (from 6 years)Ecomusée de la tuilerie de Pouligny. 10h - 11h30. 8€ upon reservation.Contact: Tel 05.55.62.19.61 - ecomusee@tuilerie-pouligny.com

Fri 6th Nov to Thurs 31st Dec ORADOUR-SUR-VAYRESPhoto exhibition‘The Birds of Parc Naturel Régional Périgord Limousin’ by Eric NicolasOffice de tourisme Oradour-sur-VayresContact: Tel 05.55.78.22.21

Fri 6th Nov SAINT-MICHEL-DE-VEISSEConcertJazz Quintet ‘Rue des Lilas’Salle des fêtes. 20h30. Adults 10€ - Reductions 7€ - Free to the under 10s.Contact: Office de tourisme du Pays Sostranien - Tel 05.55.63.10.06 - www.jazz.lasout.com

Sat 7th Nov ST-DIZIER-LEYRENNEFête du jus de pomme - Apple juice festivalDemonstrations of apple pressing, sale of apple juiceCour de l’école. All day.Contact: Tel 05.55.64.40.30

Sat 7th Nov BOSMIE L’AIGUILLESoirée Irlandaise - Irish eveningTraditional meal and Irish musicSalle Georges Bizet. 20h. Reservation necessary.Comité des fêtes de Bosmie l’Aiguille - Tel 05.55.36.14.54

Sat 7th Nov GUERETConcertJazz Octet ‘Bernica Octet’Espace Fayolle. 20h30. Adults 15€, Students and children 6,50€Contact: Office de tourisme du Pays Sostranien - Tel 05.55.63.10.06 - www.jazz.lasout.com

Sun 8th Nov SAINTE-FEYREFête de la pomme & vide-grenierApple festival - Stalls selling apple produce, demonstrations of pressing, tasting. Vide-grenier. Sainte-Feyre centre. 9h - 18h.Contact: Tel 05.55.52.70.13

Sun 8th Nov ST PRIEST SOUS AIXEFête du Cidre et de la ChâtaigneCider and chestnut festival - Stalls selling local produce.All day from 8h.Contact: Tel 05.55.70.06.45

Sun 8th Nov AHUNRandonnée pédestre - Walk10km walk around VigevilleRDV Place Champ de Foire. 13h45Contact: Office de tourisme Ahun - Tel 05.55.62.55.93

Tues 10th & Wed 11th Nov SARDENTFoire aux huitres - Oyster fairSale of oysters and gourmet productsTerrain de l’Ouche (old football ground). All day.Contact: Tel 05.55.64.53.43

Wed 11th Nov GOUZONFoire du 11 novembrePlace de l’église. 8h - 13h.Contact: Tel 06.70.56.97.81

Wed 11th Nov SAINT JUNIENFête du Cidre et de la ChâtaigneCider and chestnut festival.Contact: Office de tourisme St Junien - Tel 05.55.02.17.93

Tues 17th Nov SAINT JUNIENConcertThe Orchestre Symphonique Régional Limousin present:Maurice RAVEL - Albarada del Gracioso; Rapsodie espagnolAlberto GINESTRA - Concerto pour harpeLa Mégisserie. 20h30.Contact: Tel 05.55.02.87.98 - www.lamegisserie.com

Fri 20th Nov AIXE SUR VIENNEConcertConcert by blues band ‘Trio Off Six’Centre Culturel Jacques Prévert. 20h30. 8,50€, 5€, 2,50€Contact: Mairie d’Aixe sur Vienne - Tel 05.55.70.77.00

Sat 21st & Sun 22nd Nov VERNEUIL SUR VI-ENNEMarché de Nöel - Christmas marketSalle polyvalente de Penneveyre. Sat 14h - 19h, Sun 10h - 19h. Free entry.Contact: Dynamisons Verneuil - Tel 05.55.48.05.62 - chazaud.noel@neuf.fr

Sat 21st & Sun 22nd Nov CHALUSJournées des pepinieristes a Chalus - nursery days in ChalusSale of tress, shrubs, flowers, garden utensils, crafts and local produce

Sun 22nd Nov LA SAUNIEREFête du BeaujolaisTasting and sale of Beaujolais NouveauSalle polyvalente de la Saunière. 10h - 22h. Contact: Tel 05.55.80.01.56

Fri 27th & Sat 28th Nov BOURGANEUFCinéma turc - Turkish cinemaFri 21h A.R.O.G by Cem Ylmaz (2h08), Sat 15h Germainschaft by Ozlem Akin (4 min) & Les Climats by Nuri Bilge Ceylan (1h42), Sat 17h Bende Sira by Ismet Ergun (11 min) & Crossing the Bridge by Faith Akin (1h30), Sat 19h Turkish buffet in the salle Marcel Deprez (Mairie)Cinéma Le RégentContact: Office de tourisme Bourganeuf - Tel 05.55.64.12.20 - www.saisondelaturquie.fr

Sat 28th Nov AIXE SUR VIENNEMarché de Nöel - Christmas marketSale of crafts, produce & German productsPlace de l’église. All day.Contact: Comité de Jumelage d’Aixe sur Vienne - Tel 05.55.70.12.61

Sun 29th Nov ROCHECHOUARTMarché au grasDuck and foie gras marketContact: Comité des fêtes - Tel 05.55.03.79.12

Fête de la pomme Sainte-Feyre

The annual ‘Fête de la pomme’ (Day of the apple) takes place at Sainte-Feyre on Sunday 8th November from 9 am to 6 pm.

The apple producers of the region invite you to come and taste local varieties of apple, discover how cider is made and nibble on such delights as boudins (this is the traditional time of year to eat black pudding) and apple crêpes.

There is also a brocante in the town on the same day. Bring some wellies if it rains as the brocante (and parking) is in a field and can get quite boggy.

November events in Creuse & Haute-Vienne