normandy advertiser - october 2012

PFEIFFER AND DE NIRO FILMING IN THE ORNE

THE Manche is set to become the first depart-ment in Normandy to draw up a set of guide-lines for Sunday opening as more and more shops open their doors in a bid to combat dwindling income caused by the poor econom-ic outlook and bad weather.

Shop workers are concerned that over-eager managers are opening on a Sunday without getting the correct permission, refusing to pay extra and leaving them feeling as if they have no choice even though the law says that working on a Sunday should be voluntary.

The department has seen a number of protests outside shops such as Carrefour Market in Coutances and Valognes by workers who do not want to work on a Sunday.

Since 2009, when shop opening laws in France were relaxed, more are opening on a Sunday in a trend which union leaders say is worrying because it is often part-time workers such as

students and young people who are asked to work and they are not paid enough.

Small local food shops such as bakers and butchers have traditionally opened on a Sunday morning and for several years non-food shops in cities and large towns and in designated tour-ist areas have also been allowed to open for a few hours in the morning.

The law says that salaried workers cannot be forced to work on a Sunday and those that do volunteer to work should be paid double time. The situation for those on part-time contracts is less clear.

There is also a grey area over seeking permis-sion for opening. Technically a shop should Turn to P2

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publiSHErS oF 95c ISSUE 34 OctObEr 2012 News and What’s on information for Normandy and the surrounding area

A NEW association has been formed to mark the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy in two years’ time – with the added aim of making sure that young people do not forget the sacrifices that were made to keep Europe free.

Many of the events being organised for 2014 will be particularly aimed at young people to give them a sense of the value of peace.

The association, called Manche 1944-2014, will be a catalyst for what is expected to be the last big commemo-ration of the landings as many of the veterans who are still alive are too old to travel from the united States or even from the uK.

A spokesman for Manche departmental council said: “We want to give the 70th commemoration the reso-nance that it deserves, to encourage people to take part and remember, and to tell young people of today the importance of what happened during the Second World War and in particular the lib-eration of this department.

“our role is to make sure that this major event is well organised and given the thought this particular anni-versary deserves.”

Turn to P2 3:HIKPLJ=]UU^ZX:?a@a@n@o@a;M 05198 - 34 - F: 0,95 E

Sundaytrading:new ruleson way

Village of Gacé to feature in new film P4

by RAY CLANCY

D-Day 70th group aims to remind young of sacrifice

Photo: Jeremiah Christopher/W

ikimedia

2 News Normandy Advertiser October 2012

Alliance Anglo-Normande A helping hand to integrate through French lessons, meetings and a social calendar, with members of many national-ities. Based between Livarot and Vimoutiers. [email protected] www.alliance-anglo-normande.info

Amicale Culturelle Européenne Offers cultural events and welcomes all nationaltieswww.amicale-culturelle.eupresident@amicale-culturelle.eu

Calvados Polo ClubPolo matches and events in Lisieux area (14). Open to non-members.Mme Garmond: 02 31 31 19 [email protected]

Writers in FranceRelaxed, friendly creative writing group which meets on first Tuesday of every month at the Bistrot du Coin in [email protected]

Royal British LegionNormandy/Calvados district branch Goona Naidu: 02 31 78 36 40Ron Matthews: [email protected] www.rblnormandy.wordpress.com

"Ville-Beau-Son" ChoirAnglo-French choir based in Villebaudon (50). Welcomes enthusiastic singers of all abilities. Meets every Wednesday at 20.30 at the Salle Culturelle. Sylvia Miles: 02 33 59 21 81or 02 33 51 13 [email protected]

Normandy Clubs and Associations

EMERGENCY NUMBERS18: Emergencies: Calls the fire brigade (Sapeurs Pompiers), but they deal with medical emergencies and are usually the first port of call in rural areas. 112: Emergency calls from your mobile: Be ready with your name and where you are calling from and do not hang up until told to do so. 17: Police (gendarmes) 119: Child abuse. 1616: Sea and lake rescue. 01 40 05 48 48: Anti-poison centre (Paris) 08 10 33 30 + your department number (eg 76 for Seine-Maritime): Gas & electricity emergenciesUTILITIES FRANCE TELECOM Website in English: www.francetelecom.comTo report a fault online: www.1013.fr (click on the UK flag). English-speaking help-line: 09 69 36 39 00 (from France); + 33 1 55 78 60 56 (outside France). ORANGE: English-speaking helpline: 09 69 36 39 00. SFR: 1023 (+ 33 6 10 00 10 23 from outside France) FREE: 1044 BOUyGUES: 1034 EDF: 24 hour breakdown line: 08 10 33 30 87; Helpline in English: 05 62 16 49 08; From outside France: + 33 5 62 16 49 08; Email: [email protected] ORGANISATIONSCAISSE D’ALLOCATIONS FAMILIALES - CAF: www.caf.fr; Tel: 08 10 25 14 10. L’ASSURANCE MALADIE (AMELI, formerly known as CPAM – the health service): www.ameli.fr; Tel: 36 46 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm) English spoken. URSSAF: English-language website: www.anglais.urssaf.fr - Calvados - 22 rue d'Isigny, 14045 CAEN CEDEX 9 Tel: 08 20 39 51 40 | Manche - 50013 SAINT LO CEDEX Tel: 08 20 39 55 00 | Orne - Pôle d'activités d'Ecouves, Rue François Arago, 61250 VALFRAMBERT Tel. 08 20 39 56 10 | Eure - Parc d'activité de la Forêt, Rue Henri Becquerel, BP 25027092 EVREUX CEDEX 9 Tel: 08 20 39 52 70 | Seine-Maritime - 61 rue Pierre Renaudel, BP 2035X, 76040 ROUEN CEDEX 1 Tel: 08 20 39 57 60 PREFECTURE: Calvados - rue Daniel Huet, 14038 CAEN CEDEX 9 Tel: 02 31 30 64 00 | Manche - place de la

Préfecture, CS 10419, 50009 ST LO CEDEX Tel: 02 33 75 49 50 | Orne - 39 rue Saint Blaise, 61019 ALENCON CEDEX Tel. 02 33 80 61 61 | Eure - boulevard Georges Chauvin, 27022 EVREUX CEDEX Tel: 02 32 78 27 27 | Seine-Maritime - 7 place de la Madeleine, 76000 ROUEN Tel: 02 32 76 55 00OTHER HELP IN ENGLISHCOUNSELLING IN FRANCE: for a qualified therapist near you or counselling over the telephone; www.counsellinginfrance.com SOS HELP: Similar to the Samaritans, lis-teners who are professionally trained; Tel: 01 46 21 46 46; www.soshelpline.orgNO PANIC FRANCE: for help with anx-iety disorders; Tel: 02 51 28 80 25; www.nopanic.org.uk ALCOHOLICS ANONyMOUS: Bilingual meetings French/English: Picauville (50) At: Centre Socio-Culturel, Prieuré (opposite the church) Tel: 02 33 40 66 53, Friday at 20:00 | Alençon (61) At: 22 Rue Porchaine, Alençon Tel: 02 43 24 88 40 Monday at 20:30-22:00 CANCER SUPPORT FRANCE: for advice and someone to talk to: www.cancersupportfrance.info National Office: Email [email protected]; Tel: 05 45 89 30 05. SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN AND FAMILIES ASSOCIATION FORCES (SSAFA): In France: 05 53 01 64 54; Email: [email protected] AVF: Help with French life www.avf.asso.frOTHER INFOyELLOW PAGES: www.pagesjaunes.fr SPEAKING CLOCK: 3699. WEATHER: 08 92 68 02 + dept. number. LAST INCOMING CALL ON yOUR PHONE: 3131, then ‘5’ if you wish to connect. BRITISH CONSULATEBritish Consular Services, Paris: Postal address: British Embassy, BP111-08, 75363 Paris Cedex 08. Tel : 01 44 51 31 00 Tel (after hours Emergency Service only): 01 44 51 31 00PUBLIC HOLIDAYS THIS MONTHNone

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Printed at Nice-Matin, 214 Route de Grenoble, 06290 Nice Cedex 3. Environmental policyThe Advertiser is printed on recycled newspaper, using a printing company which adheres to stringent regulations to reduce pollution.Mensuel Depôt légal – a parution ISSN: 2226-9517 CPPAP: 0413 I 91325Encart abonnement sur une diffusion partielle.Read the Advertiser online at www.normandyadvertiser.com

‘Small shop owners may feelthreatened by Sunday trade’

More supermarkets in Normandy are offering home delivery and internet shopping as part of a national drive to improve sales and services for customers.

They are particularly targeting working mothers who can order their shopping on the internet and then collect it during the day when it suits them.

Leclerc, Carrefour and Intermarché have all recently opened drive-thru facilities where customers arrive at a special collec-tion point for their order two hours or more after buying it over the internet.

“You place your order at any time and then choose when you want to collect it. our staff will put the order together and it will be ready at the collection point within minutes,’’ said Laurent Letourner, manager of Leclerc at Agneaux near Saint-Lô.

The hypermarket has the first automat-ed collection warehouse with conveyor belts in the whole of Normandy, with another opening in Bayeux soon. “It means that orders can be prepared quick-ly and we can deal with 700 a day,”

explained Mr Letourner.“It is proving very popular with working

mothers as they can order any time when they have a spare few minutes and collect it any time during the day,” he added.

Intermarché said that it is currently get-ting around 200 orders a day for its collec-tion service in the region and it expects a rush in the run-up to Christmas. Carrefour, the first supermarket giant to introduce a drive-thru in Normandy is also extending its collection services and opening more collection points in the coming weeks.

From page 1seek permission from town halls but recently the CFDT, the main trade union for shop workers, managed to prevent Distri Center in Valognes from opening when it alerted the police to the fact that the store was flouting the law.

As seven-days-a-week shopping becomes more popular, the CFDT said that there has been an increase in illegal Sunday opening. It said that big brands such as Carrefour Market, Gifi, Intermarché and Distri Center have been flouting the rules and some have been fined for doing so.

Shop workers in the Manche are con-

cerned that they may be forced to work on a Sunday. Those that have agreed to work on a Sunday say they are being paid e1 or e2 an hour extra, well below what is legal-ly set down. They also feel they should not be made to feel that they have to work on a Sunday as for many it is still regarded as a day to be spent with the family.

CFDT spokesman François Vidal said each outlet interprets the Sunday opening rules differently. “Many of the big names like Carrefour Market are franchises and it is up to each manager to decide if they want to open on a Sunday,” he said.

“That means that one Carrefour Market, such as in Coutances, decides to

open on a Sunday and another in Saint Lô does not. It is up to the discretion of the management but there is a growing trend for shops to open on a Sunday.

“We are not against Sunday opening. What we want is for all those concerned, including small shop-owners who may feel that their business is threatened by supermarkets opening on a Sunday, to get together under the auspices of the préfecture to hammer out a plan that can be adopted by everyone in the area.”

A spokeswoman for the Manche préfec-ture said that it backs the idea and a meeting will be held as soon as a date can be agreed.

A busy shopping street in Dieppe. The CFDT union says more big brands around Normandy are now opening on Sundays

Retailers going bust in every town centre

Normandy sees boom in ‘drive-thru’ supermarkets

Photo: Bouba/Wikim

edia

FrANCe’S slow economy is taking its toll on hundreds of little shops that give many towns in Normandy their dis-tinctive characteristics and attract tourists.

Many towns have at least one or two boarded up shops and signs declaring “liquida-tion totale” are becoming more and more frequent. Shops that held sales in the peak summer period in the hope of boosting income say that figures are still down.

“There is a lot less demand than in previous years.

“The wet July was particu-larly bad for sales,” said a sales assistant at a clothes shop in the cathedral town of Coutances in the Manche.

The department has been particularly badly hit by a huge fall in visitors from France and from the UK.

In Villedieu-les-Poêles, a popular tourist town famous for its bell foundry and cop-per cooking pots, three shops selling traditionally made cookware and artefacts have closed in the last year.

Its weekly market on a Tuesday has diminished and the coaches that bring hun-

dreds of people into the town during the summer months have dwindled.

“We don’t have any official figures yet but you just have to look around. It is so quiet. Four shops are currently boarded up and the takings in restaurants are down,” said a town hall spokesman.

In Saint-Lô restaurants, a travel agent and specialist food shops have all closed in recent months. “It is hard to start a small business in the current economic climate. Commerce in small towns is very tough.

“Banks aren’t lending and people are buying more on the internet,” said councillor Ludovic Turpin.

even in the cities the out-look is not promising. The rouen Chamber of Commerce is calling on offi-cials to reduce car parking costs in the run-up to Christmas to try to attract more shoppers.

A spokesman said: “The sluggish economy, poor visi-tor figures and bad weather have all taken their toll. Small businesses in rouen are suf-fering a lot.”

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THE mayor of Le Havre is leading a campaign for the Normandy coastline to be used as the venue for the sailing events if Paris decides to go ahead with its bid for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Antoine Rufenacht has written to French president François Hollande pointing out that with new high-speed trains links to the region, Normandy is perfectly poised to host such prestig-ious events if Hollande is serious about bidding for the Games.

He reckons the French should take a leaf out of London’s book in terms of sailing. At London 2012 the south coast seaside town of Weymouth, 100 miles from London, put on thrilling sailing events.

Many people reckon that Paris, which was beaten by London for this year’s games, stands a good chance of being awarded the 2024 Summer Olympics as it would be the 100th anniversary of the last time they were held in the city.

Mr Rufenacht envisages the sailing events in the Seine estuary and thinks Le Havre would be an ideal host. He also pointed out that, like London, the Olympic Games could be a catalyst for renewal along the valley of the River Seine and leave a lasting legacy.

Le Havre has a number of other well known sailing clubs including the SRH, Société des Régates du Havre, the oldest yachting club in France, and Sport Nautique du Havre. Its main sailing quay is named after Eric Tabarly, the record-breaking long dis-tance sailor who won the Transatlantic Singlehanded race twice.

Le Havre would be a superb location according to organisers of the annual Normandy International Sailing week

which attracts world class competitors from around the globe. “The history of sailing in Le Havre coincides with the beginning of sailing in France with the first national regatta held there in 1840 organised by the SRH which also

participated in the organisation of events in the 1924 Olympic Games,” said a spokesman.

He added that Le Havre could also be a contender for the windsurfing events as it has played host to some

major competitions including two French championships. “Le Havre is famous above all as the host town for the start of the Transit Jacques Vabre, a role it has fulfilled since the race began in 1993,” he added.

Normandy Advertiser October 2012 News 3

Region lobbies for sailing role in 2024 Olympic Games bid

THE mayor of Camembert has had his portrait stamped on a limited edition label of the famous French cheese to mark 50 years of public service.

Jean Gaubert, holding a golden image of Marianne, the national emblem of France found on stamps and euro coins, appears on the label on the top of 100,000 boxes of Camembert some of which are des-tined for the Elysée Palace and National Assembly in Paris.

Mr Gaubert, 74, has been the vil-lage mayor for 23 years and was first elected to the local council 41 years ago. He became involved in public life at the age of 24.

His familiar face is now stamped on

the boxes of the produce made by local cheesemaker François Duran, the last independent Camembert maker left in the village, which gives its name to the cheese which is the second most pop-ular in France after Emmental.

Cheese label collectors, known as tyrosémiophiles in French, are likely to be rushing to get their hands on the limited edition box.

The idea came from Alain Trampoglieri, general secretary of the national Golden Marianne awards, which are given each year to mayors who make an extraordinary contribution to their communities.

Mr Gaubert said he is extremely fond of the cheese and found it an honour to be pictured on the boxes.

He has campaigned tirelessly over the years for small producers to be recognised after the giant cheese-makers announced they would no longer be making camembert from unpasteurised milk.

He was the driving force behind the creation of the Maison du Camembert next to the mairie. It cel-ebrates the origin of the round cheese which was first made by a farmer’s wife in the village, Marie Harel, who was given a recipe by a priest from Brie, whose cheese is also one of the most popular in the country.

Mr Gaubert added that it is sad that there is now only one traditional cheesemaker left in the village whose name is known around the world.Alain Trampoglieri gives mayor of Camembert special edition cheese

THREE inquiries have been launched into a flying accident off the coast of Normandy which saw a pilot and his plane plunge into the sea after dropping off parachutists next to a popular beach.

The flying club involved has also been condemned for tak-ing too many risks amid calls for it to cease its activities until the results of the official inquires have been made public.

The BEA, the French equiv-alent of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, has launched its inquiry into the accident at Donville-les-Bains on the west Cotentin coast in August when a plane from the nearby Breville airfield ditched into the sea 2km from the beach.

The branch of the police responsible for the coastline, the gendarmerie maritime, and the branch responsible for air transport, gendarmerie des transport aériens, have also launched separate inquiries.

Local residents’ group the Association de Défense des Riverains de L’Aérodrome (ADRA), claims that the par-achute club is not respecting the rules and there is a risk of a much worse accident.

The pilot was rescued but local officials are concerned that the plane came very close to crashing on to the beach or a nearby campsite and say they are worried about the increasing number of acci-dents including the death of a parachutist last year. The communes of Coudeville, Bréville and Bréhal said they will consider banning the activity in the area if the inquiries find the club at fault.

A spokesman for the para-chute club based at Bréville said it would wait for the result of the inquiries before making an official statement, but he added that the weather was exceptionally good when the accident happened and there was no need to bow to pressure to shut down.

ADRA president Armand Heinricher said: “It is scandal-ous. It was pure luck that the plane crashed into the sea and not on the beach or camping site. A serious situation was narrowly avoided. I don’t agree with the attitude of the club.”

A TEAM from Normandy that is put-ting together the World Equestrian Games visited the Olympic Games in London to check out the horse riding events and gain advice on producing a world-class event.

They met riders, trainers, judges and breeders to sharpen their knowledge as they begin to step up a gear to be ready for the event which will see 500,000 visitors descend on the horse events and over an extra million visi-tors to Normandy during the two weeks of the games in August 2014.

The centre of Caen will be turned

into a huge equestrian stadium where seven of the eight disciplines on the programme will take place.

The 100-mile endurance ride will take place between the Haras du Pin and the bay of Mont Saint Michel which the organisers believe will be one of the most picturesque events ever held since the event began almost 30 years ago. Horseball is being held in Saint-Lô and polo in Deauville.

“Our visit to the Olympic Games was consistent with our ongoing strategy for 2014. Our involvement in several different international equestrian

events will allow us to learn vital les-sons for our own event,” said Fabien Grobon, managing director of the Normandie 2014 Organising Committee. The team also looked at horse transportation and stabling facilities, both of which are vital for such a big event.

Held every four years, alternating with the Olympic Games and under the authority of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI), the World Equestrian Games are the biggest horse event in the world.

Laurent Beauvais, chairman of the Lower Normandy Region and of Normandie 2014 said: “The whole region is already mobilised and is committed to rising to the challenge for 2014.

“Normandy intends to make these World Equestrian Games a first rate sports event, in which every discipline will find a setting that is favourable to the emergence of excellence.

“It will endeavour to display the scope of French expertise in terms of welcome and of the organisation of an event of this scale.”

Say cheese: long-serving mayor’s pic adorns Camembert box

Inquiries launched into flying club crash

Normandy seeks advice from Londonas 2014 horse show plans take shape

Le Havre has extensive experience of putting on major sailing events, such as Normandy International Sailing Week

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot


4 News Normandy Advertiser October 2012

De Niro and Pfeiffer in Normandyfor new film

It took just four minutes and could have come straight out of a novel or film, a daring daylight escape from prison in the middle of the day.

In this case the prisoner got clear away and now authori-ties in Caen have launched an inquiry after the man escaped from the city’s prison using a good old-fashioned ladder on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

Video camera footage reveals that during exercise time at 14.30 he climbed on the shoul-ders of a fellow inmate, scram-bled up a wire fence that had become partly detached from the wall of one of the prison buildings, on to the roof and then jumped down into the ditch between the walls that surround the prison yard.

there, outside accomplices were waiting with two ladders. one had already been placed inside the 6m high exterior wall, the second allowed him to climb down and escape without being apprehended. It is also thought that accomplices had already cut the wires to sensors on the wall which alert the pris-on guards to movements.

Ali Henni, aged 26 and orig-inally from Marseille, was being held in custody for armed robbery and the

attempted murder of a jewel-lery shop owner in Caen.

He and an accomplice, both of whom wore masks, robbed the Belle Époque jewellery shop but were pursued by the owner. one of them, armed with a machine gun, fired several bullets at the shop owner, one of which hit the large artery of his thigh.

Police said that he could have bled to death had it not been for the quick actions of a nearby binman who put a tourniquet around his leg.

As well as the manhunt for Henni, a separate inquiry has been launched into security at the prison. the UFAP union is concerned, for example, that inmates have mobile phones which means they can contact outsiders. the inquiry will also look at whether there are enough guards on a Sunday.

“Everyone is stunned by the escape. Staff remember some-one trying something similar in the 1980s but the escapee was quickly caught,” said a trade union spokesman.

Police have warned that the man is dangerous. He is also facing trial over setting fire to the car of a prison guard in Marseille where he was being held before.

It Is not everyday that you see Hollywood actress Michelle Pfeiffer in a super-market in rural Normandy but along with celebrated actor Robert De Niro she is filming in the region.

they are working on the new Luc Besson black com-edy thriller Malavita about a retired American gang-ster who moves his family to Normandy to live under a witness protection scheme after grassing on his mafia boss.

Glee star Dianna Agron plays the couple’s daughter. the film also stars tommy Lee Jones and plenty of the locals. Around 300 people in Gacé in the Orne have been acting as extras and the film crew is likely to be in the village until the end of October but could return later in the year for some smaller scenes.

Besson, who is often

described as France’s answer to tony scott, has turned Gacé into the village of Cholong-sur-Avre.

In the film, De Niro and his wife, played by Pfeiffer, with their two children aged 17 and 14 move to the village and tell locals he is researching a book about the D-Day landings. But in reality he is being hidden by the FBI after the mafia put a e20million bounty on his head.

the film looks at their often hilarious attempts at integrating into French life – having come from the more upbeat streets of New York. Despite their best efforts to integrate, the locals soon find out about De Nero’s past.

It is based on the book Badfellas by tonino Benacquista and is sched-uled for release in the sec-ond half of 2013. Robert De Niro plays retired gangster hiding in Normandy

Man flees jail by using ladder

Photo: David Shankbone/W

ikimedia

Banks stop lending to troubled hospitalBANkS are refusing to lend to one of Normandy’s biggest hospitals after its deficit increased to e119million. the hospital has taken the extraor-dinary step of declaring that it cannot pay its suppliers.

the situation at CHU in Caen is described as “unprecedented” in France with the hospital facing the recall of two loans this month and banks refusing to renew them. Urgent talks are now tak-ing place with banks and the health ministry to try to find a solution to the financial crisis.

the actual provision of services to patients is not currently affected by the financial crisis, the director of CHU in Caen, Angel Piquemal, said. But he described the financial situation as “extremely fragile”.

In a letter to staff he revealed the extent of the problems, explaining that the hospital’s deficit increased by e9.2million last year tak-ing it to an accumulated total of e119million despite efforts to reduce spending.

He also announced that although basic sala-ries will be paid the hospital is suspending its employer contributions.

“I have no choice but to suspend employer contributions and payment to suppliers,” the let-

ter said. It is understood that the hospital will give priority to paying smaller local suppliers but payments to bigger suppliers are unlikely in the near future. Mr Piquemal added that the aim

is to reduce the dependency on banks but the hospital still needs to invest money in medical and computer equipment. Staff are concerned that further cuts will be made and trade union repre-sentatives believe that it is only a matter of time before patient ser-vices are affected.

“this is an unprecedented situ-ation for a hospital in France.

“We cannot see how CHU Caen can continue to function

without help from the state,” said a spokesman for the CGt trade union.

Some 500 jobs have already been axed in the last two years and a major refurbishment pro-gramme to remove asbestos from the hospital’s older buildings has not yet begun despite being announced in 2010.

the CFtC union also said that if the hospital is to survive in its present form it will need a bailout from the government.

It said in a statement: “the CHU is at the bottom, it can’t fall any further. It is staff who are going to suffer financially and also in terms of being in a difficult working environment. this will have an impact on patients.”

by RAY CLANCY

From page 1the 2014 commemorations are likely to see numerous heads of state including French president François Hollande, the British prime minister and whoever becomes the next president of the United States.

there is also likely to be a

representative of the British royal family.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected for the event – as well as veterans, the youngest of whom will be aged around 90.

Meanwhile, a campaign to relaunch a historic D-Day gunboat in time for the 2014

anniversary has started in the Uk. Portsmouth Naval Base Property trust aims to raise £70,000 to allow MGB 81 to cross the English Channel.

It is thought to be the last remaining ship of its kind. It provided cover at sea for US troops landing at omaha beach in Normandy in 1944.

D-Day 2014 anniversary will be special

this is anunprecedented situation for ahospital in France CGT trade union

‘‘



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Crisis meeting to be held as visitors shun Mont St MichelThe organisation responsible for managing the changes to Mont Saint Michel that have been blamed for a massive drop in visitor numbers this year will be holding a crisis meeting this month.

Top of the agenda will be transport and car parking costs as it is being suggested by locals and politicians that the new system needs to change to avoid another bad season.

The meeting will hear that visitor num-bers have dropped between 10% and 20% since the new car park was opened in May and parking costs for a single vehicle increased from e6 to e8.50.

The official line is that the economic out-look and bad weather is to blame but it has been widely reported that a lack of signs, a walk of 2km from the parking to the new shuttle bus stops and a public misunder-standing that the shuttles do not run in the evening are the real reasons people have been shunning one of France’s most visited sites this year.

It is hoped that a special parking price for evening visitors of just e2.50 introduced in August might help improve the poor fig-ures. The price for coaches has also been reduced from e55 to e40.

But local politicians in Normandy and Brittany who agreed that millions of euros of public money should be spent on the project are running out of patience and said that they no longer have confidence in Laurent Beauvais, president of Basse-

Normandie region and of the Syndicat Mixte de la Baie du Mont Saint Michel.

“Something urgent needs to be done,” said François Digard, mayor of Saint-Lô, after visiting the site with a group of fellow poli-ticians, adding that he hopes the meeting will consider reducing prices and do some-thing about the long walk from the carpark.

“A reduction of 10% to 15% in parking, a fall of 24% in income for hotels and restau-rants, we just can’t have a second season like that,” said Anne-Marie Cousin, a regional councillor and mayor of Torigni-sur-Vire.

Also high on the agenda is the saga over the horse-drawn carriages which were meant to take visitors to the Mont for a supplementary charge.

There was a design fault and the carriages have never been delivered, with transport provider Veolia paying a daily fine for fail-ing to provide them.

Régina Dutacq, operations director of Veolia Transport Mont Saint Michel, said in a statement that the original carriages will not be used for safety reasons after they were found to be unstable and had steering problems.

“It was a difficult decision and we take full responsibility. We are now working on getting a new model for 2014,” she added.

More ordinary carriages are expected to be introduced before the end of the year. Meanwhile, most of the 30 horses bought to pull the carriages are running around a field rather than being used at the attraction.

Producers sue over copycat calvadosTRADITIONAL Norman calvados - being a victim of its own success - has been copied by various companies in Finland, much to the fury of the French calvados-mak-ers’ association.

President Didier Bédu said: “If we sold Scotch whisky which wasn’t really Scotch whisky, the Scots would be angry, wouldn’t they?”

he claims the authorities are passing the buck and although they have employed a lawyer to take the Finnish companies to court, he is not hopeful.

“Consumers are being fooled into thinking they’re buying a high quality product from Calvados in France, when in fact they’re buying a cheap rip-off product that’s never been near France,” he said.

“They can produce as much apple liqueur or apple brandy as they like as long as they don’t call it calvados or any name that sounds or looks similar.

“The legal procedure will be lengthy and expensive which is why we’re asking elected representatives, ministers, the press and the public to help.” however he added: “This is proof of our success in the northern and eastern countries of europe. This is proof that people love our product.”

Officials blame the bad weather and economy for the visitor drop

by RAY CLANCY

By BOAT and from the air, the populations of dolphins and seals in the sea off Normandy and Brittany between Cherbourg and Saint-Brieuc are being studied as never before.

hundreds of people living in the region are helping to record and study these sea creatures which are regarded as being among the most important colonies in europe.

Members of the Al Lark association have taken 50,000 photographs of dolphins in the last seven years which they are now studying. In particular they are examining the different marks and shapes of dolphin fins.

At the same time the Syndicat Mixte de la Baie du Mont Saint Michel, the organisation that is overseeing the transformation of the famous attraction into an island once more, has launched its own study.

Biologist Audrey hemon has been making twice monthly air trips in a ULM across the bay to study the seals. “We have established that there are over 70 seals in the bay. Some 60 are common seals that come here every summer to breed. There are also around 12 grey seals that are in tran-sit,” she explained.

When the breeding season is finished she will begin to analyse the photos and then resume her studies by air in the spring and throughout the breeding season for three years. “The work being done at Mont Saint Michel could change the topography of the area. By following them we can find out if it is affecting the sand banks frequented by the seals,” she added.

There are around 600 bot-tlenose dolphins in the Bay of Mont Saint Michel according to Al Lark.

Photo: Ray Clancy

Pig farmers get cash to upgradeThe préfecture in the Orne is allocating grants to pig farmers to help them meet the new european pig-sty regulations which are designed to improve quality of life for farm animals. The deadline for the improve-ments is January 1, 2013.

An aerial view of seals in the bay of Mont Saint Michel

Major study into seals and dolphins


Horse fetches half a million A hORSe less than a year old has been sold for e520,000 in Deauville. The son of two famous racehorses Montjeu and Dibenoise, his value was raised by the death of his father Montjeu last spring, making him the last of the champion’s offspring. he was bought by an Irish consorti-um of owners and breeders called Coolmore, who owned his father and also own Recital, one of his brothers.

Tocqueville owner dies GUy d’hérouville, the owner of the Château de Tocqueville (Manche) has died at the age of 84. The château is famous for having been the home of Alexis de Tocqueville who was a writer, diplomat and French politician during the 18th century. every other year since 1979 the late owner hosted the jury of the Tocqueville Prize, awarded to the author of the book judged to promote humanism and civil liberty.

6 National News Normandy Advertiser October 2012

Citizens would get EU right to votecitizens in every eU state would have equal rights to vote in the country in which they choose to settle – and equal responsibilities to pay tax there under a plan by a leading French economist to “put in place a real status of european citizenship”.

Jacques Attali, who chairs an independent think-tank set up by the sarkozy government to look at French growth and reform, has also called for a single eU-wide passport.

He said it would give the holder access to all the rights of a national in their member state, including voting in pres-idential and parliamentary elections, provided they lived there for more than 10 years.

Same-sex weddings law ‘by early 2013’A neW law to be tabled this month will give homosexual couples the right to get mar-ried and to adopt. it could become law early in 2013.

Justice Minister christiane taubira, the justice minister,

was fulfilling a campaign promise by President Hollande and said: “We are well aware of the philosophi-cal and anthropological dimensions around marriage but we feel that they should not break the rule of equality.”

the law would extend the rights of marriage, kinship and parentage to same-sex couples and open up adoption either individually or as a

couple. However, they will not have the right to artificial fer-tility treatment (PMA) and the government has main-tained the ban on surrogacy.

Austerity drive linked to job creation planA tWin attack of an austerity budget and action to create jobs is President Hollande’s aim for the next two years. He

told tF1 that his government was in “battle mode” to get France back on track with his main targets being the nation-al debt and joblessness.

it means a tough time ahead as the “recovery agenda” would see e30 billion of taxes and spending cuts.

the debt would be reduced through a e10bn cut in public spending next year with every ministry apart from educa-

tion, security and justice being hit; e10bn from “large companies” through increased taxes and social charges, and e10bn from the ordinary tax-payer - and “especially better off households”.

Jobs would be created with a state-subsidised “generation contract” to get companies to hire young workers and the employment of 60,000 more staff in schools.

Oldest nuclear plant to be closed downPResiDent Hollande has said France’s oldest nuclear power plant, at Fessenheim in Alsace, will close in 2016.

He told a Paris environmen-tal conference he wanted to reduce the country’s depend-ency on nuclear power and said he wanted it cut from the present 75% to 25% by 2025.

this means a major increase in renewable energy supply and he said appeals for new wind and solar projects would be launched later this year.

He has also rejected seven bids to drill exploration wells for shale gas, citing communi-ty fears on water pollution.

More on these articles - and hundreds more - can be found at www.connexionfrance.comJust place a keyword search and click! UPDATED DAILY

Arnault foundation could save 37% taxFRencH tycoon Bernard Arnault, the head of the LVMH luxury goods group, has set up a Belgian founda-tion which could help his children pay minimal inher-itance tax after he dies.

Arnault, France’s richest man with a e32billion for-tune, recently announced he had applied for Belgian nationality and the Protect-invest foundation could let him pass on billions of inher-itance with no or little tax. His heirs could pay 3% instead of 40% in France.

New Lascaux caves facsimile is dropped BUDGet cuts could halt e50million plans for a giant facsimile of the Lascaux caves in the Dordogne.

culture Minister Aurélie Filippetti said the Lascaux 4 plan near Montignac was not a priority. it was hit along with unbudgeted cul-tural projects from the pre-vious government – total-ling almost a billion euros.

Bernard cazeau, leader of Dordogne conseil général, said the plan was a Unesco-backed bid to stop damage to the 17,000-year-old paint-ings - and would go ahead.Bulls and horses depicted in the Lascaux paintings

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THE ONSLAUGHT of violent protests against the new high-voltage THT power line being built across Basse-Normandie looks to be cool-ing, with campaigners hoping a new tactic of taking legal action to stall the project will be more successful.

It comes after one man was sent to jail for three months and another was fined e2,000 at the criminal court in Coutances.

Philosophy student Michael Garabello, 24, was jailed after being found guilty of aggressive violence in June when two policemen and 25 protestors were hurt during a weekend of resistance in the Manche.

The public prosecutor had recommended he should be jailed for eight months as he had a previous conviction for a similar offence in Paris in 2009.

Michel Houssin, 51, was found guilty of vio-lently opposing construction work on the line and fined e2,000, of which half was suspend-ed. Both men are appealing.

The severity of the court action seems to have acted as a warning to other protestors. A militant’s camp that was being manned day and night in a wood belonging to the previous mayor of Le Chefresne, Jean-Claude Bossard, has been virtually abandoned.

“We have decided to change our methods. We held a meeting to discuss where we go after the jailing of a protestor following the clashes in June,” said one militant who did not want to be named.

“Our way forward is likely to be less obvious. We can’t risk people being sent to jail and people being hurt. We will still be around, we’ll be taking photos and videos as evidence of the methods being used by the contractors,” he added.

Mr Bossard, who has resigned as mayor over the issue confirmed that tactics are changing. “We wish to organise a symbolic opposition and to educate people about the fight against the line,” he said.

As the violence calms down the issue is set to become more political and legal. The local branch of the French green party, EELV, said it is going to press for a proper epidemiological study of the health implications of the high-voltage line on people and animals.

Yannic Soubien, vice-president of the party in Basse-Normandie, said that as the building of the new nuclear facility at Flamanville is behind schedule there should be no rush to build the power lines and time should be used instead to try to resolve the issues that are con-cerning people.

EELV looks set to become increasingly vocal over the issues. Last month the new national secretary of the party Pascal Durand visited fields in Saint-Pierre-des-Landes in the Mayenne and said that RTE seems to be forg-ing ahead with the construction of the line without concern for the local population.

“Their strategy is always the same; install the pylons as quickly as possible when there is no urgency so that residents can do nothing despite the possibility of legal action,” he said, adding that he cannot understand why they are

going forward so fast with the construction of the line when there are question marks over health issues.

The public inquiry into the line decided that there was no risk to health and no need for a health study to be undertaken. But a number of farmers next to a small section of an existing high-voltage power line between Normandy and Paris are claiming that the health of their animals improved when the power was cut for a month between August and September for work to be carried out.

Now the Manche Chamber of Agriculture and the agriculture trade union FDSEA have asked for an evaluation to be done. “This could provide valuable data to see if high-voltage power lines cause problems. If they do then RTE needs to address the issue,” said Rémi Bailhache, president of the Chamber of Agriculture, but he acknowledged that it will be difficult to prove what livestock health issues relate to the line.

Legal moves are continuing. Last month, farmer Yves Larsonneur succeeded in getting a court to halt the work being done by RTE in his fields. The court in Coutances ordered that the work on two pylons at Montabot should stop as he had not given his permission. According to a law of 1892 the owner of land must give his permission before work starts even if it is in the public interest.

Mr Larsonneur described it as a David and Goliath-style victory. He added that it seems that the law is now more likely to hold up the line than violent protests.


Protestors change tactics and hope law will delay power line

THT campaigners gathered outside Coutances criminal court to support Michel Houssin, who was fined for violently opposing the line

by RAY CLANCY

MORE people living near the new high-voltage THT power line could get com-pensation if it hampers their view, it has emerged.

A commission will start taking details from the end of this month on the impact of the line on people who bought their houses before June 2009, when the public inquiry into the line started.

Those living within 200m of the new line have already been promised compensa-tion but this second inquiry

will now look at those which are further afield.

No distance has been specified yet for the new commission team which will be headed by an admin-istrative judge.

Another commission will also be put in place by the end of the year to examine the economic impact of the building of the line on local businesses.

One farmer has already complained that his field of maize was flattened by a

helicopter being used by grid provider Réseau de Transport d’Electricité (RTE) which is responsible for the construction of the new line.

A spokesman said that it will be up to those concerned to prove that their business has been affected.

The commission will want evidence of their business before and after the construc-tion of the line and it expects to make its first evaluations known early in 2013.

Compensation offer could be extended

Photo: PHOTOPQR/OUEST FRAN

CE


8 What’s On Normandy Advertiser October 2012

October

October 4-7Les Mycologiades – The

Place de l’Europe in thecentre of Bellême is thebase for the 60th edition

of this internationalmushroom festival. On the

agenda are mushroom-gathering outings for

specialists, school childrenand the general public

alike, training sessions forpharmacists on how to

spot dangerous types andthe annual Cèpe d'Or

competition for youngmycologists. A day ticket

for the events is 15.The full programme anddetails of how to register

can be found online atwww.mycologiades.com

Orne OUTDOORS

October 6-7 Fête de la Crevette –Lovers of shrimp and other seafood willenjoy this traditional weekend festival inHonfleur, dedicated not just to localshrimps but to all things sea and fishing.Freshly caught seafood has beencelebrated at this annual festival since1994, with concerts, sailors’ chants, freshproduce to be tasted and a wide range ofactivities for children all on a seasidetheme.There is also a market selling thelatest fresh fish straight out of theChannel. Most of the activities will bealong the quayside and are FREE totake part. To find out more, visit www.ot-honfleur.fr

October 12-13 D-Day beach Pro-Am – Takepart in a golf competition overlooking one ofNormandy’s historic D-Day landing spots atOmaha Beach golf course. Local historian

Jacques Ravelli will also be giving a talk aboutthe beaches and their history.To find out more,

call organisers Swing on 01 41 22 96 00 orsee www.omahabeachgolfclub.com

Bellême

Until October 1 Paris-Deauville rally – Every year inOctober Deauville hosts the Paris-Deauville vintage car rally.Created in 1967, this rally recalls the spirit of the 1920s,when lovers of elegance gathered in the chic Normanseaside town with their beautiful cars. Now in its 45th year,the event sees about 50 vintage vehicles – including RollsRoyces and Aston Martins – dating from before 1940 makethe annual pilgrimage from Paris to parade the streets of theseaside resort.This year’s rally includes a special celebrationof the classic British manufacturer Bentley.www.deauville.org

CalvadosHonfleurFESTIVAL

Calvados Deauville

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Until October 31 FromDelacroix to Signac: Drawings fromthe Dyke collection – The Muséedes Impressionismes in Givernypresents an exhibition of 100works from one of the mostastute private art collectors ofthe 19th and 20th century,James T Dyke, on loan from theNational Gallery in London.Theselection focuses on thedeepest and richest part of hiscollection, drawings by Frenchartists working from about 1830to 1930, from Eugène Delacroixto Bonnard,Vuillard and Signac.Open daily 10.00-18.00, from6.50. www.mgif.fr

SPORTEure Giverny ARTCalvados Port-en-Bessin-Huppain

OUTDOORS

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What’s On 9Normandy Advertiser October 2012

Calvados Various locations October 18-November 18 Foire SaintRomain – France’s biggest funfair outside ofParis returns to the south bank at Rouenfor the half-term holidays, with more than200 attractions, shows, rides and stalls.Thefair has been a regular feature in the city’sagenda for centuries and this is the lastyear that it will be held on the bank, aheadof moving to a new, unconfirmed locationin 2013. www.foirestromain.fr

FAMILY Seine-MaritimeRouen FAMILY

Photo: zigazou76 - flickr.com

October 11-28 Equidays –Calvados’s autumnequestrian festival is yourchance to go on a guidedvisit of local haras and enjoyhorseback tours of the localcountryside. It takes placein venues around thedepartment, mostly Orbec,Cambremer and Pontl'Evêque.The festival beginswith three nights ofspectacular showjumpingtheatre shows at Les PrésLongrais in Victot Pontfolfrom October 11-13,starting at 20.30. Entry is20.The full programmeis at www.equidays-calvados.com

Seine-Maritime Rouen FOODOctober 20-21 Fête du Ventre– Over two days, this massivefestival in the historic citycentre of Rouen unites chefs,farmers and the food-lovingpublic with hundreds of standsdedicated to gastronomy. Morethan 120,000 visitors areexpected to join in theactivities, which include gamesfor the children, street theatre,jazz performances, cider-makingand a traditional parade incostume. Everything from snailsand seafood to cheese andcaramel will be on display.www.feteduventre.com

MANCHE October 6 – Cherbourg 7 – Bacilly, Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët 14 – Saint André de l”Epine, Saint-Lô 21 – Condé sur Vire, Granville 28 – Agon-Coutainville, Granville

ORNE 6 – Alençon, Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon

CALVADOS 6 – Bernières-sur-Mer, Condé-sur-Noireau,Giberville 7 – Caen, Cormelles le Royal, Giberville,Honfleur, Mouen, Saint-Arnoult, Saint Martin deTallevende,Thury-Harcourt,Tilly-sur-Seuilles,Vire 14 – Beuvron-en-Auge, Caen,Touques 20 – Cabourg 27 – Deauville

SEINE-MARITIME 6 – Bosc Bordel, Isneauville, Le Havre, Notre

Dame d'Aliermont, Saint Léger aux Bois, SaintLéonard, Saint Pierre lès Elbeuf 7 – Blainville-Crevon, Canteleu, Duclair, Elbeurf,Fécamp, Forges-les-Eaux, Goderville, GrandCouronne, Isneauville, Le Havre, Le Tréport, NotreDame de Gravenchon, Saint Léger aux Bois, SaintLéonard, Saint Pierre lès Elbeuf, Sainte Foy,Yvetot 14 – Buchy, Doudeville, Saumont la Poterie 21 – Canteleu, Grand Couronne, La Bouille, LeBourg, Le Havre, Maromme, Montivilliers 28 – Fécamp

EURE 6 – Conches en Ouche, Fontaine la Soret,Gasny,Vandrimare 7 – Barneville-sur-Seine, Cintray, Fleury surAndelle, Fontaine la Soret, Gravigny, Ivry la Bataille,La Couture Boussey, Pont Audemer,Vernon 14 – Cormeilles, Ecos, Perriers sur Andelle 21 – La Ferrière sur Risle 28 – Aubevoye, Le Vieil Evreux, Saint Denis leFerment

Brocantes/vide-greniers in Normandy this month

Eure GARDENING

October 27-28 Les Automnales d’Harcourt – Fifty of the best nursery gardeners and plantcollectors from all over north-west France gather in the botanical garden in Harcourt todisplay their work and share advice. It is a great opportunity to meet like-mindedgardening fans and producers and see some beautiful, rare and unusual plants.There willalso be a conference on Saturday afternoon on the effect climate change is having ongardening in the region. 4. Call 02 32 46 29 70 or see www.harcourt-normandie.fr

Manche Saint-Lô MUSICOctober 30-November 4Polyfollia – The long Toussaintweekend is the time of yearwhen choral singers from allover the world meet in Saint-Lô to perform together inmore than 50 concerts dottedaround the town.Audienceparticipation is the key elementin many of their performances,and there are also workshopsand talks.Tickets range from16 to 35 depending on theconcert. The full programmeand booking can be accessedonline at www.polyfollia.org


ADVERTISEIN THISSPACEReach local English

speakers in theNormandy area by

advertising with us.CALL US ON

0800 91 77 56

Harcourt

Looking for ideas of days out or events

near you?

FESTYLAND AMUSEMENT PARKEnjoy an exceptional day out and the guaranteeof thrills, spills and laughter for all! The park re-traces Normandy's history in a joyful family at-mosphere. A total of thirty attractions cover fourdifferent themes). Restaurants, self-service cate-ring and picnic spots on site.www.festyland.com

Naturospace tropical butterflyfarm in HonfleurNaturospace, offers you a fascinating journeythrough an Amazonian garden where tropical but-terflies fly in total freedom: a hundred differentspecies from South America, South-East Asia andAfrica. Rare plant species can also be admired.Particular care is taken to preserve floral diversityand to present useful tropical plants (fruits andspices). Revel in the splendour of the multicolou-red tropical birds as they fly free. Visit lasts: 1hour. www.natur-aquarium.fr

INDOOR THEMED PLAYGROUNDS (ideal for the under 12s)Girafou in Bénouville (between Caen

and Ouistreham) - www.girafou.com

Ouga Ouga in Bretteville-sur-Odon (Caen)www.ougaouga.com

Royal Kids in Hérouville St Clair (between Caen and Ouistreham) - www.royalkids.fr

AND A MINE OF OTHER ACTIVITIESAdventure trails, fishing ponds and lakes, aquarium,

ten-pin bowling...www.calvados-tourisme.com

ZOOLOGICAL PARKSCerza in Hermival les Vaux(near Lisieux)Discover 800 wild animals across this vast 60-hec-tare site comprising prairies and valleys and devotedto reproducing and breeding endangered species. Atour through the park offers visitors a close encoun-ter with animals in the ‘Heart of Africa’ and the ‘Sa-vage Valley’, two walking routes and over safari trainexcursions. Snacks, a restaurant and a picnic areaare also available on site. Events and activities. A 12-minute film, both amusing and educational, offers vi-sitors an insight into protecting wild animals andrespecting the environment. www.cerza.com

Jurques Zoo (20 min south-east of Caen)In the heart of this 15ha wooded park, take off for anadventure amidst some 650 exceptional wild animalspecies such as the extremely rare white lion. A totalchange of scenery awaits you in the African, SouthAmerican and Australian plains, the land of thewolves, the reptile village and the 'African moun-tains': a patio overlooking a 130 feet quarry whereyou can admire some forty different animals. In thesummer season, you can even touch the snakes orwatch the penguins, the wolves and the monkeysfeed. Mini-farm, play areas, inflatable structures, ca-feteria, boutique. Gates close 1h30 before closure ofthe zoo. Not to be missed: a magical world of ani-mals by night on July 27 & 28 July (8pm-midnight)!www.zoodejurques.fr

What’s on in October?

1 & 28Trotting races, Vire

6 & 7Prawn & Fishing Fair, Honfleur

6, 20, 24 & 31Trotting races, Caen

8 to 14Bayeux-Calvados Awards for War Correspondents, Bayeux

14 to 28‘Equi’days’- Equestrian Events, throughout CalvadosVisit: www.equidays.com

19 to 21International Horse Jumping, Caen

22 to 24Yearlings Horse Auctions, Deauville

24 to 30European Film Festival, Houlgate

27 & 28Scallop Fair, Villers-sur-Mer

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Calvados, the true spirit of Normandy

Kid’s stuff family fun

AQUATIC CENTRESCarpiquet - www.espace-sirena.fr

Condé-sur-Noireauwww.conde-sur-noireau.com

Douvres-la-délivrande - www.aquanacre.frFalaise - www.ca-formeo.fr

Lisieux - www.lisieux-tourisme.comThury Harcourt - www.aqua-sud.fr

Vire - www.aquavire.fr

What’s On 11Normandy Advertiser October 2012

What’s On in the capital

October 6-7 – The Prix del’Arc de Triomphe is France’smost prestigious flat race andattracts the elite of horseracing. It is one of 13 racestaking place over a weekend atthe Hippodrome de Longchampin the Bois de Boulogne duringthe first week in October. Morethan 50,000 spectators areexpected and the event iswatched by millions on TVworldwide.The Arc deTriomphe record was brokenlast year by Danedream, whofinished the race in two minutes24 seconds. Doors open at11.00 on both days. Entry is 4on Saturday,8 on Sunday.Under-18s go free, as dowomen wearing beautiful hats.Call 01 44 30 75 00 or visit prixarcdetriomphe.com

CocoaChanel

October 10-14 – Celebrate the makingof this year’s vintage with much fanfare at

Paris’s only vineyard, on the north-facing hill at Montmartre,which takes on a village feel for this five-day festival.The Fête desVendanges includes tastings, regional produce for sale, a colourfulparade, concerts and fireworks on October 13.www.fetedesvendangesdemontmartre.com

FESTIVAL

Culture festivalushers in theautumn months

50,000 expected at France’s ‘Grand National’

Until Christmas – For thelast 40 years, the Paris Festivalde l’Automne has ushered inthe post-summer season hereby highlighting some of thebest works in contemporaryvisual art, music, cinema,theatre and other creativeforms.Venues across Parishost the season-long eventwhich includes everythingfrom opera and film to dance.It is the largest festival of itskind in the world.festival-automne.com

October 6 – First launchedin 2002, Paris Nuit Blanche(sleepless night) is a night ofnon-stop art and culture inwhich hundreds of the city’sgalleries, museums, city halls,and even swimming poolsopen their doors all night tovisitors.Light installations, edgy

performances, concerts andexhibitions are planned allover the capital and everyevent is free. Some townhalls offer a free continentalbreakfast to those who stayup until dawn.

The banks of the Seine willbe a focal point this year,with a special cultural pathrunning from the Radio

France building in the westto Ivry in the east.Anothertheme this year is the sky –with 15 buildings in the citycentre opening up their roofterraces for sightseers,including the 24th floor ofthe Tour Zamansky at Jussieu(5th arrondissement, pictured).See the full programme atnuitblanche.paris.fr

Harvest time at city vineyard

October 18-22 –This month is a

great time for art and designlovers, with three major fairsover the same weekend. FIACshowcases work from 165international galleries andover 2,500 artists in theimpressive Grand Palais from18-21 (www.fiac.com). Justover the road will be Art &Design Elysées from 18-22(www.artelysees.fr), whilethe Cité de la Mode et duDesign near the Gared’Austerlitz has the Chic ArtFair (www.chic-today.com)from 19-22 displaying the bestin fashion and design.

Design fair from 50s to nowOctober 4-7 – Les Puces du Design seesspecialists in fashion and furniture from the

1950s onwards present and sell their wares to the public on thisspecial fair held in Bercy Village. See www.pucesdudesign.com

Until October 14 – Le Mondial del’Automobile is a trade show showcasting

cutting-edge vehicle design from all over the world, at ParisExpo, Porte de Versailles. www.mondialautomobile.com

October 20 – The celebrated former guitaristfrom Guns ‘n’ Roses, Slash, plays a solo concert

at the Zénith, Parc de la Villette as part of his world tour.Tickets start at 42.

EXHIBITION

ART

October 24-December 31– Exactly 55 years since it firstopened on Broadway to ravereviews, the classic musicalWest Side Story, is beingperformed in English (withFrench subtitles) in a two-month run at the ThéâtreMusical de Paris in Châtelet.Performances are nightly at20.00 and tickets range from24 to 133 from all theusual outlets.

THEATRE

Photo: phalenebdlv/FlickrPhoto: Pierre Lannes/Flickr

Skyscrapersand Seineon sleeplessnight out

Photo: Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe

October 31-Nov 4 –With the nights drawingin and Christmas almost

around the corner, the Salon du Chocolatis a highlight in the capital’s autumnevents schedule, bringing together morethan 100 chocolatiers, cocoa growers andthousands of consumers at Viparis, Portede Versailles.The show celebrates all thatis unique about chocolate and, as well asdemonstrations from world-famous chefsand tastings there is dance, songs anddemonstrations of rituals and traditionsfrom cocoa-producing countries. In total,more than 40 live demonstrations andtastings will be presented.There is also achocolate bookshop and conferences (inFrench) on chocolate’s history andinnovations, plus the unique chocolatedresses fashion show every day at 17.00,where some of the finest designers andmost talented chocolatiers work together.Open daily 10.00-19.00. Day passes are13. www.salon-du-chocolat.com

FOOD OUTDOORS

Photo: Ministère de l’Enseignem

ent Supérieur

Photos: Julien Millet

Cutting-edge cars on show

DESIGN

Rock legend Slash plays ParisMUSIC

Three art fairs, one weekend

FESTIVAL

West SideStory inEnglish


12 Practical Normandy Advertiswww.normandyadvertiser.com

FORMALITIES in the first few daysafter someone dies include the mak-ing out of a death certificate and adeclaration at the mairie.

Note that if you are an employeeyou have the right to time off due tothe death of a close relative. You alsohave the right to take a break fromwork to be with a close relative whois terminally ill, called a congé desolidarité familial, during whichyour contract is suspended and youcan claim a daily benefit to partiallycompensate loss of earnings.

PaperworkThe first thing required is for a doc-

tor to make out a certificat médicalconstatant le décès (also known asthe certificat de décès) to legally statethe person has died.

If the death took place at home, itis the doctor called to the housewho will sign it. In a hospital, clinicor retirement home a staff doctorwill sign it.

Violent deaths, including road acci-dents, must be notified to the policeor gendarmerie, who will supply acertificate. In the case of a violentdeath the body may be transferred toan institut medico-légal, a specialtype of mortuary, where the bodywill be kept in a refrigerated facility,

where an autopsy may be carriedout, it will then be transferred to achambre funéraire or mortuaire onjudicial permission.

Apart from the basic proof ofdeath, this certificat médical will alsocontain extra information that isimportant in the following circum-stances: admission to a chambrefunéraire (private or municipal mor-tuary), transport of the body beforethe coffin is sealed, transport abroadafter sealing, embalming and crema-tion. In such cases, the certificateneeds to show that there are nomedical/legal matters of concern,that the person did not suffer from alist of contagious illnesses and (ifthey are to be cremated) they didnot have a pacemaker.

The mairie will give you a docu-ment called the acte de décès – askfor about a dozen. It is this acte dedécès, rather than the medical deathcertificate, that you will need to usefor most subsequent formalities.

Most mairies allow for internetdeclarations at http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/R1406.xhtml

The mairie will provide a permisd’inhumer (burial permit). The bur-ial may not take place until 24 hoursafter the death and no later than sixdays (not including Sundays andbank holidays).

In the case of a violent death ajudge must give permission for therelease of a permis d’inhumer after areport by a pathologist and police.

Authorisation to take the body outof the commune where the coffinwas sealed must be obtained fromthe mairie.

Funeral planningThe death of someone close isalways a traumatic experience andfurther emotional distress can becaused when the death occurs in acountry where you are not familiarwith both the language and localprocedures and administrations.

Where possible it is advisable toask for the help of a native speaker –ideally someone who will remaincalm and level-headed to avoid fur-ther distress. Take time to choosethe right funeral director’s firm.

The placing in the coffin (mise encercueil) usually happens at theplace where the person died.Wherever a death takes place, noone can impose removal of the bodyto the deceased’s home or to a cham-bre funéraire without permission

from the family. The only exceptionis where the director of a homeattests in writing he was unable tocontact family members in 10 hoursafter the death. In such a case he canarrange a transfer, at the establish-ment’s cost. A body can stay in aprivate home or retirement homefor up to six days.

Unless the deceased made specificprovisions, you need to organise thefuneral – choose the funeral direc-tor’s (pompes funèbres) which willarrange the obsèques – convoy, plac-ing in the coffin, transport of thebody etc. A list of firms can befound at the mairie. It is recom-mended to ask for a devis (estimate)explaining what services are coveredand the costs, before signing a con-tract. Since January 2011 firms arerequired to use a set format for theestimate (un devis type).

Since January 1998, funeral direc-tors’ firms accredited by a préfecturemay be selected anywhere in France. A list of certified funeral directors isavailable from town halls, mortuar-ies, crematoria and cemeteries.

However, beware of guidebooksfound in some mairies, as arrange-ments may exist between town hallsand certain funeral directors.

Before making arrangements witha particular funeral director, it isbest to call several (if they will notanswer questions on the phone,drop them). Matters you may wantto check on include:

Avoid any furtherdistress: knowwhat to do inevent of a deathLosing a loved-one is not something we want to think about – but when it happens, it is important to act quickly and practically andunderstand the formalities to minimise stress at this difficult time.Here we give a step-by-step guide to the main considerations in the

days and weeks that follow a death in France A burial can range from 2130 to 7620, says mutuelle Mutac, while

Phot

o: m

ayan

ais/

Flic

kr“It is best to call severalfuneral firms. If theywill not answer questions on thephone, drop that firm

Photo: Subbotina Anna - Fotolia.com

Practical 13www.normandyadvertiser.comser October 2012

Prices for either:– an equipped oak coffin (cercueil en

chêne equipé) for burial in a cemetery(equipped means with inner lining,handles, plaque, screws etc.), or

– a coffin equipped for cremation (cer-cueil équipé destiné à la crémation), or

– an equipped and zinc coated coffin(cercueil zingué et équipé), for ship-ment abroad.

The cost of a hearse (corbillard) andpallbearers, as well as the number ofpallbearers (porteurs). Transport or repatriation costs ifappropriate.

After you have made a request to afuneral director you should receive adetailed estimate (devis), free and withno obligation. Do not accept a simpleverbal response, a draft or an approxi-mate price scribbled on a business card.

By law as of 2011 it should include thefollowing:

Preparation and organisation of thefuneral Transport of the body before placing

in the coffin, to return it to the person’shome, to a chambre funéraire etc. The coffin and accessories Placing in the coffin and sealing it Transport of the body after sealing tothe cemetery or crematorium etc. The funeral The burial or cremation

Request an explanation of each costitem: Sometimes an identical service orproduct may be added more than once.All terms, especially if they use vagueexpressions, should be explained.

Numerous terms may describe aprocess of preservation using formalde-hyde – conservation, thanatopraxie, soinssomatiques, présentation, art réstauratif,formolisation or IFT.

Other methods of preservation includedry ice (glace carbonique) or a refrigerat-ed bed (which may be used in retirementhomes) or in a refrigerated facility in amortuary. Preservation with formalde-hyde is not obligatory (except for repa-triation to certain countries, includingthe UK).

Ask for a written description of the cof-fin (type of wood, thickness, colour, fin-ish) and accessories.

If you accept the conditions of the esti-mate given to you, a purchase order (bonde commande) is then drafted. You arecontracting that funeral director and arecontractually liable to pay the bill.

Any change afterwards on the purchaseorder must be added to the estimate inyour possession or a new estimate mustbe made stipulating each and every serv-ice and material.

If the funeral is to be paid for out ofthe deceased’s estate – where the funeraldirector can seek payment directly fromthe bank, up to 3,049 – get the estimatebefore suggesting this method, as somefirms may bill suspiciously close to thislimit in such a case.

Note that you may incur other expenses: publication in the press, death announcement cards, flowerarrangements, monument (if not includedin the funeral director’s bill),religious service.

Organ donationsIn France it is assumed you want todonate your organs after you die.

When a person dies, medical authori-ties can use their organs for transplantsunless the deceased made his or her wishnot to donate known, by registering onthe Registre des Refus or by telling theirclose family, who will be consulted ifsomeone is not on the register.

The register is managed by the Agencede la Biomédecine (who can be found atwww.agence-biomedecine.fr).

In fact however, organs are only takenfollowing about 1% of deaths in hospital,as the person needs to have died in alimited range of circumstances for theirorgans to be useable.

If you are in favour of organ donation,you should tell your close family so theycan relay your wishes. In the absence ofinscription on the refusal register theywill be consulted and their decision willbe respected. They can also pass on yourwishes if you did not want certain organsto be used.

You should also carry an organ dona-tion card (carte de donneur d’organes): thishas no legal force but helps clarify yourwishes. There is no age restriction to askfor a donor card, but in the event ofsomeone dying under the age of 18, organremoval can only take place uponparental authorisation. To apply for a freedonor card visit www.france-adot.org/demande-carte-donneur.php

When someone dies and has not optedout of the organ donation process, themedical teams will aim to make suretheir organs are maintained in workingorder. Once the organs are removed careis taken to maintaining the appearance ofthe body before returning it to the familywho will proceed with the burial/crema-tion process (with the associated costs).The medical costs involved, along withpotential transportation between hospi-tals depending on the availability of therelevant medical team, are covered by thedeceased’s social security.

Note also that there is a significant dif-ference between donating organs and

donating one’s body to sci-ence. Léguer son corps à lascience means donating one’sentire body for use by amedical school. The bodywill not be returned to thefamily. The deceased willhave to make financial provi-sions for their body to betransported to the nearest medical school upontheir death.

“Where possible it is advisable to ask for the help of anative speaker – ideally someone who will remaincalm and level-headed to avoid further distress

Key vocabulary

The Connexion newspaper has published a 2012 revised helpguideDeath in France, from which the information above is extracted. Itexplains what to do when someone dies, the formalities, financing afuneral, organ donation, choosing a funeral director and much more.

Death in France helpguide – updated

Download a copy for 5 at www.connexionfrance.com or call 0800 91 77 56 for a printed version to be sent to you

cremation ranges from 1920 to 4290

Le certificat de décès =death certificate Le bureau d’état-civil =register office Le/la défunt/e = deceasedperson Une autopsie = autopsy Le médecin légiste =pathologist Une enquête = inquest Le/la dirigeant/e de pom-pes-funèbres = undertaker/ funeral director La chambre mortuaire =mortuary in a hospital, hos-pice or clinic where people’sbodies are preserved inrefrigerated cases Le reposoir = Room in aretirement home where aperson’s body may be kept,before or after being placedin the coffin. Not refrigerat-ed, therefore some preser-vation technique may beapplied. La chambre funéraire =private or municipal mortu-ary where body may bekept before burial or crema-tion, often run by funeraldirectors. Le cercueil = coffin Le corbillard = hearse Le porteur = pallbearer La thanatopraxie =embalming Le rapatriement = repa-triation (Entreprise de) pompesfunèbres = funeral directors (company) Le maître de cérémonie/ordonnateur or monteur deconvoi = all indicate a per-son from the funeral direc-tor’s firm who looks afterthe family during the funer-al (may be one of the por-teurs). Une inhumation = burial– en pleine terre = in theground– en caveau = vault Une concession funéraire= cemetery plot– concession de famille =family only– concession collective =family and others– concession individuelle =one person only– temporaire = temporary– trentenaire = 30 years– cinquantenaire = 50 years– perpétuelle = in perpetuity Le caveau = vault La tombe = grave La mise en bière/mettre

en bière = placing in thecoffin La veillée mortuaire =wake Les cendres = ashes Une urnefunéraire/cinéraire = funeralurn Un columbarium - facilityfor storing cinerary urns(columbarium) Obsèques = the funeral(the term les funerailles alsoexists but is less used andimplies a grand ceremony)– civiles = civil– religieuses = religious Le deuil/ être en deuil =bereavement / to bebereaved or in mourning Un enterrement/aller àl'enterrement de… = bur-ial/going to someone’s bur-ial/funeral Les condoléances/présen-ter/offrir/faire ses con-doléances = to offer some-body one’s sympathy Une lettre de condoléances= letter of sympathy.Example: Monsieur etMadame X vous prient derecevoir leurs très sincèrescondoléances et l'expressionde leur profonde sympathie. La marbrerie funéraire =monumental masonry– en marbre = made ofmarble– en granit = granite- en pièrre = made of stone La stèle = headstone La plaque = plaque Gravé(e) = engraved

Photo: mayanais/Flickr

14 Mind Matters Normandy Advertiser October 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

Easy Intermediate Difficult

The France quiz

French-themed crossword by John Foley

by Paul Masters

AS the concert ends, the performersacknowledge the applause, but theaudience is still so moved, andthe performers still sofuelled by the emotion ofthe performance thatthey coincide in callingfor, and granting abonus item.

This is, of course,the encore. Yet theaudience may not becrying out “encore”,but using the shorterbut sibilant alternative“bis, bis”.

In the street outside, youmay notice the word again,written above door ways andentrances. The building may havebeen number 12, but it has been divided into12A and 12B, as we would say in English, orDouze and Douze bis.

The ancient word bis has this meaning ofagain, or for a second time, and these areprobably the only two surviving uses of a lit-tle word with its best days long ago.

So, where’s the linkbetween the musicalencore or the streetnumbering and thewheaten biscuit? Inthe meaning, quitesimply, where bis

denotes “for a secondtime”.Biscuits were originally

placed in the oven twice:once before the bread was

cooked, and once again after-wards, as the oven cooled down.

The second time was intended to dry themthoroughly rather than to cook them anymore: for dried biscuits kept much longer,and were a staple part of the diet on long seavoyages, for instance, in centuries past.

And so biscuit, in fact, simply means“cooked twice”.

Across2. Stew of haricot beans and pork or other meat,famously made in Castelnaudary (9)8. Toponymous jeans cloth, serge __ _____ (2,5)9. Actress Sophia _____, who became a Frenchcitizen in 1966 because of legal and tax problemsin her native land (5)10. Tart filled in England with a sweet or savourymixture, in France with custard (4)11. Fields in Greek myth which gave their nameto Paris thoroughfare (7)13. Fruits of evergreen oleaceous trees (6)15. Basic unit of electric current named afterFrench physicist and mathematician (6)18. Highly-prized delicacy sought by a pig or dog(7)20. Fabric for which Chantilly was once famous(4)23. French and German “yes” provide equipmentfor contact with the other side (5)24. Scholar and theologian remembered chieflyfor his love for Héloïse (7)25. Dish once served at dinners between maincourse and dessert (9)

Down1. Nobel prize-winning Parisian author ofL’Immoraliste and La Symphonie Pastorale (4)2. Waterway such as that built by Pierre-PaulRiquet (5)3 and 12. Normandy-born English soldier andscourge of the Cathars (5,2,8)4. Edible bivalve mollusc farmed in the Étang deThau (6)5. Composer at Louis XIV’s court who also wrotefor plays by 16 down (5)6. Bread and butter, _______ de beurre (7)7. Classified ads – petites ________ (8)12. See 314. Useless in French and rarely, too, in English(7)16. Pseudonym of dramatist Jean-BaptistePoquelin (7)17. French Parliament chamber at theLuxembourg Palace (6)19. Sumptuous meal or a religious celebration (5)21. Due to their behaviour some of these crus-taceans are known in France as dormeurs (5)22. Four-letter acronymn for broadband (4)

1 WHICH sports personality turnedmusician has been named the mostpopular person in France for the ninth yearrunning?

2 WHICH French actor was thrown off aDublin flight last year for urinating in hisseat, and now stands accused of punchinga driver in a road rage incident in Paris?

3 HOW many medals did France win inthis summer’s Olympic Games? And inwhat position did the country end up inthe medals table?

4 WHICH hotel in the French capital isbeing stripped of its famous namebecause of declining standards?

5 WHEN is France’s next public holiday?

6 WHO is the captain of the Frenchnational football team?

7 ROCKY is a power-crazed leader in anew French novel that is causing a stir. Onwhich politician is it based?

Sudoku

What’s in a word?

biscuit

Photo: carine06

/FlickrCROSSWORDANSWERS.Across 2 cassoulet; 8 de Nîmes; 9 Loren; 10 flan; 11 Elysian; 13 olives; 15 ampere; 18 truffle; 20 lace; 23 ouija; 24 Abélard; 25 entremetsDown 1 Gide; 2 canal; 3 Simon de Montfort; 4 oyster; 5 Lully; 6 tartine; 7 annonces; 12 See 3; 14 inutile; 16 Molière; 17 Senate; 19 feast; 21 crabs; 22 ADSLFRANCEQUIZANSWERS: 1. Yannick Noah; 2. Gérard Depardieu; 3. 34, seventh place; 4. Paris Hilton; 5. November 1 (Toussaint); 6. Didier Deschamps; 7. Nicolas Sarkozy

Jo-WilfriedTsonga

representingFrance at the

Olympics

Food and Pets 15Normandy Advertiser October 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com

HOUSE training takes time andpatience but done the right way, firstresults appear fast. The first princi-ple is that accidents are the owner’sfault, not the dog’s: the ownershould have taken the dog out sothat she did not need to go indoors.So never punish your dog for pud-dles in the house – just clean up anyaccidents without fuss.

The next principle is to prevent thedog peeing inside the house. Do thisby watching her like a hawk. At thefirst sign of wanting a pee (wander-ing around sniffing things), take herout. Also take her out first thing inthe morning, after meals and lastthing at night. Puppies should betaken out every two hours; they can-not hold on for longer.

If you cannot watch your dog, shuther into an outdoors run (weatherpermitting) or a small easy-to-cleanspace such as a utility room orkitchen. That way at least accidentswill be easy to clean. Only a proper-ly house-trained dog should begiven the run of the house.

At night, shut your dog into a pur-pose built dog crate (available on theinternet) filled with comfy bedding,toys and a treat. The crate should bebig enough for the dog to stand up,stretch, turn round and lie down in

but no bigger. Given that you havewalked your dog last thing beforebed, she should easily be able to staydry until the morning. If your dogdoes not like the crate to begin with,use more treats to change her mind.Kindness and persistence are key.Do not use the crate other than atnight.

While you are doing all that, youmust also reward your dog massive-ly for doing the right thing. The

minute she pees outdoors, pat her,praise her and give her a bit of dogsausage or other titbit. Every singletime the dog pees, even if it is 20times in one walk, you shouldpraise, caress and give treats. It willnot take your dog long to figure outthat urinating indoors leads to noth-ing but doing it outdoors leads to adog treat.

While you are doing this you can ifyou like, simultaneously teach a ver-

bal command. As your dog pees,you repeat the command (I use “goquickly”) over and over. When shefinishes, you give the praise andtreat. Eventually, when you say “Goquickly” your dog will start sniffingat likely tree trunks.

Within a day or two, your dog willbe clean in the house. But in orderto make this permanent, you have tocontinue with all elements of thetraining routine for at least sixmonths. Any backsliding and youhave to start the routine again.

If a properly house-trained dogsuddenly starts wetting the house,the cause could be either emotionalor physical. Has someone movedout? Has another pet passed on? Ifthere is no obvious emotional cause,it could be physical. Uncastratedmale dogs commonly suffer fromprostrate problems and femalesfrom urinary infections such as cys-titis, which can cause them to makeunaccustomed puddles.

If you do not have time to train adog following the above method, thesad truth is that you probably do nothave time to keep a dog at all.

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Pet Care

With encouragement andtreats, your dog will soonlearn the rules aboutgoing to the toilet – butyou must keep up theroutine, advisesSAMANTHA DAVID

Tender andjuicy lambis a FrenchspecialityLambs grazing on the salt marshes of theSomme and the Mont-Saint-Michel producemeat that is incredibly succulent and has anexceptional taste – and now is a great timeof year for buying lamb with the best flavour

Preheat the oven to 190°C(170°C fan) or gas mark 5. Combine all the ingredi-ents for the stuffing in afood processor and pulseuntil it comes together. Transfer to amixing bowl and set to one side. Place the lamb breasts on a chop-ping board and create pockets in themusing a sharp knife. Fill with the lamb mince stuffingand rub their outsides with olive oil. Season the outsides generously and

tie with kitchen string to secure. Heat a large ovenproof frying panover a moderate heat until hot. Seal the stuffed lamb breasts inbatches until golden brown in colourall over. Once all the lamb breasts are sealed,cover with the cherry tomatoes and

thyme stalks. Transfer to the oven to finish cook-ing for 12-15 minutes until the filling iscooked. Remove from the oven and let thelamb rest for 5 minutes covered looselywith aluminium foil. Remove the string before serving.

Thick round fillet of lambstuffed à la provençale INGREDIENTS

Serves: 4Preparation: 10 minutesCooking: 25-30 minutes

For the lamb fillet 55ml olive oil 4x225g lamb breasts,trimmed salt and pepper

For the stuffing 300g lamb mince 125g sun-dried tomatoes,chopped 55g fresh breadcrumbs 55g black olives, pitted 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 small onions, finelychopped salt and pepper

For the garnish small handful of vinecherry tomatoes small bunch of thymesprigs

AUTUMN is an ideal time ofyear for lamb - it is generallyavailable in France until theend of October and tends tobe much more flavourfulthan spring lamb because ofthe maturity of the meat. Itmakes the perfect partner forautumnal produce from thegarden - sweet or savoury -whether orchard fruit or rootvegetables.

For an extra-special melt-in-the-mouth experience, trysalt-marsh lamb (agneau pré-salé), which is highly prizedfor being succulently tenderand has an incredible flavourbecause of the unique waythe animals are raised.

Commonly mistranslatedby English-speakers as “readysalted”, these lambs havegrazed on the estuary saltmarshes of the Somme andthe Mont-Saint-Michel bay

for centuries. They feed on arich variety of plants that areflooded by the huge bay tides,and the high salt levels andiodine-rich content makestheir muscles more moist andthe meat darker and juicier.Contrary to popular belief,the meat itself does not tasteof salt.

Agneau pré-salé has beenawarded an Appelationd’Origine Controlée label.Similar to French cheeses andchampagne, this means thatonly lambs that graze on cer-tain salt marsh areas can besold under this name.

A leg of salt marsh lamb isdelicious roasted – it requiresjust a seasoning of salt andpepper to bring out itsunique flavour – but in thisrecipe we are taking a differ-ent approach, on a provençaltheme.

METHOD Photo: Bilic/Photocuisine

CUT OUT & KEEP!

You can normally train a dog to stay clean indoors within a few days

Photo: C. E. Price/Public Dom

ain Images

Treats are key when house training dogs

16 Directory Normandy Advertiser October 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

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English-speaking firms near youFor your security, we check that the French businesses in this section are officially registered with the authorities

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HOW TO BOOK AN ADVERTChoose the size of your advert from theexamples on the left. You can have a blackand white advert; or you can choose a colourfrom the list below. Finally, you can choose tohave rounded corners to the box to helpmake your advert stand out (See right). Then,when you have made your choice, call 0800 91 77 56

Standard

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Directory adverts are available in 3 sizesand in colour or black and white.

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NORMANDY DIRECTORY

Directory 17Normandy Advertiser October 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com

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ADVERTISING FEATURE

HOUSES on Internet, the successful, fastgrowing internet marketing company thathelps people sell their French propertywithout the use of an estate agent, has notbeen affected by the on-going euro crisis.

“The key to our success is withoutdoubt our extensive global network whichenables us to reach prospective buyerswherever they are,” said Richard Kroon,company founder and director.

“This does not mean that we are notsurprised ourselves about the high num-ber of property sales that we realised inthese insecure times.”

To date, 2011 was the company’s bestyear ever, with a turnover increase ofapproximately 25% compared to the previous year.

“I never expected we could top thosenumbers so soon, but the reality is that2012 shows an increase in sales of about30% compared to 2011,” said Richard.

With buyers from Australia, Russia,USA and Canada, as well as fromEuropean countries including Switzerland,Germany and Finland, Richard explainsthat the best way to reach people remains

the same - clever internet marketing and a top Google ranking.

“The advantage of the euro crisis is, ofcourse, that this currency is now relativelycheap for countries outside the euro-zone,which makes buying French property aninteresting investment.”

Richard has also noted an increase inanother group of perhaps unexpectedbuyers this year - Belgians. In particularthose living in the northern part ofBelgium, where Dutch is the primary language.

“It seems that a lot of these people donot speak English or French and thereforecannot be reached by national or interna-tional websites that just try to sell housesin these languages,” said Richard.

“For these people it is a huge advantagethat we present every property in threelanguages, including Dutch. And theymust be telling each other that Houses onInternet is the place to be, because thenumber of sales to people from northern

Belgium has increased over 400%.”Feedback has shown that people not

only appreciate the fact that they can fullyunderstand the adverts, but also that theyget replies in their own language and ifrequired, a continued translation serviceuntil a sale is made.

Richard works on the principle ‘thinkglobal, act local’: “It is extremely impor-tant to have a well-functioning global network in order to reach as many peopleas possible.”

“But when you actually talk to aprospective buyer, that personal touch,flexibility and multi-lingual service is whatmakes the difference.”

To sign up to sell a property throughHouses on Internet, visit their website andfill out the form on the page 'Selling aProperty.' Call backs will be made thesame day.

05 55 65 12 19www.housesoninternet.comCompany founder Richard Kroon

Property business booming despite euro crisisHouses on Internet can help home owners sell theirFrench property without the use of an estate agent

“The reality is that 2012 showsan increase in sales of about30% compared to 2011

Normandy Advertiser October 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com18 DIY

DIY tipsSponsored by

AT HALF-term this month why not get the childreninvolved in building a tree house? Obviously younger oneswill not be able to help much with the initial construction,but they could be detailed to make a simple ladder, or tieknots in a thick rope or even make a tin can phone (twoempty food tins connected by a length of string).

It is possible to construct a tree house even if you do nothave a likely tree in your garden by supporting the struc-ture on stilts. It is however fun to have at least some tallvegetation surrounding the tree house. There are lots ofdesigns available, but the simplest remains a few planksnailed to the branches and a rope ladder for access. This isreally only suitable for older children however.

To find ready-made railings and all sorts of other inspir-ing used building materials at good prices, find your near-est Emmaüs in the Pages Jaunes (pagesjaunes.fr) as theyoffer absolutely everything for sale. Alternatively, searchthe same site for Matériaux de recuperation or ask aroundlocally to track down a dealer in la recupe in your area.These are people who collect building materials from dem-olition sites and sell them on, and are great places for hunt-ing out old staircases, fantastic wrought iron balcony rail-ings and antique doors.

If you do have a suitable tree, such as a plane tree with awide, sturdy trunk, then you can start by constructing aboxy framework around the tree comprising four legs andthe base of a platform. If you bury the supporting postsinto wet concrete you will need less cross bracing but if youuse an above-ground foundation (ie: a footer) then theposts will last longer.

Once you have got some planks down on the platform tomake a solid floor, add some railings and attach the ladder.You can also transfer some of the weight from the platformto the base of the tree trunk by using diagonal braces fromthe outside edges of the platform.

The tree house’s future inhabitants might not do a greatjob of applying wood preservative, but the task will keepthem occupied for hours. The important thing is not build-ing the perfect tree house but introducing children to thefun and satisfaction of working with their hands. Source anorganic or child-safe product at the DIY store.

Good features for children to help with are suspending atyre from a nearby branch, and putting holes in the cornersof an old tin tray so it can be attached to a rope and used tohaul feasts up into the tree house. More features, likeextended decking, a rope ladder, a roof, a fixed staircase,and a firepole would be great projects for a later date – say,spring half term.

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INFORMATION YOU CAN TRUST ON LIFE IN FRANCE

2012 Helpguide toLocal Taxes

The 2012 helpguide is now on sale for 5 for a downloadable or printed version (printed version does not include p&p)

Whether you own or rent a main home or holidayhome in France, you will be subject to French localtaxes - and this is the time of year when bills arearriving. The Connexion has published a revisedhelpguide to help you understand what these taxesare, who must pay them, what makes you eligiblefor reductions or exemptions and the deadlines andmeans of payment. It includes two pages of readerQuestions and Answers Especially written for Britons living in France.Published September 1, 2012

You can order at the helpguide section of www.connexionfrance.com or call (free from France) 0800 91 77 56

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Excluding P&P

Home and Garden 19Normandy Advertiser October 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com

THE spookiest month of theyear has come round – it istime to get the house readyfor Halloween.

Although it is not as big tra-dition in France as it is in theUS or the UK, Halloween hasgained in popularity over thelast few years. The most cele-brating goes on in Limoges –there is an annual parade onOctober 31 where peopledress up and carry candlelitpumpkins. The annual WitchFestival in Chalindrey fallsjust before Halloween, andToussaint, All Saints’ Day, isthe day after.

Across the country there arecelebrations at cafes, bars andhomes. There is even growingdemand for pumpkinstowards the end of Octoberand some grocery shops andsupermarkets have pumpkincarving displays in prepara-tion for the 31st. Patisseries,chocolate shops and bakeriesoften decorate their shop win-dows with orange and blackdisplays. However, if you arelooking to buy decorations,apart from fancy-dress shops,you are best off buying

online. French sites netboot-ic.com, ledeguisement.comand fetes-par-fetes.com have aselection of scary decorations.For more choice, check outUK sites which deliver.

You do not have to be acrafts expert to create yourown decorations – and all thefamily can get involved. Itgoes without saying that the

Jack-o-lantern is the most tra-ditional Halloween decora-tion, and lots of fun to carve.For other decorations to makewith the kids, you may need:different coloured paints,coloured pipe cleaners andmarker pens. You should beable to get these from localarts and crafts shops.

To make spiders, you willneed an egg carton, eight pipecleaners and some black paint.Cut out each egg cup andpaint it black. For the eyes,either use white paint to createlittle dots or glue on wiggleeyes. For the legs, make foursmall holes on two sides of thecup and insert a black orcoloured pipe cleaner in eachhole and stick them to the cup.You then just need somethread to hang the spider.

You could also create awhole host of spooky silhou-

ettes of ghosts, cats and bats. Ifyou or your children are host-ing a Halloween party, makesure to dim the lights and havea CD of creepy noises such asdoors banging or ghoulishsounds on in the background.You could even replace lightswith black light bulbs, stick upfigures that glow in the darkand have orange and whitestreamers hanging from theceiling and across windowsand doorways.

To make your home into adeserted haunted house, youcould cover furniture withwhite sheets, and opt forblack decorations and table-ware. For your front garden,you could cordon off an areawith yellow tape like thatwhich is used at crime scenes.

As for trick-or-treating, it isnot a French tradition andyou could get mixed reactions.In some areas, it is becomingthe norm, but if you are notsure, it is probably best to goround to friends’ houses ortalk to your neighbours inadvance about it, to see if theywould agree. And stock up onsweets, just in case.

“You do not haveto be a craftsexpert to createyour owndecorations – and all the familycan get involved

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Keep the lawn raked free of leaves over the autumn

OCTOBER is the month to start battening down theautumn hatches, although it is worthwhile keeping an eyeon next spring as you do it. Plant bulbs if you have notalready done so, including tulips, either in the ground or inpots. If you want a natural-looking drift of colour, throwthe bulbs up in the air and plant them where they fall.

Bring pot plants inside to avoid any early frosts, acclima-tising them slowly if possible. Check over any pots whichare staying outside – any cracked ones will break at thefirst frost. To prevent rot, remove saucers and stand potson bricks for the winter. Pick any pumpkins or gourds andput them somewhere cool to start drying out.

Give the lawn a last feed with a slow-acting fertiliser toencourage root growth. Lay new turf if necessary. Keep thelawn raked free of leaves, to prevent rot, but let them lie onherbaceous beds and borders. Build a leaf mould heap byknocking four posts into the ground and stapling chickenwire around the outside. Pile all the leaves in, toppingthem up from time to time as the pile mulches down.

Clear away the last of the summer toys, barbecues, ham-mocks, hosepipes, swings and the like. Put them away cleanand repaired if you want a trouble-free start to next sum-mer. Clear out and disinfect the greenhouse if you haveone, and do not forget to clean the glass before movingplants in for the winter. Check the heater, if you have one.

Cabbage can be picked and stored in a frost-free shed, ascan the last of the root veg except parsnips. Pick the last ofthe green tomatoes and take them in for ripening on awindowsill, or make green tomato chutney with them.(They are good cut into thick slices and fried with baconand eggs, too.)

As the vegetable plot clears, dig it over roughly leavingany large clumps, and spread manure. The combinedaction of worms and weather will break the clumps downover the winter. Then spread manure. Dig over herbaceousbeds and borders.

Prune currant bushes now, and replant where needed.Also give large rose bushes a light pruning, and make surethey are tied up securely enough to withstand autumnwinds. If you have any delicate plants, now is a good timeto wrap them in sacking to protect them from the frost.Mulch heavily around the base.

If you are looking for a fun garden project, make a birdfeeder. There are various designs ranging from the mostcomplex ornithological mansions to a simple bird table inthe middle of the lawn. A rewarding bird treat can bemade by filling a coconut shell (thread a string through itbefore you start) with a mix of melted animal fats, seedsand nuts. Once it is set, hang upside down well out of thereach of any neighbourhood felines.

Photo: Dan4

th Nicholas/Flickr

Halloween his not as widely celebrated inFrance as the UK or US, but if you want toarrange a special day for the children,REBECCA LAWN has some tips on preparingthe house and where to find materials

There is growing demand for traditional Halloween pumpkins in grocery shops and supermarkets in France this month

Photo: Public Dom

ain Images

Photo: Public Dom

ain Images

Getting readyfor the winter

Staging aspooky party

Photo: Grégoire Lannoy on Flickr

20 Property Normandy Advertiser October 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

The adverts above cost from just 200TTC for three months of web advertising and three months of print advertising. Let our distribution get you a sale. Contact our sales team on 0800 91 77 56 (freephone in France) or

email [email protected]

Buying or selling a property? We can help. Our website www.connexionfrance.com carries details of more than 14,000 homes for sale across France. We also feature properties for sale in this dedicated section of the paper each month. To find out more about any particular property, go to www.connexionfrance.com and enter the ref: code shown under the property. For sellers, the adverts are also displayed across a range of popular English- speaking websites and are seen by thousands of potential buyers EVERY day. Our 3+3 pack-age costs just 200TTC and gives you three months online

advertising as well as a print advert in three editions of The Normandy Advertiser. Our 6+6 package is best value at 330TTC and provides the same, but for six months via each channel. Contact us on 0800 91 77 56 (freephone in France)or email [email protected]

More details on all these properties - and how to contact the seller directly - can be found in the property for sale section of

www.connexionfrance.com Simply enter the code under each home to find out more

New Consumption and Emission Chart - e.g. Energy rating C & F refers to C for Consumption and F for Emissions

Houses for sale across France

ProPertieS iN NorMANDY

Ref: 14135D

86,400

ENErgy ratiNg = E & f

Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët, MancheThree bedroom house consists of living room, furnished kitch-en, bathroom, laundry room, garage and garden.

Ref: MNB01244

97,100

ENErgy ratiNg = E & E

Mortain, MancheThree bedroom house consists of living room, fitted kitchen, shower room, laundry room, boiler room, wine cellar, three garages and garden.

Ref: 13439sdd

117,700

ENErgy ratiNg = f & b

Périers, MancheThree bedroom house comprises living room, kitchen, bathroom, garden, paddock, garage and outbuildings.

Ref: IfPC22284

160,000

ENErgy ratiNg = E & C

Moulins-la-Marche, MancheThree bedroom house comprises open plan sitting room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, garage and garden.

Ref: 14025D

45,000

ENErgy ratiNg = f & f

Montigny, MancheOne bedroom house to renovate consists of living room, kitchen, bathroom, shed, workshop, garage and garden.

Ref: 13516PO

64,800

ENErgy ratiNg = g & D

Pont d'ouilly, orneOne bedroom house consists of large kitchen/dining/sitting room, en suite shower room and separate garden.

Ref: 13809D

189,800

ENErgy ratiNg = D & E

Saint-Aubin-de-terregatte, MancheThree bedroom house comprises living room, small sitting area, large south facing conservatory, garage, workshop and 4300m2 of wooded grounds.

Ref: IfPC22565

483,000

ENErgy ratiNg = a & a

Dieppe, Seine-MaritimeSix bedroom house comprises three independent garages, large courtyard and small garden. Ideal as a B&B.

Ref: 13613s

138,600

ENErgy ratiNg = f & C

Near Saint-Lô, MancheTwo bedroom house partially renovated comprises lounge, dining room, kitchen, shower room and outbuildings.

Ref: IfPC22632

560,000

ENErgy ratiNg = D & E

Near Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, CalvadosSix bedroom country house and self-contained apartment set on three and a half hectares of land.

Ref: MNB01226

234,000

ENErgy ratiNg = b & b

Saint-Martin-de-Landelles, MancheSix bedrooms house consists of living room, dining room, fitted kitchen, bathroom, garden, workshop and double garage.

Ref: 700516

217,300

ENErgy ratiNg = f

Percy, MancheThree bedroom detached house comprises sitting room, fully fitted kitchen, bathroom, shower room, small office and landscaped gardens.

Ref: 700005

279,575

ENErgy ratiNg = D

Courcy, MancheTwo bedroom farmhouse consists of living room, kitchen with dining area, bathroom, garage, adjoining barn and outbuildings.

Ref: XJN02333

295,800

ENErgy ratiNg = D & D

Bellême, orneFive bedroom house consists of living/dining room, kitchen, bathroom, shower room, outbuilding with wine cellar and garage.

Ref: 700497

328,600

ENErgy ratiNg = E

roullours, CalvadosTwo bedroom and one bedroom house with outbuildings set on 37 acres of land.

Ref: 700844

367,500

ENErgy ratiNg = f

La Baleine, MancheTwo semi-detached three bedroom gîtes consisting of large gardens and 18 hole mini-golf course. This property with its commercial activities has a great deal to offer.

Ref: IfPC22612

384,950

ENErgy ratiNg = E & f

Vimoutiers, orneFour bedroom house and two bedroom cottage currently run as a successful B&B and gîte business.

Ref: 13643POJD

424,000

ENErgy ratiNg = f & C

Near Bagnoles-de-l'orne, orneStone house and two gîtes set on three hectares of land comprises barn, stable, small fishing lake with carp and two swimming pools.

Ref: 14075D

473,000

ENErgy ratiNg = C & b

Juilley, MancheFour bedroom stone house and three bedroom stone cottage set on 9,443 m2 of land.

Ref: 83003151870

535,600

ENErgy ratiNg = E & C

etrépagny, eureFour bedroomed old mill house consists of living room, kitchen, two bathrooms, shower room, wine cellar, garden, small storage building and small house.

Ref: 13857D

728,000

ENErgy ratiNg = f & E

isigny-le-Buat, MancheFive bedroomed château comprises entrance hall, drawing room, dining room, three bathrooms, shower room, and one bedroom gate house.

Normandy Advertiser October 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com Business and Legal 21

DISTANCE selling means a sale made without the parties or their representatives being present together.

What sort of activities are covered by the regulations?Any trading activity over the internet, which is broad enough to cover:n the purchase of new or used goods for resale,n provision of services for remuneration, (online train-ing, computer repair, etc.)n other services including accommodation, transport, catering and entertainment provided at a particular time or at specified intervals.

What kind of information must be published?n for an individual entrepre-neur: name, addressn for a company: name, type of company (SARL, EURL, SAS etc), address of the establishment or the regis-tered office (not a PO Box), amount of share capital,

n the email address and tele-phone number, registration number in the Trade Register (RCS) for a business, or in the Artisans Register (RM) ,n individual tax identifica-tion number (VAT number)n a reference to any applica-ble professional rules,n name and address of the authority which granted the authorisation to exercise when required,n name of the person responsible for publication of the site (i.e. its owner) and name of the web hosting service.n the general conditions of sale or services: prices (expressed in euros and including VAT), fees and delivery date, method of pay-ment, after-sales service, con-sumer’s right of withdrawal, duration of the offer, cost of communication with the website, CNIL declaration number (see below).

Breaking these obligations is punishable by up to one

year’s imprisonment, a fine of e75,000 for individuals and e375,000 for corporations.

Protection of personal dataCommercial sites selling goods or services, which col-lect and store personal infor-mation about customers and prospects (name, email, tele-phone number) are obliged to make a simplified declaration to the French Data Protection Agency – Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL).

Right of withdrawalOnline shoppers, have a right of withdrawal for seven days, without justification or penal-ty payment on his part. This also applies to items in sales, secondhand goods and to clearance sales.

The seller is bound to refund the cost of the prod-uct, plus normal delivery charges, within 30 days after receipt.

In 2013, the withdrawal period is extended to 14 days from the day the consumer

takes possession of the goods and the refund must be made within 14 days after receipt. Certain goods and services (e.g. food) are excluded from this right.

Product returnThe seller is obliged to accept the return of the item if the delivery does not comply with the order or is defective.

Normandy Business Group is for anyone who already has a business or for those who may be looking to start a business in the Normandy region.

Members are English speak-ing and have an international approach.

Are you looking for sup-port? Do you need a sound-ing board? Are you looking to expand your business or your customer base? Do you want to expand your net-work? Or simply meet others socially?...

If your answer to any of those questions is yes, then Normandy MeetUp is right for you!

Know web sales rules

PAUL PHILLIPS has lived in France for 30 years firstly working in legal practice and more recently (since 2001) in business development. He is a member of The Normandy Business Group and now specialises in setting up and develop-ing businesses in France with his company www.Goldwing-Consulting.com

FOLLOW us on Twitter - @normandybizgp LIKE us on Facebook - Normandy Biz GroupJOIN us on LinkedIn

Useful Information

Paul can be contacted through The Advertiser or by Twitter at @NormandyBizGp

Commercial websites selling goods or services over the internet are subject to the same regulations as businesses involved in distance selling, including reporting requirements (consumer protection, VAT), matters which have to be stated on the website (legal information about the seller and webhoster, general conditions of sale), and the detailed rules about prospecting customers.

Distance-selling rules are extensive and the penalties can be severe

Photo: © aurem

ar - Fotolia.com

LegalNotesAnswered by

IT wAS Napoleon’s ambition to unite the French geographically, linguistically and legally into one nation. The first he achieved militarily and the second by prohibit-ing the use of regional languages and dialects. However, it can be argued his greatest achievement was his Napoleonic Code which introduced one set of laws for the country.

Previously France was divided into so many jurisdictions that it was said that if you crossed the country on horseback you would change legal system more often than you would change your horse. Roughly speaking, those systems north of the Loire were more like our Anglo Saxon common law variety, whereas south of that river they were mainly based on the Roman codes and the Institutions of Justinian.

So to unify this, Napoleon brought together four of the best lawyers, two from the north and two from the south, and gave them six months to produce a common code, or set of laws. He also sat in on a number of their deliberations.

The result was his famous Napoleonic Code which is used widely throughout the world as France exported the system to its colonies just as the UK did with the common law.

Napoleon appreciated his own mortality but said that of all his achievements the one which would be remembered most and last the longest would be his Civil Code.

To take one example, Article Three provides that French law shall apply to all real property situated in France. This means those who inherit a deceased person’s French real estate are the “reserve heirs” as defined in the Code. Perhaps the question I am asked most often to advise on by those who purchase homes in France is how can the clients “disin-herit” estranged relations who are entitled under the Code.

The answer has always been “with difficulty” short of purchasing via a UK registered company with the complica-tions and paperwork thereby involved.

But there is now hope of a relaxation from Brussels. with effect from August 17, 2015, two months and 200 years after the battle of waterloo, UK nationals residing in France will be able to choose the legal system whose rules will govern the devolution of their estates, or “professio juris”.

However, the tax laws applying to the devolution of the estate will not change. In France, as in UK, surviving spous-es are exempt from inheritance tax. But there is no exempt threshold in France as there is in the UK (where it is £325,000). If you do leave, say, £500,000 to a non-relative it will be taxed at the full rate of 60% and on the whole lot, that is £300,000! In England the tax would have been 40% on the difference between £500,000 and £325,000 = £175,000 X 40% = £70,000.

So Napoleon’s Code has changed a lot over the years and it is soon to be altered again in this fundamental way. But it has stood the test of time over 200 years of change.

Napoleon’s set of laws have greatly outlived him

EU blow for Napoleon’s code

Photo: © cam

ille braja - Fotolia.com

David Crawford B.A.Solicitor (non–practising)

David Crawford B.A.Solicitor (non–practising)

Fellow of The Institute of Linguists, DirectorOpalegal Limited, “Merville”, 22 North Parade, Llandudno, Conwy,

LL30 2LP, Great Britain

Tel: +44 (0) 1492 877 014+44 (0) 7813 067 519

[email protected]

22 Property Normandy Advertiser October 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

ProPerties AroUND FrANCe

Ref: 700720

89,100

EnErgy rating = F

La Coquille, DordogneThree bedroom house comprises lounge, dining room, kitchen, breakfast room, bathroom, workshop and attached garage.

Ref: PLM01314

54,580

EnErgy rating = F

rostrenen, Côtes-d'Armor, BrittanyTwo bedroom house comprises lounge, kitchen, shower room, laundry room, conservatory and garden.

Ref: PLM01464

87,330

EnErgy rating = a

saint-Nicolas-du-Pélem, Côtes-d'Armor, BrittanyTwo bedroom house comprises lounge/dining room, kitchen, bathroom, utility room and enclosed garden.

Ref: IfPC22361

75,000

EnErgy rating = E & C

Douarnenez, Finistère, BrittanyTwo bedroom renovated flat consists of open plan kitchen/living room, shower room and terrace.

Ref: 110151645

82,000


Near Marseillette, Aude, LanguedocThree bedroom house consists of lounge, kitchen and shower room.

Ref: 2082

99,000

EnErgy rating = C & D

Quillan, Aude, LanguedocFour bedroom house comprises dining room, kitchen, bathroom and garden.

Ref: 2091

55,000

EnErgy rating = F & D

Quillan, Aude, LanguedocTwo bedroom renovated semi-detached stone house comprises kitchen/sitting room and shower room. Ideal holiday home.

Ref: BVI0007338

110,000

EnErgy rating = not given

Monségur, GirondeTwo bedroom town house with commercial premises. In need of modernisation.

Ref: 83003159960

126,000

EnErgy rating = g & B

ségalas, Lot-et-GaronneFour bedroom farmhouse comprises large living room, kitchen, bathroom, garden and garage.

Ref: B 1198

180,200

EnErgy rating = D & B

Monségur, GirondeFour bedroom Landes-style villa consists of sitting/dining room, kitchen, bathroom, conservatory, garage and woodland.

Ref: IfPC22333

140,000

EnErgy rating = F & D

isolée, Morbihan, BrittanyThree bedroom house consists of living room, kitchen, dining room, bathroom and landscaped garden. In need of modernisation.

Ref: M786-4291476

102,600

EnErgy rating = E & F

Near Carhaix-Plouguer, Finistère, BrittanyFour bedroom large house comprises lounge, dining room, fitted kitchen, bathroom, utility room and small garden.

Ref: 3262

122,700


Maël-Carhaix, Côtes-d'Armor, BrittanyTwo bedroom house set on approximately two acres of land includes outbuildings.

Ref: 2229

137,000

EnErgy rating = D & E

Quillan, Aude, LanguedocThree bedroom detached house consists of sitting room, dining room, kitchen, large bathroom, terrace and separate garage.

Ref: AV1012

165,000

EnErgy rating = C

Near Corbières, Aude, LanguedocThree bedroom house comprises living room, kitchen, bathroom and two terraces.

Ref: AQU-693

245,000


Near Villefranche-de-Lonchat, DordogneThree bedroom bungalow comprises open plan living room/kitchen, bathroom, utility room, garage, garden and swimming pool.

Ref: AQU-496

205,000


eymet, DordogneThis three bedroom detached bungalow comprises living/ dining room, kitchen, bathroom, utility room, garage, garden and luxurious swimming pool.

Ref: 700600

288,900

EnErgy rating = C

Bieuzy, Morbihan, BrittanySix bedroom house set on two acres of land with swimming pool.

Ref: 700570

216,000

EnErgy rating = D

Évriguet, Morbihan, BrittanyThree bedroom stone house comprises three reception rooms, kitchen, bathroom and gardens.

Ref: 2707

210,000

EnErgy rating = D

Near Céret, Pyrénées-orientales, LanguedocTwo bedroom house and independent studio apartment includes large garden and swimming pool.

Ref: 2500VM

262,500

EnErgy rating = C

Near Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Gard, LanguedocThree bedroom villa comprises living room, dining room, fitted kitchen, bathroom and garden.

Ref: 2203

280,000

EnErgy rating = D & a

Quillan, Aude, LanguedocFour bedroom house comprises sitting room, fitted kitchen, family bathroom, shower room, gardens, building plot and summer house.

Ref: TR100078

315,000

EnErgy rating = E

Pujols, Lot-et-GaronneFour bedroom house consists of two lounges, dining room, fitted kitchen, shower room, bathroom and swimming pool.

Ref: 1609

363,000

EnErgy rating = F & C

Limendous, Pyrénées-AtlantiquesThree bedroom renovated Béarnaise farmhouse comprises dining room, living room, bathroom, barn and swimming pool.

Ref: IfPC22356

320,000


Near Bergerac, DordogneFour bedroom detached house includes living Room, dining room, kitchen, study, bathroom, shower room, integral garage, and swimming pool.

Ref: CRN00601

332,000

EnErgy rating = D & E

Fougères, ille-et-Vilaine, BrittanyFive bedroom house comprises large lounge, fitted kitchen/ dining area, two bathroom, workshop, outbuildings and swimming pool.

Ref: 2492VM

315,000


Near Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Gard, LanguedocThree bedroom restored house consists of reception area with kitchen, two living rooms, dining room and patio.

Ref: 700722

344,500

EnErgy rating = C

Pieusse, Aude, LanguedocFive bedroom house comprises two living rooms, two kitchens, two bathrooms, covered terrace, barbecue terrace and swimming pool.

Ref: V788

363,000

EnErgy rating = B & B

Near Caveirac, Gard, LanguedocThree bedroom house and studio apartment includes garden and swimming pool.

Ref: IfPC22685

390,000


Capestang, Hérault, LanguedocFive bedroom house consists of three reception rooms, large kitchen/dining room, two bathrooms, two terraces and gardens.

Normandy Advertiser October 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com Property / Finance 23ProPerties AroUND FrANCe

FinanceSponsored by

We have just bought a holiday home near Deauville and have been thinking about renting it out – but now we are not sure because the tax that we pay as non residents will eat significantly into any money we make. We are basic rate tax payers in the UK, and spend about eight weeks in France each year, but mostly out of season. If we pay CSG on our income, are we then entitled to French healthcover?

You must work out how the finances weigh up

If you decide to rent out your property then you will need to make an annual declaration to the french authorities, and pay tax in france. The current flat rate for non residents is 20%.

It is true that france have now confirmed that they will be adding social charges to the tax liability that non-french residents pay on their rental income and capital gains tax on sale. until now, this has been restricted to french resi-dents, as the “social charge” (not to be confused with social security for healthcare and retirement). The social charges are however covered by the double tax treaty, and are there-fore considered to be a tax available for credit against your uK self assessment return.

The difficulty is that, in effect, your final tax bill will be the higher of the two – so even if you pay 20% in the uK – the french tax charge will be higher – currently CSG is 15.5%, but it will be going up under ongoing budget pro-posals, which is added to the 20% as a non resident.

you can however chose which business regime to declare your income in france, which could keep the tax bill down – if you chose “real” accounting, then costs can be deduct-ed against your rental income, including mortgage interest (but with an add back for personal use), advertising, changeover costs and taxe foncière. The other option is the micro which currently gives a 50% flat rate deduction for rental expenses.

That said, if the property is not let, or if you make a loss then no french income tax will apply.

The CSG (social charge) that you pay is only a “tax” and does not attract healthcare or other social security rights. And far from being a temporary levy, President Hollande has plans to combine income tax and CSG into one rate, which will be deducted at source.

If you plan to rent out our advice is to do your sums first to see if it is worthwhile, it might well be – even if only to cover some of your fixed costs and to keep the property aired for when you want to enjoy it yourself!

Photo: © JPC-PROD

- Fotolia.com

What effect will rent charges have?

Sponsored by

THE continuing weakness of the euro against the pound has apparently not deterred people in the Eurozone from buying British property. our latest data survey found that despite the decline of the euro in 2010 nearly half of all our transactions involving clients moving euros into GBP were property related.

on the other hand, a fragile euro has created some fantas-tic opportunities for Britons looking to invest in an over-seas property in Europe. our figures also suggest that the euro’s decline toward the end of last year contributed to a significant increase in property-related transfers from sterling to euro, despite the ongoing climate of austerity in the uK and beyond.

The unpredictability of the currency markets has seen an increasing number of people turning to foreign exchange specialists for advice on how they can protect any potential investments from currency fluctuations exposure. However, anyone looking to move large amounts of money overseas needs to make sure that they have the right kind of advice in place to avoid any potential disappointment when it comes to moving day.

By using a foreign exchange broker you can set a rate for a transaction happening up to three years ahead – so there are no nasty surprises on the day that you buy your home abroad. A select few companies are also now in a position to be able to offer “currency options” (formerly the pre-serve of big businesses) to the general market.

This means you can set an exchange rate in advance of your property purchase date, but you also guarantee that you will also see any financial benefit if the market subse-quently moves in your favour.

Whether you are a uK resident looking to buy a property abroad, or if you are a non-uK resident looking to buy a property in Britain, a currency company will ensure the currency exchange happens in the most efficient way possi-ble. They can transfer your money from your domestic bank account into your overseas account, and can convert from and to virtually any currency. If you are selling, they can bring your money home quickly and safely – using their own overseas accounts if appropriate.

By using an fSA regulated broker you will have complete peace of mind that your money is safe. With all the other complications associated with buying property overseas, the currency transfer is one thing you need to keep as sim-ple and secure as possible.

Currency options can give protection

www.worldfirst.com+44 20 7801 1050

For more information about making international money transfers with World First visit the website www.worldfirst.com or call +44 20 7801 1050

Photo: © Andy D

ean - Fotolia.com

Buying can be made simpler by

fixing your rate in advance

Currency NotesJeremy Cook, chief economist at foreign exchange company, World First, talks about the Euro and other currencies.

Ref: fPBC3260C

449,000

EnErGY ratInG = E & B

Near Beynac, Dordognefour bedroom house set on seven hectares of land consists of lounge/dining room, kitchen, shower room, separate WC, terrace, conservatory and outbuilding.

Ref: 1542

415,000

EnErGY ratInG = C & C

Near Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiquesfive bedroom stone house full of character comprises living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom, four shower rooms, gardens, covered swimming pool and large stone outbuilding.

Ref: V5820

472,000

EnErGY ratInG = C & D

Girondefive bedroom renovated Maison de Maitre and one bed-room gîte.

Ref: fPBS2338M

499,000

EnErGY ratInG = E & C

Near Lalinde, DordogneA restored three bedroom stone manoir and four bedroom guest house set on one hectare of land with barn, garage, swimming pool and pool house.

Ref: MLP340

445,000

EnErGY ratInG = C & a

sète, Hérault, LanguedocTwo bedroom villa with stunning views over the lake comprises two living rooms, kitchen, bathroom, shower room, balcony/terrace, garden and swimming pool.

Ref: LAR-615

486,500Pézenas, Hérault, Languedocfive bedroom villa comprises living/dining room, kitchen, two bathrooms, utility room, garage, garden, carp pond, pool house and swimming pool.

Ref: S944

499,000

EnErGY ratInG = B & C

Pézenas, Hérault, Languedocfive bedroom villa comprises open plan living room, modern kitchen, dining room, bathroom, shower room, landscaped garden and large solar-heated pool.

EnErGY ratInG = C & a

Ref: 71471

539,700

EnErGY ratInG = C

Duras, Lot-et-Garonnefour bedroom house consists of two reception rooms, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, study, bathroom, two shower rooms and garage.

Ref: Z114

510,000

EnErGY ratInG = D & C

Near saint-Gilles, Gard, Languedocfour bedroom villa and two bedroom guest house includes stables and 2,000m2 of land.

Ref: 110154179

564,000

EnErGY ratInG = C&a

Carcassonne, Aude, Languedocfour bedroom house consists of living room with terrace, kitchen, bathroom, double garage, swimming pool and garden.

Tel: +33 (0)1 57 32 42 31 Email: [email protected] Professionelle No 11042 - Garantie Financiere EUR 7,000,000 Lloyds (RCS VRS Cannes No B445 210 537)

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24 The Back Page Normandy Advertiser October 2012

Hard-workingpolice horsesenjoy happylast days atplay in LiseuxTHE magnificent horses ridden bythe Garde Républicaine at Frenchstate events traditionally ended upeither at the knacker’s yard, butch-ers’ auctions or the Institut Pasteur,where they were used in the fabrica-tion of serums. There was no state provision for

these horses once their work for theGarde Républicaine finished – andthis is still the case today.

However, thanks to the work ofthe late Lyne Guéroult, the horsescan now retire with grace and digni-ty to a home in Normandy, whetherbecause they are too old for work, orhave become ill or injured, orbecause they are temperamentallyunsuited to the work any more.

Ms Guéroult’s widower, Daniel,says: “My wife was a rider. She lovedhorses and it was her idea to savethem. And now she’s no longer alive,I go on with it. I’ll do anything forthese horses.”

Ms Guéroult started riding at theage of five and never stopped. Shewas passionate about horses all herlife. But when she was just eight, shefound out that all the horses of theGarde ended up at the abattoir andhorrified, promised herself that shewould save them all. She had noidea how to go about it, but shenever forgot her promise.

She saved up all her life until final-ly in 1988 she and Daniel hadenough to buy an old cider farm inNormandy – the Domaine du CotyBriard, near Lisieux (Calvados).They then started their charitableassociation, determined to save allthe horses they could.

At first they went to auctions andbid against the butchers in order to

save the horses. But gradually shepersuaded the Garde to give her alltheir retired horses for nothing. Shealso persuaded them to let the riderswho wanted to and had the facilitiesto do so, adopt their mounts at theend of their careers.

Today, all ex-Garde horses areeither adopted by their riders orgiven to the Association LyneGuéroult – strictly on condition thatthe charity meets all the costs

involved in an animal’s retirement.All the bills are paid for out of chari-table donations, legacies and giftsfrom private individuals. There isno French state contribution.

The association was however offi-cially recognised as being “a publicservice” in 1992 – and in 2000, LyneGuéroult was awarded the Chevalierde l’Ordre National du Mérite ingratitude for her service to the hors-es of the Garde Républicaine.

The horses who arrive at theDomaine du Coty Briard are fullyretired from the minute they firstwalk through the gates. Their shoesare taken off on the first day, andthey are never ridden or workedagain. It does not matter what age

they are or in what stage of health,all the horses are on permanent hol-iday until they die of natural causes.Some are as young as six years oldwhen they arrive but most arearound 12 to 14.

Many have breathing problemsfrom the polluted air in Paris, someare injured and quite a few simplynever settled into city life. Not allhorses will tolerate the traffic, thecrowds, the brass bands, and not allhorses will stand still for hours onend at a ceremony. Others are theresimply because they are old andhave served their time.

The oldest horse in the stable isOscar who is 33 years old. Thelongest resident is Pontcarral, who is31 and has been there since he wasnine. The first horse who came tothe domaine was Edy, and he isburied on the property under a largeheadstone. The charity’s logo featur-ing him was drawn by Edy’s riderout of gratitude for the retirement.

Every horse has its own loose boxand is let out to graze in the fields forthree to four hours every morningwhile a team of professional stablehands muck out. Some of the horsesspend their time eating grass, theyounger ones race each other roundthe paddocks, and others spend timesocialising with other horses.

None of the horses wears head col-lars, let alone saddles and bridles.Once the mucking out is completedthe gates are opened and the horsesgo back to their boxes as and whenthey feel like it. Most of them arequite keen to go back to their looseboxes – they have spent most of their

lives in boxes and do not especiallyenjoy the heat and flies of summer,or the rain and cold of winter.

In the afternoons, they aregroomed and sometimes visitorscome. Although none of the horseswears shoes, the farrier comes regu-larly to trim their feet and the vetalso regularly gives them all a checkup. And then it is time for theirevening rations and hay nets.

The association does not rely onvolunteers to look after the horsesbecause they say it is a full-time joband cannot be done by unpaid peo-ple who may or may not be able tocome on any given day.

Looking after so many horses costsa substantial sum of money. Apartfrom the direct costs of horse feed,

and veterinary fees, there are indi-rect costs such as maintaining thetractor and paying the electricitybill. The association is always on thelook out for new members. Annualsubscriptions are 31 per personand are deductible from income tax.They also have members who have“adopted” a horse for 48 per quar-ter and who receive a regularnewsletter about their horse.

It is also possible to arrange a visitto the domaine to meet all the hors-es. It is best to go in the early after-noon when the horses have returnedfrom the paddocks, in order to beable to meet them all close up.

To find out more about the charity,call 02 31 26 77 72 or visitwww.association-lynegueroult.com

“My wife lovedhorses; it was heridea to save them.Now she’s dead, Igo on with it. I’ll doanything for themDaniel Guéroult

The horses are fully retired from the day they arrive. Some take it easy, while the younger ones enjoy a race

by SAMANTHA DAVID

Photos: Association Lyne Guéroult


normandy advertiser - october 2012

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