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PUBLISHERSOF95c | ISSUE 13 | AUGUST 2012

NEWS, WHAT’S ON INFO FOR AUDE, GARD, HERAULT, LOZERE, PYRENEES-ORIENTALES

ALICE COOPER TOPLAY CARCASSONNE

€4 millionexpansionto airportunder way

Warning todog ownersafter spateof attackson sheep

A MAJOR project to expand Montpellierairport to accommodate more passengers andmake journeys easier has begun and should befinished in time for 2013’s peak summer season.

The airport is to have a new departure hallmeaning the existing one will be dedicated toarrivals only. The new building has beendesigned to complement the current one andwill have two levels. Security and scanning willbe housed on the ground floor and upstairsthere will be an expanded duty free shop(250m2 instead of 70m2) and 500m2 of othershops and food outlets. There will also beworkspaces and free wi-fi for 10 minutes.

Work has already been completed on a newarrivals hall, with new luggage conveyor belts.

The aim is to make transiting the airport fasterand more convenient so airlines can make fasterturnarounds. The expansion will cost around€4million, entirely financed by the airport.

More than 1.3 million people pass throughMontpellier airport every year. The figure has

risen steadily since tourism became more main-stream in the 1970s, reaching a peak of 1.75 mil-lion people in 2000. Since then, numbers hadbeen in decline but have started to grow again,up 5% since January. Low-cost airlines arrivedin 2002. The latest addition is Volotea Airlines,which has launched two new links fromMontpellier to Nantes and Strasbourg.

The European Commission is currentlyinspecting the airport’s books carefully to see ifany competition laws have been broken byoffering Ryanair financial help to serveMontpellier. The airline has billed the airport foreach passenger at a rate of €9 each, whichamounted to some €4.5million between 2002and 2006, and in 2009 and 2010, the regionalcouncil paid Ryanair around €2million.

Ryanair says that, without the payments, itwould be forced to pull out of the airport.

3:HIKPMD=YUU^Z]:?k@k@b@d@a;M 05234 - 13 - F: 0,95 E

by SAMANTHA DAVID

WOLVES and pet dogs leftfree to roam at night are beingblamed for a spate of attackson sheep farms in the Lozère.

Owners are being advisedto keep their dogs shut inovernight following severalcases of sheep-worrying.

Armed rangers are on nightpatrol and have permission toshoot over the heads of anystray or aggressive dogs.However, they are not autho-rised to kill the dogs, much tothe anger of sheep farmers.

In a series of attacks, dozensof sheep have been killed andmany more injured. One farmnear Langogne lost 30 sheepin one night. Further attackshave been reported in Florac,Hures-la-Parade, Mas-Saint-Chély, Montbrun and Vebron.

Police have rounded up sev-eral stray dogs and takenthem to the pound, but theattacks continue and trapshave proved ineffective.

Sheep farmers leave theirsheep to roam freely at night.There are local fears that thesheep have been the victimsof a re-emerging wild wolfpopulation in the region.

For some years there havebeen reports of wolf sightingsin Lozère, two photographshave been taken of lonewolves, and one set of wolfdroppings has been found.

It is a controversial issue aswolves are a protected species. Page 8

Photo: festivalducarcassonne.fr

2 News Languedoc Pages August 2012

Peaceful Hérault villageis one of France’s best

FIREFIGHTERS across theregion are urging people tobe extra-vigilant this summeras a long spell of mostly dryweather increases the risk offorest fires.

In one afternoon alone inJuly there were four fires inthe Pyrénées-Orientales, inCorbère, Terrats, Pollestresand Ille-sur-Têt.

Five teams of fire fighters,70 officers in all, were calledout and the fires were safelyextinguished, but roads wereclosed and more than 30hectares of land destroyed.

The Institut Pour La Forêtsays that almost all forest

fires are caused by humans.Eight out of 10 fires arecaused by carelessness duringagricultural or forestry work,children’s games, DIY proj-ects, cigarette stubs and bar-becues, they say. About 14%of forest fires are starteddeliberately.

It is therefore imperative toobserve all the safety regula-tions, and ensure that sum-mer visitors are aware ofthem too. One way of pro-tecting property from forestfires is to make sure that landsurrounding the house doesnot become overgrown.

It is also important to keep

fire-breaks (strips of emptyland in forest areas) clear. Donot deposit building materi-als or rubbish on them anddo not park there.

People are also advised notto light fires in woodlandareas and not to smoke thereat all. Before lighting a bon-fire even in your own backgarden, consult the localmairie. You may find it is for-bidden, or that you need apermit. If you light one in thesummer months without ask-ing, and it goes out of con-trol, you could find yourselfbeing charged for the costs ofcalling out the fire brigade.

Dry weather promptshigher forest fire risk

A VILLAGE in the Hérault has beencrowned one of the best in all of France,beaten to the top spot of the very best byjust one rival in the Lot.

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert was votedinto second place in the France 2 pollseeking France’s favourite village. Thetelevision series asked people to vote fortheir best village from a list and thenpresented a short video about each one,starting with 22 and working up to num-ber one. The competition attracted66,000 voters online.

The villages were chosen because theywere all on the list of France’s most beau-tiful villages, Les Plus Beaux Villages deFrance, and renowned for their architec-ture and natural surroundings.

Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is a beautiful-ly preserved medieval village, stunninglylocated at the meeting point of theGellone river valley and the Héraultriver. On a pilgrim route, it is home tothe Unesco world heritage sites of the15th century Abbey of Gellone and thePont du Diable.

It holds several festivals a year, includ-ing a medieval one in June. All this hasalready won it the labels of one of themost attractive villages in France andone of the Grands Sites de France.

Tourist office representative Aude-LiseTheule said: “It’s a village with excep-tionally strong links with the past, and it

is set in an area of natural beauty - butwhat makes it unique is the spiritualforce that you feel here.”

She explains that the village has alwaysbeen a retreat, a place for meditation andspiritual renewal: “It’s a bit out of thisworld, away from the stress of everydaylife.” People come to see the abbey butthen stay on to explore the villagebecause of this feeling, Ms Theule said.“I can’t describe it in words, you have tocome and experience it for yourself. Youcan feel that it’s a sacred place for reli-gious people and anyone wantingrefreshment and spiritual peace. You’reclose to the heavens here.”

Most of the restaurants and shops inthe village are open all year round, as isthe abbey, and outside the main summerseason people come hiking in the area.

Ms Theule said the main tourist seasonruns from Easter to All Saints Day(November 1), but local visitors come allyear round. She added that swimming atthe Pont du Diable also attracts people inthe summer months: “It’s a wonderfulplace to cool off.”

The winner in the France 2 poll wasSaint-Cirq-Lapopie in the Lot and theother runner up, in third place, wasBarfleur in the Manche, Normandy.

Canoeists explore the Pont du Diable, a Unesco-listed heritage site in the number two-ranked Saint-Guilhem-le-DésertEMERGENCY NUMBERS18: Emergencies: Calls the fire brigade(Sapeurs Pompiers), but they deal withmedical emergencies and are usually thefirst port of call in rural areas. 112:Emergency calls from your mobile: Beready with your name and where you arecalling from and do not hang up until toldto 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 24 for the Dordogne): Gas & electrici-ty emergenciesUTILITIES FRANCE TELECOM Websitein English: www.francetelecom.comTo report a fault online: www.1013.fr(click on the UK flag). English-speakinghelpline: 09 69 36 39 00 (from France); + 33 1 55 78 60 56 (outside France).ORANGE: English-speaking helpline: 0969 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; Fromoutside France: + 33 5 62 16 49 08;Email: simpleenergywithedf@edf.frGOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONSCAISSE D’ALLOCATIONS FAMILIALES- CAF: www.caf.fr; Tel: 08 10 25 14 10.L’ASSURANCE MALADIE (AMELI, for-merly known as CPAM – the healthservice): www.ameli.fr; Tel: 36 46 (Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm) English spoken. URSSAF:English-language website:www.anglais.urssaf.fr - Aude - 20 rueSaint Michel, BP 605, 11876 CARCAS-SONNE CEDEX 9, Tel: 04 68 11 24 00 |Gard - 6 rue du Cirque Romain, 30923NIMES CEDEX 9, Tel: 04 66 36 48 00 |Hérault - Quartier de la Mosson, 35 rueLa Haye, 34937 MONTPELLIER CEDEX9, Tel: 08 20 00 34 35 | Lozère - Quartierdes Carmes, BP 104, 48003 MENDE, Tel:04 66 47 23 48 | Pyrénées-Orientales -26 rue Petite la Monnaie, BP 59926,66021 PERPIGNAN CEDEX 9, Tel: 04 68 35 75 00PREFECTURE: Aude - 52 rue JeanBringer, BP 836, 11012 CARCASSONNECEDEX Tel: 04 68 10 27 01 | Gard - 10avenue Feuchères, 30045 NIMESCEDEX 9 Tel: 04 66 36 40 40 | Hérault -34 place des Martyrs de la Résistance,34062 MONTPELLIER CEDEX 2 Tel: 04 67 61 61 61 | Lozère - 2 rue de

La Rovère, 48000 MENDE Tel: 04 66 49 60 00 | Pyrénées-Orientales -24 quai Sadi Carnot, 66951 PERPIGNANCEDEX Tel: 04 68 51 66 66OTHER HELP IN ENGLISHCOUNSELLING IN FRANCE: for a quali-fied therapist near you or counselling overthe telephone; www.counsellinginfrance.com SOSHELP: similar to the Samaritans, listenerswho are professionally trained; Tel 01 4621 46 46; www.soshelpline.org NOPANIC FRANCE: for help with anxietydisorders; Tel: 02 51 28 80 25;www.nopanic.org.uk ALCOHOLICSANONYMOUS: Aude - Regular meetingsare held (in French) in Carcassonne |Gard - Regular meetings are held (inFrench) in Nîmes, Alès and Cèze |Hérault - Regular meetings are held (inFrench) in Sète Agde Beziers, Bédarieuxand Lodève. Montpellier: English-speak-ing group (closed) meets Thursdays at18:45-20:15, doors open at 18:30.Ganges: English-speaking meeting(Willing to Grow Group), with meetings(closed) Tuesdays 18:30-20:00 in theFoyer des Jeunes, near the Schools onrue E. Gounelle, 34190 Ganges. |Pyrénées-OrientalesCéret, Le Barcares-Village, Thuir, Vernetles Bains and Perpignan CANCERSUPPORT FRANCE: for advice andsomeone to talk to: www.cancersupportfrance.infoNational Office: email: cancersupportfrance@orange.fr; Tel: 05 45 89 30 05. SOLDIERS,SAILORS, AIRMEN AND FAMILIESASSOCIATION FORCES (SSAFA): InFrance: 05 53 01 64 54. Email:france@ssafa. org.uk AVF: help withFrench life; www.avf.asso.frOTHER INFOYELLOW PAGES: www.pagesjaunes.frSPEAKING CLOCK: 3699. WEATHER:08 92 68 02 + dept. number. LASTINCOMING CALL ON YOUR PHONE:3131, then ‘5’ if you wish to connect. BRITISH CONSULATEBritish Consulate Marseilles: 24 avenuedu Prado, 13006 Marseilles. Open: 09:00-12:00 and 14:00-17:00 Tel: 04 91 15 72 10 (after hours emer-gency call this number for answer phoneemergency service)PUBLIC HOLIDAYS THIS MONTHAugust 15 - Assumption Day

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Alliance Franco-Anglaise du LanguedocRoussillonAssociation aimed at assisting Englishspeaking newcomers to integrate throughconversation classes and social events.Contact Neil Todd: 04 67 37 99 52www.afal.name

Association EchangesAssociation offering cultural exchanges inFrench or English and bringing togethervarious nationalities for meetings everytwo months. Social events for people inthe area plus English lessons. The mainactivity for English speakers is a "potluck" meal together for informal discus-sion and games and so on. ContactEmma Tikunova: 04 68 60 38 99 or06 01 79 97 27associationechanges@live.com

Appassionata ChoirThe Chorale Appassionata welcomes newmembers. We rehearse in the SallePolyvalente at Bassan,from 19.45 to22.00 every Tuesday. Membership isinternational,- we sing everything - classi-cal to jazz. Contact Rhona Goujon 04 67 36 05 83

ESKA English Speaking Kids AssociationA new non-profit association called ESKA- English Speaking Kids Association -which has been set up in the region tobring together English-speaking childrenof various ages to enjoy different kinds ofactivities in English. All children of allnationalities are welcome to join in theactivities accompanied by their parents orguardians. Meetings take place in Lunel-Viel. 04 67 82 36 62

Languedoc Clubs and Associations

PAGESLANGUEDOC

A narrow village road in Saint-Guilhem

THE EASTERN half of theAude department has beenplaced on drought alert, withnew restrictions in place forthe rest of the summer. TheOrbieu and Argent-Doublerivers and undergroundreservoirs in the Corbièresarea are particularly low.

Personal washing of cars isbanned, except for tradevehicles carrying food ormedical supplies. Gardenscannot be watered between8.00 and 20.00 and privateswimming pools cannot befilled up. The rest of thedepartment is on a lowerlevel of warning, with resi-dents asked to keep theirwater use as low as they can.

New waterrestrictionsin the Aude

News 3Languedoc Pages August 2012

No agreement in sight over€200m bill for canal treesLOCAL councils andlandowners have failed toreach an agreement on howthe bill for replacing diseasedtrees along the Canal du Midiis to be split.

The cost of the work hasbeen estimated at €200mil-lion over the next 10-15 yearsas 42,000 ailing trees needreplacing. Alain Chatillon, thesenator-mayor of Revel in theHaute-Garonne who has beenleading the research into themassive project says furtherinvestment is also needed tofund other work such asimproving the cycle pathsbeside the canal and makingit easier for hotels to be builtnear the water’s edge.

The plane trees which linethe banks of the Canal duMidi are infected byCeratocystis Platani, a fungalcanker which does notrespond to any known fungi-cide or pesticide and whichkills the trees within fiveyears. Some 2,000 of themhave already been felled.

All the trees lining the maincanal will eventually have tobe felled, which could threat-en the canal’s Unesco WorldHeritage Site status. Ecologistssay the solution is to replantwith ash trees and plane treeswhich are resistant to the dis-ease. Ceratocystis Platani wasoriginally imported from theUS at the end of the SecondWorld War via munitionsboxes made of infected wood.

Getting hold of the money isthe thorny issue. The regionsof Languedoc-Roussillon andMidi-Pyrénées are prepared topay up to a third of the cost,and the government is alsoexpected to pay around athird, but the original call forlandowners alongside thepublicly owned and managedcanal to pay the remainingcosts has been met by silence.

Mr Chatillon’s report nowsuggests a co-operative strate-gy involving the French gov-ernment, and VoiesNavigables de France (VNF),which currently manages thecanal and national wateragencies, as well as regionaland local authorities andlandowners. People sailingboats on the canal alreadypay for the privilege via thepurchase of a tax disc and thereport also suggests that theprice could be increased, rais-ing up to €200,000 per year.

What is needed, accordingto the report, is the creation ofa public interest group com-prising all the various bodiesthat will finance the canal: theState, the VNF, the regions ofLanguedoc-Roussillon andMidi-Pyrénées, as well as thewater agencies and theAssociation des Communesdu Canal des Deux-Merswhich includes all the com-munes which border the canal.

This group would take deci-sions concerning the man-agement of the canal, whichwould then be carried out byVNF. Mr Chatillon said in hisreport: “It’s only right that thepeople who pay the billsshould have a say in makingthe decisions.”

Louise Gronow, who runs aholiday barge, Enchanté, onthe Canal du Midi said shewas not too concerned aboutthe felling of the plane trees.

She said: “The authoritiesseem to have things in handnow and have started fellingthe trees that need to comedown, which is good. I thinkthey’re being reasonably effi-cient although I suppose theyprobably are arguing overwho pays the bill.”

She feels that the plane treeswould not have lasted foreveranyway: “It was about time.As the trees got older andmore brittle, there was aslight concern about thembecoming dangerous. Thisway the trees are beingrenewed and properly main-tained, which is good.”

She also thinks the publicitysurrounding the disease whichis killing the trees has beenpositive and has focused atten-tion on the canal: “Hopefullywe’ll get more funds and oncethe trees have been replantedthere will also be money fordredging as well.”

Authoritiesseem to havethings in hand.I think they’rereasonablyefficientLouise GronowBarge owner

“

Worried about the Euro debt crisis?

Talk to Siddalls about how to structure your fi nances in these diffi cult times

Contact your Regional ManagerFrench Head Office: 05 56 34 75 51Email: bordeaux.office@siddalls.net

www.siddalls.frFrench fi nance in plain EnglishSiddalls France SASU, Parc Innolin, 3 Rue du Golf, 33700 Mérignac - RCS BX 498 800 465. C.I.F. No E001669 auprès de ANACOFI-CIF association agréée par l’Autorité des Marchés Financiers et Courtier d’Assurances, Catégorie B - ORIAS 07 027 475. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et Financier et L 512-6 et 512-7 du Code des Assurances.

Photo: illustrez-vous - Fotolia.com

42,000 trees along the Canal du Midi need to be replaced over the next 10 to 15 years but who pays is a thorny issue

35 teacher jobcuts reversedTHE region will have 35 newprimary school teachers inSeptember, as part ofPresident Hollande’s promiseto increase the number ofstaff in schools – 1,000 newposts have been createdthroughout France. However,another 118 teaching posi-tions are being closed becauseof retirement – meaning thereis still a net loss of 83 posts.

Cigarette ringcaught in AudePOLICE have arrested 13people suspected of beingbehind a major cigarettesmuggling ring in the Aude.Arrests were made inCarcassonne, Berriac,Lézignan-Corbières andLimoux in which 800 cartonsof cigarettes were seized.Police estimate that the fraudamounts to several hundredthousand euros.

17 new MPs inthe AssemblyTHE Languedoc-Roussillonhas 17 new MPs in theNational Assembly, out of atotal of 23, including a FrontNational representative in theGard – lawyer Gilbert Collard(pictured below), who pickedup 42.8% of the local vote.

Speed cameraspots proposedTHE first “average speed”cameras – which measurehow fast a vehicle is travellingover a longer distance thanconventional speed traps –are coming to the region laterthis year. The Hérault préfec-ture has suggested five partic-ularly dangerous sites to theinterior ministry. The Gardhas asked for four cameras,including two on the A9, andthe Aude has applied for oneto be fitted on part of theA61. The other three depart-ments in the region have notsuggested any locations.

City celebrateswater-polo winMONTPELLIER water-poloclub are celebrating afterbeing crowned French cham-pions for the first time in theclub’s history. The team beatsouth-coast rival CNMarseille, which has 33 titlesto its name. It is the latest in astring of sporting successesfor the region’s teams:Montpellier-Hérault came topof football Ligue 1 earlier thissummer and MontpellierAgglomération are theFrench handball champions.

Photo: Thesupermat/W

ikimedia

4 News Languedoc Pages August 2012

Producers hope merger willsafeguard local wine trade

Montauban womanmarries dead soldier

A RUGBY club nearMontpellier has broken theworld record for the largestrugby scrum, with a mega-scrum of 1,100 people.

The record attempt includedmen, women and childrenfrom six years old to over 80.

Pic Saint Loup club presi-dent Isabelle Gely said: “Weknow the numbers preciselybecause the security team atthe stadium in Montpelliersaid we couldn’t have anymore than 1,100 so we gaveout numbered tickets to allthe participants.”

Participants were also givensouvenir white T-shirts towear, all except a few people,who wore black T-shirts andwere positioned in the scrum

so that “Pic St Loup Rugby”was spelled out when a photo-graph was taken from above.

The Guinness Book ofRecords is currently in theprocess of validating therecord, which was officiallywitnessed and recorded by asolicitor. Ms Gely added:“They’re taking their time, butwe’re confident we’ve brokenthe record.”

The current record of 840people is held by an Irishteam: “Our Irish players wereslightly hoping we wouldn’tmanage it, but they took partin a good spirit.”

The club has 293 membersand teams for everyone fromunder-sevens to a mixedtouch rugby team.

1,100 people took part in the world record attempt at Pic Saint Loup, awaiting validation

THE mayor of Montauban hasbecome one of only a handfulof public officials in France tocarry out a posthumousmarriage.

Twenty-five-year-old corpo-ral Abel Chennouf, one of thesoldiers killed in March byserial killer Mohamed Merahwas married to his long-termgirlfriend Caroline Monet atthe mairie, just weeks after shegave birth to their son.

The family of the deceasedtold reporters that they want-ed the ceremony delayed sothat all members of the familycould be there. However,Montauban mayor BrigitteBarèges said that the paper-work was all in order and asCaroline Monet insisted onproceeding with the ceremo-ny, there was no legal way herrequest could be refused.

The ceremony was per-formed in the absence of herhusband’s family.

Posthumous marriage wasintroduced in France (and inGermany) during the FirstWorld War and then again in1959 in response to theMalpasset disaster, in which afive-year-old damn in the Varburst resulting in the deaths of123 people. The concept wasoriginally to legitimise chil-dren who were conceived out-side marriage at a time when

illegitimate children had fewerlegal rights than their legiti-mate siblings.

These days, posthumousmarriage is more or less legal-ly meaningless since the daythe marriage is celebrated, it isalso ended by death. Aposthumous marriage doesnot give any inheritancerights, for example. It doeshowever give a child the rightto take both parents’ names.

There are around 60 posthu-mous marriages a year inFrance, and each one has to bespecially authorised by thepresident. Otherwise, thesame dossier is compiled asfor a conventional marriage(excluding of course the sig-nature of the deceased) andthe same paperwork prepared.

Scrum down for 1,100in world rugby record

“The GuinnessBook of Recordsare taking theirtime, but we’reconfident we’vebroken therecordIsabelle GelyClub president

Photo: Patricia Fournier/ERPSL

Abel Chennouf, killed byMohamed Merah, wasmarried posthumously

Photo: 17e régim

ent du génie parachutiste

TWO of the Languedoc’s largest wine-making cooperatives are merging toform a new giant company that aims tobecome one of the top producers in theworld and safeguard the future of wine-making in the region.

The link-up between Val d’Orbieu andUccoar in the Aude has been in the airfor many years but has never beenachieved. However, now, in the face offalling wine consumption in France,French producers have to look to export-ing their wines abroad and the twogroups decided that forming a co-opera-tive would make this significantly easier.

The new group will have annualturnover of around €300million, com-pared with the two biggest groups, join-ing the top rank of Languedoc winegroups, behind Castel with €1.2billionand Grands Chais de France with€801million. Shareholders have alreadyagreed to the merger, which will takeplace in stages over the rest of this year.

Management have refused to saywhether or not the merger will lead toredundancies, instead stressing that theyare planning to re-evaluate all sectors ofthe business and invest heavily – in theregion of €10-15million - in improvingthe group’s work.

Between 15-20% of turnover is expect-ed to come from Châteaux and finewines, 60% from branded and table wineand the rest from bulk sales.

For the moment, exports account foraround €60-70million of turnover a year

but management are hoping to increasethis to around €100million.

The merger comes at a time when bothco-operatives have been through theirown difficulties. To survive the economiccrisis, Val d’Orbieu has had to sell someof its more prestigious assets including

Listel and the Châteaux de Bordelais.For its part, Uccoar, which sells bottom

of the range wine, has been through aperiod of internal strife between theboard and shareholders which resultedin the management being ousted earlierthis year.

Val d’Orbieu and Uccoar in the Aude hope joining forces will boost exports

Photo: LituFalco - Fotolia.com

THIS year’s cherry harvest in theLanguedoc has been catastrophicallybad, say producers. They estimate thataround 60-70% of the crop was spoiltby heavy rains in June which water-logged the fruit causing it to splitbefore it could be harvested.

Frédéric Plombat at the Maison dela Cerise in Paulhe (Aveyron) said:“Cherries are very fragile and thisyear was a really bad one for cherriesin the Languedoc region.”

Many producers saw the majority oftheir cherries sold for processing intojuice or other cherry-flavoured foods,at far lower prices than they are paidfor high-quality table cherries.

Mr Plombat points out that mostproducers have other sources ofincome however. “Cherries are toounstable, too insecure,” he says. “Noone just cultivates cherries.”

Many orchard owners in Languedocalso produce yellow Mirabelle plums,peaches and apricots as well as cher-ries. Mr Plombat added: “The troubleis, last year was a bumper year forcherries but the Mirabelle crop wasvery poor – and this year, it’s the cher-ries. We don’t yet know about theMirabelles. We just have to cross ourfingers.

“Insurance exists but it’s incrediblyexpensive so most people don’t haveit. If the crop fails, then the farmerloses out and that’s the end of it.”

News 5Languedoc Pages August 2012

Cherry farmers feel squeezewith disappointing harvest

City landlords facelimits on rent level

Photo: Jean-Louis Zimm

ermann/Flickr

Photo: Maison de la Cérise

Languedoc is France’s third biggest cherry producer50,000 tonnes of table cherries

are produced in France every yearand the Languedoc-Roussillon isthe third biggest region (13%),behind Provence (35%) and Rhône-Alpes (33%)

Worldwide, cherry productionhas increased by 17% over the past

10 years. The three leading produc-ers in Europe are Turkey with590,000 tonnes, Poland (250,000tonnes) and Italy (126,000).

The Maison de la Cérise inPaulhe has a small museum display-ing traditional farm implementsused to harvest cherries, a shop sell-

ing all sort of products made withcherries (including a range of cos-metics) and organises a series ofevents including guided eveningwalks through the orchards, horseand cart rides and musical events.www.maison-de-la-cerise.asso-fror call 05 56 59 00 98.

Cherry producers have to rely on other fruits as well to make a living – and most cannot afford to get insurance

RENT increases are to becapped in Montpellier fromthis September, the govern-ment has announced.

The city is one of 41 urbancentres where rents will begovernment-controlled. Thismeans that when a tenantmoves out, or renews a rentalcontract, the rent cannot behiked up higher than the gov-ernment ceiling.

Exceptions can be madewhere large scale works arecarried out and where it canbe shown that the propertywas undervalued comparedto other similar properties inthe area.

The government says themeasure is needed to ensurethat housing remains afford-able. Property owners on theother hand say that the movewill result in a shortage ofrental properties on the mar-ket, and the construction ofdeliberately low-cost, low-quality housing.

Across France, average rents

have risen 3.4% in the pastyear, versus inflation of 2.1%.Almost 40% of tenants saythey spend more than a thirdof their income on rent eachmonth.

Property owners can onlyincrease rents for sitting ten-ants by the rate of inflation.But in between tenants, fig-ures show that rents for aproperty often rise bybetween 5 and 7%. Rent risesbetween lettings were cappedbetween 1989 and 1997, untilthe Socialist governmentscrapped them.

The current governmentestimates however that rein-troducing the controls willresult in savings of around€75 a year for most tenantsand will also make the rentedproperty market more fluidbecause, it says, at themoment tenants do not daremove for fear of being finan-cially penalised – findingthemselves with higher rentfor a similar property.

Montpellier is one of 41 cities affected by the measure

Train line shutfor all AugustPART of the railway line fromBéziers to Neussargues is toremain closed all this monthfor essential tunnel repairwork. Trains will be replacedby coaches from Bédarieux toSaint-Chély because of theworks in the Boissière tunnel.Track operator RFF said thesummer holiday was the besttime to carry out the €4mrepairs, despite protests fromlocal authorities about theimpact on tourism. Rails arealso being replaced and somesteep banks reinforced. Theline is due to reopen onSeptember 1 and an informa-tion line is open for trav-ellers: 0800 88 60 91.

Slow start totourist seasonTOURISM bosses in theregion have reported a lessthan satisfactory start to thesummer season, according toa survey of 2,000 businessesled by the Languedoc touristboard. About half of respon-dents said takings in Junewere stable compared withthe same month last year,while the other half reporteda decline. Campsites, holidayvillages, spas and river cruiseoperators were among themost optimistic about thelevel of reservations.

Major roadworkin city centreDRIVERS passing throughMontpellier are advised toavoid the Quai du Verdansonuntil March 2013 because ofmajor roadworks. Queues ofup to an hour have beenreported in recent weekswhile work is carried out tochange the carriageway lay-out and introduce cycle lanesand wider pavements, whichhas cut the number of opentraffic lanes to just one.

Flying schoolbosses arrestedTWO men have been arrest-ed for setting up a flyingschool without the necessarylicences and approval. Thecompany in Nîmes hadbought two planes fromRussia to offer training andexperience days, but investi-gators found they were notproperly registered and onlyone of them was fit to fly.Police were alerted to theirwork after ads appeared inthe local press offering thechance to learn to fly, withprices starting at €600 andgoing up to €4,500.

More camerasfor city centreMONTPELLIER city councilhas installed 20 more publicCCTV cameras as part of aplan to have 170 in the citycentre by 2014. The latestinstallations bring the currenttotal to 126. Five of the newcameras are mobile and will beused for major public eventssuch as festivals or sportingfixtures. The whole projectwill cost the city €600,000.

6 National News Languedoc Pages August 2012

More on these articles - andhundreds more - can be found at

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UPDATED DAILY

Peugeot Citroënto cut 8,000 jobs

FRANCE’S No1 car-maker, PeugeotCitroën wants to cut 8,000 jobsacross the company and close itsfactory at Aulnay-sous-Bois in 2014.

More than 3,000 jobs will go atAulnay, 1,400 from its factory atRennes in Brittany and another3,600 – including 1,400 fromresearch and development of newmodels – from various administra-tive, research and sales functions.

Social Affairs Minister MarisolTouraine said she could “not acceptsomething like this” and added thatthe firm had received €4billion instate aid in the past few years.

Union leader Bernard Thibault ofthe CGT said the union would takeaction, as the real impact in terms ofjobs in the rest of the country could“triple or quadruple” the job losses.

Peugeot Citroën said sales had fall-en 15% across Europe in the firstthree months of the year meaningoperational losses of €700million.

Bac exam results are down – and upOVERALL results in this year’sBaccalauréat are down – due entire-ly to a large drop in the pass rate forthe vocational Bac Professionnel.

However, despite this, pass rateswere up in most other exam types,with a 90.8% pass in the scientificstrand and 89.1% for the economicand social sector.

The overall rate fell from 85.6% to84.5% but the rate for the generalBac was up 1.4% to 89.6% and thetechnological Bac was up 1%.

However, the professional Bac fell5.6% to hit 78.2%.

‘Stop and question’police rules to stayPLANS to reform the way policestop and question people in thestreet are to be dropped. It had beenplanned for police to give receipts tothe people they stop as a way ofavoiding abuses where people arestopped and possibly searchedbecause of their race.

However, police unions were saidto be “strongly opposed” to themove and the data watchdog Cnilwas worried about potential datacollection if police kept a record ofwho had been given receipts.Interior Minister Manuel Valls does

not favour the change, according toRTL radio station.

Other proposals are still beinglooked at as the plan was an electionpromise by President FrançoisHollande. These could include areturn to police having numbers onuniforms or having cameras fittedon uniforms or on a neckband.

Legal bid to restrictLivret A accountsPEOPLE will be stopped from open-ing more than one Livret A savingsaccounts under a decree proposedby the Conseil d’Etat.

The practice of having more thanone of the non-tax-paying accountsis already illegal, but is widespreaddue to weak penalties.

Now the Conseil d’Etat wants to

oblige banks to consult tax authori-ties before allowing someone toopen an account, which has a sav-ings ceiling of €15,300 and current-ly an interest rate of 2.25%.

Retrospective priceincrease for millionsLAST year’s gas price freeze by theFillon government has been ruled asunlawful – and millions using gasface a retrospective price increasefor fuel they have already paid for.

France’s top administrative body,the Conseil d’Etat, annulled thefreeze, which lasted from October tothe start of January, which meansthe average household will have topay an extra €40 for last year’s gas.

The ruling, after a plea by gas sup-plier GDF, has now cast doubt over

the new Ayrault government’s plansfor gas prices to be limited to therate of inflation – or 2% – asopposed to the 4.1% which GDF hassaid that it needs.

France borrows at anegative interest rateFOR the first time ever France hasbeen able to borrow at a negativerate – that is, it will pay back lessthan it borrows – and joins a selectgroup of countries, includingGermany, Denmark and theNetherlands, which have been ableto do so this year.

The feat comes as investors seeksafe places for their money, worriedabout instability in southern Europe.

France had only intended to bor-row €7.7billion but was offerednearly three times as much andAgence France Trésor was able tonegotiate the lower rate. Three-month bonds are at -0.005% andsix-month ones at -0.006%.

California banssale of foie grasPRODUCTION and sale of foie graswas banned in California on July 1but it has not affected French-basedsuppliers too much as they alreadyfind it hard to sell in the US due totough import rules.

Restaurants risk fines of $1,000 aday if they serve the delicacy, asCalifornia’s politicians say the force-feeding with grain – gavage –required is cruel.

Paris police revealVel d’Hiv shame

PARIS police has opened its archiveson one of the darkest periods of itshistory – the “Vel d’Hiv Roundup”in July 1942, when the Vichy regimemobilised police and gendarmerie toround up Jews on behalf of the Nazioccupiers.

In all, 13,152 men, women andchildren were picked up and held inthe Vélodrome d’Hiver cycling sta-dium before being shipped toGerman camps, from where, itthought, fewer than 100 returned.

The exhibition – The Vel d’HivRoundup: the police archives – runsuntil September 15 in the mairie ofthe 3rd arrondissement and includeslists of arrested Jews, accounts ofgoods seized, intelligence servicenotes on their state of mind etc.

New laws and rates come into forceNEW decrees came into force lastmonth that see, amongst otherthings, the minimum wage rise 2%,social charges on dividends andinterest rise from 13.5% to 15.5%and a ban on outdoor advertisingsigns to be lit at night.

Speeding car drivers will also nowface a fine if flashed in Belgium aftera reciprocal agreement on cross-border offences – and must nowcarry a breathalyser kit in the car.

It is also now cheaper to make orreceive mobile phone calls in otherEU countries, with a new limit of 29centimes a minute for making calls(down from 35) and 8 centimes forreceiving them (as opposed to 11).

Police told to stopusing Tu and ToiINTERIOR Minister Manuel Vallshas told senior police to call a haltto the use of “tu” and “toi” whenofficers address people, even thosewho are insulting or abusing them.

Using tu/toi (called tutoiement)can be seen as a way of speakingdown to people and he told the newpromotion of commissaires at theEcole Nationale Supérieure de laPolice near Lyon: “I ask that policeretain a certain professional distancein keeping a cool head in every cir-cumstance and avoiding the use oftu/toi.”

Métro and RER willget internet accessSOME smartphone users will beable to access the internet in theParis Métro after a deal betweentransport authority RATP andphone operator SFR.

RATP is looking to install newtechnology to make the internetaccessible throughout the networkby the end of 2015, including theRER A and B local train network.

From October SFR users will beable to connect in the areas aroundtwo key stations in central Paris –Châtelet and the Gare de Lyon.

RATP hopes that it can come toagreements with the other majormobile operators and last month itinstalled free wi-fi in 48 stations.

QUADRUPLE amputee Philippe Croizon has swumacross the Strait of Gibraltar, the third stage of hisbid to swim between the five continents.

He and his able-bodied swimming partner ArnaudChassery took five hours and 20 minutes to swimthe 16km between Europe and Africa, swimmingfrom Tarifa on the southern tip of Spain to Ciress onthe Moroccan coast near Tangier. Philippe, using

prosthetic limbs with flippers attached, and Arnaudhave already swum from Australasia to Asia (cross-ing from Papua New Guinea to Indonesia) and fromAfrica to Asia (from Taba in Egypt across the RedSea to Aqaba in Jordan). Next month they plan tocomplete the project by swimming across the BeringStrait from a Russian island to a US island in Alaskaand may meet President Obama.

Three down, one to go for quadruple amputee swimmer

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Unesco hails theDordogne heritageUNESCO has named the Dordogneriver basin a biosphere reserve andadded it to the list of natural her-itage sites in France.

There are 10 other labelled sites inFrance and the 24,000 km2 basinjoins Mont Ventoux in theVaucluse, the Cévennes and theCamargue. Unesco recognised theriver, which rises at Puy de Sancyand crosses six departments, asbeing remarkable for its well-pre-served natural setting and theexceptional cultural heritage andart de vivre linked to it.

News 7Languedoc Pages August 2012

MONTPELLIER’S famous opera house,the Opéra Comédie, has reopened itsdoors with a production of Mozart’s clas-sic, The Marriage of Figaro, after restora-tion works which have lasted 20 monthsand cost €20m.

Much of the work is invisible to thepublic, but brings the building into linewith modern safety standards. For exam-ple, the orchestra pit has been strength-ened so that any part of it can supportany instrument. Air conditioning andacoustic treatment have also been added.

Backstage, the organisation of the spacehas been changed so that musicians andartistes can move around more easily.New scenery docks and equipment havebeen installed so that touring companiescan get their scenery into the theatremore easily. The stage itself has beenenlarged so that it can take moregrandiose productions, and a spacebelow the stage has been added to allowfor stage lifts.

Access to backstage and administrationareas has been created for people withreduced mobility. Wardrobe and electri-cal workshops have been renovated.

As well as the backstage works, theauditorium has also been given a faceliftand here, the idea was to restore ratherthan modernise. The proscenium archhas been re-gilded and all the decorativefeatures restored to their former glory.Air-conditioning and humidifyingequipment has also been added to helpopera singers, whose voices had beentroubled by dry air.

Opera house reopensafter €20mrevamp

Many of the improvements to the Opéra Comédie are behind-the-scenes but visitors will notice the enlarged stage area

A 27% hike in the number of burglariesin Perpignan has prompted police to setup a special unit.

In the first six months of this year therewere 930 burglaries in the city– 230more than during the same period lastyear. Even the Restos du Coeur charityin Perpignan, which feeds the destitute,was burgled eight times in the past year.

To respond to this growing menace, anew unit of four police officers has beenespecially dedicated to clearing up thesecrimes by co-ordinating efforts andinformation across the region. Resultsare encouraging and they say that theyare now solving 30% of burglaries.

Meanwhile reports are increasing of anew type of street robbery, in which goldchains and necklaces are torn from thenecks of women. The victims are oftenolder and frail. Police say this crime hasincreased due to the increasing preva-lence of shops offering good rates to buy

scrap gold, some of which are not over-scrupulous about asking the origins ofitems offered for sale.

Police are reminding homeowners thatthey are running a scheme again thisyear for anyone who is leaving a proper-ty empty while on holiday, a nationwideinitiative called Opération Tranquillité.

If your property is going to be empty

for any weeks during July and August,householders should inform the policebefore leaving. The police will keep aneye on the property, adding it to theirdaily rounds until you return.

They also advise checking shutters,doors and locks to make sure they workproperly. You should also either arrangefor your post to be forwarded, or kept atthe post office, or for your post box to beemptied by a neighbour during yourabsence. If possible, police advise gettingsomeone to open and close the shutters,and turn the lights on and off from timeto time in order that the property doesnot look empty.

The police note that many people leavelarge sums of money in the house, andjewellery. They advise against this, andsay that all jewellery should be pho-tographed, valued, insured and ideallyleft in safe-keeping somewhere ratherthan left on the bedroom dressing table.

Perpignan police say they now solve30% of all burglaries

History of a local landmarkThe Opéra Comédie

in Montpellier was firstbuilt in 1755 when itwas used exclusively fortheatrical productions.

After a fire in 1788, itwas rebuilt but a centurylater in 1881 the theatrewas once again engulfedin flames. So keen werethe people of

Montpellier to have atheatre, that a tempo-rary wooden buildingwas constructed on theEsplanade in just 59days so that the showcould go on while thenew permanent buildingwas taking shape.

The current building,finished in 1888, was

designed by Joseph-Marie Cassien Bernardwho was a pupil ofCharles Garnier, thearchitect of the OpéraNational de Paris.

It houses the originalThree Graces statue, acopy of which adornsthe Place de laComédie.

Decorative features of the auditorium have been restored to their former glory

VISITORS to the Camarguecan continue to enjoy beauti-ful panoramic views of thearea from a church roof view-ing platform that has beensaved from the threat of clo-sure after a seven-year legalbattle.

Visitors in the seaside townof Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer,the capital of the Camargue,on the Gard/Bouches-du-Rhône border can relax know-ing that the roof will remainopen to the public every dayexcept Sunday mornings dur-ing Mass.

The roof, which haspanoramic views across theCamargue and out to sea, wasdue to close but the planswere challenged by the mairiethrough a series of courtcases which have now finallycome down on the side of themairie.

Churches in France aremaintained and managed bythe secular local authorities.This is the result of a series of

agreements completedbetween the Catholic Churchand the French governmentwhen the State was disassoci-ated from the Church.

The church at Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is wellknown for having been builtas a fortress, with a roofwhich doubles as a watch-tower. Access to the roof andits beautiful views costs€2.20.

The church is also wellknown for housing a statue ofBlack Sara in the crypt. Thisstatue, often mistaken for ablack Virgin Mary, has a richhistory of conflicting storiesbehind her. What is sure how-ever, is that she is the patronsaint of Roma, Manouche,Tzigane and other travellingpeople who come from allover Europe to worship her inMay. The statue is carried outto sea, accompanied by serriedranks of horse riders in a cere-mony symbolising her firstarrival in the town.

Church roof withpanoramic viewssaved from closure

The church wanted to close off its roof to tourists but thelocal mairie intervened in court

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Break-ins and street thefts on rise

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8 What’s On Languedoc Pages August 2012

Until August 5 Festival de Carcassonne – Every year, the beautiful city of Carcassonne hosts a cultural festival packedwith events for everyone: theatre, dance, classical, and popular music. It is one of France’s largest festivals, and the factthat the medieval city is a designated Unesco World Heritage Site only adds to the appeal. For jazz fans, the Harlem

Fantasy Orchestra will be performing, a group that pays tribute to the early years of Duke Ellington, as well as ThomasDutronc, a French jazz guitarist.Alternatively, the rock star Alice Cooper will be bringing the house down at the Jean-

Deschamps Theatre. Perhaps best of all, some of the entertainment is FREE, while other concerts start at around €39.For more information, visit www.festivaldecarcassonne.fr

Aude CarcassonneFESTIVAL

FOODAude Castelnaudary

August 21-26Fête du Cassoulet – This food festival gives centre stage to its regional dish, cassoulet, a slow-cooked casserole. Enjoy eating the product at sites all over the town, and attend free music concerts. Michael Jones, welsh singer/songwriter, is the guest of honour and patron of the event. Don’t forget tocome dressed in blue and white, the colours of the festival.www.fete-du-cassoulet.com

FESTIVALLozère LangogneAugust 2-4 Festiv'Allier – This eighth edition of the festival showcases some of the newand upcoming French artists, as well as exciting circus acts. Perfect for a family day out,

the concerts take place in the centre of the town, on a colourful stage courtesy ofinstallations by Delirium Lumens. For the programme visit

www.festivallier48.fr

HéraultCap d’Agde

OUTDOORSAugust 25 - September 2Brescoudos bike week – For those inpossession of a motorbike, why notsee the area in style? Coordinated bythe Brescoudos bike club, this two-wheeled adventure has been runningsince the 1980s. For €120, in oneweek, bikers feast on good food, andparticipate in plenty of organisedactivities and festivities.E-mail contact@brescoudos.comor visit www.brescoudos.com

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Pyrénées-Orientales Vernet-les-Bains

August 5 The Canigou race in Vernet-les-Bains – Taking place on the first Sunday of August forthe past 30 years, this gruelling 30km race sees walkers and runners set off from Vernet andclimb to the 2,100m summit of the Canigou mountain and back.The race honours intrepid

ice-carriers in the early 20th century who would climb the mountain, cut blocks of ice fromthe hillside and take them back to the village to sell. www.vernet-les-bains.fr

OUTDOORS

What’s On 9Languedoc Pages August 2012

Hérault Montpellier FESTIVAL

Pick of the rest in Languedoc

August 3-7 Uzès festival (Gard) – Streettheatre, live music, sport and bull-running inthe medieval town.

August 4-5 Organic food fair in Couiza(Aude) – More than 100 producers andartisans will be showing their products.Includes plenty of tastings and various streetperformances.

August 7 Honey festival in Vernet-les-Bains(Pyrénées-Orientales) – A day of tastings,demonstrations and sale of local honey

August 7-9 Pre-historical festival in Tautavel(Pyrénées-Orientales) – Back for its 21st year,this event is held at the Tautavel prehistoricsite and museum about 25km fromPerpignan.There is a prehistoric village toexplore, plus workshops and local produceon sale.A prehistoric dinner is also availableon reservation.www.tautavel.com

August 10-15 Feria de Béziers (Hérault) –Thousands of visitors are expected for thismajor event, with bullfighting corridas,street parties, parades, concerts andcelebrations of Occitan culture.

August 17-20 Mende festival (Lozère) –Four days of entertainment for all ages,including street parades, games, music andfireworks.

August 22 Chevalissimo Saint-Cyprien(Pyrénées-Orientales) – An impressivelychoreographed horse show celebratingSpanish culture, including live music from agipsy band.

August 30-September 2 Feria deCarcassonne (Aude) – Brass bands, salsa,flamenco and much more at this majorstreet festival.There will also be plenty toeat and drink - a great opportunity tocelebrate the city and its culture.

All August La Bambouseraie – This botanical gardencontains numerous varieties of bamboo and tree. It is acontinuing source of inspiration for many artists andpainters.Tickets €8.60.www.bambouseraie.com

GardSommières

August 15 Sommièreswine fair – Localwinemakers in thisbeautiful village in thefoothills of theCevennes organisetastings and otherentertainment onAssumption day. Enjoyoysters, charcuterie andan impressive range ofwines in the shade ofplane trees and learnthe art of wine tastingat a series ofworkshops. 10.00-21.00,entry €3

WINE

Gard Générargues OUT AND ABOUT

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Until September 7Les Estivales de

Montpellier – A greatevent for wine-lovers, the event

takes place every Friday, from 18.00to 23.30.Visitors can taste wine from

35 different winemakers eachweek, accompanied by tapas and

sea food.The ambience is mademerry with free dance and

musical entertainment.Call 04 67 34 70 00

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August 8-9 Peyrepertuse medievalfestival – This is one of the biggestmedieval festivals in the Languedocregion, held every summer near thetown’s castle.There will be theatre,demonstrations, combats, fireworksand a medieval banquetwww.chateau-peyrepertuse.com

Photos: Le Petit Biterrois/Flickr

10 What’s On Languedoc Pages August 2012

Breath-taking air displaysabove Languedoc beachMEMBERS of France’s airborne acrobaticteam, the Patrouille de France, are putting ontwo spectacular demonstrations above one ofthe region’s most popular seaside resorts thissummer.

Beachgoers and anyone enjoying an earlyevening apéritif in La Grande Motte, on theGard-Hérault border, should look up at 19.30on Tuesday, August 7 and 21 for the not-to-be-missed shows, organised by pilots from theaward-winning Aéroclub Hérault LanguedocRoussillon.

Also taking part in this year’s shows is agroup of young sapeurs-pompiers from

Montpellier, who can normally be found at thecontrols of the Canadair fire-fighting planesthat protect the region’s forests.

Once the displays are over and the planesback on the ground, pilots will be on hand tomeet the public and discuss their work.

The August 7 show is best seen from thebeach near the town centre, around the Placede l’Epi.

For the August 21 show, the best vantagepoints are slightly further along the coast tothe west, in the Quartier du Couchant.

To find out more, visit the tourist office onPlace 1er Octobre or call 04 67 56 42 00.

Popular Hérault seaside town La Grande Motte is the venue for two spectacular airborne acrobatics displays from the Patrouille de France (above) on Tuesday, August 7 and 21

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What’s On in the capital

Until August 5 – Curatedby the Museum of ModernArt in New York, this wide-ranging exhibition is morethan just a chance toremember some of TimBurton’s best-loved films –from Charlie and the ChocolateFactory and Alice inWonderland to Sleepy Hollowand Sweeney Todd.It is also an opportunity to

discover Burton’s talents asa painter, photographer andinventor of colourful, amazingsculptures.

La Cinémathèque Française,51 rue de Bercy (12e). M°Bercy. Open daily (exceptTuesday) 10.00-20.00, latenight Thursday until 22.00.Entry €11, under-18s €5.50.www.cinematheque.fr

CINEMA

Making waves

Until September 2 –From historic wartimebroadcasts and the pirate erato today’s broad spectrum ofstyles and tastes, radio in allits forms and the Frenchpublic’s long-lasting attach-ment to the medium is thefocus of this exhibition.The show includes plenty ofarchive audio, guided visitseach day at 15.30 and a dis-covery trail for children.

Musée des Arts et Métiers,60 rue Réaumur (3e). M° Artset Métiers. Entry €5.50.www.arts-et-metiers.net

EXHIBITION

In the mind of Tim Burton

Until September 2 – Tocelebrate the 80th anniver-

sary of the popular Frenchcartoon elephant, created by

Jean de Brunhoff, the Musée desDécoratifs has an exhibition of100 original sketches and a rangeof Babar-themed toys from the1930s to today. Musée des ArtsDécoratifs, 107 rue de Rivoli(1er). M° Palais Royal-Musée duLouvre or Pyramides. OpenTuesday-Sunday 11.00-18.00 (lateopening until 21.00 on Thursdays).Entry €9.50, under-18s go free.www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr

FAMILYGarden gigsall over city

All summer – Thebandstands in Paris’s parksand gardens host more than200 free open-air concertsthis month and next.

Performers range from localconservatoire music students tothe official Paris metro staffchoir, and a number of UKschools and youth bands whohave been invited over to per-form to a Parisian audience.The full programme is onlineat tinyurl.com/ParisBandstands

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Admire palace’sdancing fountains

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Until August 19 – Visitorsto Paris in the first half ofthe month can still catch thecity’s urban beach, back forits 11th year on the right

bank of the Seine, from PontNeuf to the Pont de Sully,with sunloungers, ice-cream,restaurants, children’s activityareas and much more. Entryis free, open 8.00 to 0.00.

www.paris.fr/parisplages

OUTDOORSStill time to enjoy Paris beach

See Richter through the years

August 1-12 – The Cinéma auClair de Lune festival bringsFrench and foreign films (in ver-sion originale) to screens iniconic locations includingMontmartre and the Place desVosges. Entry is free – just turnup with a blanket, chair and apicnic.This year’s selection ofnine films includes BlakeEdwards’ 1958 romantic come-dy The Perfect Furlough, based inParis, and the 1967 musicalclassic Les Demoiselles deRochefort. Films start at 21.30.www.forumdesimages.fr

Meanwhile, the Parc de laVillette has an open-air cinemafestival of its own until August26. Screenings include Good Bye,Lenin, Virgin Suicides, Supermanand Hair – and they are all free,but if you want to hire a chairit costs €7 for the evening.

See the full programme onlineat www.villette.com

Bring a picnic to the cinema

Until September 1 – Thegardens at Versailles are the

setting for another season ofsound, light and water shows

in August. Watch thefountains dance as night falls,

accompanied by music andlasers.The show ends with a

firework display.Every Saturday, 21.00-23.20.

€23, under-18s €19.www.chateauversailles

-spectacles.fr

Babar celebrates his 80th

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UntilSeptember24 – The

work of leading German artistGerhard Richter, whose cre-ations last year achieved higherprices than those of any otherliving artist, is celebrated with aretrospective exhibition at thePompidou Centre to coincidewith his 80th birthday.Richter’s work was first exhib-

ited at the centre in 1977when the museum opened.The exhibition is arrangedchronologically, from his early1960s photography to theabstract digital works of today,made using computer soft-ware.Tickets giving full accessto the Pompidou Centre andall its exhibitions cost €13.Open daily except Tuesday,

11.00-21.00, late on Thursdaysuntil 23.00. Pompidou Centrem° Hôtel de Ville orRambuteau.www.centrepompidou.fr

ART

August 24-26– Rock en

Seine is one of Paris’s biggestlive music events and, despitethe name, it covers a broadrange of contemporaryFrench and international

music genres, over three daysat the Domaine de Saint-Cloud, west of the city. Morethan 50 acts will play, includ-ing the Waterboys, Sigur Rosand Noel Gallagher.

www.rockenseine.com

MUSICWeekend of live music

What’s On 11Languedoc Pages August 2012

12 Education Languedoc Page

FRANCE has a sophisticated education systemthat has often been admired by its neighboursand is internationally recognised as being of ahigh standard.

Nonetheless, in recent years, it has faced dif-ficulties in maintaining these standards. Aselsewhere there are problems of funding and,in certain areas, of discipline and violence inschools.

As a generalisation, teachers and pupils havetended to become more militant and lessmotivated, though of course this is not univer-sally true. In these respects France is no differ-ent from Britain.

There are both private and state schools andit is usual to put your child into the free statesystem unless there is a particular reason notto do so, such as when the child has specialneeds or the parents are absent and a boardingschool is necessary (though boarding is alsoavailable at some state schools). Religion isanother factor, with most private schools beingCatholic-run, whereas state ones have asecular ethos.

University education is heavily subsidisedand available to those living in the university’scatchment area and who have the necessaryentry qualifications (baccalauréat). This hastended to cause overcrowding.

Above the universities in status and reputa-tion are the grandes écoles. These are outsidethe main university system and entry is bycompetition, which is fierce. These producemost of France’s leaders, especially militaryand political.

Bear in mind that the environment and edu-cation within the French system are usuallyentirely in French. Children of primary schoolage usually adapt well and become bilingual.Older ones may find it more difficult if theyare not already competent in French.

Certain French schools have “internationalsections” where part of the teaching is inEnglish (see later).

Alternatively, a crash course in French beforeyour move should help. You might also look atongoing extra sessions with a home tutor(which attract an income tax credit if done byan accredited firm).

If your finances stretch to it, a UK boarding

school or an international school in France areamong other alternatives.

State educationState education is under the control of theMinistre de l’Education (presently VincentPeillon) and is open to everybody.

It is a highly centralised system under which,at least in theory, every pupil at a state schoolshould be following the same curriculum fromthe same textbooks and be at the same place inthe curriculum as those at the same level inevery other school in France on a given day.

The reality, however, may differ from thisaim (not least, due to individualteachers’ whims).

French schools generally placeless emphasis on extra-curricularactivities than British ones do,and these are often done outsideof school.

Physical education is nonethe-less part of the curriculum (atboth primary and secondary levels)and bodies called associationssportives scolaires may work inpartnership with schools tointroduce children to certainsports and organise local,regional and national sportingcompetitions.

France being a secularstate, there is no religiouseducation in stateschools. It is actuallyillegal for pupils toexhibit any reli-gious symbol(such as a cruci-fix) or to wearanything that

has a religious significance (for example, aheadscarf).

The baccalauréatEducation leads to a nationally organisedexam at the end of the school career, the bac-calauréat. This is essential in moving on tohigher education or to many careers.

It can be a major hurdle. The pass rate varies,but there is always a percentage of those whofail and have to redoubler (repeat the last year’sclasses.) Redoublement can happen at any stageof a child’s school career and its usefulness isthe subject of much debate

School holidaysThe academic year starts in September andcontinues until after the summer exams,which finish around mid-June. Apart frompublic holidays, there are breaks of a few daysaround All Saints Day (Toussaint) and overChristmas and New Year, with a mid-termbreak in February, the peak time for wintersports, and two weeks around Easter.

Until a few years ago all schoolstook their holidays simultane-

ously, causing traffic jams andcrowded ski and beach

resorts. The country is nowdivided into three

regions for the winter and spring holidays, thedates being staggered between the regions.

Many schools offer breaks at state or depart-mentally run hostels (colonies de vacances) inholiday areas.

A child progresses through three obligatorystages: école maternelle and école élémentaire,which make up French primary school (l’écoleprimaire) and then collège. Where l’école isreferred to, this often means primary school.

The three-year “sixth form” equivalent iscalled lycée.

Boarding schoolsBoarding schools (internats) exist at all levelsin both public and private sectors and a direc-tory can be found online atwww.tinyurl.com/Find-A-Boarding-School It can be a practical choice where, for example,parents are often absent.

Private schoolsThere are some 9,000 private schools, the largemajority of which are Catholic. More than twomillion children attend these, or 17% of thetotal in schooling. Listings can be found at:www.enseignement-prive.fr

They fall into several categories:

Those operated under a “contract of associ-ation” with the state are by far the most

numerous. They arestaffed by the state, fol-

low the state systemand receive a local

authority runningcosts contribu-tion – from themairie for pri-mary school,department for

collège andregion for

lycée. Par-

Find your way through theFrench education systemFrench schooling is often of good quality but thesystem is different in almost every respect to whatexpats may have been used to in countries like theUK. Here we look at some of the key elements parents and young people should be familiar with.

Photo: PICTUR

E-FACTOR

Y - FOTO

LIACOM

Expat children of primary school age usually adapt well and quickly become bilingual, but teenagers might find it harder to adjust

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International education is an increasingly popular way to giveyour child the opportunity to learn, grow and experience a foreigncountry during their education. Whether attending an overseaslycée, private school, summer program or university, a growingnumber of children of all ages are becoming a part of the globaleducation institution.

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Education 13s August 2012

ents contribute between €400 and €750 per child peryear, included in which is payment for such elementsnot included in the national curriculum, such as reli-gious instruction.

Those operating under a “simple contract”. A similararrangement to the above, this concerns fewer schoolsand only applies in the primary sector.

In some respects it is less bound to the state system(teachers are paid as private workers as opposed to statecivil servants) but they are nevertheless supervised andinspected and follow the state curriculum.

Non-contracted schools. These have much morefreedom and their fees are paid by parents in full. Thereare fewer of them and they include the private interna-tional schools (see below).

Outside the national education system there are anumber of private international schools, often workingtowards the International Baccalaureate (IB).

An international school in Paris, for example, haspupils of 50 nationalities (the majority being British)and prepares pupils for GCSEs. English-languageschools can be found at www.france.english-schools.org

Note that some schools in the French system have aninternational “section”, leading to the taking of theinternational option of the baccalauréat (OIB), a Frenchbilingual and bi-cultural examination which should notbe confused with the IB.

There is also a “European school” in Strasbourg,which is a French state school and allows pupils whosemother tongue is English to study mainly in that lan-guage and to take a “European” baccalauréat version,alongside pupils whose main language is German orFrench.

The International baccalauréateThis is an exam run by the International Baccalaureateorganisation, based in Geneva, founded in 1948. The IBdiploma is not offered by French state schools.

Strong commitment is required to take and succeed inthe full course and it is possible to take just certainparts of it, although pupils who do so do not receive thefull diploma. The full course involves taking six sub-jects, one from each of five subject groups and onefrom group six or from a permitted substitute fromanother group.The IB is accepted for entry into univer-sities in most countries. The papers may be taken in avariety (or a mixture) of languages. It covers a widespectrum, which has led to criticism in the UK that it istoo broad and insufficiently specialised as an introduc-tion to further studies.

“It is a highly centralised systemunder which, in theory, every pupil at every state schoolshould be following the samecurriculum and be at the samelevel as every school in France on a given day. The reality maydiffer from this aim

NATALIE Strange moved toFrance from East Sussex in 2005with her husband Mike andthree boys Sebastian (now 15),Toby (13) and Rufus (eight), set-tling near Limoux in the Aude.

Rufus settled into school theeasiest, starting at the verybeginning of the cycle. MsStrange says: “I’ve had to helphim the least with the home-work. He seems to grasp thingsquickly.” But Sebastian and Tobyfound it much more difficult atfirst, and homework timeinvolved re-teaching what hadbeen covered in class. “I used todread weekends,” she says. “Ispent hours and hours goingover it with them. They’re at col-lège now and I’ve let go.”

Toby is dyslexic and the familyinvested in home tuition, whichattracts a 50% income tax credit,which has paid off: “It was reallyhelpful and it gave him a confi-dence boost. Having two lan-guages is a mountain for adyslexic person.” They also tookhim to see a speech therapist,and this was fully reimbursed bysocial security.

Toby has not had to repeat ayear, which Ms Strange believeswould have been detrimental tohim. However, she feels she hadto do a lot of work herself to gethelp for Toby, which she thinkswould have been better handledby school staff in the UK.

When Sebastian, the eldest,started school he was placed oneyear lower than the rest of hisage to compensate for the lan-guage problems (he was born inNovember and the school admis-sions year runs from January to

December). “I sometimes regretthat,” says Ms Strange. “I shouldhave pushed. I think for himsocially it feels difficult.”

However, he sat his brevet lastmonth and is looking forward tolycée in September. He is becom-ing bilingual and bicultural, sur-passing his mother’s level ofFrench.

“Sebastian is very conscious ofme speaking English to him in ashop, about being more Frenchwhen we are out in the open,” shesays. “He corrects me on myFrench. I just don’t think heshould be embarrassed about it.French kids are intrigued aboutEngland and the English.”

On a general note, she says: “Ifeel that French teaching isn’t ascreative as English, even in sec-ondary school.” There are fewerexperiments in science and cre-ative areas, such as art, are under-explored, prompting Sebastian topursue his photography hobbyelsewhere.

Contact with other parents islimited – there is less of a cultureof chattering at the school gate:“That’s something I felt wasquite sad. There was a strongcommunity with the parents andhere I feel it’s very much just col-lect the kids and go.”

However, there are regularparent-teacher evenings everyterm and she says parents arestrongly encouraged to have arole in their children’s educationand check they are not slipping.She is also impressed with thenumber of tests pupils are given– one or two every week – andthe ability to check the marksonline.

The Connexion newspaper publishes a helpguide to education in France, coveringthe whole system from maternelle to university and the grandes écoles plus continuing education for adults. School meals and transport and assurance scolaire (school insurance) are among other topics discussed.

Education in France helpguide – new this year

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

Lycée studies are towards the baccalauréat, necessary for university entry and many careersPhoto: lightpoet - Fotolia.com

Lessons learnt from havingthree boys in French school

Natalie and Mike Strange with sons Sebastian, Toby and Rufus

“We live in the UK and my daughter decided shewanted to go on a University exchange in France

for a special program. A friend ofmine suggested I try an FXcompany to pay her tuition andsend her money and I was pleasantly surprised when I did. Iusually use my bank because I thought it

was easier but this way I can transfermoney into my daughter's account equally

quickly and save money in the process.M. Barnes

NG FEATURE

14 Leisure Time Languedoc Pages August 2012

Sponsored byI will be at the Mirepoix Night Markets

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Easy Intermediate Difficult

The France quiz

French-themed crossword by John Foley

by Paul Masters

IF YOU go into a boulangerie and ask for abaguette, you would know exactly what toexpect – one of those wonderful long, Frenchloaves that are known the world over.

But less than a couple of hundred yearsago, when Napoleon’s armies were rampag-ing through Europe, from Spain to Egyptand northwards to Russia, a baguette meantsomething quite different. It was the ramrodused to pack the charge into a musket, readyfor firing in battle. It also doubled as a canefor whipping unfortunate soldiers, who werepunished by running the gauntlet betweentwo lines of infantry-men. Recalcitrant sol-diers carried the scars of such beatings untiltheir dying day.

So when did the military ramrod changeinto a harmless and delicious loaf of bread?It must have had something to do withadvances in military technology, whichmade the muzzle-loaded musket redundantin the face of the carbine, the rifle and the

machine-gun.However it had more to do with a change

in the law. In October 1920 the French gov-ernment passed a law which prevented bak-ers from starting work before 4.00, no longerleaving them enough time to prepare thestandard round loaf, called a boule, in timefor breakfast. The slender baguette solvedthe problem because it could be preparedand baked much more rapidly.

Nor is the baguette even a French inven-tion, unfortunately. Like so much else in thebaker’s window, from the croissant to thepain au chocolat, the baguette first made itsappearance in Austria, which is why so manysuch delicacies are still referred to asviennoiseries.

At least the baker’s shop itself still retainsthe original French name of boulangerie,even if it does now produce far more thanjust the traditional round loaf, or boule,which gave it its name.

Across2. In French as in English, sport for two teams ofseven swimmers (5-4)8. Franc portion (7)9. Organ of the body, le siège des émotions etsentiments (5)10. Wise shrub whose aromatic leaves are usedfor seasoning (4)11. Prospero’s daughter in Shakespeare’s TheTempest (7)13. Spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia other-wise known as Aix-la-Chapelle (6)15. Octogenarian Vichy France chief of state (6)18. Useful outil for stargazing in France (7)20. Long dress for formal occasions (4)23. A legal right (5)24. Monmartre-born artist Maurice _______,who specialised in cityscapes (7)25. Gas providing a very hot flame discovered byEdmund Davy, then rediscovered and named byFrench chemist Marcellin Berthelot (9)

Most answers are in French, with theexceptions of Across: 11 and 20and Down: 2, 4, 6, 17 and 5/21.

Answers can be found at the bottom of page

Down1. French Mediterranean city named after theGreek goddess of victory (4)2. Eponymous fish in 1988 film starring JohnCleese and Kevin Kline (5)3 and 22. Fabric with a repeated pattern, often ofa pastoral scene (5,2,4)4. City in Champagne-Ardennes region whichwas the traditional scene of the coronation of thekings of France (English spelling, with an H) (6)5 and 21. Irish playwright and poet buried in theCimetière du Père-Lachaise in Paris (5,5)6. Geographical area encompassing islands andseas in the Pacific (7)7. “Of all the crosses I have to bear,” saidChurchill of his relationship with de Gaulle, “theheaviest is the Cross of ________” (8)12. Singer Johnny who co-starred with JeanRochefort in L'homme du train (8)14. Marseilles-born former Manchester Unitedstar Eric _______ (7)16. Fencing term adopted from French (2,5)17. “In all labour there is profit: but the talk of thelips tendeth only to ______”, Proverbs 14:23 (6)19. Qualification honorifique given to a person (5)21. See 522. See 3

1 WHICH celebritycouple, who had a homein Plan-de-la-Tour (Var)have split up after 14years together?

2 WHO said theywould “roll out the redcarpet” to wealthyFrench people and busi-nesses put off by hightax rates in France?

3 WHICH town in theCorrèze is putting ontours allowing visitors to"follow in the footsteps of François

Hollande"?

4 THE WORLDof French sportpaid tribute toThierry Rolandrecently, whodied at the age of76. For what jobwas he famous?

5 LONDON is hosting thissummer’s Olympics. Whichcity came second in thebidding process?

6 FRANCE’S youngestMP, aged 22, belongs towhich famous family ofpoliticians?

7 WHICH travel operatorhas bought ferries from col-lapsed firm SeaFrance andis returning them to regularservice on the Channel?

CROSSWORDANSWERS.Across: 2 water-polo; 8 centime; 9 coeur; 10 sage; 11 Miranda; 13 Aachen; 15 Pétain; 18 lunette; 20 gown; 23 droit; 24 Utrillo; 25 acétylèneDown: 1 Nice; 2 Wanda; 3&22 toile de Jouy; 4 Rheims; 5&21 Oscar Wilde; 6 Oceania; 7 Lorraine; 12 Hallyday; 14 Cantona; 16 en garde; 17 penury; 19 titre (or title)FRANCEQUIZANSWERS: 1 Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis; 2 David Cameron; 3 Tulle; 4 TV football commentator; 5 Paris; 6 Le Pen; 7 Eurotunnel

Sudoku

What’s in a word?

baguette

Photo: Dave H

amster/Flickr

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Photo: lubashi - Fotolia.com

Food and Pets 15Languedoc Pages August 2012

Time to ramp up the flea prevention

SCRATCHING is generally the firstsign that your pet is infested withfleas. Use Betadine to clean anysmall bites, cuts or sore patches onyour pet’s skin. Bites on humanstend to come in little rows of threesmall, flat, incredibly itchy red spots.

Check for fleas around the eyesand ears of your pet and underneaththe tail. If your pet has dark fur, usea flea comb to search for what lookslike fine black grit but which is infact, flea droppings.

If your pet is clear, then your pre-vention plan is working and shouldbe continued. If not, you need toramp up the action. The best knownand most effective treatment on themarket is probably Frontline, a smalltube of liquid which you buy from

the pharmacy and apply to the napeof your pet’s neck.

If it does not seem to be working,try applying half to the nape of theneck and half between the shoulderblades, and increase frequency totwo rather than three weeks. If yourpet is allergic to Frontline, tryStronghold which is more expensivebut better tolerated by animals withsensitive skins.

These treatments take two to threedays to work and in the meantime,flea powder can be a useful instanttreatment, but wear an overall and

apply it outside well away from thehouse, or the fleas will simply jumpoff your pet on to the sofa and livethere until they can move backhome at a later date.

Insecticide shampoos are instantlyeffective on dogs but only last untilthe dog meets a new flea. Collars arevital and effective against the sand

flies which carry leichmaniose butalone will not protect against fleas.

If despite all this, your pets stillhave fleas and humans in the house-hold are also being bitten, it is possi-ble that your furnishings and car-pets are harbouring a reservoir ofthem which is constantly re-infest-ing your pets. Remove loose covers

from sofas and armchairs and checkthe seams for flea eggs. They willlook like fluff but be harder to pullaway from the stitching.

If you are not sure, get all loosecovers, cushion covers and othersoft furnishings dry cleaned or putthem through the washing machineat 60°C. Then sprinkle specialisedinsecticide powder (from the petsection of DIY shops) over your car-pets and furniture, paying attentionto the sides of the arms and the divi-sions between the backs and basesof sofas where fleas could hide.

Leave the powder for a day andthen go to war with your vacuum.You will need a flattened furnitureattachment to get into all recesses.Vacuum all curtains, carpets (onboth sides) and furniture (insideand out, underneath and round theback) and when you have finished,take the vacuum outside and changethe bag immediately. Throw itstraight into the dustbin.

Chickens are commonly infestedwith fleas, so try to keep cats anddogs away from chicken runs and ifyou or your children handle chick-ens, wash your hands afterwards.

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August is prime time forfleas, so treatment andprevention shouldcontinue at full strengthuntil at least the endof November, saysSAMANTHA DAVID

Fresh tunafor a lightsummer’slunchtimeFreshly caught from the Mediterranean andAtlantic coasts, tuna is in plentiful supply at markets – and there is much more to it than justan ingredient in a traditional salade niçoise

Prepare the balsamiccaramel by combining thebalsamic vinegar and castersugar together in a saucepan.

Bring to a simmer over amoderate heat. Continue tosimmer until it has reducedby half and thickened.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C (gasmark 6).

Arrange the peppers and springonions in a roasting tray.

Season and drizzle over half of theextra-virgin olive oil.

Roast for 10-15 minutes until soft.Remove from the oven and pour

over the rest of the olive oil.

Cover and leave to cool to roomtemperature.

Rub the tuna steaks with the ground-nut oil and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a cast iron frying pan over ahigh heat until hot.

Sear the tuna steaks for 1-2 minuteson all sides, then transfer to the oven tofinish cooking for 4-6 minutes.

Transfer the peppers and springonion to the oven at the same time asthe tuna steaks go in to reheat.

Reheat the balsamic caramel at thesame time over a low heat.

Spoon the peppers and spring onionson to serving plates.

Top with the tuna steaks and spoonthe balsamic caramel on top.

Medium-cooked tuna, peppersconfit and balsamic caramelINGREDIENTS

Serves: 4Preparation: 20 minutesCooking: 25-30 minutes

50ml groundnut oil(huile d’arachide)4 fresh tuna steaks

For the peppers confit:80ml extra-virgin olive oil2 yellow peppers,de-seeded and chopped2 red peppers, de-seededand choppeda few spring onionssalt and pepper

For the balsamic caramel:200ml balsamic vinegar30g caster sugar

FORGET the tins from theSeychelles available all yearround – this time of year isideal for buying freshlycaught tuna steaks in France.

Market traders sell tunafrom the Gulf of Gascony orthe Mediterranean from Juneuntil November and mostcommonly thon blanc, withits light pink flesh

Other varieties exist, mostnotably thon rouge or bluefintuna which is very popularfor sushi and has been thesubject of much controversy.

Bluefin tuna is an endan-gered species and has beenover-fished in recent years –prompting protests fromGreenpeace including a 2006blockade of Marseille port.France banned bluefin tunafishing very early this seasonwhen quotas were reached.

There is also tuna albacore,which has a yellowy appear-

ance and is fished all yearround in tropical waters,mainly for canned products.

Like salmon, tuna is rich inomega 3 (which is good forthe cardio-vascular system)and contains vitamin B3,which helps the nervoussystem.

Serving possibilities areendless: whether grilled orpan-fried with vegetables,baked in a gratin or lasagnewith some spinach and ricot-ta, shaped into balls withpasta and a tomato sauce, orof course the traditionalsalade niçoise and the sand-wich equivalent, pain bagnat,with olive oil, olives, eggs andanchovies.

Alternatively, pick up somebrightly coloured peppersfrom your garden or the mar-ket, and a chilled white or roséwine, and try this recipe for alight al-fresco lunch or dinner.

METHOD

Photo: Radvaner/Photocuisine

CUT OUT & KEEP!

Insecticide shampoos are instantly effective, but not long-lasting

Photo: TheSupe87 - Fotolia.com

Pet Care

16 Directory Languedoc Pages August 2012

P.O.INTERIORSRENOVATION - KITCHENS, BATHROOMS,

TOTAL RENOVATION AND CARPENTRY,DECKING, TERRACES AND MUCH MORE

Tel. 06 72 42 07 04DEPT 66

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Ward BuildingServices

Renovation to DecorationExtensions, Kitchens,

Bathrooms, tiling, stonework,Patios, terraces. Free estimates

Tel: Mike 04 68 24 45 05 / 06 33 28 48 72Email: frbuilder@yahoo.com

Siret: 50400085200013

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Tel: 04 67 25 29 38 - Mob: 06 73 17 02 73Email: boltholefrance@mail.com or jules@artisanfr.com

Web: www.artisanfr.com or www.boltholefrance.com

hussellbuilding.comRoofing, Scaffolding

Heavy Structural BuildingDept 66 / 11

04 68 98 03 24

Paul HockingsSATISFYING CUSTOMER NEEDS

in Joinery and Building works since 1980.MIni Digger available.

Tel +33 (0) 4 68 77 05 96Email: paulhockings57@gmail.com

Siret: 51271440300015

Pete's RoofingCovering the Gard

All types of roofs renewed / repaired

Velux roof windows - Guttering

04 66 72 75 84peter.bober@dbmail.com

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Tel: 06 37 64 40 58Email: colm.mcgowran@wanadoo.fr

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Project ManagementRegistered Insured New Builds,

Renovation Building Permits AuthorisationInsurance claims Negotiation & Support

Sam Stokes - 06 14 38 10 29sam.stokes@wanadoo.fr

ARCHITECTUK Architect, Design, Dossiers for Planning

Applications and Project Management.Based in the Aude and Herault.

Tel 04 67 89 57 64gregoryjacquie@googlemail.com

VILLASOPHIEYour architect in Languedoc RoussillonDesign permits and plans for new builds and renovations

04 68 20 04 31info@villasophie.euwww.villasophie.eu

ARCHITECTE SUDBi-lingual architect SW France:

feasibility studies, ecological design,renovation, planning, project management.

Tel: 05 63 56 39 11 Email: info@architectesud.frWeb: www.architectesud.fr

SIRET N°: 41976643100011

PETER JOHNSON SARLBusiness & Financial Services

French taxation specialists (25 years experience)

Mobile: 06 21 04 89 37Office: 04 93 29 34 32

Email: peterjohnson@wanadoo.frSiret n° 479 554 784 RCS Grasse

Boutique cat and dog hotelHome from Home

3km from Beziers.English: John 04 67 36 63 38French: Ian 06 81 16 39 30John4pawsbeziers@aol.com

www.4pawsbeziers.com

Le Palais des ChatsExclusive hotel for cats

35 minutes from PerpignanCollection/delivery available

Carol and Stuart Metcalfe04 68 96 40 80

Email: stuinfrance@aol.comWebsite: lepalaisdeschats.com

Find registered tradespeople quickly and easily

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

By advertising in our directory you get the chance to run adverto-rials (the articles you see on these pages). We are currently offeringthese at a two for one price, so two x 1/4 page advertorials, maxi-mum 400 words plus photo, costs just €200HT. A minimum twomonth break between publishing applies and the second advertorialis a repeat of the first. If you wish to change the second there is a€25 fee together with a €15 fee if you want us to provide a photo.

We will keep you up to date with features and special events inyour area of France in all our publications which could help to boostyour business.

We include the text from your advertisement in our online direc-tory for no extra charge.

Want to advertise in our national paper The Connexion or sisterpapers in other regions? Call our sales team for more information.

Advertise here AALLLL YYEEAARR from just €€7755HHTT

Call free on 0800 91 77 56 or email directory@connexionfrance.com

LANGUEDOC DIRECTORY

ADVERTISING FEATURE

WITH over 26 years of experience in therenovation and construction industry,professional carpenter James Gordon Roe,of Aude Artisans, has all the know-howrequired to manage a building projectfrom the start through to completion.

Having worked in the Aude region for adecade, James has experience renovating avariety of structures, including listedbuildings in the medieval city ofCarcassonne. He has completed work forpeople who live in the region, as well asthose who own a second home in Aude

but live elsewhere. “We offer a full range of home improve-

ment, building and maintenance services,”said James. “We understand that havingbuilding work on a property can make fora stressful time, especially if the ownerdoesn’t speak the language or if it’s a secondary home, so we handle the whole process.”

Aude Artisans offers a wide range ofservices, including plastering and tiling,bathroom and kitchen design and installa-tion, joinery, electrical work, floor laying,

parquet floor, shop fitting and landscapegardening.

“By sourcing all materials and offeringweekly emails with photos that keep owners up-to-date, we try to make theprocess as stress free for clients as possible,” said James.

His personal expertise, however, doesnot stop at property exteriors - AudeArtisans can also help clients inside thehome. As a professional carpenter, James

can create a wide range of items for anyroom in the house.

“We manufacture shutter doors, garagedoors, stairs, windows and bookcases toclients’ specifications,” said James.

In addition, James and the team alsooffer a maintenance service, using theirexpertise to solve the problems homeown-ers are sometimes unsure of how to fix.

“Properties are always in need ofupkeep, so whether the job is to eliminaterot in the railings, or there is a door thatneeds hanging, we can do the work andsource all the materials where necessary,”added James.

For more information, or to discuss anybuilding and carpentry needs, call oremail James who will provide advice and avery competitive quote.

09 66 42 50 1006 19 95 87 50james.gordon-roe@orange.comwww.audeartisans.com Professional building work in Aude

Professional building and renovations in AudeWith a satisfied network of clients throughout the Aude andthe Languedoc-Roussillon region, Aude Artisans are happyto complete any renovation, construction or building work inthe area, says James Gordon Roe

“We offer a full range of homeimprovement, building andmaintenance services

Directory 17Languedoc Pages August 2012

To advertise here callfreephone in

France 0800 91 77 56 / fromUK 0844 256 9881 (4p/min)

ALPACA WOOLand KNITWEAR

Knitting Yarns, Accessories,Fleeces For Spinning

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Prescription Eyewearwww.spex4less.com

KeysittingProperty Services

We look after your home in your absenceProviding an extensive range of services

for your complete peace of mind

Project Managementof any works, repairs, renovations,

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UZESwww.keysitting.fr

contact@keysitting.fr00 33 (0) 6 78 47 37 58

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HHoolliiddaayy VViillllaa RReennttaalliinn tthhee LLaanngguueeddoocc &&

PPrroovveenncceeWe offer a friendly and personal

touch service through our in-depth knowledge of all properties and

local areas. Property ManagementServices available.

Tel: 04 67 49 17 94Email: info@southfranceholidayvillas.co.uk

www.southfranceholidayvillas.co.uk

Smithy’s FerronnerieMetalwork & Welding - GatesBalconies Handrails - Fences

Staircases - PergolasAnything You Want!

www.smithysferronerie.com04 68 94 28 64 or 06 73 95 92 57

smithysferronnerie@hotmail.comSiret No: 497 605 550 00019

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Les JoursHeureux 66For all things Property

in Dept 66!Property Sales

Management & Holiday RentalsAll year round maintenance service

Visit the website:www.lesjoursheureux66.com

and contact me:Ruby Laura Goold 06 38 73 15 62

Digi TV SolutionsInstallation of UK and French TV,

and broadband via satellite. We also install home cinema and

surround sound systems. Specialist in gites and hotel

multipoint systems.

Tel: 04 68 27 10 51 www.digitvsolutions.com

Siret: 503480675 00019

BBC-ITV-SkyFor all your UK Tv and Radio

solutionsSkydigi - based in Languedoc04 68 87 18 30 www.skydigi.tv

Ad No. 19225

ANGIE NETTOYAGEDomestic and Commercial CleaningYou'll be swept away by our service!

Call Angie

06 34 64 22 70 or 04 34 10 29 06email: angie1167@hotmail.com

FAB PropertyManagement

Efficient, Reliable Changeover andMaintenance Service

Visit our websitewww.franceandbeyond.co.uk

Contact Adele / Iain Tel: 06 43 54 46 91email: info@franceandbeyond.co.uk

Save up to 25 %on Septic Tank installationFor all drainage problems call James Southern

Tel: 04 68 32 06 17Email: james.southern@wanadoo.fr

Drain ClearInterior & Exterior Drain Clearance

Camera inspection & high pressure jettingCovering (66)

www.msbpropertyservices.comMob: 06 43 22 86 15 - Tel: 04 68 51 80 46

mark@msbpropertyservices.comSiret: 479 317 620 00025

ColombiersProperty ServicesProfessional Property & Pool Management inHerault. Handyman Services also available.

10yrs experience - Siret reg.Tel: 04 67 89 36 98

Mob: 06 73 96 84 87Colombierspropertyservices@neuf.fr

AUDE & HERAULTNeed someone to help with

property maintenance problems,home improvements, renovations,

Exteriors, Gardens & Pools.Contact Anthony Main 0033 (0)468 783 696

email: anthonymain.fr@gmail.comwww.midibuilder.com Siret 4846 8735 500012

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Psychotherapy& Art Therapy

Explore yourselfDebra Rogers 06 31 23 33 43

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French Health System

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DDIICCKK FFOOWWLLEERR CCOONNSSTTRRUUCCTTIIOONNPool design and build

Also other house renovation andconstruction works

fowlerbatiment@gmail.comPhone: 06 70 91 12 17

Ad No. 18691

The Spectrum IFA GroupRegulated, qualified and

experienced advisers providing independent

financial advice.Investments, retirement,

inheritance planning,Insurance, mortgages.

Mail: info@spectrum-ifa.comfor your nearest adviser.With care, you prosper.

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Email: contact@insurance.frRCS Auch B479 400 657 - Regions: All France

Justin Harrison, Central heatingEngineer/Plumber and David

Hodgskin, ElectricianFull renovations / repairs in Aude

justin.plumber@yahoo.fr 06 65 06 05 74www.justinharrison.net

cascade_paysagiste@yahoo.fr 06 33 38 87 38Ad No. 17780

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for individual & business clientsEmail: info@frenchpa.co.uk

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Call Clare on 0800 91 77 56 or email directory@connexionfrance.com

Languedoc Pages August 201218 DIY

DIY tips

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INFORMATION YOU CAN TRUST ON LIFE IN FRANCE

2012 Helpguide toHealthcare in France

The 2012 helpguide is now on sale for €7.50 for a downloadable or printed version (printed version does not include p&p)

Explains how France’s healthcare systemworks and gives a breakdown of the reim-bursement system covering doctors, dentists,opticians and mental health specialists.

Explains how to register with a GP and otherpractical information including pregnancy,cancer screening, disabilities and pharmacies.Especially written for Britons living in France.Published July 2, 2012

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

or 0844 256 9881 from UK (4p/min) to pay by credit card

€7.50ONLY

Excluding P&P

Sponsored byPROFESSIONAL

BUILDERS

MAKING an outdoor kitchen can be fairly straightforward.First, decide where to locate it. Choose a flat space, not toofar from the water supply with no branches which couldoverhang a barbecue. An area of hard standing or concreteis useful but not essential. It simply depends on whetherstyle-wise you are aiming for Robinson Crusoe orSaint-Tropez.

Installing a kitchen sink is easy, especially if you alreadyhave a water supply or, at least, a rainwater butt in yourgarden. Cheap, second-hand stainless-steel sink tops areeasy to find at places like Emmaüs (find a local one onlineat pagesjaunes.fr) and very often come with the taps stillattached.

Once you have got one, you need to build a support for it;out of bricks and mortar if you want it to last but there isno reason why it should not sit on two dry stone end wallsor even two trestles if it is only designed to be there for thesummer and you do not mind it being a bit rickety. Staketrestles for extra stability using washing line and tent pegs.Otherwise cut a hole in an old table and sit your sink topinto that.

You will then need to cap off the hot water supply and riga hosepipe to supply the cold tap. For the outflow, thinkabout your garden and either run the used water into anirrigation system or a water butt for later use. Supply a sinkplug to prevent water being wasted and tie it to the tap so itdoes not get lost.

If hot water seems like a must, investigate the systemssold in camping shops. They are inexpensive and essential-ly consist of a plastic bag of water which you hang up inthe sun each morning so that it is hot by the end of the day.

Once you get this far, it is not complicated to add a worksurface and if you want to keep it clean, tiles might be agood idea but make sure they are safe to be frozen; normaldecorating tiles for indoor use will crack at the first frost. Avery slight slope forwards will help prevent puddles ofrainwater forming and make your tiles last longer.

Installing a barbecue can also be as complex or simple asyou chose. At its most basic, it could be a hollow in theground surrounded by large stones, but of course the mostfun project is to build the base from bricks and mortar,topping it off with a fireproof slab and adding a work topto one side.

When installing firebricks, remember to use fireproofcement as well. You can also buy fireproof sealing mastic.The barbecues you buy from DIY stores including a chim-ney may need planning permission and even if they do not,in the interest of world peace it may be a good idea to con-sult your neighbours before building one right beside aboundary fence.

Outdoor kitchens:more than a BBQ

Sinks and work surfaces can be easily set up outside

Photo: Tomm

aso Lizzul - Fotolia.com

Home and Garden 19Languedoc Pages August 2012

Sponsored by

GardeningFacts

How does yourgarden grow?

Water restrictions can make August a difficult month

AUGUST is traditionally the month for gardeners to relaxand make the most of their labours. The things-to-do listis short and light, mainly consisting of keeping an eye oneverything. For many gardeners this summer however,August is a battle to keep the garden watered in the face ofhosepipe restrictions and, in some areas, a total ban onwatering flower gardens at all.

Those gardeners with their own water source are to beenvied but most bans do not include watering cans, andthere is no reason not to use “grey” water (waste waterwhich does not contain sewage) in the garden.

At its most simple this can mean throwing the washingup water out of the window, but some dedicated gardenersalso recuperate water from baths using a siphon. Collectingwater from a washing machine is often the easiest however;the outflow hose is often simply hooked over the outflowpipe and can easily be attached to a hosepipe.

Set up water butts in case it does rain. Leave the lawnslightly longer than normal to conserve water, but do notworry if it goes brown. It will turn green again the firsttime it rains.

Put potted plants into half-shade where they will be ableto conserve more moisture, and do not forget to mulcheverything if you have not already done it.

Melons and courgettes should be cropping nicely now, asshould beans and tomatoes. Either swap or freeze theexcess. Skinned and chopped frozen tomatoes are great insoups, pasta sauces and stews all year round. Look out fora recipe for deep-fried courgette flowers. Remember thatcubes of vegetables pushed onto a skewer and brushed inolive oil cook very nicely on the barbecue.

To keep the crops coming, hoe up weeds regularly. If wateris restricted, it is better to give them a good soaking everyother day than a light watering daily, which encourages rootsto stay close to the surface.

Vegetables that can be sown this month include spring andChinese cabbage, chicory, winter lettuce, spinach andturnips. You can also start choosing bulbs to plant in theautumn for spring flowering.

To keep flowers going, dead head regularly and feedweekly. Make sure tall plants are tied up in case of a sum-mer thunderstorm. Check roses for pests and spray at thefirst sign of any infestation.

Now is also a good time for some garden planning fornext year. Choose bulbs for autumn planting, read throughseed catalogues, and take some photographs for your gar-den diary – the successes as well as the failures. You mighteven sketch out a seeding plan for the spring (rotating isessential in a vegetable garden). Plan excursions to gardencentres, famous gardens and parks for inspiration.

Photo: Anatoliy Samara - Fotolia.com

IN THE midst of the hottestsummer month, thoughtsturn to staying cool andcomfortable.

Traditional systems such asceiling fans can be bought atlarge homeware stores such asLeroy Merlin, Mr Bricolageand Castorama. Prices canvary widely, but tend to bebetween €50 and €150,depending on size.

Although less popular inFrance than in the US, youcan choose to install air con-ditioning (climatisation).There is a wide range of unitsto choose from, and those fit-ted with a heat pump can alsohelp with heating in winter.

You can choose between aclimatiseur monobloc which ishung on a wall or window, ora “split” one which is move-able. The attached units aremore expensive but are gener-ally more powerful. However,they should only be used inrooms or studios smaller than30m2. For the “split” option,one of the units is placed out-side on a wall or patio, andthe other unit is inside.

Air conditioning costsbetween €300 and €5,000depending on the number ofunits you have and how pow-erful they are. When buying anew air conditioner, be sureto check it for size and noise.

If you have an old centralair conditioner, you mightwant to look at replacing theoutdoor compressor with ahigh-efficiency unit. Once inplace, maintain your air con-ditioner so that it works aswell as it can – this includescleaning the filter everymonth it is in use, as dust canreduce air flow.

Ducted air is anothermethod of air conditioning,although it can be moreexpensive. It consists of a sin-gle compressor and evapora-

tor which then circulate fil-tered air.

As for keeping cool outside,parasols and awnings can cre-ate much-needed shade. Sailshades from Australia are alsobecoming more popular inFrance.

Supplier Colin Lawrence,from Shade Sails France says:“Of the European countriesthat we supply, France is

probably the fastest growing.“We attribute this to the

need for shade – French peo-ple like to live outdoors in thesummer and the sun is veryhot – and also the French eyefor style.”

The shades are made of sailcloth, and come in triangularor square designs. MrLawrence adds: “The materialis permeable and allows hot

air to escape from under thefabric, unlike traditionalshade materials constructedfrom canvas, which tend totrap the heat.”

The shades provide UV pro-tection of over 92%: “They canbe used to provide a tempo-rary solution and just put upwhen the sun shines – simplyby tying the corners to a build-ing or tree. However, mostinstallations are semi-perma-nent – the sail only beingtaken down in the winter.”

When not in use, the sailscan be folded and dry stored.Prices range from €120 for a3.6m triangle to €255 for a5m square, and they come ingrey, sand and porcelain.

Meanwhile, if you want toextend the summer for as longas possible, outdoor heatingcan help you to make the mostof your garden, and there is achoice of patio heaters such asparasol, hanging and gazeboheaters, and free-standingelectric heaters. They range inprice from €119 to €459, andcan be bought from largehomeware stores.

Tips to beat the heat

“French people like to live outdoors inthe summer and the sun is very hot.The French also have an eye for style[when choosing a shade for the patio]Colin LawrenceShade Sails France (www.shadesailsfrance.com)

Whether you are indoors or outside, thereare many options available to you to helpcool down in the height of summer.REBECCA LAWN explains more

Shade sails are an increasingly popular option and are great at letting heat escape and keeping the sun’s rays out

Photo: Eric Marquez/Flickr

Air conditioning units attached to a wall or window are suitable for rooms under 30m2

Photo: Cyril Comtat - Fotolia.com

20 Property Languedoc Pages August 2012

Buying or selling a property? We can help.

Our website www.connexionfrance.com carries details ofmore than 14,000 homes for sale across France.

We also feature properties for sale in this dedicated sectionof the paper each month. To find out more about any particular property, go to www.connexionfrance.com andenter the ref: code shown under the property.

For sellers, the adverts are also displayed across a range ofpopular 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 onlineadvertising as well as a print advert in three editions of TheLanguedoc Pages. Our 6+6 package is best value at€330TTC and provides the same, but for six months viaeach channel.

Contact us on 0800 91 77 56 (freephone in France)or email sales@connexionfrance.com

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 LANGUEDOC

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 sales@connexionfrance.com

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.comSimply enter the code under each home to find out more

REF: 110154035

€€178,000

ENERGY RATING = D & B

Secteur MarseilletteCharming and renovated threebedroom village house includes aliving room, fitted kitchen, show-er room, summer kitchen, veran-da, terrace and garage.

REF: 10765-TNTLA87000E

€€87,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

HéraultIn a hamlet at 5 minutes fromLamalou les Bains, nice buildingplot, gently sloping, of 1450 m2

with dominating position andviews.

REF: FP-25574LHS11

€€136,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

GinestasA pretty two bedroom house sit-uated in a very quiet location.

REF: LAR-691

€€120,000

ENERGY RATING = D & C

Couiza, AudeThis beautifully four bedroomrestored, south facing, townhouse over 4 floors consist ofnew kitchen, new bathroom, asummer kitchen, a dining room,terrace and courtyard.

REF: 700032

€€72,050

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Near EspérazaThese two adjoined village hous-es are located in the centre ofChalabre. In need of renovationoffer the opportunity to createtwo holiday homes or a familyhome with rental house attached.

REF: 2193

€€142,000

ENERGY RATING = D & E

QuillanThree bedroom house detachedhouse in good order withmature garden 760m2. Includessitting room, dining room, fittedkitchen, large bathroom, terraceand separate garage.

REF: 110153659

€€163,000

ENERGY RATING = E & E

Secteur MarseilletteBeautiful four bedroom houseincludes opened kitchen on theliving / dining room, two bath-rooms, separate toilet, garden ,garage and workshop.

REF: JPB810

€€220,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Bize Minervois areaSingle storey, four bedroomedhouse comprises living room,kitchen area, sitting room, bath-room, dressing room and showerroom and garden.

REF: 110154541

€€243,000

ENERGY RATING = G & D

Secteur TrebesFormer school built in the 1930now a five bedroom house needsmoderation set on 822m2 ofland.

REF: 110152502

€€260,000

ENERGY RATING = C & B

Secteur TrebesFive bedroom Semi détachedhouse includes two lounges, USkitchen, two bathrooms, two wcand swimming pool.

REF: IFPC22011

€€275,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

HéraultLa Farigoulette is a three bed-roomed, south facing stonehouse consists of living, diningarea, bathroom, shower room,separate WC, two terraces andswimming pool.

REF: 10765-CA341000E

€€286,000

ENERGY RATING = C

HéraultStone wine barn converted to avery charming spacious fourbedroom home with 700 m2 ofvery easy maintenance landlargely stone paved.

REF: MLP262

€€295,000

ENERGY RATING = D & C

Near BéziersGood size ground floor fourbedroom villa set on 1052m² ofland.

REF: 3477V

€€300,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

AnduzeThree bedroom house includeskitchen, living room, threeshowers, two toilets, terrace andoutbuildings.

REF: 17749

€€312,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

St-Andre-de-Roquepertuis,GardThis old three bedroom farm-house which has been in thesame family for generations hasa great ambiance.

REF: DH634

€€352,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

MillasThis beautiful four bedroomvilla includes living, dining,kitchen, two bathrooms, twoconservatories, terrace, garage,workshop and swimming pool.

REF: 38313

€€374,000Saint-GervaisFour bedroom house set on4930m2 of land with two inde-pendent studios and two swim-ming pool.

REF: VH621

€€383,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Pyrénées-OrientalesThree bedroom village houseconsists includes lounge, study,kitchen, dining area, showerroom, garage, workshop andoutbuildings.

REF: 340631326

€€441,000

ENERGY RATING = B & C

PierrerueBeautiful three bedroomdesigned villa with swimmingpool.

REF: 10765-PN450000E

€€450,000

ENERGY RATING = C

AudeElegant Maison de Maitre,entirely renovated comprisesseven bedrooms, three bath-rooms, large garage, two out-buildings and large garden on aprivate plot of 1050 m2.

ENERGY RATING = Not givenREF: IFPC22318

€€335,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Perpignan, LanguedocThis four bedroom houseTucked away in the centre ofPerpignan includes a secludedgarden and garage.

Business and Legal 21Languedoc Pages August 2012

ANNETTE MORRIS has lived in Languedoc for over four years.She works as a freelance internet marketing consultant and website developer, helping businesses optimise their online presence. Annetteco-runs www.LaFranglaise.com and the Languedoc group of the SurviveFrance network. Last year she started Languedoc Jelly, designed to promote the co-working concept to expats and English-speakers inFrance. In this regular column she shares her tips for the business community and would welcome readers’ questions and feedback.

THE SUBJECT of this articlewas prompted by a recentcase study involving a nation-al estate agency operating inFrance. Despite leavingphone messages, filling outonline enquiry forms, send-ing messages via Facebookand then Twitter, a cashbuyer hoping to settle inLanguedoc waited severalweeks for a response. Whenthe agency finally returnedthe call, they got the person’s

name wrong and were callingabout a house in theDordogne. Needless to saythe buyer has engaged anoth-er agent.

For those still hard at workin August, this could be thebusiest month of the year.Unfortunately, it is during thebusiest spells that we aremost likely to take our eye offthe PR ball. As most smallbusinesses are now jugglingemails and social media as

part of the marketing mix,oversights may be common –the good news is that theycan be easily rectified. The human factor

If emails are a standardmethod of communicationfor you, check (and re-check)the content before you hit thesend button. A timely wellwritten email can be incredi-bly effective. If you do sendan email with grammaticalerrors or incorrect pricing ordates, do not ignore it butaddress it straight away byresending an email identify-ing the issue upfront – it willsave you time in the long run.Adding a touch of humourcan often help. The spam scenario

You do not have much timeto spend on Facebook butyou felt you should set up anaccount for your businessbecause everyone else seemsto have one?

Spam activity on Facebookis high – thousands of busi-nesses beg for Likes andFriends. Other accounts maybe posting links on your pro-file and if you are too busy togo and delete them your busi-ness page could be filled withspam. Adjust your profile set-tings so that posts by othersare not visible on your time-line. You can also add yourown page terms notifyingpage visitors that all spamwill be deleted. Social media behaviour

Free social networking sitesare ideal for businesses with alimited marketing budget.

These technologies and plat-forms enable relationships todevelop – but once connec-tions are made everythingelse goes back to basic psy-chology and communication.

Twitter used the tagline“Join the Conversation” – soare you using Twitter to talkto or at your followers?Sharing interesting informa-tion is important, but gettinggenuine involvement is key tosocial media success. If youare too busy to managereplies and discussions, letpeople know by updatingyour profile temporarily. Youcan always change it back. Du u tlk lk ths on twttr?

Important messages cannotbe conveyed in a speedysocial media update of 140characters. Avoid text speak –it will not do your businessimage any favours. Still no answer?

If you are difficult to reach bytelephone revisit youranswering machine message.Can you personalise it?Consider updating it toinclude a link to your web-site, or an alternative number,or details of a special offer. Out of office auto-reply

This simple and efficient partof many email systems isreally worth considering ifyou know you will not havetime to reply to emails for afew days. Most emailaccounts such as Gmail offerthis facility for free and youcan tailor your reply so yourprospective clients do not feelignored.

Every business needs an understanding ofpublic relations and good communication.Here we look at some dos and don’ts

To contact Annette Morris, call 07 86 14 16 39

or email Solutions@LaFranglaise.com

http://mail.google.com www.prnewsonline.comwww.understandingmarketing.comwww.prdaily.com

Useful WebsitesCommunication:how do you fare?

Legal

THE NEW regulation, which allows expats to state in a willthat the law of their nationality applies to their whole estateis now “in force”, that it is on the EU law books, however inorder to give states time to adjust to the new rules, they willnot work in practice until summer 2015.

Having said this, there is nothing to stop you making aFrench will now, including a clause saying you want “UKlaw” to apply to your whole estate.

According to the Council of the European Union this isthe correct wording, as the UK is the member state asrecognised by the EU.

Which law out of English, Scottish or Northern Irish isappropriate would be decided when the succession is dealtwith, on the basis of rules set out in Article 28 of the regu-lation, which include a test relating to which country thedeceased had the closest connection.

There is nothing to stop you helping things along byspecifying that you were born in or spent much of your lifein a particular country; in your case, presumably, England.

The easiest way to make the choice of law is in a Frenchtestament olographe, which should be handwritten and doesnot need to be witnessed. It is however recommended totake professional legal advice to make sure your will is clearand corresponds to your wishes.

Generally English law is much freer than French asregards how much of your property you can leave towhom. Notably, French rules include fixed minimum por-tions for children, whereas in English law, subject to certainprovisos, you can leave your possessions to whoever youlike. English law does, however, allow a possibility that peo-ple who think they have been unfairly left without properprovision for maintenance, education or advancement inlife may take legal action to seek a share. This only appliesto dependents, not, for example, to adult children.

Should you die after summer 2015, the wording in yourFrench will would take effect.

For added peace of mind, if you wish to, you could add acodicil to the will after summer 2015, confirming the valid-ity of the dispositions in the will.

Britons in France will benefit because France has adoptedthe regulation – it applies because they are resident inFrance (as it can also apply to nationals of other countriesthat are not signatories to the agreement, even non-EUones). On the other hand, for example, French people wholive in the UK will be unable to opt for French law to applyto their whole estate.

Handwritten testament olographe states preference

My wife and I are pleased about the new EU inheritanceregulation that was passed allowing British couples wholive in France to make use of English law. However, Ihave heard we cannot make use of it until 2015 - is thattrue? Also, can you please clarify why it benefits Britonseven though the UK has opted out?

How do we useinheritance law?

Businesses todayare juggling email,phone calls andsocial media – donot take your eye offthe ball

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Photo: © Iurii Sokolov - Fotolia.com

WHY NOT SPONSOR & ADVERTISEYOUR BUSINESS HERE?

SPONSOR & ADVERTISEYOUR BUSINESS HEREFOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL0800 91 77 56 (FREE FROM FRANCE)

22 Property Languedoc Pages August 2012

PROPERTIES AROUND FRANCE

REF: BVI0004873

€€95,000

ENERGY RATING = F

Ribérac, DordogneFour bedroom Maison de Maitrecomprises two reception rooms,adjoining barn and garden ontwo levels. In need of renova-tion.

REF: MANTILLY128ONP

€€96,300

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Mantilly, NormandyThree bedroom detached stonehouse set of 1.72 acres lands

REF: FP-26630KR61

€€61,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Orne, NormandyLots of potential for this onebedroom stone cottage with pri-vate gardens and two storey barnattached.

REF: 45039

€€75,446

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Manche, NormandyThis charming two bedroomstone house is set in 0.22 acresof land with outbuildings and aspacious garden.

REF: FP-26406DH22

€€99,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Plouguenast, BrittanyThis pretty two bedroomdetached country home offersthe chance to have a fantasticholiday home.

REF: KERGLOFFB02EEJU

€€81,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Finistère, BrittanyTwo bedroom detached stonehouse with garden. In need ofmodernisation.

REF: 2883

€€96,500

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Côtes-d'Armor, BrittanyTwo bedroom house with greatpotential, garden, garage andoutbuilding.

REF: 47001

€€160,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Corgnac-sur-l'Isle, DordogneThis three bedroom in goodcondition set on 1400m2 of landconsist of bathroom, lounge withfireplace, fitted kitchen andgarage.

REF: 100561

€€112,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Near Saint-Cyprien, DordogneThis one bedroom house com-prises kitchen, living room,bathroom, large attic, cellar(36m2), courtyard and large gar-den.

REF: 300172

€€141,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Cenac et St Julien, DordogneThree bedroom charmingmedieval village has been taste-fully restored. Includes large liv-ing area with open kitchen, din-ing room, lounge with fireplace,shower room and attic.

REF: 200242

€€135,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Monpazier, DordogneWooden two bedroom housecomprises living room withopen plan kitchen, bathroom,WC, back kitchen, storeroom,garage and workshop on a plotof 2532m2.

REF: FP-26426SS24

€€101,200

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Nontron, DordogneThis lovely two bedroom littlehouse is an ideal holiday cottage.

REF: 10947-38441066

€€180,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Beaumont-du-Périgord,DordogneThis renovated two bedroomPerigordian stone house has aheated swimming pool and isjust 25 mins from Bergerac air-port.

REF: 200533

€€190,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Belvès, DordogneOld Perigourdine rural housecomprises three bedroom, , liv-ing room/dining room withopen plan kitchen and old chim-ney 42m2, terrace, large cellarand old bread furnace.

REF: 13568s

€€107,257

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Manche, NormandyTwo pretty little two bedroomhouses with charming gardens,wood store and workshop. Agreat opportunity to buy apeaceful holiday home hide-away!!

REF: 13817s

€€164,300

ENERGY RATING = E & C

Manche, NormandyBeautifully presented house seton an acre of land compriseskitchen/breakfast room, diningroom, lounge, and utility room.

REF: 10947-33846931

€€159,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Sommery, NormandyThis lovingly renovated threebedroom detached house andonly a 45 minute drive to theferry port at Dieppe.

REF: IFPC21441

€€150,000

ENERGY RATING = G & D

Eure, NormandyThis beautiful traditionalNormandy house is situated onthe edge of Brionne which hasexcellent facilities for both shop-ping and leisure

REF: BOUREY5120

€€185,500

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Bourey, NormandyThree bedroom detached stoneproperty set on 1.13 acres ofland. In need renovation.

REF: 700054

€€174,400

ENERGY RATING = E

Hambye, NormandyThree bedroom renovated beau-tiful property has a feature gran-ite fireplace which is offset bythe traditional Normandy open-beamed ceiling.

REF: 10947-38411933

€€190,800

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Heberville, NormandyThis attractive three bedroomNormandy-style house has alarge garden, two outbuildingsand is just a 45-minute drivefrom the ferry port at Dieppe.

REF: 3262

€€122,700

ENERGY RATING = E & F

Côtes-d'Armor, BrittanyThis two bedroom house hasapproximately two acres of land

REF: 278

€€171,720

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Seglien, BrittanyFour bedroom charming stonehouse has been renovated on 3levels. Includes lounge/livingroom, kitchen, laundry room,shower room, garage and gar-den.

REF: L10077

€€130,995

ENERGY RATING = E

Côtes-d'Armor,BrittanyTwo bedroom house well main-tained of about 820 sqm of land.Comprises dining area, livingroom, bathroom, garage andlaundry room, workshop

REF: FP-25745DH22

€€162,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Côtes-d'Armor, BrittanyThis stunning five bedroomdetached property arrange overthree floors.

REF: 200428

€€200,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Monpazier, DordogneThis beautiful four bedroomhouse includes hall, living/diningroom with chimney, kitchen,bathroom, two separate WC,garage, WC, utility room, kitchenand garden of 3100m2.

REF: 700269

€€200,000

ENERGY RATING = C

Les Forges, BrittanyThis three bedroom countryhouse has been totally renovatedto a very high standard. Consistsof two large reception rooms,kitchen, garden, pond andswimming pool.

REF: 39568

€€220,000

ENERGY RATING = D

Hautefort, DordogneThis two bedroom beautiful stoneperigourdinde with character isset in 690m2 of land. Comprises aliving room with fitted andequipped corner kitchen, showerroom and large basement.

REF: FP-25655JCF22

€€235,400

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Botlezan, BrittanyBeautifully restored three bed-room farmhouse is set ingrounds of around 4000m2.

REF: IFPC20915

€€237,500

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Seine-Maritime, NormandyFormer Monastery set in 12acres in a secluded valley, thissix bedroom Farmhouseincludes outbuildings.

Property and Finance 23Languedoc Pages August 2012

PROPERTIES AROUND FRANCE

FINANCEAnswered by

UK gain may betaxable in France

I am unsure about what income from the UK needs tobe declared in France. For example, do I need to declarethings that are tax-ffree in the UK, like premium bondwinnings and income from ISAs? Also if I have to declarethis income do I need to convert it in to euros?

THE SHORT answer is yes – UK premium bond winningsand the income and profits from ISAs, PEPs and TESSAsmay be exempt from UK tax but are taxable in France andtherefore need to be declared. So too do maturity proceedsfrom UK endowment policies and the withdrawals fromUK single premium life policies, both of which are exemptor at least tax-efficient in the UK.

In addition, income such as share dividends, bankaccount interest, interest from UK gilts and rental profitsfrom UK property also need to be declared, as do UK pen-sions, salaries and self-employed profits.

If such income is taxed at source, it is important to pro-vide evidence of this when submitting your French tax dec-laration as, providing France has a double taxation treatywith the source country, it is likely the tax already paid canbe set against the tax assessed in France and only the bal-ance becomes payable.

In the ongoing quest for increasing the French tax take,the spotlight has been shone on trusts and trust incomepaid to residents of France, and the fines and penaltiesapplying if not declared, as well as on undeclared non-French bank accounts, have been stepped up. Furthermore,the 25% Pension Commencement Lump Sum usually paidby UK pension schemes at retirement has been highlightedas a useful source of additional tax by the French, althoughquite how this is taxed and even how it should be declaredon French tax forms is still to be clarified.

Such income needs to be declared in euros and this meansincome arising in sterling or other currencies needs to beconverted accordingly. For one off sums, this is best done atthe rate of exchange applying when the income is received –clearly, if the income is paid into your French bank accountit will be converted on receipt. However, if the income is leftin your UK bank account, it will be necessary to obtain anappropriate exchange rate for the day in question.Alternatively, an official average exchange rate is publishedannually and this might be the simplest route for regularincome such as a pension. But it is worth doing the sums tosee which is beneficial as either method is usually acceptable.

For those new to France, it makes sense, particularly if youhave multiple sources of income, to ask for professionalhelp, perhaps at least for the first tax declaration you make,in order to ensure you present the information correctly andneither pay too much tax nor risk an investigation at somelater point which will be time-consuming and expensive.

Seek advice if you are unsure what you need to declare

Photo: © philippe D

evanne - Fotolia.com

REF: 300428

€€264,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Gourdon, DordogneFour bedroom bungalow with1970 m2 of land comprise fittedkitchen, lounge/dining-room,bathroom, en suite, utility room,terrace, garden, outbuilding andswimming-pool.

REF: IFPC21434

€€240,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Eure, NormandyThree bedrooms house withoriginal features includes ter-race, double garage, outbuildingsand garden.

REF: FP-26820JC29

€€288,900

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Finistère, BrittanyFive bedroom renovated housemakes a great family or holidayhome.

REF: BVI0007043

€€350,000

ENERGY RATING = C

Brantôme, DordogneSuperb traditional house andbarn conversion offers four bed-rooms, one with en suite bath-room, open plan kitchen/dining,sitting room, two further showerrooms, balcony and utility room.

REF: DOM1293

€€315,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Eure, NormandySpacious `colombage` six bed-room house comprises kitchen,two reception rooms, threebathrooms, two separate toiletsand garage.

REF: BNO-355

€€335,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Near Bagnoles-de-L’Orne,NormandyDetached 16th century 'Maisonde Maître' has been renovated.Includes four bedrooms,kitchen/dining room, livingroom and outbuildings.

REF: 2864

€€371,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Côtes-d'Armor, BrittanyThree bedroom Water Mill set on6.8 hectares of land.

REF: 700586

€€399,000

ENERGY RATING = D

Côtes-d'Armor, BrittanyThis impressive four bedroomcountry house with exposedbeams, two granite fireplacesand terracotta flooring this is ahouse full of charm and origi-nality.

REF: 300531

€€449,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Beynac, DordognePerigordian style three bedroomhouse set on 1842 m2 of land.Includes lounge/dining-room,kitchen, bathroom, en suite,shower room, terrace, summerkitchen and double-garage.

REF: DOM1419

€€518,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Bayeux, NormandyElegant 18th century five bed-room manor set on 2.5 hectaresof land. Consists of receptionrooms, three bath/showerrooms, two large outbuildings,barn, stables and garages.

Sponsored by

The on-going instability in global markets has causedexchange rates to fluctuate dramatically, which presents real problems for anyone who is moving money overseas, says Jeremy Cook of World First.

IT SEEMS strange to think that the debt crisis in Europehas only been going on for just over two years. For those ofus in the markets it feels like it has been dragging on a lotlonger. What started in Greece then leaked into Portugal,jumped to Ireland and then back to the Mediterranean tohit Italy and Spain.

Throughout the crisis it has been obvious to those of uson the outside that the Eurozone was never truly sustain-able without the political and fiscal union that comesalongside monetary policy unification. A scenario whichhas come a few steps closer to becoming a reality followingthe recent agreement on bank recapitalisation which washeralded as a 'breakthrough moment' at the end of June.

The on-going crisis has led to legitimate speculationabout countries leaving the Eurozone and even provokedconjecture that there will be a complete dissolution of thesingle currency - although there only a few who believethat this will be allowed to happen. Unsurprisingly, this hascaused a weakening of the euro, which has reached nearfour-year lows against the pound in the last few weeks.

If we look at the figures there is obviously an issue whichneeds to be taken seriously: On June 29, 2011 - £200,000would buy you €223,287. By June 29, 2012 - that same£200,000 would buy you €249,598.

Before this recent euro devaluation, UK bank accountholders moving money to Europe have been one of themost frustrated parties throughout the financial crisis as,despite the fears over the Eurozone, the euro has remainedrelatively overvalued versus the pound.

A recent poll of banks and brokers has expectations ofwhere GBP/EUR will be trading in 6 months' time from aslow as 1.11 to as high as 1.39. The truth is that nobodyreally has any idea what will happen. While there is theopportunity for a decent round of upside there is also thepossibility that these recent gains into the 1.20s may vanishbefore our eyes.

Either way, volatility in the currency markets is likely toremain a challenge for those managing overseas funds forthe foreseeable future. There is a significant amount of risksurrounding the Eurozone at the moment and trying topredict upcoming moves is becoming increasingly difficult.Some careful forward planning is certainly a wise movewhen it comes to managing your international payments.

No-one can reallypredict euro rates

Currency NotesJeremy Cook, chief economist at foreignexchange company, World First, talksabout the Euro and other currencies.

www.worldfirst.com+44 20 7801 1050

For more informationabout making international money transfers with World Firstvisit the website www.worldfirst.com or call +44 20 7801 1050

Exchange ratechanges pose aproblem

24 The Back Page Languedoc Pages August 2012

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IF you have ever wanted to fly likeBatman, a new indoor freefall centrein Lézignan-Corbière (Aude) couldmake your dreams come true.

FlyZone was dreamed up by a trioof ex-French army paratroopers,Vincent Van Laethem, GérardCapdevilla et José Da Conceicao, andopened its doors earlier this summer.The three men started it as a way ofextending the activity and introduc-ing the wind tunnel to France.

Promising excitement for people ofall ages, body flying is essentiallyindoor skydiving – you launch your-self into a wind tunnel and experi-ence freefalling in a controlled envi-ronment.

Mr Van Laethem says: “We openedat the beginning of May and we’vebeen busy most weekends, but qui-eter in the weekdays.” Over the firstyear, they are hoping to attract100,000 visitors of whom 25,000they hope will take a flight, and theysay they have already done 80,000beginners’ flights.

During the summer months, theyare hoping to attract holidaymakers.“It’s a new way of having fun,” hesays. “But it’s more than just a thrill.You are actually learning the tech-niques to practise a wonderful sport.

“As for the sensation, well, it feelsthe same as jumping out of a planebut it’s really safe so entire familiescan share the experience. They can’tactually fly in the wind tunnel at thesame time, but they’re very close toeach other, they can see each otherand all fly in the same session.

“So it’s a way of sharing a newexperience, which you can’t withskydiving because you’re alone, andapart from anything else, you haveto be over 15 [to skydive] so chil-dren can’t join in.” Not to mentionthe fact that the wind tunnel canfunction even when outside it is dark,raining or there are high winds.

Although the wind reaches speeds

of 270kph in the wind tunnel, MrVan Laethem insists that there isabsolutely no danger. “It’s complete-ly safe,” he says, “but it feels danger-ous. It’s definitely an adrenaline hit.”

They also provide facilities for pro-fessional skydivers training for theFrench and world championships:“Teams come for intense training. It’sphysically tiring when you’re not usedto it but once you are, you can fly forup to an hour a day.” Beginners onlyfly for a minute or so at a time.

The centre also, not surprisingly,has a good working relationshipwith the army. They train peoplefrom a skydiving school as well asparachute regiments.

Asked why he and his colleaguesdecided to build a wind tunnel, MrVan Laethem laughs: “Skydiving isaddictive, but in a tunnel it is evenmore so because it’s more technicaland detailed.

“We all still fly, less regularly ofcourse, but it’s still an addiction. Youadd the technique you can learn in atunnel with the adrenaline rushfrom doing it in the sky and it’s seri-ously fun.”

Freefall parachuting used to bedangerous 20 years ago, he says, andeven more so 40 years back, butwith modern technology and tech-niques, it is now “not as dangerousas diving with sharks”, he adds.

There is a huge history of para-chuting and aviation in France, butthe paperwork to get the centre upand running was tricky, not to men-tion getting the €5.5 million offunding they needed.

“We did it properly, we got all theright authorisations, it was a hard-core process but now we’re taking itstep by step. We created 24 jobs.

“We’ll see in the future how itgoes. Maybe we will open wind tun-nels all over France. Why not? It’sthe beginning of a very long story.But now we have acquired all theknowledge, once you know how todo it, you can do it again.”

His last advice is to search theinternet for deals: “There’s usually aspecial offer on somewhere,” he says.

The easy way to jump from a plane

Prices start at €65 for a singleshort flight. Photos and a DVDcost €20 extra. You do not needany extraordinary level of fit-ness, just reasonable health andstrong shoulders. The main mus-cle groups used are in the shoul-ders, back and neck. No specialclothing is required. For furtherinformation see www.flyzone.fror phone 04 68 48 20 41.

Aérokart in Argenteuil (Vald’Oise) near Paris is the onlyother wind tunnel in Franceopen to the public. For fulldetails, see www.aerokart.com

The first person to fly in awind tunnel was Jack Tiffany, in1964, in Ohio, US. The firstrecreational one was called theLevitationarium and was devel-oped in Canada in 1979.

A wind tunnel was used in theclosing ceremony at the TorinoWinter Olympics and another onemade its appearance in Moscow’sRed Square during the preview ofthe 2014 Winter games.

Facts and figures

“It’s completely safebut it feels dangerous.It’s definitely anadrenaline hitVincent Van LaethemCo-founder, FlyZone

You do not have to goup 15,000ft in the airto experience the thrillof skydiving – a newlyopened indoor centre inthe Aude is offering thesame experience andattracting visitors fromseven to 77. SAMANTHADAVID found out morefrom one of the centre’sex-army founders

Beginners and professionals are enjoying the facilities in Lézignan-Corbière, set up by former paratroopersVincent Van Laethem, Gérard Capdevilla and José Da Conceicao, who have plans to build others in France