MAKING YOUR LIFE

IN FRANCE
LESS TAXING

FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002

connexionfrance.com May/June 2023 Issue 247 €6.25

I took grandma, Towns bring in Complaints P6

101, out of home partial Sunday on residency

French Living to go travelling hunting bans services rising P9

No fines in British involvement, link to colonies?

New drama series raises debate about
the start of the Resistance P13

2023, says
property
form chief
Tax services deny significant ‘bugs’ with system

Photo: Anika Molnar / Netflix

by Liv Rowland
FINES will not be issued this year for
failing to complete the obligatory new
biens immobiliers residential property
declaration on time, the head of the
service has told The Connexion.
“We will be easy-going as it’s a new
reform,” said Sandrine Majorel-Delage.
Fines of €150 are, in theory, possible for
non-compliance.
Even so, she advised readers to meet
the legal June 30 deadline but not to
worry about possible minor errors with
property descriptions.
Rather, people should concentrate this
year on validating how the property is
occupied, she said.
This means declaring whether it is a
main or second home, rented out or
vacant (unfurnished and unused).
Issues to do with the description, which
is prefilled but must be checked, can be
ironed out later, she said. People should
ideally use a private message in their
online personal space for this.
The tax services have received more
than 150,000 calls about the new declar-
ation, most often concerning the surface
area displayed or the number of rooms,
but Ms Majorel-Delage denied there
had been significant bugs. She said they
had emailed 16.5 million members of the
public to alert them of the requirement
– 34 million owners in total are estimat-
ed to have to complete the form. Calls
received were “very limited” and queries
are “perfectly manageable,” she said.
Second-home owners, including
non-residents, have been emailed if con-
tact details were available, adverts have
Foreign licence swaps set to end as
penalties ease for minor speeding
been run and communications placed on
forums. “We also decided, from the start,
to translate the whole online service into
English,” she said.
The most significant ‘bug’ has been DRIVERS who flout the speed limit by Pierre Lagache, vice-president of La years. I can only celebrate.”
that some online spaces still showed a less than 5km/h will no longer have Ligue contre la violence routière, said In 2020, 58% of speeding tickets
‘declaration expected’ label, despite this points deducted from licences under road safety has become “a political from automatic cameras involved
having been completed. This is now new rules starting on January 1, 2024. instrument”. He said: “We have seen a excesses of less than 5km/h.
reported to be fixed. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin number of backward steps: the return Resident drivers with foreign licenc-
With regard to size and rooms, tax said the aim is to “adapt the repressive to 90km/h in some areas, the refusal of es are required by law to swap to a
offices have always used different defin- regime for small excesses.” Fines will a contrôle technique for motorbikes, the French licence if they commit an
itions than estate agents: for example, still be levied, however. stopping of urban speed cameras... offence involving the loss of points, so
‘rooms’ also include walled-off kitchens The measure is expected to be on top “The government is sending a this should no longer be necessary for
and bathrooms. of the ‘margin of error’ that is already message that our road safety policy is small speeding fines.
Loi Carrez surface area rules for flats deducted from the speed clocked by stopping, there is nothing to worry Last year, revenue from speed cam-
do not apply but rather ‘real area’, often cameras (5km/h in speed zones up to about. You can relax.” era fines reached €707million – up 8%
slightly larger. If you believe a significant 100km/h, then 5%). However, Pierre Chasseray, a leader on the year before.
mistake has been made, you should con- Mr Darmanin called it a “common- of motoring association 40 millions L 14574 - 247 H - F: 6,25 € - RD
tact the local centre des impôts foncier sense measure” but road safety cam- d’automobilistes, welcomed the plans.
(details can be searched online). In some paigners fear there will be more deaths He said: “We have been working on
è Turn to Page 2 and injuries on roads as a result. this with the interior minister for

INTERVIEW Save money ‘AI makes pension Hospital

First wheelchair and have fun at debate irrelevant and hires a
MP on France’s a DIY campsite will reorder key jobs’ dog-ter
health service The Back Page P15 P5
 2 News connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023
HIGHLIGHTS We prefer no phone masts in our EU delays its new
unspoilt valley – and no signal Entry/Exit border
News 1-11
Opposition grows to ZFEs/Fibre optic issues 3

system to next year

Mayor exodus/Energy rule exemption ‘illogical’ 4-5
Alert over low quality of residency services 6
Pesticides in water ‘not a health risk’ 7
Electric cars/Drought damage change is a ‘good start’ 8-9 THE EU’S new Entry/Exit (EES) electronic
New laws and changes in France this month 10 system of registering arrivals and departures of
A closer look at France’s craft beer revolution 11 non-EU citizens is now expected to be delayed
How to avoid the wait for a driving test 12 until next year.
Paris costume warehouse supplies world’s biggest films 13 It was previously expected to launch this
month, having already been put off from last
Comment 14-17 year, but it was stated earlier this year that the
Simon Heffer/Richard Ogier 14 planned May date could not be met. A launch at
AI makes pension debate irrelevant/Nabila Ramdani 15 the end of the year was then expected.
Readers’ letters 16-17 However, officials from the body organising

Photo: Hemis / Alamy Stock Photo

the system, EU-Lisa, have now said at a meeting
Practical 18-21 that it is “not feasible” this year.
Your questions 18 An EU Commission spokesman said a new
Making sense of septic tanks 19 timeline will be presented by the commission
How interaction holds key to real progress in French 20 The Vallée des Fonts consists of and EU-Lisa ahead of a meeting of the EU’s
Privacy warning over dashcams 21 traditional chalets and summer pastures Justice and Home Affairs Council, when a

24
decision is expected to confirm this.
Photos: AD2T du Cher

VILLAGERS in a small Alpine commune have fought off plans to install a 4G mobile The commission says there have been delays
PAGES phone mast in a mountain beauty spot, saying they prefer to stay disconnected rather by its contractor in developing the system and
French living than change the unspoilt countryside.
The mairie of Cervières, Hautes-Alpes, agreed not to go ahead with a scheme with
also delays in EU states in preparing equipment
to collect data at border crossing points.
We visit the wine-making, Bouygues that would have seen a 30m mast, together with 56 solar panels and a tech- France is known to be lobbying for a start
historical heart of France nical shed. Other possible positions are to be studied, including on nearby summits, but after the Paris Olympics (to be held from July 26
+ INTERVIEW MP Sébastien Peytavie: locals say they will continue to oppose anything that spoils the Vallée des Fonts. to August 11) due to fears of increased queues as
‘Our healthcare system is broken’ Past decades also saw successful opposition to ski lifts in the area, which is used most- non-EU citizens have extra data entered into the
+ A sausage for all seasons ly by farmers as summer pastures for their animals. Some chalets are second homes and system, including photos and fingerprints.
the spot is used in winter for cross-country skiing. Another new border scheme, consisting of
+ The Louvre before it was a museum
A farmer who lives there in summer and helped organise a petition of more than 3,000 a visa-waiver application called Etias, has also
signatures against a mast said it is likely that satellite mobile coverage will be available been delayed, partly as the EU wants EES to be
DIRECTORY 22-27 within a few years. In the meantime, alternatives such as landlines and walkie-talkies will
suffice. “The valley is magnificent and untouched. There isn’t a single pylon or advertising
in place first. They will be complementary, with
Etias involving online pre-approval for non-EU
‘Law should change to allow assisted dying’ 28 hoarding, just old chalets. It’s not lived in all year round and was an absurd idea to force citizens to come into the Schengen area. It will
15 things your com com can do apart from empty bins 29 us to have a mast there and spoil the valley when it’s not indispensable.” cost €7 (free for over-70s and under-18s).

All owners can declare online

France’s evolving approach to archaeological sites 30
Free app to boost social links for over-55s 31
Money / Work/ Property 32-39
è continued from Page 1 Property owners must make 01 72 95 20 42 or by email to
The Back Page 40 cases, the surface area shown the declaration by June 30 dinr.ser vicesenligne@dg fip.
‘Do it yourself’ campsites offer low-cost holidays may not include, for example, finances.gouv.fr.
an extension. The service will not answer

Contact Us Extensions, as well as pools

and other new facilities, should
queries about the new declara-
tion but will help with estab-
Subscribe / resubscribe at: have been declared to the tax lishing an account.
connexionfrance.com services on tax form 6704 with- Some readers have queried
Photo: Shutterstock_Claudio Giovanni Colombo

in 90 days of completion, but how to declare a second home

Subscription queries: Ms Majorel-Delage said in that is also used for occasional
Nathalie: +33 (0)6 40 55 71 63* many cases the difference in holiday lets when not in use by
*Rate set by your operator value added is not enough to the owners for themselves.
Adverts: sales@connexionfrance.com affect local property taxes. Ms Majorel-Delage and the
Editorial: news@connexionfrance.com If you genuinely forgot to head of the non-residents’ tax
complete a 6704 form, officials service, Agnès Arcier, said that
Write to: The Connexion, are not looking to impose pen- in this case the usage should be
Le Grande Bretagne, 30 Av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco alties, she said, although your given as seasonal letting. It is
@ConnexionFrance local taxes may increase once not necessary to give the names
everything is accounted for, as increased to deal with queries, is no paper alternative but, if of tenants for this.
The Connexion an automatic effect of the raised she said it was actually the necessary, the declaration can be Ms Majorel-Delage also said
value of the property. opposite. Fewer staff are now done by phone: on 0809 401 401 that members of the public
Contributors: Liv Rowland, Ken Seaton, Simon Heffer, Nick Inman, Samantha David,
Brian McCulloch, Justin Postlethwaite, Nabila Ramdani, Théophile Larcher, Gillian Harvey,
“Users should send us a assigned to property use if you are in France, or by calling undertaking occasional holiday
Martin Greenacre, Nick Jenkins Sub-editing: Sarah Henshaw Design: Lynne Spaight private message to explain and updates as the taxe d’habitation the tax office where the property letting are not required to have
Proof reading: Richard Henshell Editorial consultant: Bruno Lacombe it will be sorted out,” she said. is no longer applicable to most is located if you are abroad. a business Siret number. This is
The new online declaration families. The new online meth- All property owners have a only essential where letting is
Directrice de la Publication (Managing Editor): Sarah Smith has replaced other checks, od is intended to make proce- French tax number and can set carried out via a registered
Rédacteur-en-Chef (Editor-in-Chief): Sarah Smith including a paper form that used dures more efficient. up an online space from home. business or company, she said.
The Connexion is published by English Language Media Sarl to be sent by tax offices to land- “The user is now at the heart For non-residents, it can be In the case of a property
Registered office: Le Grande Bretagne, 30 av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco lords to confirm occupation of of the system and the one who created at tinyurl.com/impots- owned by an SCI property own-
Environmental policy: their properties. updates their situation. Our space giving details including ership company (or any busi-
The Connexion is printed on recycled newspaper. Taxe d’habitation has been Gérer mes biens immobilier sec- surname at birth, surname you ness/company, including one
Subscribers to The Connexion receive their copy wrapped in abolished on main homes, so tion allows users to make all currently use, birth country (in abroad), the biens immobiliers
biodegradable eco-friendly film. This is fully compostable at home. the new system aims to ensure their tax-related declarations French – use Royaume-Uni for declaration should be complet-
Subscription prices: tax offices have up-to-date concerning property online. the UK) and birth department ed by one member, using a pro-
Annual: French address: €69, Les contenus Si vous souhaitez
copier et diffuser inform-ation about properties “It should simplify their life (insert 99 if outside France). A fessional space on the site.
address outside France: €85.50, DE THE CONNEXION des articles de The Connexion
still subject to this (for example, and allow them to complete phone number is optional. The declaration focuses on
dans le cadre de votre
100% Digital: €54 sont protégés
Three-month: French address: €19.65,
activité professionnelle
second homes) or to the tax on their obligations in the most This generates an email to how the property was occupied
par le Vous devez en demander vacant properties. personalised way possible. which you must attach a scan of on January 1, 2023, plus chang-
address outside France: €23.80,
100% Digital: €15 droit l’autorisation au CFC
Ms Majorel-Delage confirmed, “The route through the site is ID, such as your passport. In the es since, such as a new tenant.
Digital subscriptions only available if you d’auteur www.cfcopies.com

however, that properties that adapted to each person.” next few days you should receive Concerning the starting date
subscribe at connexionfrance.com Contact / dea@cfcopies.com

Encart abonnement sur une diffusion partielle. cannot be subject to these taxes Once validated, the declar- an email from the tax office for the occupation, she advised
Printed by Rotimpres, are not involved. This includes ation can be reopened and cor- allowing you to log into your putting the real start date, espe-
Impressions Rotatives, 17181 Aiguaviva (Girona), Espagne those exclusively used for holi- rected, she said. space at impots.gouv.fr using cially when the property has
All copyright is reserved to the publisher. Reproduction in whole or part of any
text without permission is strictly prohibited. The Connexion cannot accept
day letting, that are never availa- However, usually there is no your tax number and birth date. been let, though she said it will
responsibility for claims of advertisers or their professionalism. ble for personal use and are sub- need for further action unless In case of problems with this, not pose a problem if own-
Mensuel Depôt légal – a parution. ject only to CFE business tax. the use of the property changes. non-residents can contact the er-occupiers have left the
RCI 10 S 05218 ISSN: 1742 - 6421 CPPAP: 0126 I 85379 Asked if staffing had been Ms Majorel-Delage said there non-residents’ tax service on default date of January 1, 2023.
 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com News 3

Crit’Air car system ‘a bad idea’ Drivers

A PUBLIC consultation into
challenge UK firm’s
right to access French data Far left: minutes by car or 30 minutes
France’s ‘ZFE’ low emission Marine by train, but people drive
driving zones has been because trains are not reliable. MORE French residents
Tondelier of have reported receiving
launched by the Senate. France’s “We need to sort out basics
So far, 11 cities have imposed like that before launching into a fines of thousands of euros
Green party, for driving in London’s Low
restrictions on heavy-polluting which punishing ZFE scheme which is
vehicles, with the zones set to headed towards yet more pro- and Ultra Low Emission
opposes Zones (LEZ and ULEZ) –

Photo: Colin Campbell

Photo: Shutterstock_Leitenberger Photography
extend to all 43 cities of more ZFEs tests in the country.”
than 150,000 residents by 2025. She believes the CritAir sys- but doubts remain about
and, left, a
Photo: Victor Joly / Alamy Stock Photo

ZFEs work via fixed pollution tem needs to be scrapped. how authorities accessed
sign in Rouen their contact data.
ratings shown through Crit’Air banning “You have the absurd situation
stickers which drivers buy. where someone with a small, old The fines were sent by debt
cars with a collection agency Euro Reader Colin Campbell
The Senate survey, available at Crit’Air rating diesel car which does not use successfully appealed
tinyurl.com/senateZFE until much fuel or pollute that much Parking Collection (EPC),
of 4 or 5 starting last November, and €300 of ULEZ fines
May 14, aims to help authorities is in Crit’Air 5 category and thus
“better identify difficulties banned from city centres, while many relate to compliant with restrictions now report
faced by residents and profes- someone who buys a new vehicles the owners failed to having the fines cancelled.
sionals, but also best practices.” Marine Tondelier said the deci- “Where there are cities with Porsche sports car with a huge pre-register before travelling. Members of the EPC
It comes after the Grand Paris sion to have each local authori- reliable, fairly priced public engine and terrible fuel con- Lawyers representing at Official Complaint Group on
metropolitan area announced ty impose its own ZFEs meant transport, people will use it sumption is Crit’Air 1 and can go least 40 motorists have Facebook have advised driv-
that its daytime ban of pre-2011 there was “no communication,” instead of their cars.” where they want,” she said. contacted EPC and Transport ers to appeal against the fines
diesel and pre-2006 petrol leading people with older cars Ms Arrighi said that if EELV Another problem with ZFEs is for London (TfL) asking the via the EPC website. This is
(Crit’Air 3) vehicles would be to feel excluded unjustly. wins power in the local elections a lack of money given to imple- source of the details, since likely to be rejected if the
delayed until late 2024 or early “Without social justice, green in 2026, it will implement pub- ment them, adds Ms Tondelier, Brexit brought an end to vehicle is non-compliant, but
2025. The measure was due to policies will never work. These lic transport measures quickly. pointing to the funds needed to information exchanges you will be sent a notice of
be introduced in July. ZFEs will just punish the poor- “Contrary to common belief, buy number plate radars that will between the UK and France. appeal, allowing you to chall-
Dissent is rising as the ZFEs est drivers,” she said. there are ways of doing so, be used to enforce the scheme. TfL claims there is an agree- enge the decision with the
widen their scope – at least Christine Arrighi, MP for the quickly and relatively cheaply, Cities that already have ZFEs ment between EPC and the official adjudicator.
2,000 motorcyclists recently 9th constituency of Haute- like President Macron’s idea of operating have introduced vari- French road safety authority. They say some people have
attended a protest in Rouen Garonne, which includes parts RERs [the Paris commuter train ous exemptions for occasional However, a Sécurité had fines cancelled this way,
against the ZFE there, which of Toulouse, said local greens service] in every city,” she said. visits but, she said, the lack of a Routière spokesperson told by arguing they were unaware
will impact them this summer. oppose ZFEs as no real alterna- “That is better than ZFEs national policy meant there The Connexion that there is of the rules or of how to
The national secretary of the tive to cars has been offered. which punish people without were big gaps. no bilateral agreement in pre-register with EPC, or that
green party Europe Ecologie les “We have been saying for 15 providing an alternative, but “No one in Toulouse, for place and no commercial they were never sent a warn-
Verts (EELV) has also come out years in Toulouse that public again, President Macron prom- example, seems to have thought licence has been granted to a ing letter, or by questioning
against the zones, saying that transport has to be improved ised €15billion for these but we that people from Ariège visit UK company to use vehicle how their data was obtained.
while the party wants to fight and nothing has been done – have not yet seen any of it.” people in hospital in Toulouse. registration data. From August 29, the ULEZ
for better air quality, ZFEs “are just little projects like the tram Ms Tondelier added: “Where I The exemption days will quick- Many people who received area will extend to cover the
the worst possible way to do it.” from the airport,” she said. live, you can get to Paris in 90 ly be used up in such a case.” fines for cars that comply whole of Greater London.

Senator proposes law change

to improve fibre optic rollout
A SENATOR’S proposal to number of connections – 15,000 on Wednesdays, when children
change the law over how fibre a day – and so they sub- are not at school, were not due
optic cables are connected to contract, and their sub- to the network being under-
homes has upset operators, but contractors also sub-contract,” engineered.
he told The Connexion that the Mr Chaize said. “For old ADSL connections,
present system is not working. “At the end of the line, you the problems were due to the
At the moment, local author- have a self-employed person, system, but with fibre optic it
ities are responsible for having only paid a dozen euros once must be due to system settings
the network of fibre optic cables the connection to the new with individual operators.”
deployed, with the aim of hav- home is made, and they are Several Connexion readers
ing every house in the country often brutal in their work, cut- have reported speeds being
accessible from the network by ting off three other connections worse after 18:00, especially in
2025. So far, only 70% of the to make the one they are paid smaller villages.
country is covered. for as quickly as possible.” In its 2022 annual report, tele-
Once the network is set up, He said this problem has been coms regulator Arcep said the
companies, led by the big four of discussed and operators had greatest number of complaints
Orange, SFR, Bouygues and been asked to change things for it received from the public were
Free, compete to make the final three years now, and nothing about the quality of fibre optic
connections to the house, with, has happened. cable connections, especially
as a prize, the opportunity to “The law is likely to pass the people being cut off when new

Here to listen
lock households into using their senate by unanimous consent,” connections were made.
‘box’ modems, usually for a year. said Mr Chaize. Arcep said it accepted that the
In practice, very few house- “Once it gets to the national proposed law was “because
holds switch operators once they assembly, things might get people are fed-up with the pres-
have a system that works. complicated. ent situation,” but it thought
In the face of public anger at “I hope operators will come changing the law was not the
the number of breakdowns, up with a coherent and financed best way of improving matters. We are Cancer Support France, supporting English-speaking
senator Patrick Chaize, from plan to improve things, in Instead, Arcep said it believed people in France who are touched by cancer.
Ain department, wants the law which case the law will not operators will improve after
to change so connections to the be necessary.” signing an agreement to do so We offer free, confidential support for English-speaking people throughout France
internet network via fibre optic As an incentive, Mr Chaize’s last September. touched in any way by cancer. Our highly trained volunteers offer emotional,
cables are similar to connec- law proposes that after five days Operators warn that a law language and practical help. CSF trained volunteers can guide you towards the
tions to the electricity grid or without internet, subscribers no change would slow down the information you need.
the gas network. longer have to pay their sub- high-speed internet roll-out.
With electricity and gas, con- scriptions, and after 10 days the A recent report by consumer
To find out more about our support, please contact us.
nections to households are con- operators have to start paying a association UFC-Que Choisir
trolled by state bodies, which are daily fine to their clients. found that 17.2% of households Email: helpline@cancersupportfrance.org
also responsible for the safety He said problems people with have access to high-speed inter-
and standards of the connection. fibre optic connections were net only via wireless technology Call: 0800 240 200 Web: www.cancersupportfrance.org
“The problem is the operators having, with the service slowing such as 4G or satellite, which is
are simply not geared for the down during the evenings and less reliable and more expensive.
CSF Press Advert Male 129x170.indd 1 06/05/2022 14:05
 4 News connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023
Not in Nice: Animal circus turned down
American in Paris protests over News in brief

undeclared Swiss bank account

Regional egg warning
PEOPLE with chickens should
avoid eating their eggs in the Ile
AN American retiree has been and its management over the de France region, the local

Photo: Wandering views_shutterstock

A CONFLICT in Nice has
highlighted the legal grey area
which allows travelling circuses
staging a protest over an ‘unde- years before declaring it, which health agency is advising.
clared Swiss bank account’ by they say the bank has refused to It comes after the agency was
standing in front of the French provide. alerted to high dioxin levels in
senate for more than 350 hours. The account is proof that eggs from domestic hen houses
David Fournie, 55, who lives more undeclared Swiss accounts near a waste incinerator in Ivry-
in Paris, started his action on go unreported, said Mr Fournie, sur-Seine. It subsequently found
September 2 by the corner of whose own situation contra- pollutants “in the entire urban
Rue de Tournon and Rue de dicts a statement from LGT environment” linked to health
paign in 1999, there were more Vaugirard with a sign reading: Bank AG in 2012 asserting that problems including cancer, fer-
than 200. Today, there are 50.” “Dear Mr. President: I still hold it no longer had US clients. tility and pregnancy issues.
In that time, the number of an undeclared Swiss account. France requested information

Photo: David Fournie

to continue using wild animals
as part of their shows.
The Zavatta circus moved
on to Menton after a heated
exchange with Nice mayor
Christian Estrosi, who refused
to accept the circus in the city.
A national ban on circuses
with animals is due to take
effect in 2028, but a number of
communes have issued decrees
imposing a local ban, which is
illegal without a valid reason,
such as a lack of space.
Muriel Arnal, head of animal
rights association One Voice,
said such decrees have become
less common, due partly to the
many legal challenges, but also
to falling demand.
“As much as the French legis-
lation has not evolved at all,
audiences have deserted circus-
es with animals,” she said.
“When we launched our cam-
elephants in circuses fell from Should I be worried?” about the account in 2017 but Cash use declining
40 to just one. Mr Fournie has been there the inquiry was terminated CASH still accounts for the
A 2011 law set out strict rules every Monday, Wednesday and without any follow-up in 2022, majority of payments in France
around how animals could be Friday, as well as various other he said, adding that he was (50% of transactions in 2022
kept, but Ms Arnal said prefec- days, in the hope that his plac- The account number is on the “surprised the French govern- compared to 43% with cards)
tures refuse to remove animals ard will attract interest from back of Mr Fournie’s placard ment never followed through.” but its use is declining, says the
when rules are broken. senators and advance his case, father more than a decade ago. Mr Fournie’s protest is meant Banque de France. By compari-
“We saw we could not count which concerns more than The US has urged Ms Fournie to highlight the truth behind son, cash accounted for 68% of
on French authorities, which let $1million in a Swiss account. to declare the account to the politicians’ claims that France’s transactions in 2016, and 59%
all sorts of infractions pass – The sign is meant as both an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) fight against tax-evasion is a in 2019. Card use rose from
90% of circuses [with animals] ironic and provocative sugges- as part of Fatca, a law intended success, he said, referring to 27% to 35% in the same period.
operate in total illegality.” tion that France has failed in its to combat tax evasion by US former president Nicolas
One Voice has frequently policy to take down every citizens living abroad, which Sarkozy’s statement at the G20 Meningitis on the rise
denounced the Zavatta circus, undeclared Swiss account. requires all US citizens and in 2009 that “fiscal paradises A SURGE in cases of acute men-
claiming its hippopotamus, “If I was a serial killer, it would their banks to report their and tax-evasion are over.” ingitis has been reported by
Jumbo, is only let out of its be like dumping the body at the income and assets to the IRS. From now on, Mr Fournie France’s national health body.
truck for 30 minutes per day. police station,” Mr Fournie told Mr and Ms Fournie – who said he will continue raising his Since November cases, espe-
In 2020, a court in Valence The Connexion. want to declare the account – sign before the Senate. cially linked to bacterial menin-
cleared the circus owners of He is tangled up between the have been unable to do so since He posted senators a card gitis, have been above the aver-
‘mistreatment’, and ruled that US, France and Switzerland LGT Bank AG has shielded with a picture of him wishing age for pre-pandemic years after
they could keep Jumbo, but over an account held by LGT itself behind banking secrecy them Happy New Year that two years of low incidence.
ordered them to pay a fine for Bank AG that was left to his laws using loopholes and deceit- never got an answer. December saw a peak of nearly
‘keeping a wild animal captive 89-year-old mother Micheline ful tactics, Mr Fournie claims. “How long can I stand in front 90 cases. New vaccination rec-
in an environment which could Fournie, a French citizen with a His mother has requested of the Senate with this sign? It’s ommendations are due in the
cause suffering’. US residency permit, by her information about the account grotesque,” he said. next few months.

Hundreds of mayors quit due to Postal workers’ bikes

‘Covid and increased workload’ given a second life
FORTY mayors resign every month in before,” he said. “Society is now increas-
France, a minister has revealed, blaming ingly individualistic, and people want ‘Close to burn-out’
the impact of the pandemic at the time of everything right away.
the most recent local elections in 2020. “They will go to see the mayor about a

Photo: Nouvelle Attitude

Christophe Béchu, Minister for broken street light, and think by clicking
Ecological Transition and Cohesion of the their fingers it will be fixed. When it isn’t, A SUBSIDIARY of La Poste is
Photo: Jean-Pierre Miagoux

Territories, said in response to a question
from senators: “We had lots of resig-
nations at the very beginning of the
mandate, some of which were certainly
linked to Covid, and a difficult context
when taking up office.”
He went on to say that violence towards
elected officials was also a factor.
Mr Béchu was addressing comments
made by David Lisnard, president of the
Association des maires de France (AMF),
during an interview with Le Figaro.
Mr Lisnard claimed resignations of local
elected officials had reached “unprece-
dented levels”, which he called “revealing
of the civic crisis visible in all domains, in
a country marked by the rise in absten-
tion, assault, etc”.
The minister confirmed that 1,293
mayors had resigned since 2020, but said
this was “comparable” to previous years.
Between 2014 and 2020, there were
2,925 resignations.
The AMF responded by insisting that
the number of resignations was higher
than in the past, reflecting increased
bureaucracy and a reduction in mayors’
powers due to the abolition of local taxes.
Pierre Pantanella, president of the
Association des maires ruraux de l’Avey-
ron, said the pandemic and increasing red
tape were behind the resignations.
“I think Covid had a big impact on
people: they complain more than they did
they come back and insult the mayor. encouraging green modes of
“I take it in my stride, but for young transport by refurbishing and sell-
mayors, I can understand they feel like ing electric bicycles previously
You can order a bike in the
they are being attacked.” used by postal workers for their
colour of your choice
He said this is not a new phenomenon, daily rounds.
but has been amplified by social media, AT THE start of the year, Jean-Pierre Nouvelle Attitude, a company since August, and are aiming to
whereas disputes had previously been Miagoux, 70, resigned as mayor of that helps people in unstable sell 2,000 this year.
settled locally. “Historically, mayors are Tréogat (Finistère), a village of 600 situations return to work, has Most clients are individuals, but
on the front line of French society. inhabitants – a post he had held since been repairing the bikes in its they are also targeting businesses
“They are the representatives of the state the previous mayor resigned in 2021. workshop in Tours since August, and local authorities. Newspaper
and authority in the commune, and the It was “with a heavy heart” that he gave with another site in development Ouest-France uses them for
one people go to for family problems, or up a role he enjoyed, for reasons related in Rouen. part of its deliveries, for environ-
issues with their neighbours. to health and family life, he said. The bicycles cost €1,320 and can mental and economic reasons,
“People are slightly more aggressive “I have family in Lyon and Paris, and I be delivered anywhere in France as petrol prices remain high.
than before. We have lost this fraternity. realised the mayor does not have that within 20km of your home, or The bikes arrive at the workshop
We don’t know how to listen to each other much control over his schedule. My wife even elsewhere in Europe. after being used by postal workers
any more.” went on her own several times. “When you consider the quality for five years. They are fully dis-
Mr Lisnard claimed mayors were also “I was close to burning out. One and robustness, it is a good price. mantled, then put back together
subjected to “veritable textual harass- morning I woke up and thought ‘I don’t These are not entry-level models, and painted. The whole process
ment”, as French bureaucracy becomes see my children or grandchildren any and cost €3,000 new,” said Serge takes an entire day.
more cumbersome. He gave the example more. I’m repeating what I did when I Da Silva, business development They are painted a wide variety
of the Code de l’urbanisme, which went was working.’” manager at Nouvelle Attitude. of colours to distinguish them
from 600 pages in 1982 to 3,600 pages. He had combined several roles, includ- “There are slight differences from the yellow bikes of La Poste.
Mr Pantanella agreed that mayors are ing as vice-president of the communauté with other electric bikes. The Clients can order one that is
“fed-up” with ever-increasing rules and de communes in charge of housing. assistance is very obvious, so already in stock, or personalise the
obligations, leading to a “general fatigue”. Mr Miagoux agrees that the adminis- when you are on the bike, it is colours for €145 extra.
He cited rules around clearing vegeta- trative burden is too heavy. “Lots of comfortable.” Bikes can be ordered online at
tion to prevent forest fires, which he says documents arrive from the prefecture or While it is practical for carrying recycloproject.com/general-3.
do not account for local specificities. elsewhere. I was always in meetings, the shopping or even pets, for They can currently be viewed at
“New mayors do not realise how much including sometimes at 21:00 or 22:00.” other clients there is an emotional Le Rayon Vert in Clamart (92)
work it involves,” he added. Covid complicated things as he could draw to owning a postal worker’s and APF in Noisy (93), but soon
“People see the mayor with his suit and not get to know his team via physical bicycle. “It’s a bit like the 2CV you will be able to test them at
his sash. They don’t see him dealing with meetings, he added. [Citroën car]. It tells a story.” resellers in other towns including
human relationships, or with the sewers.” They have already sold 400 bikes Lorient, Poitiers and Le Havre.
 The Connexion
Returnable glass beer and wine bottles are making a comeback
REUSABLE glass bottles are experi-
encing a renaissance as inflation push-
es up the cost of raw materials.
The ‘consigne’ system which allows
customers to return empty bottles to
retailers was common in France until
the 1970s but had more or less disap-
peared until recently.
Now France Consigne, a group of ten
organisations already involved in reus-
able bottles, launched last autumn and
aims to standardise the practice across
the country.
“The idea is to be able to buy a drink
in one region, consume it in another,
and take the bottle back there,” said
Charlotte Delpeux, head of communi-
cation at Bout’ à Bout’, one of the
founders. This means harmonising
No space for
UK visa visit
for months
TLSCONTACT, the private
firm used by French consular
services in several countries for
visa applicants to visit to show
supporting paperwork, reports
being fully booked at its three
UK centres until July.
As there can be a wait of sever-
al weeks after a visit for consular
services to process an applica-
tion, a visa starting early sum-
mer now appears impossible.
The services’ UK helpline also
confirmed technical issues with
its website meaning it is current-
ly not possible to book at all. It
said more slots could be opened
up although this is not sure.
One reader was told that “they
had no idea when the website
would be working again and
there was no other way to make
an appointment”.
Another, seeking a visa to
spend four months at her holi-
day home, was told that the
firm was “upgrading systems
worldwide” “but she should try
every day.”
In addition some phone num-
bers listed for the service in the
UK are not working, although
The Connexion was able to get
through on +44 20 38 32 30 11.
There is also confusion around
the business’ status, as the web-
site’s owner – TLS Group S.A. –
is listed as having been removed
from the Luxembourg business-
es register on January 27. We
queried this with the French con-
sulate and are awaiting a reply.
The website says TLScontact
is part of Paris-based Teleperfor­
mance Group, a global services
firm which uses the slogan ‘each
interaction matters’ and report-
ed revenue of €8billion in 2022.
We called but could not be put
through to anyone and were
given an email address that did
not work. We will publish any
updates on our website.
Rise in doctors’ fees
to €26.50 proposed
STANDARD doctors’ fees are
expected to rise by €1.50 later
this year, meaning a €26.50 fee
to see a GP (70% would remain
reimbursable). The rise must
still be approved by doctors.
May 2023 connexionfrance.com News 5
formats so bottles are identical. The often lighter and need to be adapted, the impact on global warming by than new ones, and guarantee supply.”
ten organisations work with 400 pro- Ms Delpeux said. Wine also presents 77%, compared to recycled bottles, Customers pay a fee when purchas-
ducers, 700 collection points, and other challenges when it comes to according to the French environmen- ing, which is refunded upon return of
reused 1.4 million bottles last year. standardisation, as there is a wide vari- tal agency Ademe. the bottle or they are receive another
“In the east of France there are areas ety of bottle shapes, which are some- In order to be recycled, glass must be incentive when they return it.
which never stopped doing this; in times criteria for regional appellations. melted in an oven at 1,500C, requiring The former system is more difficult
Alsace, for example, it is still prac- Bout’ à Bout’ works with producers a large amount of energy. in larger chains and in a context of
tised,” Ms Delpeux said. Bout’ à Bout’ to switch to national formats, but also “We can reuse a bottle around 20 inflation, Ms Delpeux said, which is
is present in western France, mean- allows for regional specificities, and in times, and then it can be recycled,” said why the company offers two cents per
while, where the reuse system had to some cases works with individual pro- Ms Delpeux. bottle returned.
be more or less rebuilt from scratch. ducers. A sign of growing demand, the “Originally the network’s partners More businesses are now getting in
Only certain types of bottle can be company is set to open a new bottle came mainly for ecological reasons. on the act, including Le Fourgon,
reused. “They must be solid enough to cleaning facility near Nantes, which “Today, with inflation to the prices of which delivers beer, milk, water, wine
handle washing, and the label must be will eventually be able to wash more raw materials, the type of people who and more, all in glass bottles, which it
easy to remove.” than 60 million bottles a year. look to reuse has changed slightly. then collects at your door.
A growing number of wine producers Recent laws aim for 10% of all pack- “You still have people interested in Reusable bottles can be identified
are also switching to reusable bottles, aging in France to be reusable by 2027. the environment but also others who thanks to a label with four arrows
although, whereas beer bottles are more Reusing glass bottles can reduce have economic interests. pointing towards a bottle. Find existing
likely to be compatible, wine bottles are water use by 51%, energy by 79%, and “Now reusable bottles are cheaper collection points at franceconsigne.fr.
Dog-tor Snoopy will see you now... hospital’s new helper
AN ENGLISH setter rescue
dog is working as a stress-re-
affection. In wards, he has been
taught to put his front paws on
lieving dog at one of the world’s
top cancer hospitals in Paris.
the beds of patients who want
to fuss him.
Researchers at the Institut Staff say a hygiene assessment
Curie have prepared a two-year was carried out before Snoopy
research programme into the was recruited and he was
protocols needed for dogs to be deemed to pose no risk.
used in hospitals. “Many patients return home
Snoopy, believed to be aged to houses with pets and so are
two, has a rotating set of four already exposed to animals,” a
doctors and nurses who take spokeswoman said.
him home after each work day. “Snoopy is looked after by
At the start of the project, he vets from one of France’s main
was accompanied by an external vet schools, and is washed
trainer for most of the day, but often.”
as he settles into his role, he is The hospital’s director,
spending more time alone with Professor Steven Le Gouill, said
patients. Snoopy’s workplace he was confident Snoopy will
covers waiting rooms, consulta- be beneficial to patients who
tion rooms, recovery rooms do not want to communicate
Photos: Institut Curie
and some wards. with staff or who are anxious, Snoopy will spend two years
He is not allowed in places especially teenagers and children. at the hospital while
where bandages are changed or “We hope this research will researchers study his impact
where there is a risk he will show the use of dogs to be bene- on both staff and patients
come into contact with patients ficial for patients and staff and
with weak immune systems. that it will encourage other works mainly in the reception tims. It follows the success of a allowed in the courtroom.
The effect he has on both hospitals to follow us.” area, offering stuffed toys to Labrador called Lol who started The justice minister wants to
patients and staff will be stud- Another hospital in Antibes visitors so they can throw them work in 2020 in Cahors (Lot). introduce 100 court dogs,
ied during the programme. (Alpes-Maritimes), which spec- for him. At first, Lol’s role was limited roughly one for each depart-
In waiting rooms, Snoopy is ialises in end-of-life care, has Specially trained dogs could to keeping people calm while ment, providing funding to the
trained to lie on the floor and also started using a dog. soon be used in law courts as waiting for their case, but he association Handi’chiens for
respond to pats and signs of Lucky the Labrador-cross well, to calm witnesses and vic- behaved so well that he was soon this to happen.
Rural homes energy exemption ‘illogical’
EXEMPTING character stone extra pressure on sellers such as
homes and those made with
Energy certificate checkers ignored loft
insulation, say couple (stock image)
Terry and Margaret Scates. Energy scams soar
other traditional materials from They blame their Dordogne FRANCE’S national fraud
new EU proposals to improve farmhouse’s ‘G’ rating for buyers office has said it is struggling
energy efficiency would “not pulling out after signing the pre- to keep up with the growing
make sense”, the MEP in charge sale compromis de vente, when number of scams for eco ren-
of the plans told The Connexion. DPE energy information is ovations of homes.
One couple from south-west provided. They say their house is A DGCCRF representative
France reported that an “absurd” cheap to heat and cool in the said: “It is a massive phenom-
low ‘G’ energy-efficiency (DPE) summer but the very poor rating enon, and difficult to curb,
rating for their centuries-old they were given does not reflect because it keeps changing.
stone farmhouse is the likely this and had not measured real “We strengthen our checks
Photo: Shutterstock_Kzenon
cause of two buyers pulling out. heat loss. every year but the fraudsters
However, according to Irish “The walls are 1.4m thick and have a lot of imagination and
MEP Ciarán Cuffe a general there is so much insulation in work to get around them.”
exemption for such homes would the loft that you can hardly see Consumer association UFC-
“leave households locked into the woodwork,” Mr Scates said. Que Choisir said more than
expensive [to heat] buildings.” That was ignored, however, as 10,000 scams were reported to
In any case, he said, some of directive aims to have all homes obligatory fines for non-com- they could not produce bills for the official fraud complaints
the homes might already be renovated to the highest effi- pliance, said Mr Cuffe – though its installation, he said. site Signal Conso in 2022.
found to be well-insulated via ciency ratings by mid-century, individual countries could Heritage group Maisons Pay­ DGCCRF tips to avoid fall-
their traditional materials. including eradicating ‘F’ and opt for them – but, rather, aid sannes de France for Dordogne ing victim include not signing
In other cases, an exemption ‘G’-rated properties by 2030. and support. has said owners of rural homes with firms that approach you
would “condemn households Owners would be expected to Exemptions were proposed could suffer, as approved forms by phone, reading all paper-
that live in poor buildings to get properties up to a better for ‘historic’ homes and, if of energy renovation can detract work thoroughly, especially if
high energy bills and potential rating for renting out or selling, states wish it, a certain percent- from their character. the work is being financed by a
energy poverty” and “exclusion or when undergoing extensive age of the worst-performing It says traditional materials are loan, and checking any profes-
from the benefits of efficient, renovations. ones. often not accounted for in the sional’s qualifications.
warm homes.” A new energy MEPs, however, do not favour Such plans could in future put software used for the ratings.
 Residency cards /
6 News
Visas / Admin connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023
‘Do not delay
licence swap’ Alert over low quality of Case study: Long wait
for card with work rights
A READER has
stressed how
important it is to
swap a foreign
Photo: David Young
French residency service A READER has told of her frustration applying
for a residency card at the prefecture in Nice.
Alima, 29, from Kazakhstan, said she arrived in
France in summer 2020 on a one-year ‘visitor’
visa with her British-German partner.
driving licence FRANCE’S Defender of Rights has n Several readers have queried whether, as
for a French one raised an alert over ‘the degradation She renewed the visa in 2021 but the status did
previously reported, it is possible to stay on in not allow her to work. She had experience

Photo: Shutterstock_Victor Velter

as soon as possi-
ble after moving
here as he failed to do so and now
has to sit a driving test.
If your licence is from a non-
EU/EEA country and/or is
British but issued since 2021,
you must apply to swap it with-
in a year.
In the case of a visa valant titre
de séjour, this timing runs from
the point of validating the visa.
This is assuming the issuing
state has a swap agreement with
France, which is not the case for
certain US states, for example.
David Young (pictured), an
Australian retiree from Paris,
said he failed to realise the
urgency and now has to sit a
French driving test.
For him, delays in obtaining an
appointment at the Préfecture de
Police de Paris (applications are
now done online, at the website
of ANTS) added to the problem.
“By the time I got an appoint-
ment, it was beyond 12 months.
“Then I was told I had to make
another appointment as I hadn’t
had translations done by a sworn
translator. Fi­nally, they said ‘you
should have done it in the first
12 months’.”
He added: “I wasted time argu-
ing with the police and sécurité
routière, then there was Covid,
and here I am in 2023 and I’d
really like to be drive out and see
more of France.”
of the fundamental rights of foreign
people’ in relation to residency issues.
Défen­seure des droits Claire Hédon,
in her annual report, says for four years
residency services have been ‘particu-
larly defective’ and that since 2019
complaints about them have more than
tripled to reach 21,666 in 2022.
The remit of the Défenseure des
droits is to investigate reports of
problems in the public’s dealings with
state bodies, including instances of
discrimination. A quarter of com-
plaints now relate to residency ser-
vices, she says.
The 2022 report links this to a
tendency to put all services online,
with many people complaining of
being unable to obtain a meeting at
their prefecture to apply for a first
residency card. Others flagged up
problems trying to renew a card,
either because it was not possible to
book an interview, due to technical
problems with online procedures or
“excessive” processing times.
It notes, however, that the
Défenseure’s local teams (see defen-
seurdesdroits.fr) were in many cases
able to resolve situations and she has
met with many prefectures to ident-
ify what is going wrong, as well as
making representations to MPs.
It says that apart from long waits, the
problems sometimes resulted in the
“termination of rights and profession-
al and social fragility.” It also notes
prefecture staff cuts, though it says
online services should be a comple-
ment to others (in person or by phone).
France for some days or weeks beyond the end
working for humanitarian organisations but was
date of a temporary long-stay visa. unable to respond to vacancies she saw locally.
They say staff at TLS-Contact in London have
The couple became Pacsed in April 2022 and
told them this was not possible and they must leave she then applied for a ‘member of the family of an
the Schengen area.
EU citizen’ card, which allows the holder to work.
Our information came from the French police aux “I was volunteering for Croix Rouge and it was
frontières, who man the borders and check docu-
happy to employ me if I got the document.”
ments. We double-checked with them that this is possible because any time However, at the appointment to submit the
on a visa is not counted in the ‘90 days rule’ and they confirmed that we had
application, she was told there was no guarantee
correctly understood the rules. Do bear in mind, however, that non-residents that she would be able to work in the case of a
should not stay more than six months in a calendar year under tax residency Pacs. This is despite, she said, no information on
rules and also that it is best to keep proof of movements (travel tickets, the prefecture site to say a Pacs did not qualify.
boarding cards) in case of questions. We note that it is showing information that Pacs
partners should give evidence of a year of living
The ‘all online’ trend also puts the wished to respond to the report but
together, which she says she did.
onus on users to understand formal- have not yet received a reply. One read-
“The official said it takes up to six months to
ities that in the past would have been er emailed us to say she is still waiting
review the documents and gave me a récépissé
done with help from staff. for news after applying online (tinyurl.
[acknowledgement form] due to expire in
Top administrative court the com/sejour-site) to change the address
October 2022.
Conseil d’Etat said last year that on her residency card a year ago. “I emailed regularly for updates, but was told I
where residency card applications She said: “I am a widowed pensioner just had to wait. We were struggling financially
were put online, help with applying and have a relative in the UK who is and I was receiving work offers from elsewhere.”
should be offered and alternatives suffering with an incurable illness. She added: “I got a bit desperate and applied for
should always be available to those “Consequently, it may be necessary a job in Belgium instead. They were happy to
unable to apply this way. for me to arrange to travel there at sponsor my visa, so in September we moved.
The areas with the highest propor- fairly short notice. If this should “Then, in January, I received a message from
tion of residency-related complaints, happen, it is important my titre de the Nice prefecture saying my card was ready and
accor­ding to the Défenseure’s report, séjour carries my new address.” I could pick it up. By chance, we planned to visit
were Paris and Ile-de-France, Alpes- The first thing to try in this situation Nice anyway so I went and queued in a long line.
Maritimes, Haute-Corse, Puy-de- would be to send a message in French When I reached the guichet, the woman wouldn’t
Dome, Rhône, Loiret, and Moselle. using the Contact button at the bottom tell me anything until I had paid the €225 fee.
Other areas with a high number also of the site. You could also seek assis- “She got the card and then I saw it was another
included Bouches-du-Rhône, Gard, tance from a local branch of France one-year ‘visitor’ card.
Tarn-et-Garonne, Côtes d’Armor, Services. “She said you can appeal – but I decided not to
Gironde, Ile-et-Vilaine and Nord. If that fails, we suggest contacting do it, as I have my Belgian visa now.”
The report also notes problems clai­m- the prefecture that issued the original Alima added: “What annoys me most is the
ing the MaPrime­ Rénov’ renovation card. A letter by recorded post can uncertainty you face and the long waiting period.
grant, including technical issues, inad- be effective, including supporting “I was happy to start working and pay taxes but
equate information and long waits. documents (in this case, proof of the I couldn’t do it.”
We asked the Interior Ministry if it change of address).

Campaign for
overseas MPs
gains support
A CAMPAIGN for overseas
constituencies and MPs for
Britons abroad is gathering
pace, with several organis-
ations now supporting it.
European Britons has been
circulating a letter people can
British security guard faces one-year
lay-off due to Brexit-related red tape
A BRITISH man working as and British subjects whose
a security guard in France has specific case, on the face of it,
said he risks losing his job was not foreseen by this law, we
because of a Brexit-related invite him to get in touch.”
admin issue. He said his employers are
Callum Colverson, 33, has sympathetic and have offered to
worked in the security industry advance some future wages for
since school and has been with legal costs and to keep him on
Photo: Supplied by Callum Colverson

use to contact British MPs
(tinyurl.com/Overseas-MP-
letter). Campaigners have also
produced a briefing paper
about the issues (see tinyurl.
com/Overseas-briefing).
They hope MPs will support
them by tabling parliamentary
questions or early day
motions, organising debates,
and including the ideas in
party manifestos.
Among the main UK parties,
only the Liberal Democrats
have in the past supported
overseas constituencies, like
those France already has for
its citizens abroad.
The campaigners say the
Labour Party recently request-
ed briefing material.
Among those campaigning
are Brex­pats Hear Our Voice,
New Europeans UK, and
Liberal Democrats Over­ seas,
as well as Dr Michaela Benson
of Lancaster University.
his current firm since 2016.
Originally from Southamp­ton,
he has lived in Brittany since he
was 12.
To work as a security guard,
you need a diploma and to be
registered with official security
industry regulator Cnaps,
which issues five-year licences.
When Mr Colverson applied
for a renewal of his licence, he
was turned down because he
has only had a residency card
since 2019. He first had an EU
citizen’s card, which was recom-
mended but not obligatory as a
way to protect future rights,
then a Brexit Withdrawal
Agreement card.
He was told that a 2021 law
now requires security workers
from outside the EU to have
had a carte de séjour for at least
five years.
This law was linked to tight-
ening rules to avoid irregular
immigrants being employed in
their books without pay after
his licence expires.
If the rule is maintained, he
would not be able to work until
next year.
He has set up a crowd-sourc-
ing fund to help with legal
Callum Colverson bills incurred appealing against
the decision: tinyurl.com/Brit-
the sector. However, Britons security-guard. On this funding
have only legally needed a card page, he says: “All I’d like is to
to live in France since 2021. keep my job, pay my mortgage,
His present professional renovate my house, maybe find
licence expires in July. a girl and have children one day.”
“It is very unfair and frustrat- Mr Colverson told The
ing,” he said. “I consulted a Connexion he had thought
lawyer, who said my only about applying for French
option is to go to court and that nationality before Brexit.
will take time and cost at least “I looked at the form with the
€2,500, or even €3,500 if we details of your parents and
have to appeal.” grandparents and thought it
The Connexion asked Cnaps was complicated,” he said.
about the issue but it said the “Now I wish I had done it,
new law did not allow any because even if I got a dossier
exceptions to the five-year rule. together now, it will take too
However, it added: “Due to long to go through to solve
the situation of Mr Colverson the problem.”
 The Connexion
Tighter gite tax breaks could ease homes crisis Pesticides in water ‘not a health risk’
TAX allowances for holiday
rentals should be reduced
according to recommendations
by three government ministries,
however an association that
represents the letting industry
claims this will not be enough
to solve the housing crisis.
The government recommen-
dations include lowering the tax
allowance on all holiday lets to
50% in areas with housing short-
ages – particularly seaside areas.
Currently, there is a 71%
allowance for properties certi-
fied by an organisation such as
Gîtes de France.
Frédérick Seidita Aires,
vice-president of the Union des
Professionnels de la Location
Touristique (UPLT), said: “The
tourism ministry is pushing for
change, and there is a strong
chance it will happen. It won’t
be applicable for 2023, but
probably for 2024.”
He notes that while the cur-
rent tax break is a “veritable
gift” to owners of short term
lets, it does not encourage the
conversion of these properties
to primary residences.
However, he said that no
longer differentiating between
properties which have or have
not requested a certification
could discourage owners from
undertaking improvements – to
energy-efficiency, for example.
He believes platforms such as
May 2023
Saint-Malo has
already introduced
a quota for
holiday rentals
Airbnb have made the problem
more visible, as people previ-
ously bought second homes for
personal use. He also suggests
other factors, including popula-
tion growth, are contributing to
housing strain.
“I believe the real issue is not
so much second homes being
rented out, but the lack of con-
struction in most towns over
the last 20 years.”
Until now, it has been difficult
to measure the impact of holiday
homes on the housing crisis,
as towns collect their own
data. This situation should be
improved by the introduction of
API meublés, a data sharing pro-
gram that the government is
developing.
The ministries also recom-
mend lowering the income
connexionfrance.com
THE WIDESPREAD presence
of a banned pesticide recently
found in French tap water does
not pose a health risk, the gov-
ernment has said.
Metabolites of the fungicide
chlorothalonil, which has been
banned in France since 2019,
Photo: Shutterstock_Ekaterina Pokrovsky
were found in half of the drink-
ing water sampled in a study by
food safety agency Anses, using
new techniques.
European authorities class
chlorothalonil as a ‘suspected’
carcinogen, and its metabolite
– a byproduct as the pesticide is
broken down – R471811 is clas-
threshold for the micro-BIC tax sified by Anses as ‘relevant’.
regime from €176,200 per year This means there is reason to
to €72,600 – as it is already for believe its properties are com-
long-term furnished rentals. parable to its parent substance
Many town councils have not and it is potentially harmful.
waited for national legislation One in three samples showed
to take action. In 2021, Saint- traces of R471811 in excess of
Malo in Brittany introduced 0.1µg/L (micrograms per litre),
quotas per neighbourhood on the maximum allowed to meet
short-term rentals, requiring water quality standards.
owners to request authorisation The Ecology Ministry said
at the mairie. Authorities claim in a statement shared with
400 properties have returned to The Connexion: “At this stage,
long-term rental or been sold as Anses’s exploratory mission,
a result. which related to the years 2020
Sables-d’Olonne, in Vendée in and 2021, has revealed maxi-
west France, has introduced a mum concentrations of 2µg/L.”
similar quota. As the minimum threshold to
Annecy plans to do the same be considered a health risk is
from June 1, when it will limit 3µg/L, “the water is non-com-
the number of holiday rentals pliant but does not represent a
to 2,200, down from the health risk.”
present 2,800. “The Health Ministry remains
particularly vigilant and will
introduce more regular meas-
urements of chlorothalonil and
its metabolites, to be led by
regional health agencies.”
According to information
published by Anses in 2017,
some 39 chlorothalonil-based
products were authorised in
France, for various uses includ-
ing wheat, potatoes and fruit.
Anses analysed samples from
water points across France and
its overseas territories, repre-
senting approximately 20% of
distributed water.
It tested for 157 pesticides and
metabolites: 89 were detected at
least once in untreated water,
and 77 in treated water.
All regions of France are
affected, but the highest con-
centrations of pesticides and
metabolites in treated water
were found in Hauts de France
and Burgundy.
The results of the study high-
light the failure of water
treatment systems to filter
out metabolites.
Improvement will require
large-scale investment, claims
the environmental association
Générations Futures, which
says it should be up to polluters
to foot the bill.
The association’s spokesman
François Veillerette said: “We
have known since 2006 from
the European Commission that
News 7
chlorothalonil has the capacity
to produce metabolites in large
quantities. Yet no significant
research into the toxicity of
these metabolites has been con-
ducted and we have only very
recently begun searching for
them in water.”
The Ecology Ministry said the
results of the study reinforce
the need to reduce France’s
dependency on pesticides.
“Action must be taken so that
farmers do not find themselves
in a technical and economic
impasse, as has recently been
the case with S-metolachlor
and Neonicotinoids,” it said.
S-metolachlor is one of the
most widely used herbicides in
France. In February, Anses
announced its intention to with-
draw authorisation for its main
uses, as “in tests of drinking
water, the metabolites of
S-metolachlor have frequently
been detected at concentrations
exceeding the quality standards”.
Agriculture Minister Marc
Fesneau recently declared his
opposition to a national ban,
arguing France should wait for
European authorities to decide
on the matter, so as not to dis-
tort the competition when it
comes to food production.
Around two-thirds (68%) of
people in France regularly
drink tap water (2021 figures).
Around 48% buy bottled water.
 8 Electic cars connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

Charging points on increase but drivers can pay more than for diesel
AUTOROUTE operators say they are
still increasing the number of electric
vehicle (EV) charging points after
nearly meeting a government target.
An official map from the trade body
ASFA, produced in June 2022, claimed
219 autoroute service stations had
charging facilities, with 800 individual
posts, most of which delivered quick
charges of 150kW.
This equated to a charger for every
80km of autoroute.
“Things have changed considerably
since then,” an ASFA spokeswoman
told The Connexion. “The government
gave us a target of chargers at all
service areas on autoroutes by the
end of 2022, and now 97% of them
are equipped.
“We are in the process of updating
the numbers and should have the new
figures, which will be much higher
than from June 2022, out soon.”
She said the decision, made early by
operators, to install fast 150kW charg-
ing stations was showing its benefits.
“No one wants to have to wait long
just to get to the charger, and with a
150kW point, most drivers plug in for
no more than 15 minutes and get
enough to be on their way, even if the
battery is not 100% full. This means
there is usually an available charger,
although obviously, as the number of
electric cars increases, the number of
charging points must increase too.”
In France, almost all electric car buy-
ers also purchase domestic wall box
chargers at the same time. Estimates
from Renault are that more than 90%
of the electricity used to charge EV car
batteries comes from these.
As a result, public charging points are
rarely used, except in holiday season
by drivers passing through. In order to
cover installation costs, they are often
expensive to use. French motoring
magazines have calculated that elec-
tricity from public charging points
costs more per kilometre than diesel.
Nevertheless, the government wants
to see more public charging points
built, insisting that plans to ban new
petrol and diesel cars by 2035 make it
crucial that momentum is maintained.
Last year, it announced an aid package
to help small rural service stations buy
electric chargers, setting aside €10mil-
lion and promising to pay between 60%
and 70% of installation costs. According
to the car makers’ trade body ACEA,
EV sales in Europe rose by a record
28% in 2022.
Germans led the way, buying 198,293
EVs, followed by France (62,155).
ACEA’s new head, Luca de Meo, used
his first press conference to ask gov-
ernments to accelerate the installation
of electric car chargers.
He said that across Europe only 2,000
a week are being installed, while ACEA
has calculated that 14,000 a week are
needed to ensure the 2035 ban on sales
of internal combustion engines does
not cause chaos.

Yorkshire to Dordogne: we tried it

Nick Jenkins explains
how travelling to his
second home in
France has been
transformed by buying
an electric car
THE screen told us we had 0%
left in our battery as our electric
car crawled up to the charger.
We had been holding our breath
but could finally let out a sigh of
relief. We plugged the car in –
and disaster… the charger was
out of order.
Only kidding. Nothing at all
like that happened on our recent
drive to Dordogne, though it
might surprise those who believe
everything they read on some
Nick and the Tesla at his home in Dordogne
London to Paris rally to
showcase electric vehicles
We set off from Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire with 93%
on the battery. The car’s sat-nav guided us to charg-
ing stations along the route, though Cherwell Valley
was just a toilet stop and Havant was to top up
before the night Portsmouth to Saint-Malo ferry.
What did it cost?
Woodall Services, M1: 60%-100%, 24min, £16.63
Cherwell Valley, M40: 54%-80%, 15min, £9.46
Havant, Hampshire: 35%-99%, 33min, £18.90
Nantes: 30%-100%, 29min, £14.42
Niort: 36%-99%, 31min, £13.61
TOTAL: £73.02 The 2022 London-Brighton rally included self-built vehicles
We arrived at our house near Mareuil en Périgord, in ELECTRIC cars, bikes, lorries some good charging infra-
north Dordogne, with 50% on the battery. Prices are and even a plane will be structure, but when we did a
as shown on our statement. The total price is slightly crossing the Channel in July test run, the team took two
lower than our previous diesel Renault Kadjar at as part of the first London to hours driving around Paris to
normal pump prices but a lot less than motorway Paris Electric Vehicle Rally. find somewhere to plug in.”
diesel prices. The same amount of charging at home The event aims to showcase The entire route is 322km.
on an EDF Tempo night rate would cost less than €15. recent progress in eco-friendly “Roughly 25% of cars you can
technology and prove that buy from standard manufac-

Brits-in-France Facebook pages.
Electric cars are no longer a
novelty, of course. The Renault
Zoe has been around since 2012,
all the major manufacturers are
now producing electric vehicles
(EVs), and plug-in cars account-
ed for a quarter of new sales in
France last December – and a
third in the UK.
No doubt many readers
already drive one. They are
clearly the future, but there is
still resistance. Some people are
so attached to the quaint
mid-Victorian technology of
the internal combustion engine
that they cannot accept change
is coming. “I’m not buying a
Noddy car that only goes 50
miles,” one Luddite told me.
So let us tackle some of the
myths. First, anyone who thinks
EVs are Noddy cars has clearly
never been in one. Touch the
pedal and instant power deliv-
ers an astonishing acceleration.
Battery power is growing fast
– the first EV with 800km (500
miles) of range has already been
unveiled. And there is no need
to worry “where’s the electricity
going to come from?”
The UK’s National Grid web-
site tells us (and I doubt France
is very different): “Even if we all
switched to EVs overnight, we
believe demand would only
increase by around 10%. So we
would still be using less power
as a nation than we did in 2002.”
Bear in mind, too, that refin-
ing one gallon of petrol uses
about 4.5kWh of electricity,
which would power an EV for
nearly 20 miles. You can add to
that the energy – and emissions
– involved in getting the oil out
“
We are nearing
the point when
charging will take
scarcely any longer
than filling up
with petrol
of the ground, shipping it to
Western Europe, and then
delivering the refined product
to petrol stations.
Yes, a lot of electric cars are
expensive, but that is changing
fast too. We recently took deliv-
ery of a new Tesla Model 3 – the
most expensive car we have
ever bought by a long way, but
we could have spent more on a
petrol car, such as a mid-range
Skoda Kodiaq or VW Golf.
New electric models are com-
ing on the market all the time
and the French government is
offering incentives to buy them.
The MG4, for example, starts at
€22,990. It will not be long
before EVs are cheaper than the
old-fashioned alternative.
Ah, but what about the infra-
structure? There aren’t enough
chargers, are there? We put this
to the test in February, driving
from Yorkshire to our second
home in north Dordogne.
The good news, as you can see
from the panel, is that our sat-
nav had no problem finding
chargers, and stopping to top
up hardly slowed our journey.
We would always stop every
couple of hours for toilet breaks
or to change drivers anyway.
One surprise was that charg-
ing stations are not always
where you would expect them,
ie. at autoroute service stations.
In Nantes, we were directed to
a bank of Tesla superchargers in
the car park of a hotel. It was a
welcome and civilised break: a
coffee in the comfortable lounge
and we were off, fully charged.
In Niort, we topped up in the
car park of a budget hotel.
It looked as though we were in
the middle of nowhere, but
toilets, a self-service restaurant,
a branch of Paul and a shop
selling regional specialities were
just round the corner.
Encouragingly, in the UK and
in France we saw new chargers
being installed along the way.
At the aire where we stopped
to eat our sandwiches, a row of
brand-new superfast 300kW
chargers had just been set up.
This is key: chargers are get-
ting much faster. To give an
indication, most Tesla super-
chargers in the UK are 150kW.
Lidl is now rolling out 350kW
charging stations in France, so
we are nearing the point when
charging will take scarcely any
longer than filling up with petrol.
Of course, slow charging still
has its place. “Granny charging”
– a term grandmothers might
find offensive – means plugging
your car into a normal socket at
home. We tried it at our house in
Dordogne and it worked fine.
It is slow, but no problem if you
have all night to do it.
Charging at home is always
cheaper and our EDF Tempo
contract gives us a reduced
price during those quiet hours.
Inevitably, EVs have spawned a
whole new vocabulary.
“Volt and bolt” means stopping
for a quick top-up, but we nearly
fell victim to another EV-only
problem on our return journey
when three of the four charging
spaces in Saint-Malo were “iced”
– internal combustion engine
(ICE) cars parked in the bays
reserved for electric vehicles.
Luckily, one space remained,
and we were able to recharge
50% while shopping for a picnic.
As for driving, EVs are a
pleasure. Most electric cars
offer regenerative braking –
slowing down when you lift
your foot off the accelerator and
returning energy to the battery
– so you can drive with just the
one pedal. We barely touched
the brake for the whole journey.
Certainly, electric is the future
– and the future is already here.
Not just cars, of course: bicy-
cles, motorbikes, vans, buses and
HGVs are all going electric.
It is now less than seven years
until the 2030 UK ban on sales
of new petrol and diesel cars,
and many drivers are not wait-
ing. As the switch to electric
accelerates, traditional filling
stations will become even more
unprofitable.
Petrol car owners probably
cannot imagine it now, but
before long they might have to
get fuel delivered to their homes
by Amazon because the only
remaining pumps will be on
autoroutes.
Who will be suffering from
range anxiety then?
‘range anxiety’ is no longer a
major concern. It follows two
successful London to Brighton
rallies in 2020 and 2022.
Some 80 teams have already
signed up, and organisers hope
to have 150 electric vehicles.
Following a launch party in
London on July 1, participants
will travel to Brighton where
they will show off their vehi-
cles to the public and enjoy
food and live music, before
taking the overnight ferry
from Newhaven to Dieppe.
The rally will continue down
to Paris, where prizes will be
awarded to the most efficient
travellers.
The event is billed as zero
carbon: organisers will ask the
ferry operator to offset emis-
sions from the crossing.
“The ferry is subsidised by
Région Normandie, and emits
45,000 tonnes of carbon per
year. In this day and age, it’s not
good enough,” said Graham
Precey, who is helping to
organise the event.
“The race is a signal that
long-distance travel is possible
with electric cars, but it’s also a
signal for Normandy that
things need to change.”
While the region is active in
nuclear and hydrogen pro-
duction, as well as wind tur-
bines, the rally will highlight
the investment needed in elec-
tric car-charging points.
“Charging infrastructure
on the UK side is good,”
Mr Precey insisted, adding
that the same could not be
said for Normandy. “As you
get closer to Paris, there is
turers these days can do that
with no problems,” said Mr
Precey, “but it depends on the
temperature and the weather.”
There are currently no
Channel ferry services offer-
ing EV charging during the
crossing, but event organisers
have come up with a solution:
one of its sponsors will pro-
vide electric cars with large
batteries capable of charging
the whole fleet if necessary,
removing the stress of finding
a charging station.
The new hybrid model of the
Alpine sports car, manufac-
tured in Dieppe, will lead the
second part of the rally, but
organisers have requested that
only its electric engine is used.
“We are in a world where we
need to shift away from any-
thing that is crude oil-based,”
Mr Precey said.
The rally will also boast “the
first electric passenger flight
between France and the UK.”
There is still time to sign up,
although places are limited by
the ferry capacity. Those who
live in France have the option
to do just the French leg.
The entrance fee includes a
return trip on the ferry, break-
fast in Dieppe, and a
Normandy hamper delivered
during a stop in Gournay-en-
Bray (Seine-Maritime).
Visit londontoparis2023.com
for further information.
Future years could see the
rally extend to other parts of
France – or other European
capitals, Mr Precey said.
“We’re hoping it will be the
first of many.”
 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com News 9

Support for drought damage

insurance bill is a ‘good start’
Xxxxx

Photo: JAUBERT French Collection / Alamy Stock Photo

A BILL that would make it
easier for homeowners to be
compensated for damage due to
drought is “a good start but
does not go far enough,” an
association of insurance claim-
ants has said.
More than 10 million homes
are considered at risk of cracks
due to the way clay soil con-
tracts during droughts.
Homeowners can only make
insurance claims once a decree
declaring a catastrophe naturelle
(natural disaster) in their area
has been issued.
The bill, put forward by Green
MP Sandrine Rousseau and
Sandra Arfa is the main cause of the dam-
says her age, and place the burden on
the insurer to prove otherwise,
insurance firm
refuses to pay a move welcomed by Ms Niktas.
“Currently, they find all sorts
for essential
repairs to of reasons to say the drought is
cracks at her not to blame. Then it is up to
home, as people to pay for very expen-
shown here sive tests to defend themselves.”
Another change would allow
claimants to use the insurance
money to buy or build a new
house, if their current home is
rendered uninhabitable.
Ms Niktas believes the bill
could have gone even further,
were it not for party political
rivalries. She expressed regret
Photo: Sandra Arfa
be closely following the out-
come of the bill, which she says
is her “only hope” of paying
for repairs.
Ms Arfa first noticed cracks
Famous Roman bridge
closed for essential repairs
following the 2003 heatwave,
but her commune was not cov-
ered by a natural disaster
decree. “Over the years, when- A ROMAN bridge – one of closed, and boats will not be able
ever there was a drought, the only two ‘inhabited’ bridges in to travel underneath via the
damage would worsen, until we France – is to be evacuated to canal, while the owners of 18
had to do something as the prevent it collapsing. buildings will be made to under-
house was literally collapsing,” The Pont des Marchands in take urgent repair work.
she said. Narbonne, in the south west, The local economy is expected
She paid €60,000 out of her dates from the first century and, to suffer as a main shopping
own pocket for resin injections, along with the Pont De Rohan street is split in two, but author-
which held until new cracks in Landerneau in Finistère, is ities have promised to work
appeared in 2018, and some unusual in that it is also the site with shopkeepers to find nearby

passed by MPs, would change
the criteria for a natural disas-
ter. The drought would have to
be considered one of the five
worst in the last 50 years. It
must currently be among the
two worst droughts.
Cracks that get worse would
also be considered a ‘new event’,
allowing homeowners to claim
for repairs.
Hélène Niktas, of the associa-
tion Les Oubliés De La
Canicule, which guides victims
through drought insurance
claims, said: “We are satisfied,
particularly with the possible
evolution of the time periods.”
She was referring to the fact
that natural disaster decrees
would cover a period of 12
months from the event.
“When there is a flood, it hap-
pens at a specific moment, but
with a drought, the house will
not crack on a precise date.”
The bill would also introduce
a presumption that the drought
that an amendment put for-
ward by the Rassemblement
National was not retained.
It would have reduced the
excess owed by claimants for
drought damage – currently
€1,520, compared to €380 for
other natural disasters.
The bill will now go to the
senate. Ms Niktas says she is
“sceptical” it will be adopted in
its current form. “I think insur-
ance companies will exert pres-
sure between now and then.”
Sandra Arfa, the association’s
point of contact in Loiret, will
windows and doors were stuck. of several buildings. temporary rental locations.
This time, there was a decree, “It provides the link between “For a long time, the shops
but her insurer refused to pay the old and new towns,” said belonged to Narbonne residents,
out, saying the original damage Guy Clergue, deputy mayor in who took care of them. But in
had not been properly repaired. charge of local buildings. recent years they have been
The necessary work is estimat- “It is an important passage for bought by investors looking to
ed at €300,000, more than the local residents, and the central make money, and the work has
house is worth. route through the town.” not been done,” said Mr Clergue.
She is now waiting to see Studies into the buildings on “The Roman stone bridge is in
whether the reform goes the bridge found water infiltra- good condition, contrary to the
through. “It would mean if tion, rotten floorboards, fungi, shop buildings, dating from the
there is another decree in the and other signs of disrepair, 13th or 14th century.”
future, the worsening could be putting the entire structure The work is expected to last
taken into account, and the at risk. several months, although the
insurance will not be able to use The central part of the bridge, town hopes to reopen the bridge
the same argument,” she said. which is pedestrianised, will be within two months.

Mayor bans Sunday afternoon

hunting to make walkers safer
A MAYOR who has banned
hunting on Sunday afternoons
in his area believes a nation-
wide ban is possible.
Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, a town
of 20,000 people in eastern
you, it is not reassuring.”
Neighbouring village Taintrux
soon followed suit and imposed
its own Sunday afternoon ban
– the forest overlaps both com-
munes – so walkers can feel
compromise can be reached by
Do you still have
assets in the UK?
having discussions.”
He acknowledged that building
relationships makes it easier to
implement the policy at local
level: “I have been in dialogue

Will you pay more tax?

France, has banned hunting on
Wednesdays and from 13:00 on
Sundays. The measure will
begin when the hunting season
reopens in June.
Mayor Bruno Toussaint said it
was passed with the agreement
of local hunters, who accepted
it “without any problem.”
“Everybody says it’s impossible
for elected officials to discuss
with hunters, but you simply
need a bit of willingness, to get
around a table and weigh up the
pros and cons, and not be afraid
of having discussions,” he said.
The ban applies to two forests
within the commune’s bound-
aries, and signs will display the
new rules.
“We are lucky enough to be
surrounded by forests. It would
be a shame to force people to
stay in the town centre,” said Mr
Toussaint. “With Covid, people
got back into the habit of walk-
ing in the forest as a family, and
they could no longer do that.”
While there have been no
reported hunting accidents in
the commune, locals have had
to modify their behaviour to
avoid certain areas.
“People were afraid to go into
confident they have the forest for years, and have a good rela-
to themselves. tionship with the hunters.”
“The mayor is a hunter,” Mr Willy Schraen, president of
Toussaint said. “He discussed it the Fédération Nationale des
with the local hunting group, Chasseurs, has previously said
which quickly understood the giving up Sunday afternoons is
necessity of letting everybody “out of the question”.
enjoy nature.” Hunting-related injuries have
Mayors and MPs from across been gradually declining. At the
France have been in touch to start of the century, France
learn how the town was able to averaged around 180 hunting
implement the change. accidents each year.
More than three-quarters During the 2021-22 season,
(78%) of French people are in there were 90, according to
favour of banning hunting figures from the OFB biodiver-
completely on Sundays, an Ifop sity agency.
survey on behalf of seven In the same period, the num-
nature protection groups ber of fatal accidents per year
revealed in January. fell from 31 to eight.
Despite popular support, the Yet the OFB noted that last
measure was absent from the year was “also marked by a sig-
package of hunting safety meas- nificant increase in the propor-
ures announced by the govern- tion of non-hunters among
ment earlier this year. victims [26% compared to an
Green MP Charles Fournier average of 12% over the last 20
recently tabled a draft bill pro- years]”. Two non-hunters were
posing a Sunday ban, but there killed in 2021-22, and another
was not enough time for it to be 23 were injured.
debated. It had already pro- The government’s plans to
voked the ire of hunting lobby- improve safety include develop-
ists. They say the bill targets ing a smartphone app to inform
workers who have no option users about where hunts are
but to hunt on Sundays. taking place, introducing stand-
Mr Toussaint is in favour of ardised signs for hunting areas,
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When there are hunters beside can be the afternoon, and a for hunt organisers.
 10 What’s new connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

E-scooters, wood heating, minimum wage rise... changes in France

1. E-scooters
FRANCE is to increase the
minimum age for riding an
e-scooter (trottinette) from 12
to 14, the Transport Minister
has announced.
Fines for breaking the rules
will also be increased from €35
to €135, including for two
people using the same scooter.
Paris residents recently voted
to ban rental e-scooters from
the capital, and these will have
to be removed by September.
2: Wood heating aid
THE DEADLINE to apply for
help towards purchasing logs or
wood pellets has been extended
from April 30 to May 31.
The means-tested grant is
worth €50 to €200. You must
live in France and have a tax-
able income of less than €27,500
per household ‘part’. Apply at
chequeboisfioul.asp-public.fr.
3: Stove rules
RESTRICTIONS on wood
stoves have been introduced
in a number of areas of the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region,
including Lyon.
has also been banned in Lyon.
4: Sexual harassment
HIGHER penalties have been
introduced for ‘aggravated’
forms of street harassment by
making it an offence with a
maximum fine of €3,750, up
from €1,500. This applies to
verbal sexual harassment,
which qualifies as ‘aggravated’
when the victim is a minor or
vulnerable person, or is target-
ed for their sexual or gender
identity. It also applies when it
is committed by a group or by
a person who has already been
charged for similar acts, or it
takes place on public transport.
5: Minimum wage rise
THE SMIC minimum wage
will rise by 2.19% in May in
response to inflation. That
means €30 a month more for
Minimum book delivery fee
FRANCE is to introduce a minimum
fee of €3 for book deliveries worth less
than €35, from October 7.
This will not apply to ordering books
for in-store collection.
somebody on a full-time chronic illnesses that have a
contract at minimum wage,
to reach €1,383 net per month.
significant impact on daily life,
including diabetes, multiple
6: Benefits rise
sclerosis and severe epilepsy.
UNEMPLOYMENT benefits 8: Pensions reform
have risen by 1.9%, also in THE controversial decision to
response to inflation. The raise the retirement age from
minimum amount has gone 62 to 64 has been officially
from €30.42 to €31 per day. adopted, after the Conseil
The allocation de solidarité constitutionnel broadly
spécifique, for people who have approved the changes.
exhausted their unemployment The first workers affected
benefit allowance, has risen by will be those born in
the same amount. September 1961, who will
retire three months later than
7: Parental leave they would have previously.
PARENTS who find out their Visit info-retraite.fr to simu-
child has a chronic illness or late your likely retiring age.
cancer can now take a mini- The calculator is due to be
mum of two days paid leave. updated with the latest changes
The measure was already in on June 7.
place for parents who learn
their child has a disability, but
it has now been extended to
Dates for your diary
May 1: International Workers’
Day bank holiday
May 8: VE Day bank holiday
May 18: Ascension Day bank
holiday
Photo: shutterstock_Massimo Santi
Regulated gas price clients to be
transferred to ‘similar’ contract
ENGIE clients who are still
signed up to the regulated gas
tariff when it is abolished on
June 30 will be automatically
transferred to a transitional
contract.
It has been impossible to
sign up to the regulated tariff
since November 2019, but
there are still some 2.3 million
clients who have yet to switch
to a market-rate offer.
The government has sent
letters inviting people to
make the switch, but many
have opted to wait as other
contracts have often been
more expensive.
If they have not acted by the
June deadline, they will be
placed on a passerelle (bridge)
offer, meaning the gas supply
will not be cut off.
This is a specific, transition-
al offer, exclusively for people
who are still signed up to the
regulated tariff. It will evolve
monthly, following the same
an alternative contract type
for free at any moment.
Between March and April,
clients were given an indica-
tion of the price, which was
reportedly 3% higher than
the regulated tariff.
However, the actual price
that will be applied in July
will not be known until
mid-June and may be lower.
To find the best deal, you
can consult comparison sites
such as that of national
energy ombudsman the
Médiateur National de
l’Energie (MNE), at compara-
teur-offres.energie-info.fr.
Finance Minister Bruno Le
Maire has said that although
the government’s bouclier
tarifaire (price shield), which
limited regulated gas prices to
a 15% rise in January, will
end this year, the electricity
price shield will continue and
not end before at least “the
start of 2025.” The latter will

Homes with existing stoves
will need to meet new regula-
tions, and you will only be able
to install new appliances with
the ‘green flame’ logo, denoting
very good energy efficiency.
The use of open fireplaces
The policy is meant to remove the May 29: Journée de solidarité,
competitive advantage enjoyed by large a day which used to be a
e-commerce platforms, such as public holiday, but employees
Amazon, which can afford to offer free are now expected to work,
delivery. The minimum fee for orders with the extra salary going
over €35 will remain €0.01. towards helping elderly or
disabled people
trajectory as the benchmark
prices set by the Commission
de régulation de l’énergie
(CRE) energy regulator.
Clients will be able to
switch to another supplier or
be abolished in stages, with
details yet to be announced.
Gas prices have fallen in
recent months, and are
expected to remain at a level
below the current price shield.

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 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com News 11

‘Beer is consumed a bit like malt

whisky here, often as an apéritif ’
FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002

Subscribers save money

+ benefit from exclusive
As France’s craft beer
revolution continues, daily web articles
Martin Greenacre takes
a look at how tastes
have changed

Photo: Brasserie Craig Allan

YOU could say he came for the
wine and stayed for the beer.
Originally from Edinburgh,
Craig Allan is now part of a
Brasserie Craig Allan’s
vibrant craft beer scene in
France, which he is confident Yirgacheffe Imperial Stout, Here are some recent subscriber
will resist the double challenge aged in pinot noir barrels
web-only articles:
of Covid and inflation. to spend money on good beer.
Mr Allan studied malting, He says craft beer remains a n France to roll out n All homes in France
brewing and distilling science small niche within the market, a ‘wildfire risk map’. must have access to food
in the Scottish capital, where but one that is growing – part How will it work? waste bin from next year
he met Sabine, his future wife, of a wider trend for buying

Photo: Brasserie Craig Allan

n Warning for n Flight prices from
in 2001. “She was selling wine local, quality produce. homeowners as France keep soaring: tips
for a company in Beaune, and “Up until Covid, the future
they had recommended she looked extremely bright. Now
property prices fall to find the best deals?

In our June issue...

spend time in the UK to we are going through a slightly
improve her English.” Craig Allan produces beer from his French farmhouse turbulent period. There are
They soon moved to Burgundy, so many breweries that ones
Breweries
where he spent time working
in the vineyards. After a brief
return to Scotland, the couple
face rising
bottle prices
where the quality is not good
enough might be struggling
at the moment. But for ones
Your questions answered
moved to Oise in northern due to the which manage to produce n Do I risk warranty if my declare ownership of it?
France in 2009, and the follow- invasion of quality beers, I think there will car is serviced by someone n I am French: can I bring
ing year, Mr Allan returned Ukraine be a good future for them.” other than the dealer?
Photo: Shutterstock_Pack-Shot

over my British mother?

to his passion and decided to Mr Allan’s business had been n Do you get better deals n Statement shows I was
create his own beer, under the growing comfortably until by shopping in ventes wrongly charged €100 for
label Brasserie Craig Allan. Covid restrictions caused sales
“There were some discourag- to fall by 30% in 2020 and 2021.
privées or official sales? bar drink: what can I do?
ing voices when I started,” he The recent inflation crisis has n French home is owned n Will UK N.I. payments
says, in a market that was much been another obstacle. by a UK company: how do I affect my French pension?
less developed. beers want oxygen to get in as the French approach,” he said. “Everything has gone up
The number of breweries in
France rose from 442 in 2011
it feeds the microbes and you
get interesting flavours.”
“It’s healthier.”
“Beer is consumed a bit like
significantly”, says Mr Allan,
who recently raised his prices
PLUS KEY POINTS OF...
to reach 2,300 in 2020, more
than any other European coun-
His most popular beer is an
IPA (India pale ale), reflecting
malt whisky, often as an apéritif
– you’d have one or two before
by 10%. He says the price of
malt alone has risen by 30% to
Owning a French second home:
try, according to the Brasseurs a trend that began in the US a meal. 40% in the last two years. taxes payable and visiting rights
de France trade union. and UK. “IPA has become the “You don’t drink so much in A spokesperson for Brasseurs

Why women
They are responding to a most popular style in France. bars. I do sell some kegs, but de France told The Connexion
clear demand – 56% of French In 2010, it was practically if I think back to breweries I that prices of “raw materials,
people now name beer among unknown here. worked for in the UK, we sold but also packaging (glass, card-

composers
their favourite alcoholic drinks, “My best sales come from much more to pubs and bars.” board, aluminium), transport-
compared to 55% for wine, my three hoppy, relatively pale The perfect illustration of ation, but above all energy” had
according to a survey conduct- beers. When I first came up this preference for quality over all risen between 30% and 60%.

should no
ed in December by Dynata and with my beer Agent Provo- quantity is the Michelin-starred Malting and glass-making
marketing company Sowine. cateur, which is like a hybrid restaurant in Paris, Frenchie, are both energy-intensive and

“
Mr Allan began by working between an IPA and a more which asked Mr Allan to create companies have had to pass on

longer play
with a brewery in Belgium a bespoke beer for its diners. rising costs to breweries.
to produce the beers – the “For a long time in France, a To that is added the fact that
original three varieties are still good Michelin-star restaurant many of the glass bottles used

second fiddle
made there – but in 2015 he probably didn’t have any beer. for beer and wine were prev-
was able to install a brewery in Now, with the younger genera- iously imported from Ukraine.
an outbuilding of the family’s tion of restaurants, they prob- Many breweries are now
farmhouse after convincing There is not this ably have a few beers on offer, turning to a consigne system,
the bank to lend him money. culture of drinking from small craft breweries.” where consumers can bring INTERVIEW
Hélène Luzzati, the
“When I’m brewing, you The notion of beer as a luxury their bottles back to the shop
can see steam coming out. I’d a lot in a short item is fairly new. The market for recycling in exchange for
worked in a few breweries in period of time was previously dominated by a small sum of money.
Scotland, and was aware that
ideally you live on site, as there Craig Allan,
a few large brands. Beer was to
quench your thirst, and had few
A survey from Brasseurs de
France published in Decem- cellist championing
will always be something to
check on at the weekend.”
As well as the four regular
Brewer cheerleaders outside northern
and eastern France, where a
beer culture exists due to prox-
ber showed that eight out of
10 breweries said they were
affected by price rises of more
forgotten works
beers produced there, this is Belgian ale, I tried to sell it to imity to Belgium and Germany. than 10%. These and many more practical tips and topics
where he makes more experi- clients in Paris but for most “When I started, I remember Half resorted to a prêt garanti about life in France + full access to our website

subscribe
mental one-off beers in smaller people it was too bitter. They somebody saying France is a par l’État (state-guaranteed
batches, including maturing were used to sweeter Belgian desert for good beer. I’d briefly loan) during the pandemic, as
beer in Burgundy wine barrels. beers like Leffe, which are indust- worked in the whisky trade, the closure of bars and restaur-
The latter is part of a trad- rial and tend to be low on hops.” and France was the biggest ants and the cancellation of
Subscribe now at connexionfrance.com
ition in Belgium, with lambic Belgian beers are usually market for malt whisky in events slashed their revenue.
beer, but Mr Allan says small stronger than those found in the the world. I thought if they can Connexion readers keen to
breweries are rediscovering UK, meaning beer tends to be appreciate that, they can appre- sample craft beers for them- to receive the June edition at your home and
the technique. “The benefit enjoyed in smaller quantities. ciate very good beer, as there selves should check out France’s
with wood is it is porous, so “There is not this culture of are overlapping flavours.” numerous trade fairs, such as
benefit from full access to our web articles.
oxygen can get into the beer. the pub, and drinking a lot in Most of his sales come from Planète Bière in Paris every Only €66 to a French address
“You normally try to avoid a short period of time and get- Paris and other cities, where March. Most major cities also
that with classic beer, but sour ting drunk. Personally, I prefer there are more people willing have their own beer festival. Or call
call Nathalie on 06 40 55 71 63
 12 French Life connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

How to avoid the wait for a driving test

France first-hand: Traditional driving schools can offer earlier test dates
Simpler, cheaper, faster, and younger?
Learning to drive A SIMPLIFIED process of using the CPF to finance driv-
Interview by Annaliza Davis getting a driving licence in er training as part of a profes-
France, including using con- sional career is limited to ‘B
tracted examiners to shorten licences’, for standard cars.
Born in England, the average 53-day wait for a Widening this, said
Lily Abel moved test, is under review by the Mr Houlié, is essential “for a
government. good number of craftsmen
to France as a Lowering the age that a or self-employed people.”
toddler, grew up in person can apply for their Dismissing fears that con-
Photo: Lily Abel

licence, from 18 to 16, is also tracted examiners would be

Brittany and is now on the table. insufficiently trained, Mr
studying in Spain The idea to streamline the Houlié told Le Parisien: “The

Photo: sylv1rob1_shutterstock
process gained unanimous people recruited for the miss-
support during a vote by MPs ion of inspectors, ie. those
I FIRST thought about learning to drive in parliament in late March, who will control fraud in
when I was 15. Some of my friends started though it has raised fears that the Code exam, and who will
the AAC system (apprentissage anticipé de ‘outsourcing’ will lead to a fall go to driving schools to see
la conduite), learning to drive with their in road safety standards. how the training is provided,
parents, but I felt I was still a bit young. Sacha Houlié, the MP who will have to follow a six-
At 17, it became an issue. My parents instructor, as well as the time and place for that I would have to wait five months for suggested the reforms, prom- month training course.
lived in a rural area where the only way each lesson. The only problem was that it another date. I did not want to wait that ises all future examiners will Contracted staff recruited
of getting around was by car, so it was took eight months to get a date for my long, so I switched to an intensive course undergo thorough training only to administer the exams
essential to get my licence. driving test because Ornikar operates on a with a driving school in Quimper. Having and anticipates a “cheaper, will have to undergo two
In France, you start with the Code, which candidat libre system. This means you already done 30 hours of lessons, I only simpler and faster” system for months of training.”
is the theory aspect of driving. apply as an individual and provide all the needed 10 hours on the intensive course, learner drivers in future. Foreign nationals living
In September 2020, I had just started at paperwork and insurance yourself. When which I did over two weeks. I got a date To that end, the bill also in France are reminded that
university in Brest and did not have much you learn with a traditional driving school, for a new test one week later and passed. proposes the creation of a they might need to exchange
spare time. For that reason, I chose the they can get a date within about a week! Licence in pocket, I felt ready to drive single digital platform listing their current licence for a
online company Ornikar, which offers However, when I finally received a test alone. One benefit of learning in a city existing financial aid available French one.
theory lessons on the internet and driving date, I learned that my previous instructor was that country roads felt a lot easier! for those taking the test. Generally, British drivers
lessons in person. At around €30, it was was on holiday for the whole month so I The first big challenge was parking. Even The platform would be can continue to use UK
less than half the cost of theory lessons in had to change to another one for my last though I had learned a lot during my les- managed by the government licences issued by January 1,
a traditional driving school, and I could lessons and for the test. This also meant sons and practised often, I still struggled. and make it easier for learner 2021, and which are still valid.
learn whenever I had free time. getting used to a new car, so I didn’t feel The second challenge was being the drivers to discover the help to When photocard licences
The online lessons were easy to under- very confident when the day came. designated driver on a night out, because which they are entitled. are within six months
stand and the final exam for the Code It was nerve-wracking because you driving with drunk people in the car is a The average candidate for of expiry, they must be
looked exactly like the mock tests I had obviously want to pass first time and not go very different experience. It can be difficult a French driving licence exchanged for a French one.
studied, so there were no nasty surprises. I through it all again, but the test wasn’t too to focus. Now that I have done it a few currently pays about €1,800, UK licences issued after
passed on my first attempt in January 2021. bad. My instructor was in the back of the times, I am more used to it. including lessons and the January 1, 2021, will remain
After that, I felt pressured to start the car and the examiner was in the passenger There are some aspects of how I learned theory and practical tests. valid for one year after
practical lessons as soon as possible. seat. He was really friendly and explained that I liked and some that I didn’t. If you Other proposed measures to moving to France. Apply
I wanted a summer job and knew I would everything clearly. The routes were mostly want to begin learning to drive in France, lower this cost include extend- to exchange it before then.
need to drive to and from work. That gave ones I had already been on because the I suggest doing plenty of research before ing the scope of the compte If you hail from a country
me six months to do the lessons and pass instructors usually have a good idea of starting the Code: contact the school, read personnel de formation (CPF) with no licence-swap agree-
the test. where the examiners take you. reviews, and check how long you will end – a state scheme that funds ment in place, you will need
During the first lockdown in 2020, my When you finish your test, the examiner up waiting to get a test date. professional training. to take a French driving test.
mum had taught me the basics of driving, just says thank you and goodbye. You have I would recommend learning the Code In future, it could include This affects some American
so I knew a little before I started lessons. no idea if you have passed or failed – online and then doing an intensive driving licences for motorbikes, small drivers, as not all US states
The instructors were friendly, understand- usually you find out within 48 hours. I course for faster results and an earlier cars and trailers. Currently, have agreements with France.
ing and very patient. I could choose my ended up failing the first time and was told test date.

Career change: Our success soon had others beating a path to our door
In our series featuring sive, they opened their doors to maximise occupancy and too. The whole week is ours
people who have New directions: guests in June 2016. ensure the business thrives. to do with as we like – no
The main farmhouse has “Some owners are struggling, commuting, no endless team
changed career Charity fundraiser been converted into a five-bed- others are doing well but want meetings, and no structured
in France, Rupert to gîte guru room gîte, and a smaller build- to increase repeat bookings office hours.
ing into a one-bedroom cottage. and lower costs,” says Rupert. “So we arrange our work
Photo: Stella Gommans

Springfield explains
why he gave up the
charity sector to
carve out a new
role in hospitality
WHEN Rupert Springfield and
his husband Franck van der
Hooft moved to Dordogne in
2015, they were looking for a
new professional challenge.
“I was head of fundraising for
a Dutch breast cancer charity
and Franck was a theatre
producer,” Rupert says, “but
we needed a change.”
The couple had been living in
Amsterdam for 15 years and
wanted somewhere quieter.
The idea of rural France
came when the pair spent a
holiday in Dordogne in 2013.
“Like so many others, we loved
spent two years searching for
the right location to realise
their dream. They had almost
given up when they visited an
Rupert Springfield, left, with old farm that would become
husband Franck van der Hooft their eventual home.
“We had viewed 69 properties
the stunning countryside, the by that point and despondency
history of the region, the was beginning to set in,” admits
weather and the markets full of Rupert. “However, when we
local produce,” says Rupert. drove up the hill to Le Mas, it
“The properties were afford- just felt right.”
able, and we met gîte owners The property they chose
who were running successful comprised a traditional stone
businesses here. farmhouse and several out-
“In the past, we had talked buildings. It had been renovat-
about one day doing something ed in the 1990s, but still need-
in hospitality, and it was as if ed a great deal of work.
everything suddenly fell into Undeterred, the couple bought
place. We decided to find a the property for €427,500 and
property we could run as a gîte.” budgeted around €300,000 for
The couple had exacting renovations and furnishings.
ideas of what they wanted to While the works, which began
achieve within their budget, so in October 2015, were exten-
A barn, meanwhile, has been “We visit the properties, meet around time outdoors – walk-
transformed into a two-bed- the owners, look at their busi- ing our dog and making the
room home for Rupert and ness and come up with a plan most of the countryside.”
Franck. The property also to reach their full potential. In terms of the job, there are
includes a swimming pool, “We moved to Dordogne for no regrets either, despite both
games rooms, a summer a new challenge and a different men having enjoyed their
kitchen and plenty of outdoor life, working both as our own previous roles immensely.
space for guests to enjoy. boss and together for the first “In charity fundraising, there
The gîte business quickly time. Not only do we love the was inbuilt job satisfaction in
became a roaring success, with unspoilt countryside and the knowing I was working for a
more than half of guests making clement weather, but our work- worthy cause,” says Rupert.
repeat bookings. In fact, things ing life is really enjoyable, with “Although it was full-on, it
went so well that another gîte great guests and clients.” was a great role to have. And
owner approached them asking Unexpected opportunities Franck loved producing Cirque
for tips and advice. have also arisen, such as film- du Soleil in Europe and then
“So while still running our ing for a TV programme and theatre in the Netherlands.
gîtes, we set up a consultancy writing an article for the “But our current situation
business in 2020 to help other Sunday Times. does not just offer us job satis-
gîte owners achieve their full Rupert says: “We weren’t sure faction – it has given us the life
potential,” says Rupert. how we would manage work- satisfaction that Amsterdam
Gîte Guru advises existing and ing together, but we agreed on could no longer offer.
new gîte owners on every aspect our goals and divided the tasks “Personally, professionally
of running one, from interior quite naturally. Being our own and as a couple, it’s been a
design to marketing, in order to boss has been a real revelation great move.”
 The Connexion
Paris costume warehouse plays
key role in world’s biggest movies
by Théophile Larcher
FOR FILM buffs, there can be few greater
treats than browsing famous costumes
from cinema history.
One of the biggest repositories is based
in Pantin, in the north-eastern suburbs
of Paris, where everyone from Steve
McQueen to Vincent Cassel has been
suited and booted for the silver screen.
EuroCostumes is France’s largest costume
rental service. It was re-branded in 1998
by Pascale Bourtequoi, 62, whose family
has been working in costumes for three
generations. She has several warehouses
around the city, but no precise idea of
how many garments currently hang on
the labyrinth of rails inside them.
A recent email from a client offering
even more clothes gives some idea of the
Herculean labour a stocktake might be.
“So, 400 tops, 200 skirts, 100 jackets,
55 raincoats, 3,000 ties...,” she reads, a
wry smile on her face.
The Connexion met her at the 4,000m²
warehouse where most costumes are
stocked and rented – mainly for cinema
and theatre productions.
In recent years, EuroCostumes has
dressed cast members from TV’s Peaky
Blinders, The Crown, The Queen’s Gambit,
Black Butterflies, and Transatlantic, as well
as from blockbuster movies including Dun-
kirk (2017) and the The Three Musketeers:
D’Artagnan, currently in cinemas.
Ms Bourtequoi also points out costumes
recently borrowed for the Karl Lagerfeld
mini-series Kaiser Karl and for a biopic
of French singer Charles Aznavour, called
Monsieur Aznavour.
Throughout the warehouse tour, Ms
Bourtequoi’s commentary is frequently
paused to reorganise racks or exclaim
over missing items.
“Staff hate it when I give these tours
because they know I will spot every detail,”
she says, amused.
Every inch of space is used. Hats are
stored in boxes or hung off rails. Elsewhere right, the costume worn by Vincent Cassel in Beauty and the Beast (2014), hanging in its warehouse
are containers labelled ‘Shoes 1930’ or
‘Blue belts’. Whole rails are dedicated to
‘Skirts 1980’ or ‘Waistcoats 1970’.
Women’s clothing takes over the entire
ground floor, while men’s costumes are
stored in the basement.
The oldest garment
dates back to the 17th
century, with the most
fragile items stored in
what is nicknamed
‘The Box Gallery’.
Here you will find the
original costume worn
by French star Jean-Paul
Belmondo in Borsalino
(1970), among other
treasures.
Despite her huge exist-
ing stock, Ms Bourtequoi
never throws anything
Photo: Theophile Larcher
out and is always on the
lookout for more interest-
ing items.
“You never know what The company has a large Owen came over
the next client will have selection of period costumes from London to
to offer,” she says, citing
the example of a store closure in 2000,
where she picked up 40 years of unsold
clothes in pristine condition.
“Some were Lacoste clothes dating from
before the crocodile logo,” she says.
More recently, EuroCostumes went to a
farm in Tulle (Corrèze) where the owner
had 2,000 pairs of shoes from the 1930s to
May 2023 connexionfrance.com Film / History 13
Resistance drama
in Marseille meets
critical resistance
by Liv Rowland
THE new Netflix war series
Transatlantic has come in for
both praise and criticism from
the press and academics for its
depiction of Marseille in 1940,
a time that saw the rise of early
Resistance movements.
For Ouest-France, it “won us
over” with its “distinguished
costumes, elegant ambiance
and detailed reconstruction of
the period," while 20 Minutes
found it “always exciting," mix-
ing different genres “with brio."
Le Figaro and Le Monde,
Photo: Theophile Larcher
however, thought showing
black characters from the
colonies creating Resistance
movements and drawing links
with antiracism and anticolon-
EuroCostumes director Pascale Bourtequoi sorts garments for hire at the warehouse ialism reflects current politics
more than the period.
While for Le Monde the aim
"does not lack sincerity", Le
Figaro objects to a lack of posi-
tive images of the white French.
The show centres around the
historical character of Varian
Fry, an American journalist
who in 1940-41 helped get
thousands of vulnerable people,
including Jews and ‘subversive’
Photo: PictureLux / The Hollywood Archive / Alamy Stock Photo
artists and philosophers, such
as Marc Chagall, Marcel
Duchamp, Hannah Arendt,
Max Ernst and André Breton,
out of France.
The series has partly been
hailed for helping boost the
profile of Fry, who was not
Photo: Theophile Larcher
previously a household name.
However, Jean-Marie Guillon,
professor emeritus of modern
history at Aix-Marseille
University and an expert on
Outfits from EuroCostumes were used in the hit series Peaky Blinders, above left, and, above the Resis­tance, is not a fan.
He told The Connexion that
sticking points for him included
1980s nestled in the hay. Ms Bourtequoi the ashes and re-branded as EuroCostumes giving a greater role to wealthy
has costumes in her blood. Her grand- in an effort to attract international clients. American Mary-Jayne Gold
father, Marcel Traonouez, was a costume “More and more American and British than is historically accurate (“she
designer and his portrait still hangs over creators are collaborating with us, looking was remarkable but she said in
the staircase at the warehouse. for authenticity,” she says. her mem­oirs that her role was
Her father followed EuroCostumes also runs a repair service peripheral”); a “postcard” ver-
him into the business on the first floor, where seamstresses patch sion of Marseille, which he said
and her son, up garments that still have potential. was dirty, poor and crowded;
Alexandre Metier, “I call it suturing,” says Isabelle Calzada, and people shown walking to
is now in charge 60, who joined the firm last January. the Pyrenees (400km).
of the company. She has been working on a 17th century He also criticised as "box-
Ms Bourtequoi ballgown for over a week and dreams of ticking" a gay romance for Fry,
grew up running seeing it in a movie one day. who he said was married and
around the racks. Ms Calzada started sewing as a young not known to have relationships
She saw Steve girl, initially designing skirts for her Barbie in Marseille. Fry's son has,
McQueen trying dolls from fabric offcuts given to her by however, said he believes his
on a costume for her mother. father was a closeted gay man.
Papillon (1973) and Her colleague, 19-year-old Axelle Prof Guillon was also not
French actors Louis Duquesne, also started out on toys before aware of black Africans from
de Funès, Jean Gabin enrolling as a NVQ student at a school the French colonies involved in
and Alain Delon also in Paris with a five-week internship at the early Resistance and “hardly
paid visits. EuroCostumes. On the day of our visit, her any” from North Africa.
Recently, Clive job was to change the lining on a blue coat. Two aspects the show got
Their work will ultimately return to the right were the fact that
rails behind them and be wheeled off to Marseille was arguably the
be fitted for the join the thousands of other garments in place where the Resistance got
TV drama Monsieur Spade. the warehouse. under way, especially in the
However, her early costume career Once, during a tax audit 15 years ago, south, and that from 1940 the
almost ended in disaster when her grand- Ms Bourtequoi was politely asked how UK secret services worked
father’s premises burnt to the ground in many clothes the company had. closely with the early groups.
February 1982. Aged just 21 at the time, Her response was simply to open the Prof Guillon said the work of
she thought she had wiped out her family’s door to the warehouse. Fry in 1940-41 can be seen as
professional heritage. “All good,” the auditor hurriedly mutter- part of this.
Ms Bourtequoi rebuilt the company from ed. “Forget what I just asked.” “Even if the Resistance didn’t
exist in 1940 – it had yet to be
created, to be invented – Fry’s
actions were part of what was
going to become the Resis­tance.
It was the Resistance before
the Resistance.”
The British Intelligence Ser­
vice (IS) got in touch with Fry
and others in the area to get
stranded British soldiers out
of the country via Spain, as
is shown in the series.
However, Prof Guillon said
“
they were not held in the Camp
Transatlantic shows
a 'postcard' version
of 1940 Marseille
des Milles prison camp but
were under house arrest in
a barracks in the city and were
relatively free to come and go.
The IS also, from these early
years, started working to set
up intelligence systems within
France, notably making contact
with a socialist group in
Marseille with which Daniel
Bénédite, Fry’s French ‘right-
hand man’, was associated.
In 1942, IS's successor the
Special Operations Executive
also worked with early groups,
which, Prof Guillon said, made
Marseille "the capital of the
Resistance" before Lyon.
A key figure in this was
Henri Freney, a French army
captain who set up there in
1940 what is now considered
the first organisation in the
French ‘interior’ resistance,
that is, la Résistance within
France. This is different from
the Free French of Général de
Gaulle, which was based in
London from June 1940.
“His movement of national
liberation later merged with
another group that was very
present in Marseille, Liberty –
which printed a little news-
paper in the city – to become,
at the end of 1941, Combat, the
main Resistance movement in
the non-occupied zone.”
Marseille was also associated
with the Communists, who
played a key Resistance role,
he said.
Future Resistance hero Jean
Moulin, later based in Lyon,
initially took refuge in
Marseille’s Bouches-du-Rhone
department where he had
grown up, Prof Guillon said.
He came to the city to organ-
ise paperwork to leave France,
as well as to inform himself
about the early networks.
This helped him write the
report he gave to de Gaulle,
one of the first on the start of
the Resistance in France, which
led to de Gaulle designating
him to go back [in 1942] and
unify all these groups."
14 Comment connexionfrance.com
Richard Ogier is an Australian journalist based in Simon Heffer, the renowned political commentator
Strasbourg. He has written on France and Germany
for the LA Times, Canadian Globe and Mail, Liberation, and historian, turns his gaze to French politics
Independent and for his native Australian press.
He joins The Connexion as a regular columnist Simon Heffer is also a columnist for the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs
Don’t let the recent T
o most rational people,
President Macron’s decision
to raise the retirement age
from 62 to 64 (remember that in
protests detract
Britain [and the US] it is moving
in gradations to 67) is perfectly
sensible. Greater longevity and
from some positives
improved medical care have meant
people can be economically
productive far longer than their
parents were, and early retirement
is unnecessary and expensive.
THE WHITE noise of retirement reform has obscured a handful of And yet the response to this policy
significant and encouraging developments for France. has been hysterical and violent.
Unemployment has dropped to 7.2% when it has been nearer to double M Macron may have asked for it: the
digits for most of the past five decades. National statistics agency Insee old cliché de haut en bas might have
says almost 1.75 million new jobs have been created in France in five been invented for him; or perhaps
years, 97% in the private sector. plus royaliste que le roi.
Inflation, meanwhile, is currently lower than in Germany, Britain, Italy, No president in the Fifth Republic
the Scandinavian countries and Australia. has been so conscious of his dignity
The CAC-40 share index, whose companies employ about 1.5 million since de Gaulle, nor stood on it quite
people in France, has added 30% in value since the start of the year. so grandly.
Listed firms in aeronautics, armaments, alcoholic beverages and the M Macron is self-consciously a
luxury sector continue to perform strongly, the latter linked to a very leader, a member of the elite, and
French specificity and image. For much of the world, French style unashamed to be so. That is doubt-
remains unbeatable. less why his popularity is at a four-
New EU figures show that Paris Ile-de-France is one In a highly year low, and why the loathing
of the most competitive regions in Europe, as is more in which he is held is getting out
broadly France compared to Britain and Germany. competitive of control.
This is based on 68 criteria including basic business and febrile One of the biggest triggers for out-
services, innovation, access to technology (including international rage was the use of Article 49.3 of the
fibre optics) and an educated workforce. Fifth Republic’s constitution to force
Of course, continuing strife over retirement reform environment, the hated pension reforms into law.
would risk denting France’s allure to foreign investors. France has This provision, described as ‘dictatori-
For the moment however, in a highly competitive and al’, has been in the constitution since
febrile international environment, France has become become this republic was created in 1958.
immensely attractive to foreign money, meaning a immensely Those, mostly on the left, who have
boost for growth and more new jobs in the future. attractive complained about its use are being
France’s Public Investment Bank says that about somewhat hypocritical: François
a third of French factories closed in the 20 years to to foreign Hollande, the last socialist president,
2015. A new Trendeo consultancy study, however, has money, used it on six occasions in the penul-
found that since 2017 factories are being built at a timate year of his presidency, and the
faster rate than they are being lost (if extensions to meaning a country was not burned down.
existing facilities are included). Evidence of the ‘green boost for M Macron is developing a sense of
shoots’ of a long-hoped-for French industrial recovery? growth destiny, and is resolute that the best
Perhaps. At the very least, the haemorrhaging of interests of France are served by this
industrial jobs seems to have slowed. measure (and he is right about that).
These developments are largely ignored by populists or dismissed as Might the same result have been
‘ultra-liberal,’ rather than seen as the product of a French brand of achieved by negotiation, by a less
social-liberalism that, for all its problems, is bearing some fruit. authoritarian president who was
Triumphalism about the French economy would obviously be misplaced. prepared to try and sit down and
Problems of cost-efficiency, reduced international market share, too much reason with his opponents a little
bureaucracy and the eye-watering debt and deficits continue to more? Probably not.
undermine future prospects. France has about 10 million people living Those fighting M Macron are not
in ºpoverty, according to the Secours Catholique charity, who struggle to doing so because he is stealing their
cover rent, healthcare, transport and the costs of basic clothing and food.
Like the structural unemployment that has hurt three generations of
extra two years on the golf course, or
on round-the-world cruises: they are
French families financially and psychologically, poverty is surely part of doing so because of a deep ideologi-
the deeper explanation for the current malaise around a modest retire- cal belief in state welfarism, which
ment reform. includes a determination not to ask
The French state is one of the most redistributive in the world, which has where all the money is coming from.
tended to mean relatively low income disparity compared to other major M Macron is right to repudiate
developed economies. But France is also one of the world’s highest taxing such sentiments, and to look askance
countries, when taxes are measured with net social contributions as a at the growing rhetoric in France
percentage of Gross Domestic Product (though not as income tax or about the luxury in which the rich
taxation per household). Government spending is one of the highest of live compared with the struggles of
the OECD countries. the general public.
France has slipped in international rankings on healthcare provision Welfare is paid for by taxation;
and education, even as it has spent more. Polling shows that the lived taxes can only be levied on profits
experience of ordinary French people is that the quality and availability and not on losses; if there were no
of their public services has declined. Clearly spending more does not rich people and no successful
necessarily mean better results. businesses in France there would
The point is that solutions are not as easy as merely borrowing and be no welfare state, for it could never
spending on credit, which take deficits and the debt yet further into the be funded out of general taxation of
red – precarious when interest rates are high. the public alone.
Remember that as well as the existing problems of declining French The anarchists and Marxists lead-
prosperity (GDP per inhabitant) and of service delivery in health, hospitals ing recent protests do not confront
and education, are the vast new challenges of ecological ‘transition’ and that truth, or make that calculation.
the nuclear sector refit and expansion. These are going to cost – and Their protests are about fantasy, not
require concerted, collective action. As things stand, the current positives reality. France simply cannot afford
could easily be snuffed out. to go on like this, with a shrinking
number of economically productive
52,000 readers receive Connexion’s weekday free e-newsletters. Do you?
The Connexion
Macron is right
about pensions
– but being right
is rarely enough
people being increasingly outnum-
bered by a growing number econom-
ically dependent on them.
The President seems unconcerned
about his unpopularity. He may rea-
son that he is barred from another
term in office, and can therefore act
entirely out of French interests, not
of self-interest.
Short of impeaching him, the stand-
ard means specified in Article 68 of
the constitution of forcing him from
office and which require evidence
that he has violated that constitution,
he can only go before 2027 by his own
hand – and he has made it clear this is
not an option.
His opponents may hope to drive
him out by creating the idea that he
has lost control of the government
and the country and should resign –
but we are nowhere near that stage.
Yet what the president must
consider is that although his
pensions policy, made law in the
“
The situation being
created by the mood
of rebellion in the
legislature and in the
country could become
exceptionally toxic
teeth of democratic opposition,
was unquestionably for the good
of France, the situation being
created by the mood of rebellion in
the legislature and in the country
could become exceptionally toxic.
A recent poll* suggested that if last
year’s presidential election were to be
held now Marine Le Pen would win
it, 55 to 45.
Macron’s divisiveness has driven
away supporters of his own party,
Renaissance. It has also shattered
such unity as there was among the
right-wing Les Républicains and
cast the mainstream Parti Socialiste
more into the shadow of Jean-Luc
Sign up at connexionfrance.com
May 2023
Mélenchon and his France
Insoumise.
Some French politicians and
pundits are predicting that the
next election will end up as a
contest between Marine Le Pen
andM Mélenchon, and that the for-
mer will win**.
Where that would leave French
civil society – divided along the sort
of uncompromising lines that have
become depressingly familiar
between Democrats and Republicans
in the United States – is salutary to
consider. Where it would leave
France’s place in the European
Union, or indeed in the world,
is far more uncertain.
Now M Macron seems determined
to put domestic matters behind him
and to concentrate on his becoming
the world statesman, with reports
that he has concocted a plan with
China’s President Xi for that country
to come in and broker an end to the
Russian war on Ukraine.
This initiative has upset some of his
European neighbours, and indeed
France’s American allies, who want
the screws put on China rather than
inviting that despotism into some
sort of partnership.
On visits to French towns he is now
receiving the concert de casseroles,
where people bang saucepans in an
act of protest and disrespect for him.
Margaret Thatcher played a major
part in bringing down the Berlin Wall
and a year later she was kicked out.
M Macron needs to be careful that a
similar fate does not befall him, even
if the Ukraine war ends and he man-
ages to take some credit for it (which
looks unlikely at the moment).
International statesmanship counts
for little when you can’t give the vot-
ers what they want. Until M Macron
finds some means of calming down
his people, France risks becoming
ungovernable.
*The Elabe survey for BFM-TV was
carried out between April 3 and 5 online
and asked 1,808 people who they would
vote for in a second round match-up
** On April 23 President Macron said
in an interview to Le Parisien: “Marine
Le Pen will get in if we are unable to
address the country’s problems and if
we become accustomed to lying and
denying the reality of the situation.”
 The Connexion May 2023
Work 37 hours a week until you’re 64?
AI makes ‘jobs for all’ idea redundant
It makes no sense to raise
the pension age, with AI
set to replace many jobs,
says scientist Simon Thorpe
MILLIONS of people protested against
the pensions reform recently adopted
by parliament, claiming it will increase
inequality and force people to work
until they drop.
A British researcher, though, is asking
a different question: Where is the extra
work going to come from?
“The idea there are going to be jobs for
everyone to work in until they are 64 is
unrealistic,” said Simon Thorpe, a CNRS
research director with the Brain and
Cognition Research Center, Toulouse.
He believes developments in artificial
intelligence mean we will have to
transition to a society in which we
work less, not more.
The ChatGPT AI chatbot, released by
OpenAI in November, has reignited
debates over technology’s potential to
replace humans. The latest version,
unveiled in March, is even able to pass
the US bar exam, scoring in the top
10% of those who sit it.
“I set the questions I ask masters-level
students,” Dr Thorpe said. “It generates
responses which are better than the vast
majority of students.”
A recent report from Goldman Sachs
claims AI could replace the equivalent
of 300 million jobs worldwide, while at
the same time creating jobs in new
fields and increasing productivity.
Dr Thorpe insists supermarket cash-
iers are not the only ones under threat.
‘Skilled’ jobs requiring several years of
training will also be affected, from tax
accounting to the medical field.
“If you want to look at mammograms
and decide if the person has cancer, you
can use a trained artificial system,” he
said. “Training radiologists, or other
image analysts, takes years, and in the
end people are not as good as a system
trained on all the data.”
There will always be a need for doctors
for the human side of care, he added,
and technology could bring medical
services to isolated parts of the country,
but machines could take on specific
How a pair of sheep taught me to love grass
by Samantha David
BORN and bred in London, I hardly
knew what grass was before I moved to
the depths of the French countryside. It
didn’t take me long to realise that it’s the
green stuff that sprouts everywhere, and
it’s terrible. It just grows all the time!
If you don’t cut it, you get field mice
living in it, you can’t play boules on the
lawn, and because it’s a fire hazard, the
mairie will tell you to mow it or else.
I began with the lawnmower kindly
bequeathed to me by the previous
owner, along with a vintage scythe.
I twiddled the knobs just as he said,
studied the difference between gasoil
and essence, flicked the handle, pumped
the primer and pulled the string. Rien.
Absolutely rien. So I pulled harder and
the string broke.
I swapped the incalcitrant machine
for two bottles of red, and gave the
scythe a go. The blade was quite sharp
and I swung my way round a few trees
in the shady orchard quite easily while
connexionfrance.com
hours.” UBI could even function as an
incentive to work, he argues, as you
would not lose it when your revenue
increases, unlike existing benefits.
He is proposing a flat tax rate of 30%
on all income, meaning lower earners
Photo: Shutterstock_frantic00
would pay less in tax than they receive
in UBI, while the opposite would be
true for the highest earners. This would
allow the system to pay for itself with
current levels of employment, he says.
Since employment is likely to fall, he
Service jobs are not the only ones is also advocating for central bank
threatened by technology money creation, a tax on assets, and a
tasks. He argues that many positions tax on financial transactions as ways of
are already artificially maintained when funding the policy. If the latter is set at
there is little material benefit – what 0.1%, this “could pay everyone on the
anthropologist David Graeber called planet $100 a month”, he says.
“bullshit jobs.” If Dr Thorpe is such a passionate evan-
“In 1930, [John Maynard] Keynes gelist for UBI, it is because he has seen
predicted that by the end of the century what the future might hold. He is work-
we’d be working 15-hour weeks. ing with students on the Terabrain
“Instead, we have a system where Project, based on the idea that neural
people are still working 37 hours [most systems as large as the human brain can
people in France work more than 35 be simulated via off-the-shelf hardware.
hours], despite the fact productivity has “The system would run on a
gone through the roof,” Dr Thorpe said. MacBook or iPad – billions of neurons
He predicts there will be social unrest which would learn in real time – and
if nothing is done to prepare for the do better than ChatGPT,” he said.
imminent decrease in available work. “You could do the whole thing on a
“Either we will have Le Pen or Trump system where you don’t have to ask
or another outrageous right-wing gov- Google anything. You’d have all the
ernment, or we fix the problem so that knowledge on your phone.”
we don’t have to invent jobs for people Dr Thorpe says he plans to release
when there aren’t jobs to be done.” the technology when it is ready so that
The solution he puts forward is a anybody can use it as they want. “I
universal basic income (UBI) – similar want to be able to live with myself the
to the policy defended by socialist moment we provide technology which
candidate Benoît Hamon during the would make most people’s jobs replace-
2017 presidential election. The con- able. I’m worried it could be extremely
cepts of unemployment and a fixed dangerous for society if we are stuck
retirement age would no longer exist. with the current system where every-
“Everyone would get €1,000 a month. one has to work 37 hours a week.”
If you decide not to do paid work, or Not everybody is as convinced of AI’s
just a month a year during the vendange, potential. Italy recently imposed a tem-
that’s fine. And if you work until you’re porary ban on ChatGPT amid concerns
100, that’s your choice.” over how it uses people’s personal data.
On the other hand, he believes jobs France’s data protection authority, the
that are currently undervalued will Cnil, has opened its own investigation
remain essential. “There are things after receiving complaints.
which have to be done, like nursing These include one from MP Eric
jobs, teaching, unblocking sewers, Bothorel, who expressed concern after
which you can’t automate away. In my the chatbot provided information about
vision of the future, those jobs will be him that was full of errors, including
extremely well paid and people prob- his age, constituency and false claims
ably won’t do them for very long that he had served as a mayor.
testing the red, but my shoulders very while I’m pruning; they stand at the
quickly went on strike. I bought an bottom of the ladder when I’m picking
electric mower. No starting problems, cherries; they eat vine leaves out of
no swinging motions, no red wine. my hands; they lurk at my side when
I burned the motor out before the I’m inspecting the apples; and they
end of the summer, and the shop said come running whenever I open the
I’d abused the machine so the guarantee orchard gates.
didn’t apply. The grass was thigh-high. They are brothers, so a few months
At which point, the farmer next door, after I acquired them, they started
who until then had only been a joyful fighting and the vet had to come and
spectator, took pity and gave me two castrate them. A gruesome business.
adolescent lambs. Ecological mowing, He did it on the lawn, and then we
he said. wheelbarrowed their unconscious
It is. Kind of. Given half the chance, bodies back into the orchard to recover.
they eat everything: all vegetable and “Who’s going to shear them?” asked the
fruit plants, including baby trees, rasp- vet gloomily (he’s Belgian.) “They’ll
berry canes and kiwi leaves, and all need shearing.”
flowers except, predictably, live nettles, But they won’t. My new best friends
thistles and brambles. Fencing is essen- are from Africa. They are Moutons du
tial. They don’t eat wild herbs, however, Cameroun and change their coats twice
so I do still have to mow the orchard, a year all on their own. In the winter,
but only occasionally, and my latest they wear white wool, and in the
cheap electric machine manages it fine. summer, pale brown silk. That’s why
The biggest bonus, however, is that I call them my French-African goat-
they are not just a pair of grass-eaters. sheep. My beautiful boys.
They follow me around the orchard Now I’ve got sheep, I love grass.
Comment 15
Nabila Ramdani is an award-winning
French-Algerian journalist who specialises
in French politics and the Arab world.
Her articles feature in the French national
press as well as internationally.
She is a regular columnist in The Connexion.
People will happily
pay for great art –
just look at Paris
ONE OF the stranger sights of
many during France’s ongoing
industrial strife was long queues
of art-lovers defying picket lines
Photo: Shutterstock_Sergii Figurnyi
at the Louvre in Paris.
Even when the museum was
closed because of strike action,
people waited patiently for its
doors to reopen to pay as much
as €17 for a basic adult ticket. The Louvre is the most popular
Such extraordinary dedication art museum in the world
helps ensure the Louvre remains
the most popular art museum in the world, by far.
An incredible 7.7 million visited it last year – at
least 2.5 million more than its nearest rival, the
You know
Vatican in Rome. that an
A survey by the Art Newspaper also shows its
numbers are well ahead of the British Museum
attraction
and Tate Modern in London. is doing
The reasons are many and varied, but an obvious
one is that Paris has attractions including
extremely
Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa – undoubtedly well when
the most famous painting in the world – and the
Venus de Milo, the breathtaking ancient Greek
it can
marble sculpture probably created by Alexandros afford
of Antioch in around 100BC.
I’ve met numerous Paris tourists who say they
to turn
head to the Louvre only for the enigmatic smile of potential
La Joconde, as the Mona Lisa is known in France.
They don’t care how long it takes, or how much it
customers
costs, but they want their own photo of it, despite away
always expressing incredulity at how small the
portrait is (just 77cm x 53cm).
In this sense, Paris has its undisputed art superstar, allowing it to
get millions of tourists to subsidise its art, in a way that London –
which does not charge for entry into permanent exhibitions – can
only dream of.
As we can see in elite sport and a host of other sectors – including
quality journalism – people feel comfortable paying for something
that is undoubtedly very good and extremely popular and are far less
bothered when the cost is zero.
Not only is the Louvre management confident enough to push its
prices up, but it regularly limits the number of people who can visit
on a particular day. You know an attraction is doing extremely well
when it can afford to turn potential customers away!
To this finite asset financial reason for the Louvre beating all rivals,
and especially those just across the English Channel, we must also
add the dreaded B word: Brexit. Since Britain formally left the
European Union in January 2020, millions of people living overseas
who would normally have arrived in the UK effortlessly and with
minimum documentation now need visas.
Duty-free shopping for foreigners has also been scrapped, and this
keeps a lot of Chinese and Japanese visitors/tourists – traditionally
massive art-lovers – away from Britain.
It is much easier for them to go and enjoy what France has to offer,
including multiple luxury stores, along with those from neighbouring
EU states, such as Germany, Italy and Spain.
It all adds up to Paris bouncing back impressively since the Covid
pandemic – visitor numbers to the Louvre are down just a fifth on
2019 – while London struggles. Particularly alarming figures include
the National Gallery welcoming just 2.7 million in 2022 – 3.3 million
fewer than three years earlier. The Wellcome Collection, full of
images going back to the 14th Century, based in central London and
also free to enter, was down a full 55% in terms of visitor numbers
over the same period.
Art is eternal and universal, meaning it should be enjoyed by every-
body, but there is no doubt that Paris knows how to market it as a
prestige attraction, and the tactic is working out admirably.
 16 Letters connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

Do you agree? France’s belief in laïcité (secularism) works

by Nick Inman for the country to reach a compro-
mise. The progressive Third Republic
IT MIGHT NOT be inscribed on the (from 1870) adopted this approach in
facades of town halls, but it could well an attempt to quell the antisemitism
be the fourth motto of France. After witnessed in the Dreyfus Affair
‘liberty, equality, fraternity’ comes between 1894 and 1906.
laïcité, which is often translated as The idea was that in a modern,
‘secularism’ but turns out to be slight- rational country, religious affiliation
ly more complicated than that. should be treated as secondary to
What it means is: “You are entitled conforming to the tenets of national
to your own religion, or lack of it, but identity. To be a French citizen was to
keep your beliefs to yourself.” seek things in common, not to exacer-
More specifically, it means that the bate divisions. That works well for
state and religion must be kept sep- anyone without a religion but, for
arate because that is the fairest and believers, it has always seemed like an
munities and they take the brunt of
criticism of laïcité. If a teacher tells a
Muslim girl to remove her hijab head-
scarf, is this not a direct challenge to
the principle of individual liberty?
Some people say that too much fuss
is being made about nothing. Should
not people, children included, dress
how they want? Why should anyone
see a head scarf as a threat?
The issue is more acutely drawn into
focus by the burkini, a swimsuit for
women. It covers as much skin as a
wetsuit and swim cap and yet has
sparked a controversy that has not yet

least problematic arrangement.
France’s policy of laïcité gets a lot of
flak internationally for its apparent
intolerant attitude to religion, but this
is usually because its critics do not
understand it. It is really the polar
opposite of the US, where politicians
have no shame (rather the opposite)
in saying “God bless America.”
It also contrasts with Britain’s policy
of multiculturalism, which champions
religious expression. It tries to ensure
that all religions receive equal treat-
ment and practises extreme tolerance
and positive discrimination.
In France, the deal is that a belief
Modesty swimwear finds itself on the frontline of the laïcité debate
in the supernatural, respect for the
authority of a divine text, or specul-
ation about ‘the hereafter’ is a private
matter, and if people are allowed to
go about advertising their faith, or
canvassing new recruits in public, it
only causes problems. One rule for
all keeps things clear. What most
Photo: oz stock_shutterstock
insensitive imposition on their rights.
Laïcité might aim to create a more
enlightened society, but brings its own
problems if not handled with symp-
athy. Its extreme implementation can
provoke the opposite effect to what is
intended. Religious commun-
ities can feel persecuted, causing them
people forget these days is that the to retreat into ghettoes.
principle of laïcité was first established At the coalface of laïcité is education.
in 1905 to prevent the Catholic The law states that children in school
church exerting too much influence must not wear symbols of their religion.
over French society. They learn that equality is the essence
Its roots go back to the Revolution, of French citizenship.
when there was widespread oppos- Teachers are the most visible repre-
ition to all religion. It took a century sentatives of the state in most com-
been settled. Should the law see the
burkini as a violation of laïcité or not?
Religion is not an easy thing for any
society to deal with.
Multiculturalism and a free-for-all
has its advantages and disadvantages.
So has laïcité, which aims to make life
straightforward, but in practice
throws up many test cases. It only
works with full comprehension, and
a lot of give and take on both sides.
Do you agree or disagree with
Nick Inman? Tell us why at
news@connexionfrance.com

They said it … Valid insurance

REGARDING the problems
that The Connexion has high-
I’ve never re-opened a dialogue lighted in recent issues about
by slapping someone in the face readers’ life insurance policies,
I must be one of the very few
Laurent Berger people who have an Aviva
Former Secretary of the CFDT union, talking on BFM-TV about President policy which has not been
Macron’s handling of discussions about retirement reforms cancelled. In the latest review
letter from Aviva, I accepted
You have to keep on the default action and have a
letter confirming this.
going because you I have kept my head down
don’t stop when you since the problems first became
get old – but you do apparent, and will continue to
do so. I find it amazing that a
get old if you stop
Photo: Charly Bancarel
Book sales for charity
FOLLOWING the article in the April issue of Connexion about a
Learning tips
IN response to your online
article on reading books to
book sale, I would like to add that at Cancer Support France, Sud de improve your French, I’d like
France Association, and other associations, we have been doing the
same thing for the past 10 years, but use cash from our book events
to recommend a few of my
family’s faves. My husband,
to support our work. who works with machinery,
In Ariège, we hold our book sales at the covered market in La learned loads from reading the
Bastide sur l’Hers on the first Saturday of each month. We accept magazine Sciences Junior, and
books, magazines, DVDs and CDs in any language. my daughter, who was 12 when
Although most of our books are English, we have a soupçon of
French. We also have a bookcase in the Mad Hatters Café in
we moved, read magazines
aimed at teenaged girls.
Mirepoix with a collection tin. A friend lent us an entire
In Aude, there is a grand exchange of paperbacks at the salle des set of an adventure-themed
fêtes in Cailhau every two months, a Book Café at the salle des
associations at the mairie in Argens-Minervois every second
bande dessinée (BD), which
they both loved. I then bought

solution has only now been
found for all such policies to
Charly Bancarel continue, but only after so
93-year-old 2023 Paris Marathon runner (seven many have been cancelled
hours, 22 minutes), on FranceInfo by Aviva, to the company’s
advantage. Could there be
This political crisis is linked to some kind of ‘class action’
the president’s lack of a majority undertaken for those with uni-
– but also to the way he governs laterally cancelled policies by
Aviva? It also makes me won-
Gérard Larcher der what action other compa-
President of the Senate, discussing political turmoil on La Chaîne Info nies have taken...
Nicolas BELL, Finistère
I’d take your overflowing
bins over our mass
Dans le passé – 10, 50 and 100 years ago
Photo: Dfree_Shutterstock
Wednesday of each month; and at Les Marguerites guest house in or borrowed from the library
Alet-les-Bains on the first Wednesday of each month. a few of the classic BDs, like
In Pyrénées-Orientales, there are two venues where books are Tintin, Asterix, and Lucky
available: on the third Wednesday of each month at Villa Luke.Whatever you and your
Lafabrèque in Prades; and on the third Monday at the Café des family are interested in, there’s
Artistes in Laroque de Albères. probably a magazine or BD
In Tarn, and Tarn-et-Garonne, there is a group of people who that they’d enjoy!
meet on the first Monday of each month in the Gazpacho Café I also found books that
in St Antonin Noble Val, which Cancer Support France attends,
where there are books to exchange.
appeal to teens, such as
La nuit des temps, a classic
At all our events, there is a trained ‘active listener’ who can talk sci-fi by René Barjavel.
to you if you are touched by cancer. Bonne lecture!
Donald MACEWAN, by email Barbara HAROLD, by email

killings any day

Marcia Cross MAY, 2013 MAY, 1973 MAY, 1923
US actress on French strikes, in La Voix du Nord
Protests against president A prank-call star is born First 24-hour Le Mans race
Music is nothing other than THE first anniversary of François
Hollande’s election as president was
MAY 17 saw the birth of the popular
French comedian, impressionist, radio
THE world’s
oldest endur-
the practice of sculpture in time marked on May 5 by protests. presenter and actor Gérard Berthelot, ance car race,
Tens of thousands of supporters of whose stage name is Gérald Dahan (after 24 Heures du
Photo: Shutterstock

Ryuichi Sakamoto left-wing parties took to the streets
Japanese composer, who died in March, talking previously on FranceCulture
of Paris to join demonstrations that
condemned Mr Hollande’s handling
All I ask of Emmanuel Macron of the economy.
is two minutes of ‘Chiraquism’ The then-president had previously
promised not to introduce austerity
François Ruffin measures, as had happened following
La France Insoumise MP, on BFM-TV, referring to how Chirac, as the 2008 stock market crash elsewhere
president, voted through a controversial law but did not apply it in Europe, but France’s economy
continued to deteriorate and unemploy-
[After 1989] the West believed it ment topped 10%.
Protesters argued that Mr Hollande
was in a giant Erasmus programme had not spared France from economic
slowdown and that the government
Alain Bauer should boost public spending.
Criminologist and security expert/professor in Le Figaro
his maternal aunt Émilie). Mans (24
Dahan is best known for his telephone Hours of Le
pranks, in which he targets well-known Mans) held its
political and media figures. first race on
He famously impersonated the Quebec
prime minister during a telephone
May 26 and 27.
The race was held on public roads
conversation with former presidential around Le Mans, with 20 manufacturers
candidate Ségolène Royal in 2007. taking part, all French, apart from a
Dahan started in comedy acts in Paris Bentley and two Belgian Excelsiors.
after leaving his home town of Cognac in Some 33 vehicles finished the event,
Charente at 16 to pursue a showbiz a number not equalled until 1993.
career. In 1992, he was named best young The 24 Heures du Mans race is won by
comic of the year, and began to appear on the car that covers the greatest distance
television, creating his own show, Les in 24 hours, so teams need to balance
missions de Gérald Dahan, in 2006. speed with mechanical reliability.
 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com Letters 17

The Connexion letters pages are Personalised pension solutions,

sponsored by including QROPS. w w w. b l e v i n s f r a n k s . c o m

Brexit was
all about
immigration
I HAVE just read the reply by
Simon Heffer to the ‘correc-
tions’ raised by reader Richard
Bird (April Letters).
Mr Heffer’s statement that 17.4
million leavers was the highest
vote in British history is a little
shallow. The 16.1 million who
voted remain was the second
highest. That is likely as there
were only two options: Yes or No.
The point here was that of the
46.5 million registered voters
on the electoral roll, 13 million
chose not to vote at all. I lived
in England at the time and
referendum conversations had
little to do with the EU.
It was all about immigration
and not even from the EU
(most immigrants in England
are from India and Pakistan),
coupled with the issue of asy-
lum seekers. Since leaving,
immigration levels have not
changed. Only a few things
have, like removing EU caps
on bankers’ bonuses, and
Housing impacts jobs Scourge of the street Visa overpay
IT HAS come as a surprise to learn, after talking to many business I AM pleased that Paris has WHILE I find that the general
FOLLOWING your recent
articles and letters about
owners around St Tropez, that they are struggling to recruit staff
for the summer season. I know in the UK that Brexit is partly to
banned e-scooters.
As a lifelong motorcyclist,
idea of scooters contributing
to a greener environment is
problems with visa applications
through the company TLS
blame for seasonal recruitment problems, but I didn’t understand it is very annoying to see users, admirable, in practice I have Contact, we were able to get an
why this would be the case in France. including food delivery riders, to admit that they really are appointment at TLS Contact
Many restaurants I know that are usually open for business completely ignoring the an abomination! London and, eventually, a visa.
before Easter have postponed opening until late April, or even highway code, while police Their riders aren’t obliged However, TLS Contact made
into May. Shops also seem to be having similar problems, and I look on, totally ignoring the to obey any laws, they do not a mistake during the appoint-
was surprised to hear one of the main reasons that proprietors law-breaking taking place in need a licence, it is acceptable ment process and overcharged
told me was the cause. front of them. to ride pillion, all the while us. They accepted that they had
Many seasonal staff work either abroad or in the mountains These e-scooter riders without wearing a helmet. made a mistake, but it took 12
during the winter and find jobs on the coast in the summer. go from pavement to road, You can ride them anywhere, months and the threat of legal
Usually, the staff each year rent a room or annex at a locally and from road to pavement, on roads, pavements, pedest- action to get a refund.
owned property, and have done so for many years. ignoring both traffic lights rianised areas, parks, wherever I would like to stress how
But with the growth of Airbnb these properties are no longer and pedestrian crossings, and you please. important it is that if a reader
available, as the owner can now earn as much in one night from carry no identification. You can leave them anywhere, is overcharged during the visa
Airbnb as they previously earned in a week. Consequently, staff They ride with no insurance, meaning they become a danger application process, they insist
cannot afford to rent and so they look elsewhere for employment. don’t wear helmets, and often and an eyesore. on an immediate refund.
Sadly, this is a sign of the times, but I feel sorry for the employers travel ‘two up.’ No concern is made for the Thanks for highlighting the
and the staff, and cannot see how the problem can be rectified in If I did any of those things well-being of other road users challenges of dealing with this
the short term. on my motorcycle, I would get or pedestrians. mediocre company.
Robert JONES, by email six points on my licence and a They are a dangerous form of John NOBLE, by email
large fine. transport, and every city
Share Let off steam or share a point Finally, we can see that sense should follow Paris’s lead and
of view on an aspect of French life
your Email: letters@connexionfrance.com or write to:
The Connexion, Le Grande Bretagne,
has prevailed.
Chris LEVINGS, by email
get rid asap.
Peter HEATLEY, by email
Meaty menu
IN A local restaurant here in
views! 30Please
av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco
include your name and department of France
or country where you live. Letters used may be edited
for space and sense; the Editor’s decision is final.
It is wrong to change books Brittany, with many English-
speaking tourists, the menu
listed under its main courses
Letters received may be used online and/or in print. REGARDING your online article on French publishers’ decision La pièce du boucher.

goods no longer flowing freely.
I do not object to the outcome
– after all, I left the UK because
of it, and am privileged to live
in beautiful Provence.
Susan PALMER, by email
1975 forgotten
SIMON Heffer asked in the
April issue when anti-Brex-
iteers will accept the verdict
of June 23, 2016, when the
British people voted by a slim
majority to leave the EU.
If he is so concerned about
this, can he explain why the
Brexiteers should not have
accepted the referendum result
of 1975, when the British voted
by a much larger major-ity to
stay in the EEC, as it was
then called?
James CHATER, Sarthe
AI is not so intelligent
to alter some of the content of Agatha Christie’s work (‘Offensive’ The English translation on
parts of Christie novels in French to be changed), I should like to the menu was “a piece of the
make the following comments: butcher.” I did query their atti-
YOUR April correspondent was seeking views of ChatGPT. You Books are a reflection of the times in which they are written tude to cannibalism, and when
need to understand that this draws on information stored in cyber- with the language and mores of those times – and should be they reassured me that it was
space but when it answers a question, it only searches for statistical regarded and read as such. If the reader finds them offensive he or not their policy, I pointed out
probabilities, meaning it can easily provide false information. she is not obliged to read them. Are we really going to take the the mistake.
Recently, when a France Inter journalist questioned ChatGPT works of Austen, Dickens, Molière, Shakespeare, the Bible etc. Despite this, “a piece of the
using text-to-voice recognition software, it offered plausible, cor- apart to make them more ‘politically correct’ for today’s readers? butcher” stayed on the menu
rect information about the French TV presenter Léa Salamé, but Do today’s readers even want this? Next we’ll be putting fig leaves for the rest of the year.
also wrongly stated that she was a presenter on Arte [Editor’s note: back on nude paintings and statues! Tim DREWITT, by email
it works by association of ideas so if similar journalists work there, it I find the whole concept beyond belief and so very misguided –
presumes she does]. Responding to a different question, it said that
another France Inter journalist had written a book, and although
and particularly in the light of the vicious and sexually explicit
language in some of today’s publications. The word hypocrisy Travel cover tip
journalists often write books, this was utterly untrue in this case. springs to mind! IN A recent online Connexion
AI is inherently dangerous because it cannot ‘know’ anything, Susanne WALTERS, by email article people were saying how
cannot distinguish truth from falsehood, and certainly has no difficult it was to get travel
moral compass. It does not have all the necessary information IF AN author has written a book many years ago that is now insurance as French residents.
to justify a decision, because as a machine it has no consciousness, deemed offensive by certain groups, it should not be changed. I have a policy through AVA
no free will, and therefore cannot not ‘make a decision’. History cannot be rewritten and neither should classic books. Assurances and have held it for
The software is “brilliant,” as Christopher Ley-Wilson states in Let us all move on and learn from the past but to change these several years. It offers good
your April issue, but in another sense it is completely mindless. books is downright ridiculous and almost sacrilegious. health coverage worldwide.
Peter STRUTT, by email Anne HARDING, by email Veronica HARFORD, by email

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Things they don’t tell you
about driving in France
“When pulling out of a junc-
tion, follow Obi-Wan’s Jedi
philosophy: ‘Eyes can deceive
you, don’t use them.’” DR
“French drivers indicate to show
what they are doing, not what
they intend to do. As for lane
discipline, it might help if the
all products? Online is hurting
main street retailing.” JSL
“How about disabled people?
Not everyone has a lovely book-
shop around the corner.” CO
“You cannot distort the market.
Either people will stop buying
books altogether (they are
already ferociously expensive in
France) or they will find ways
“This is not (only) about demand forms in English.” BS   
language but whether you All homes in France must    
can afford internet services/ have access to food waste
computers, and whether your bin from next year   
eyesight is good enough to
“I bet that they are made of 

read the screen.” GB
plastic. In the countryside we
“The real issue is that the design compost, so provide them in        
of the websites is plain bad. the cities only. We don’t need 
     
That affects all users, including them!” KE 
the young and tech-savvy.” DC “We had food waste bins in the   
SIRET 48003796900015

French used road reflective paint
and not Dulux emulsion.” CTW
“When overtaking, do so
only on an uphill stretch and
around a blind corner.” PH
New €3 shipping charge
for books ordered online
“Why just books, what about
round this.” AF
Non-French disadvantaged
by online admin
“Translating each page is so
simple so why is it a problem?
Most people have some form of
computer, and those that don’t
know someone who will help.” LS
“The language used by
fonctionnaires is usually
unclear. You can use online
translators but often what
comes back is gibberish.” JH
“As immigrants/guests, we
should make every effort to
understand at least the
rudiments of French and not
UK. I think it’s a good idea.
We do not compost waste food
because it attracts unwanted
visitors.” IC
Government told to cut
tax perks for short-term
tourist rentals
“Slight problem – many don’t
declare the income.” MP www.skyinfrance.co.uk
 18 Your Questions connexionfrance.com The
TheConnexion
Connexion Xxxx
May 2020
2023

Q& A What help to rent electric car?

Readers’
questions I HAVE been told that grants are available for
answered leasing an electric car in France. How do they
work and are they applied automatically? C.P.

Send your questions for Liv Rowland about life in ALTHOUGH much of the government’s communi-
cation around electric vehicles has focused on help
France to questions@connexionfrance.com to buy a new electric car, you are correct that some

Photo: Shutterstock_Andriiii
schemes apply to long-term rentals.

What is being done about dentist shortages? More and more people are opting to rent, particu-
larly when switching to electric cars as they tend to
be more expensive.
I HAVE read several Connexion articles Available grants include the bonus écologique,
about doctor shortages, but what worth 27% of the price of the car for buyers up to a
about dentists? Where we live (Creuse) maximum grant of €5,000, or 40% and up to €6,000 otherwise you must apply at the website cited above.
there are not enough. Are things being for a van. Low-income households can claim an There is also a loan called a microcrédit véhicules

Photo: Shutterstock_Lucky Business

done to improve this? R.D.
YOU are correct that the problem of
so-called medical deserts – areas with
a shortage of doctors – also applies
to dentistry.
There are 42,000 dentists in France, or
62 for every 100,000 inhabitants, according
to the latest report by the ONDPS, which
studies the demographics of healthcare
professionals. This is low compared to
neighbouring countries such as Spain (84),
Germany (86) and Italy (87).
The situation is much worse outside of
major cities. Four regions have a chronic
shortage of dentists: Normandy (42),
Centre-Val de Loire (44), Hauts de France
and Bourgogne Franche-Comté (48).
As with doctors, shortages are partly
caused by the numerus clausus, a cap
on medical student numbers that was
abolished in 2020.
The objective set by the profession in
2021, and adopted by the government, is
to train 14% more dentists in the period
2021-25 than in the previous five years.
Measures have also been taken to address
regional inequalities.
The contrat d’engagement de service public
is a monthly stipend for dentistry students
additional amount of €2,000 on top of their grant.
For second-hand vehicles, you can only receive a
fixed €1,000.
You can apply for the bonus in the case of renting
if the rental contract is at least two years.
In this case, it is the total cost over the duration of
the contract that is taken into account to work out
who agree to practise in an area with short- the grant. To be eligible, the car model should be
ages for at least two years from the end of worth no more than €47,000.
their studies. It was created for medical The grant must be applied for at primealaconversion.
students and extended to dentistry in 2012. gouv.fr no more than six months after the first rental
Dentists who set up in “very underserved” payment. Alternatively, a dealership might agree to
communities are also eligible to receive deduct the value of the grant directly from the price.
€25,000 to help them get up and running. In the case of a rental, Renault told The Connexion
Those who are already practising in such the dealer would add the value of the grant to the
areas can receive three annual payments of first rental payment, so if the rent is €300 per month
€3,000 each if they continue to do so. and the grant is for €2,000, the first payment would
Also, in 2021 the government announced be worth €2,300, but you would only pay €300.
the creation from the 2022 academic year The prime à la conversion, a grant for replacing an
of eight new university dentistry depart- old petrol (pre-2006) or diesel (pre-2011) car with a
ments, in Amiens, Caen, Rouen, Dijon, low-emissions vehicle, also applies to rentals and
Besançon, Grenoble, Poitiers and Tours. the two can be combined if you are eligible for them
These towns were selected as they are in both (though, obviously, not so you obtain more
areas suffering from a lack of dentists. than the vehicle is costing you).
The ONDPS report clearly showed that This is means-tested – your taxable income per
parts of the country where there is no household ‘part’ must be below €22,983.
university dentistry department are far The amount is fixed at €2,500 in many cases, but
more likely to suffer from shortages: these can rise to €6,000 if you have a very low income
areas are home to 30% of the French and/or require your vehicle to get to work.
population, but only 22% of dentists. Again, this might be paid directly by the dealership,
propres, which can be used towards renting a veh-
icle, but this is exclusively for people on very low
incomes, in a fragile professional situation, or who
are excluded from the traditional banking system.
In January, France was due to begin a two-year
experiment into another type of help: an interest-free
loan to provide vehicles that emit less than 50g of
CO2 per kilometre for people who live in a
low-emissions zone (ZFE). However, it has yet to
get under way.
For the purchase of a vehicle, the loan would be
worth up to €30,000 and would be repayable over
seven years. For a long-term rental or rental with a
purchase option, the maximum would be €10,000,
repayable over the length of the contract.
In the meantime, a major programme dedicated to
electric cars is in the works. As part of his re-election
campaign in 2022, Emmanuel Macron promised that
up to 100,000 electric vehicles would be made availa-
ble for long-term hire at a cost of €100 per month.
The measure was included in the 2023 budget.
In February, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said:
“I can confirm that, from the autumn, those who
are eligible will be able to reserve their vehicle,
which will be delivered in 2024.”
The scheme is expected to be restricted to
people on low incomes, young drivers, and certain
professions such as nurses, although the precise
income cap has not been announced. It is expected
to be limited to cars made in France or the EU.

What happens if you sell house after receiving eco-renovation grants?
WHAT happens if you sell your property
after previously benefiting from grant
aid for insulation and heat pump
installation under MaPrimeRénov’
and the interest-free eco-loan? P.A.
FOR the MaPrimeRénov’ energy renov-
ation grants, the answer depends on the
type of assistance you received.
The Agence nationale de l’habitat, which
manages the scheme, confirmed to The
Connexion that, with the classic grant,
there is no requirement to refund the sum
when you sell the property. Stricter rules,
What is the UK equivalent of a bavette d’aloyau cut of beef?
FOR a long time I was practically a
vegetarian but then discovered the
French butcher’s cut bavette and was
converted to beef! French butchers sell
Do you need to clean out
however, apply to the MaPrimeRénov’ the case of the éco-prêt à taux zéro (interest-
Sérénité grant.
This is designed to fund wholesale energy
free loan for energy renovations), this
must be repaid in full from the moment
containers before recycling?
renovation projects that result in an energy the property is sold. FOLLOWING recent Citeo, a body aiming to
saving of at least 35% and is only available You must declare the sale to the bank or changes to recycling, do reduce the environmental
to people on low incomes, whereas the other credit institution that provided the you need to clean bottles impact of packaging,
classic scheme is open to all homeowners loan as soon as you have signed off on the and jars before putting confirmed to us that it is
(the amount you receive will still depend sale in the presence of a notaire. them in for recycling? J.M. indeed a common miscon-
on your income and it must go towards The property must also be a primary ception that packaging can-
renovating your main home). residence (the owner’s or tenants) until SIMPLIFIED recycling not be recycled if it contains
From the date at which an application is the loan is fully repaid, so if you were to guidelines were extended food traces.
accepted for MaPrimeRénov’ Sérénité, the decide to turn it into a secondary residence nationwide in January relat- “You should not throw a
beneficiary must continue to live in the or a holiday let, the remaining funds ing to what can be placed pizza box in the ordinary
property for at least another three years. In would have to be repaid. in yellow recycling bins. rubbish bin because it is
Essentially, these bins are stained with chilli oil or
for ‘packaging’ and all plas- tomato sauce, just as it is
tic and metallic packaging
as well as paper and card-
not necessary to rinse your
yoghurt pot – this is not
prepared meat was thought in the Middle board can go in them, even useful and it is therefore
Ages to have some resemblance to larks though not all of it will end best to avoid wasting
prepared for cooking, or because both up being recycled. water,” the firm said.
could be cooked on a spit. Glass bottles and jars are “The only thing to do
Photo: Mironov Vladimir

bavette d’aloyau, the best variety. What
is the English equivalent? I find it is
best after several weeks maturing at
home in the fridge. It is a long-fibre
meat and calls for sharp knives at table
but it has a lot of flavour. S.B.
A BAVETTE is a long, flat piece of meat
that is taken from the abdominal muscles
of the cow. It is known for being rich in
flavour and loose in texture, and is most
Eleanor O’Brien, managing director of not, however, involved, and before throwing packaging
the UK trade association National Craft should usually be placed in in the recycling bin is to
Butchers, said: “The majority of UK butch- dedicated containers, often empty it. If it is dirty, this
ers would be very likely to know the term coloured green. does not disturb the
bavette and be able to cut to a customer’s The new rules were meant recycling process.”
often served rare as otherwise it risks specification. However, the closest English to encourage recycling, The same applies to glass
becoming tough. terminology would flank skirt steak.” but many people remain bottles and jars.
Bavette literally means ‘bib’ and aloyau is Ms O’Brien said there could be regional confused about what needs To facilitate recycling,
a larger part of the animal, to the side and differences, meaning the two cuts of meat to be done before putting items should be put in bins
back, from which this cut is taken. It is are not always guaranteed to be identical items in the recycling bins. loose and not in bin bags.
related to alouette (lark), either because the but that is the nearest equivalent.

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 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com Practical 19

Making sense of Septic tanks John Kitching, a

director of French Law
Consultancy Limited,
answers a reader query

I missed deadline to declare inheritance

Q: My separated husband,
who lived in France, died nine
years ago. We have no children.
We had separated but never
divorced. A neighbour wants to
buy the house for €400,000.
I am worried about penalties
and tax as I think I had to deal
with this within 12 months and
have done nothing about it.
A: The starting point here is
to check that you do inherit
the estate – for example,
under his will, or under a
communauté universelle
marriage regime with
a clause to benefit the
surviving spouse. You might
inherit the property auto-
matically if the title deed
contained a tontine clause,
or if you owned the bare
ownership nue-propriété
and your husband just had
the life-interest usufruit.
If there is no will, and no
entitled to a quarter each).
Regarding time limits for
dealing with the estate, for
a French-resident deceased
there is a six-month time
limit within which to file the
inheritance tax return and
pay the tax. It is 12 months
for a non-French-resident
deceased if they have
French assets to administer.
This is the time limit that
triggers the possibility
of interest and penalties
against late inheritance tax.
Any overdue inheritance
tax attracts interest at
0.2% per month, and an
inheritance tax penalty
starting at 10% after the
13th month.
Thankfully, as a spouse,
you have a full exemption
from French inheritance
tax. As such, no penalties
or interest arise, and
there is no penalty for not

Septic tanks are an
unavoidable part of
life in many areas
of rural France
PEOPLE moving to the
countryside can be surprised
that many houses are not con-
nected to a sewerage system,
which means none of their
familiar flush-and-forget toi-
lets and drains.
It is still not uncommon to
find houses with very basic, or
no, sewerage systems in rural
areas of France, especially
those at the lower end of the
price range.
Rules have become stricter
over the years, and from 2020
if you have an occupied house,
you have to have an approved
sewerage system.
Where the commune has a
collective system that gathers
waste water and treats it, it is
now obligatory to connect your
house to it within two years of
buying the property if you are
in the zonage d’assainissement.
These are usually in the main
village centre but can also
extend to hamlets in the com-
mune. They relate to the home’s
proximity to a main sewer pipe.
If the commune does not
have a collective system, indi-
vidual systems will have to be
fitted – usually a septic tank.
Alternatives include building
a micro sewerage purification
plant. Using reed beds for final
purification is popular.
Official estimates reckon that
up to a fifth of the population
live in houses with individual
sewerage systems. This might
partly be explained by the fact
that rural people often oppose
having sewerage plants built
near them for environmental
reasons or due to smells. Each
commune, or grouping of
communes, now has its own
service public d’assainissement
non collectif, or SPANC, which
regulates individual systems.
Septic tanks are claimed as a
French invention, with Jean-
Louis Mouras getting the first
patent for one in 1881.
The concept is simple – waste
water from toilets is piped to
a tank that has two compart-
ments, separated by a partition
that allows some spill-over.
When a toilet is flushed, the
contents arrive in the first com-
partment, the water settles, and
solids start to sink to the bottom either by balancing the water
of the tank. There, an­aerobic
bacteria start to break down the
solids into smaller solids and
liquids, which spill over into the system does not need additives
second tank.
Another round of breaking
down takes place, while at the
same time a drain from the
tank leads to a soakaway for
the water, which by now is
Our main image
was drawn for
The Connexion by mine how long a tank
artist Perry Taylor. can operate before
For more of
his work see
perrytaylor.fr
much cleaner than when it
arrived at the tank.
The main thing to remember
about the system is it works
best when only the four Ps are
flushed down the toilet: pee,
poo, puke and (toilet) paper.
Anything else risks clogging
the system, either by causing a
blockage in the pipe leading to
the tank, or in the tank.
Nappies, sanitary pads, tam-
pons, plasters and baby wipes
are all well-known blockers, so
if you have guests from town,
it is worth having a talk about
the system – and providing
alternative means for them to
cleanly dispose of these items.
Care must be taken too when
using bleach and some other
household cleaners – they can
kill the bacteria needed to
break down the solids, and if
the solids do not break down,
they block the system.
In most rural areas, super-
market shelves have alterna-
tives marked as suitable for
septic tanks.
They also advertise a variety
of products, such as Eparcyl,
reputed to improve the effi-
ciency of septic tank systems,
acidity to help bacteria or by
adding bacteria.
Experts say a well-installed
but experience shows they
sometimes help reduce smells.
Over time, the rate of build-up
of solids becomes greater than
the capacity of the bacteria to
break it down, and the tank will
have to be emptied.
Regulations, policed
by the SPANC, deter-
being emptied –
typically, 10 years.
Sizes are set by
the SPANC. Usually,
a 3,000-litre tank
is suitable for a four-person
household. Local conditions
also determine the rules for
soakaways.
On clay soils, which are fairly
impermeable, the linear length
of the soakaway will be longer
than on light sandy soils, and
you might need a greater depth
of sand or gravel under the
soakaway pipes.
Again, the SPANC will
advise, and will also have to
inspect any septic tank install-
ation before it is covered up.
SPANC officials usually pho-
tograph the installation with a
digital camera at this stage – it
Image: perrytaylor.fr
other survivorship mechan- having dealt with the estate
ism in place, French intest- promptly, as long as no
acy laws apply. As there inheritance tax is due.
are no children, you would You might, however, face
is easy for the location of tanks inherit the whole estate as capital gains tax on your
and soakaways to be forgotten. long as your late husband husband’s share if it has
If you have access to a had no surviving parents increased in value since
mechanical digger and lifting (otherwise, they would be the date of death.
equipment, installing a septic
tank is something you can do Call +44 (0) 16 63 74 54 88 for a free initial consultation.
yourself in most cases. frenchlawconsultancy.com
Kits cost around €1,500, to
which must be added the cost
of the digger (you can dig by
hand if you have a week or
Question from
two), at least three tonnes of
sand (to bed and support the
a second-home
tank, and for the soakaway),
and geotextile.
owner...
Professionals usually quote in
the region of €3,500 to €5,000
– each system is different due
to the layout of the site. Photo: Shutterstock.com_E. Spek
Things can get difficult if the
site of the tank is lower than Do we need to open a French bank account?
the site of the soakaway, or if Q: IS IT necessary to have a French bank account if you
you do not have a lot of land own a second home in France?
for your tank and soakaway. A: HAVING an account with a French bank undoubtedly
In these cases, professionals makes life easier when owning property in France, but it is
can provide answers, using not a necessity. All residents of countries that are part of
float-triggered pumps for the
the Single Euro Payments Area (Sepa) agreement have the
soakaways, and various clever
methods of squeezing tanks right to set up payments and settle utility bills with accounts
and soakaways, or alternative in other Sepa countries. This also continues to apply to
filter systems, into small areas. British accounts as the right was maintained after Brexit.
When 10 years from your last EDF, for example, confirmed to us that it is possible to pay
tank emptying have passed, bills via direct debit from a UK bank account.
SPANC will send you a letter The French tax website states that direct debits and online
announcing an inspection – payments require a bank account located either in France
cue for you to quickly arrange
or in the Sepa zone to pay local property taxes (or income
for the tank to be emptied by
tax on property rental income).
an authorised person, often a
dairy or pig farmer, as they It notes that it is possible to “sign up to pay your taxes by
already have the equipment. monthly instalment or direct debit at the due date via a
Expect to pay €100 to €200. bank account domiciled in the Sepa.” Note that setting up
They will give you a certifi- the latter (prélèvement à l’échéance) actually results in the
cate for the SPANC inspector. payment being taken 10 days after the due date.
Cheaper alternatives for emp- These methods are instead of just paying the bill when it falls
tying the tank exist, using oxy- due, mainly by making a direct payment online.
genating tablets and different
bacteria to attack the solids, but If you encounter difficulties – or are from a non-Sepa coun-
are not recognised by SPANCs. try – it is possible to have a euros account without signing
The inspector, whose visit up to a French bank. You could opt for a multi-currency
will result in a bill for €100 or card, such as the one offered by Wise, or sign up to an
so, will look at the certificate online bank such as Revolut.
and make a visual check of the Both options allow for direct debits to pay bills. Certain UK
system for things such as leaks and US banks, including HSBC, Starling, and East West
from the tank, or trees growing Bank, also allow you to open a foreign currency account.
into the soakaway.
 20 Language / Finance connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

Other people are key to real progress

in French – so be brave and have a go
Conversing in a foreign
language can feel scary,
acknowledges Nick Inman,
but do not let fear
hold you back
IN LANGUAGE teaching, students
learn four core skills: speaking,
writing, reading and listening.
I believe a fifth skill is more import-
ant than any of these: the ability to
interact with other people.
It is relatively easy to read French
because you can usually take time
to mull over the words and you can
always consult a dictionary.
Writing is also much simpler these
days because there are excellent online
translation tools to help you.
Listening can be tricky to master but
if you can set the conditions – such as
playing a recording over and over – it
is just a question of practice before
you get the gist.
Speaking demands more effort but in
many contexts you can prepare for it
In the worst cases, there will be a
queue behind you of people quietly In every foreign language faux pas lies a great anecdote
muttering about how “they come over by Gillian Harvey Cathy Wills almost abandoned her son after a call she
here and they don’t even speak the assumed was a sales pitch.
language”. ONE reason we feel shy trying out our fledgling French “We had been getting a lot of cold calls
You cannot do much to prepare because is the fear of making a fool of ourselves. Perhaps it is time from people trying to sell us solar pan-
you cannot anticipate how things will to rebrand these errors as badges of honour that mark our els. Someone phoned and I thought they
play out. However, there are certain moments of bravery. If nothing else, once the embarrass- were doing just that, as I caught solaire.
ways you can make it easier for your- ment wears off, you are left with a great anecdote. “I said ‘Cela ne m’intéresse pas’ and
self, whatever your ability in French. John Mainland, from Creuse, teaches hung up. A lady phoned back and said
First, breathe, and remember that English online to Chinese children. When in English: ‘It is the groupe scolaire.
you have as much right to understand he tried to explain this to one of his neigh- There is no one here to collect your son.’ Oops!”
and be understood as anyone. bours, she looked at him as if he was mad. If a spoken faux pas was not
Second, make sure you are fully “She asked me to say it again, and when enough, imagine how Ameena
present in your mind and not wishing I did, she explained that she originally Gorton felt when she realised what
you were somewhere else. thought I had said I was teaching English to young dogs,” the posters she had plastered all
Third, be aware that communication he explains. over her village really said.
is a lot more than getting the words Davinia Davies, meanwhile, a professional cakemaker “It was 2012 and my French was
right. Body and facial language are from Haute-Vienne, once told a not as fluent as it is now,” she says.
key. Smile; make eye contact; look French client not to eat the sugar “I had lost my cat and decided to
open – don’t cross your arms and huff. flowers, due to a preservative used create a full outreach campaign with
Interaction involves establishing a in the manufacturing process. posters around my small Provençal
rapport and, to do that, you need the “Their 11-year-old daughter did village, as well as flyers in all the
fourth strategy: think more about the not know where to look, and from the expression on the mailboxes. The headline was: Avez-vous vu ma chatte?”
other person than yourself. You are in couple’s faces, I knew I had said something wrong,” she Debbie Willis, from Normandy, was lucky not to
this scene together and it might be just says. “The penny finally dropped when I realised what have religious evangelists on her doorstep after telling
as painful for them as it is for you. préservatif means in French [condom]. Luckily, a neighbour the ‘son of God’ was visiting, rather than
They may be tired or stressed, or we laughed about it and I still got the job.” simply her ‘godson’.
Davinia photo: neilcoolingphotography.com

and even rehearse.
Interacting is something else. This is
language used for dealing with people
orally, in the moment and in live
situations, with no help to hand.
I do not mean when you can get
away with nods and grunts, such as at
the supermarket checkout.
I mean when you find yourself in
a doctor’s surgery or a bureaucrat’s
office, or trying to convince your bank
manager to lend you money, or some-
thing as simple as sending a letter by
recorded delivery.
generally having a bad day. They might Joy Milton, from Aquitaine, asked for an unusual drink Finally, it is worth remembering that even those
have a backlog of work to deal with. by accident. “I was in our local and didn’t know the word who speak well can struggle from time to time, as
If this is the case, a bolshie foreigner pétillant, so asked for a drink with bulles. But I mispro- Prue Stoneham, from Annecy, will attest.
is all they need. Say something nice nounced it. Result: hilarity and lifelong friends,” she says. After an interview for her carte de séjour, she was told
and it can dissolve many difficulties. Rachel Taylor, a web designer from Paris, surprised she had passed the language test and did not need to take
Ask an interested question and you friends when trying to explain her business model to extra lessons.
will be amazed how defences suddenly them: “I was trying to say ‘websites that sell courses’ but “I had to ask him to repeat this three times as I didn’t
come down. Better still, make a joke my pronunciation was ‘websites that sell bodies’.” understand what he’d said!” she says.
at your expense: admit to being a
bumbling foreigner and nine times clearly. Repeat the essential inform- them to do the work. Make an effort, you are doing all you can. With luck,
out of 10 they will take pity on you ation if necessary and ask them to and go the extra mile. you will get your stamps, or your loan,
and do their best to help. do the same. I can assure you from long exper- or your appointment, and learn a bit
Fifth, use the language you have to All this comes down to the same ience that most people will do their more of the French language at the
the best effect. Speak slowly and thing: don’t hold back and expect very best to help if you demonstrate same time.

QROPS option for your pension does not qualify in France

Money Matters
Robert Kent of
Kentingtons explains.
kentingtons.com
WHEN we move to a new country, there is
inevitably a long list of things to sort out, from
schools for the children to exporting the car,
getting new bank accounts to arranging furni-
ture removals. However, not everyone thinks
about moving their pension.
With pensions consisting of benefits, or capital,
accumulated over the course of your working
life, you obviously want to consider your options
extremely carefully before doing anything.
When it comes to moving them, be warned
that there are scams everywhere. It is also vital
that any new arrangements are compliant with
the law in France, but also accessible, flexible
and free of any severe tax consequences.
Many UK nationals looking to move to France
ask us about transferring their pension to a
Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension
Scheme, or QROPS, mostly because they are
widely advertised in the UK press and financial
advice firms.
What is a QROPS?
As the name implies, a QROPS is designed for
non-UK residents looking to move their UK
pension out of the UK.
What makes a QROPS attractive is that it com-
plies with certain HMRC criteria, and so offers a
tax-free way to transfer a pension without QROPS are “strongly encouraged” to transfer it is important that you understand what they are
having to pay transfer fees. It is possible for
any qualifying pension scheme to apply to be a
into a PER to avoid any issues.
In essence, the French view a QROPS as a pot
before taking them. Given the potential issues
with QROPS, I never recommend them.
QROPS but you will need to agree to a 10-year of money in a trust. This is not a good thing for
reporting requirement. a French resident and has caused problems. Other options
To demonstrate how much the French tax There are other solutions, such as an inter-
Why is France not on the QROPS list? office dislikes trusts, understand that a French national SIPP. However, even an international
HMRC maintains a list of QROPS, which can be resident creating one is potentially subject to a SIPP falls under some UK rules. The positive
found on the gov.uk website. special tax levy of 60% of the trust value... ouch! side is that the French tax office views them as
At the time of writing, there were no registered Ask yourself this: are you prepared to take the pensions, avoiding any ‘it is simply a pot of
QROPS in France on this list, although other risk, no matter how minimal, that the French tax money in a trust’ issues.
countries in Europe, such as Germany, seem to office takes more than half of your pension? The other option is to cash in a pension as
have several options. It is no surprise, then, that you cannot get a an Uncrystallised Funds Pension Lump Sum
Initially, you could get a French-based QROPS, QROPS in France. You will hear over and over (UFPLS). Providing they comply with certain
but this did not last long. that “as long as it is in the EU, it is fine”. This is key criteria, lump sums can be taxed at a fixed
When speaking to SIPNR, the department of simply not how the French tax office sees it. rate of 7.5% after a 10% deduction (CGI 163 bis
the tax office here dealing with assets for French II), so in effect the tax is 6.75%. This is great news
non-residents of France, the conversation got What if I already have a QROPS? for those who would pay tax at 40% or more.
interesting. “We do not deem a QROPS to If you have a QROPS and have never had However, it requires caution, careful planning
be qualifying and so do not recognise it as a any issues with the French tax office, you are and timing. Moreover, we would never recom-
pension,” they said. probably wondering why. mend this as an option for final salary pensions.
I replied that the clue is in the name, ie. it It is most likely that you simply declared the Some people have been advised to transfer
starts with the word ‘qualifying’! QROPS withdrawals as income from a pension their pensions into a QROPS first and then
The impression I got was that the UK govern- and your local tax office has no idea it is a surrender it to avoid the initial UK tax taken
ment should not be allowed to decide what the QROPS, or has not caught up with what it is at source. This, however, is an unnecessary
French government should view as ‘qualifying’. or what the central tax office thinks of them. expense, considering that for non-UK residents/
They felt they had a right to disagree, which is It could, potentially, go unnoticed indefinitely. taxpayers, the UK tax will be quickly repaid in
not unreasonable. There are other issues, such as the fact that full. Temporary use of a QROPS is simply more
The problem, they explained, is that a QROPS they are subject to the 25% Overseas Transfer money for the adviser and a greater cost for you.
breaks all the rules of the equivalent in France – Charge if they are outside of the EU. It is not There is, unfortunately, no straightforward
that being a PER (Plan d’Epargne Retraite). clear if this will eventually be extended to the answer to the question of which pension solu-
SIPNR was willing to review different QROPS EU, given Brexit. tion would be right for you. So much depends
contracts to see if any might work, but ultimately In summary, the tax treatment is not black and on the particulars of your situation, so it is vital
everything was refused and it felt QROPS were white because there is no specific law blocking to take professional advice from a French finan-
simply too problematic for French residents. the use of QROPS in France. However, as you cial professional who also understands UK
French nationals returning to France with a can see, there are considerable risks involved. It pensions and tax laws before taking any action.
French living
Food Wine Homes Gardens Interviews Events FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002

THE VIEW
FROM HERE
French parliament’s
first ever wheelchair
using MP on how
French attitudes to
disability are changing

Explore the Cher,

heart of France
Descartes: a
philosopher’s life
2 Le Cher connexionfrance.com French Living I May 2023

Centre yourself in the

wine-making, historical
heart of the Hexagon
Samantha David explores the central department of Cher, where visitors can step back in time
in the medieval city of Bourges, mess about in boats, or sample some world-famous wine

E
xploring Cher really is diving

Photos: AD2T du Cher

into the heart of France; not
only is it the home of Sancerre,
one of France’s most iconic
wines, but the history of
Bourges goes right back to pre-Roman
times in a neat historical encapsulation
of the last couple of thousand years.
The countryside is fertile and rolling,
the villages tranquil and pretty; there
are chateaux to visit, wines to taste,
sports to enjoy and history to learn.
Having so many vineyards and
chateaux on the doorstep does pose the
slight problem of which one to visit.
All have their attractions. It just depends
what you are after; glamour, history,
architecture, wine, or a mix of all four.
Cher also contains the ‘mystery’ village
located at the geographic centre of the
Hexagon. It lies south of Bourges, that
much is certain, but where exactly is a
much more complex matter.
The rivalry for this title (and the tourist
dollars that go with it) between the com-
munes of Saint-Amand-Montrond,
Farges-Allichamps, Bruère-Allichamps,
Vesdun, and Saulzais-le-Potier is intense. on the cobbles. They are deliberately Above: one the film- you are thirsty after all that culture, seek Coeur managed to escape to Rome in
There may even be other pretenders to maintained that way so that all the set-ready medieval out the tiny teashop called Cake Thé (74 1455, where he was well received, and
the crown, but anyone determined to council has to do is shift the cars out streets of Bourges; bis Rue Bourbonnoux), where locals scoff became captain of a fleet of ships sent to
discover the truth is missing the point. and the streets are ready for filming. and inset left, the home-made cakes. the relief of Rhodes. He set out on this
Whichever way it goes, Cher has a huge The Princess of Montpensier was filmed fabulous palace Jacques Coeur’s legacy is massive in expedition but fell ill and died in Chios.
heart, and exploring it is like listening to in Bourges, as was Notre-Dame on Fire, of Jacques Coeur Bourges − you see his name all over the His male descendents eventually recuper-
the heartbeat of France. released last year. in Bourges place. The son of a rich merchant, he had ated some of his vast wealth, but his
There are multiple opportunities to get The design of the Cathédrale Saint- such a good head for business that he palace remained the property of the State.
wet in Cher, with rivers, lakes and swim- Étienne de Bourges was heavily influenced amassed a glittering fortune and even got In a way it was lucky, because it was
ming pools aplenty. Balnéor in Saint- by Notre-Dame de Paris, and there are himself ennobled. On his way to the therefore spared being damaged during
Amand-Montrond is a nice option. The many similarities, including the double pinnacle of success, he constructed a the Revolution. And if you are wondering
outdoor pools are designed as a series of towers flanking the main entrance. As magnificent house in the centre of what happened to his wife, Macée de
overlapping blue circles, and there is you face them, however, you will town, complete with hardwood floors, Léodepart, she died in 1453, while her
plenty of space to sunbathe, quickly see that the right one enormous fireplaces, rich decorations, husband was in prison, and is buried in
either on the grass or on a is much shorter than the sculptures, paintings and ornaments, an the church opposite her former home.

sunlounger by the pool.
There is a slide, a
plunge pool, two sau-
nas and a hammam
as well as paddling
pools for tots. There
are massages availa-
ble, but it is best to
book in advance.
If you wander
around near Saint-
Amand-Montrond, you
might notice a huge silver
construction looking like a
section of Toblerone. It is the
Pyramide des Métiers d’Art, et Centre de
Congrès et Spectacles − which used to
contain an interesting museum but which
is now mainly used as a conference
venue. It is a surreal sight, rising out of
traditional farmland.
Bourges has an extensive historic centre
which is so well preserved that it is often
used as a film location. Look carefully for
the streets which have no modern shop
fronts, no road signs, and no white paint
left one − because the
original fell down and
was rebuilt in a
grander style. The
right one is heavily
buttressed!
It is worth study-
ing the sculptures
which adorn the
arches. Inside, the
building is quite plain,
as sadly much of the
original coloured paint has
disappeared. It is noted for its
vast uninterrupted space, 13th-cen-
tury stained glass and astronomical clock.
Having married Henri VII of France, in
1145, Eleanor of Aquitaine was crowned
Queen of France in an earlier cathedral
on this site.
Do not miss the statues in the crypt.
There is an especially touching carving
of a bear cub, still in its harness and
chain, curled up at the feet of Jean, Duc
de Berry. (Cher is, of course, part of
Berry, which also encompasses Indre.) If
“
interior courtyard, and even sculptures of
himself and his wife leaning out of the
windows on the first floor to survey the
street below (see inset left photo).
His palace features his motto every-
where: ‘A vaillans cuers riens impossible’
(‘To the valiant heart, nothing is impossi-
Bourges has ble’). Sadly, he made some powerful ene-
mies on the way up, and perhaps the
an extensive green-eyed monster also played a part.
In 1451, he was arrested and accused
historic (on no grounds at all) of having poisoned
the King’s mistress, and the wolves
centre which attacked. An investigation led by his
political enemies accused him of crimes
is so well including fraud, paying backhanders to
infidels, coining light money, kidnapping
preserved oarsmen, and refusing sanctuary to a
Christian slave.
that it is He defended himself in vain. Despite
there not being a shred of evidence, he
often used was convicted, and after nearly two years
in jail, condemned to do public penance
as a film and to pay the king what would now be
around a million euros. His property was
location confiscated and he was jailed and exiled.
If you are keen to discover more history
in Bourges, you will need to be patient,
since the powers-that-be have taken the
bold decision to close all the municipal
museums for probably the next decade,
in order to revamp the buildings and to
re-organise all the collections. There is a
promise on the table to hold regular exhi-
bitions, but the museums themselves will
be closed for the foreseeable future.
Smaller, privately owned establishments
remain open, however, and the Villa de
Monin is one of them. Monin is world-fa-
mous for its syrups. The range of flavours
is extraordinary: sage, cucumber, water-
melon, chocolate, pumpkin spice, and
more. Some are designed to be diluted
with hot/cold/fizzy water, others as ingre-
dients to be added to coffee, hot choco-
late or cocktails. The shop is very gener-
ous with free tastings, there is a tiny
museum showing where some ingredi-
ents are farmed, and a cosy cocktail bar
where you can continue your mixology
education. The shop also sells yummy
Daniel Mercier chocolates. On the foodie
May 2023 I French Living
trail in Cher, it is also possible to visit
the shop at the Rians Dairy, which is just
outside Bourges.
Summer evenings in Bourges are
delightful. During the high season, much
of the historic centre is beautifully illumi-
nated and decorated with light projec-
tions, and a path is marked out in blue
lights, which you can follow to see all the
highlights, if you’ll pardon the pun.
The Tourist Office has more information
about Les Nuits Lumière Bourges.
If you feel like treating yourself to a
decent restaurant, I recommend booking
a table at Les Petits Plats du Bourbon, just
outside the historic centre. The building
and the decor are amazing, the service
impeccable, and the cuisine is inventive
without being over the top.
Outdoor spaces competing for your
attention include the Parc Floral d’Apre-
mont with its spectacular flower displays,
the Jardin de l’Archevêché behind the
cathedral, and the Marais, which has the
added benefit of allowing you to admire
the scenery from a flat-bottomed boat.
Again, find details at the Tourist Office.
While exploring Cher, do not neglect
the Pôle des Etoiles at Nancay. It is a real
scientific centre explaining the sky and
the universe. It has a planetarium,
an observatory and an exhibition space.
Using virtual reality you can experience
landing on Mars. It regularly holds work-
shops for children and star-gazing
sessions for adults.
For a more down-to-earth experience,
the Musée de Vierzon is fascinating.
Housed in a former factory, the collec-
tions trace the town’s industrial history
through the 19th and 20th centuries via
the people who made porcelain, glass-
ware, china and agricultural machinery.
Using drawings and scale models as
exhibits, it also traces the history of the
railways in France.
Another incredible engineering feat can
be admired at Cuffy, where the Pont
Canal Du Guetin means that canal boats
can actually cross the Loire river as if on
a bridge.
Vierzon is also home to the Cabaret
Cirque National Palace, which is a dinner
theatre. The idea is that you go for dinner
and a spectacular show, but in fact it is
possible to go and just enjoy the show on
a Sunday. It is very much the same idea as
the famous revues in Paris, but for less
money and with a less tacky vibe. If you
are ready for some sequins and sparkle,
this is for you.
In Vierzon, it is hard to miss the
ultra-modern foyer which has been
constructed in front of the old La Poste
building. The Espace Maurice Rollinat
is a digital art museum with loads of fun
activities for all the family. There is even
a virtual reality zone. The exhibition
space is for contemporary art and the
accent is on accessibility.
Another enjoyable visit is the Maison
Ecole du Grand Meaulnes in Epineuil-le-
Fleuriel. The building houses a school,
a house and a mairie, and together they
create an authentic time warp back to
1900, from the wooden clogs to the crisp
white sheets and the smell of ink in the
air. There are guided visits, plus a shop
selling local products, and special events
include being able to sign up for French
dictation using a dip pen. Keep an eye on
their website for dates.
connexionfrance.com
Photo: AD2T du Cher
Wine o’clock in Sancerre
A stork at the centre for
Sancerre is a small medieval town built
breeding and protection
on a high plateau. The heart beats in the
at Parc de l’Orangerie in
central square, which is surrounded by
Strasbourg
bars and cafés, making it an ideal place
to meet friends, relax and people watch.
It is so beautiful in fact that in 2021, it
was voted Village Préféré des Français in
the France 3 TV programme of the same
name. It is also one of the Plus Beaux
Villages de France, so bring your camera.
Wander along the narrow cobbled lanes
leading away from the central square and
you will be rewarded with stunning views
across the Loire river, running along the
valley floor a mere two kilometres away
from the town.
“This is the Loire Sauvage,” says Chantal
Mignol from the Tourist Office. “Our
part of the river is wide and shallow. It’s
not really navigable. It’s a capricious old
girl. The water levels are unstable,
so there’s no construction
along the banks. This
means that there is a
wonderful natural
heritage, untouched
and unspoiled, ideal
for walks and cycle
rides. It’s very relax-
ing, very far from
the modern world.”
Loire Nature et
Découverte offers a
whole range of activi-
ties, including canoeing,
boat rides and organised
hikes. There is something for
everyone, as long as you do not mind
pulling your canoe or kayak over the
shallow sections of the river when the
water level drops during the hottest,
driest months.
It is difficult to think of the town being
besieged, as it was for eight months in the
Wars of Religion in 1573, when the town
was staunchly Protestant, but it is easy to
find traces of the fortifications which
Above: flat-bottomed once protected Sancerre from marauders.
boats at the Marais Today it is home to fewer than 1,500
near Bourges inhabitants; most local people live on the
rolling hills surrounding the town, where
there is plenty of space for new houses
and gardens.
The town has a 19th-century church,
Notre-Dame de Sancerre, as well as a
Protestant temple, and some ancient
ruins to explore. The Tour des Fiefs offers
panoramic views as a reward for climbing
the 195 stairs to the top. If you happen to
be there in early summer and admire the
Le Cher 3
wisteria, you can also marvel at its age.
They say it was planted in 1903. But the
real attraction is, of course, the region’s
wine. Sancerre is known worldwide. It is
usually thought of as being famous for its
white wine, but in fact reds and rosés are
also produced in the area.
“Sancerre is a mono-cépage only using
Sauvignon grapes, but the reds and
rosés are made from Pinot Noir,” says
Ms Mignol.
The best way to find out about the local
wines is to visit the Maison de Sancerre
which offers exhibitions, information and
information on Sancerre wine. The roses
and aromatic herbs make the garden a
beautiful place, and the boutique is well-
stocked. The tastings are really aimed at
helping visitors understand how to taste
wines, rather than just to encourage them
to buy them.
Sancerre also makes a fabulous base
for exploring the surrounding country-
side, visiting the chateaux and wine
domains, where you can taste
and buy wines direct from
the producers. If you are
not sure which ones to
visit, there are tours
you can join. This
also takes the pain
out of deciding
who is going
to drive.
“The local econo-
my is almost totally
based on wine, and
the tourism that goes
with it. We don’t have
any other industries in
the region.
“It means there aren’t any industrial
estates or factories to spoil the land-
scape,” says Chantal.
Just in case any visitor has not made
the connection, throughout the summer
season, the town organises ‘wine o’clock’
events at around 6pm each evening.
“They are in different locations, but
they’re all based around wine. We post
the details on the website and, of course,
they are available in the Tourist Office,
too. The tastings cost around €12 per
person. It’s very convivial.”
The nearby village of Chavignol is
where the AOC cheese Crottin de
Chavignol has been made since 1976. It
is moulded into the distinctive shape of a
vintage oil lamp and is a local favourite.
La Bête Noire Sancerroise offers the
chance to visit a farm, see the goats and
find out how the cheese is made. Visits
are free and you can find cheese and
locally made produce in their boutique.
Photos: AD2T du Cher
The picturesque medieval
town of Sancerre; above inset,
vineyards in the autumn
4 Rencontre
‘The more we travelled, the more I
realised she was coming back to life’
Théophile Larcher talks to Fiona Lauriol, who took
her centenarian grandmother out of the nursing
home in which she was deteriorating to go on an un-
forgettable road trip through Spain in a camper van
N
either Fiona Lauriol nor her
grandmother’s doctor ex-
pected that life would turn
out this way. Ms Lauriol
went on an eighteen-month
trip in a camper van with Dominique Ca-
vanna, her then-101-year-old Italian-born
grandmother, despite the centenarian
being given one week to live by doctors.
Ms Lauriol recounted their adventure
in 101 Ans – Mémé part en vadrouille
(101 years-old – Granny goes on a trip,
Blacklephant Editions), a book which
sold more than 10,000 copies and which
still awaits an English translation.
The trip took them to Spain, where Ms
Cavanna also experienced her first Holy
Week, attended her first concert, sang
with street artists in Almeria, participated
in walking the Camino, basked in hot
springs, and went to Portugal.
“The more we travelled, the more
I realised she was coming back to life,”
said Ms Lauriol, whose grandmother died
peacefully during the Covid pandemic,
and whose book was a tribute and parting
promise to her grandmother.
The Connexion spoke with Ms Lauriol as
she and her parents hit the road again in
a nationwide camper van trip of nursing
homes to raise awareness around old age.
The journey will end up at the Assemblée
nationale around June, Ms Lauriol’s expe-
riences and the release of Les Fossoyeurs
(see final question) having provoked the
interest of the government and MPs from
across the political spectrum.
What has the reaction been so far?
It’s very good feedback because it raises
awareness and changes people’s views of
old age. Most people think that at a cer-
tain age, we no longer have the desire to
live and simply wait for death. But people
still want to live their life to the fullest.
When I told young people that my
grandmother saw her first concert aged
102, they began to see older people differ-
ently. If we exclude the elderly from our
society, what do we expect them to say
about us if we leave them staring at
an empty wall waiting for the end?
We are considered old at around 65. Let’s
say someone lives until
105, it means he or she
will hear continuously
for 40 years that they
should be careful in
case they break a bone
or die. This is not how
anyone should live.
This is a reference to
your grandmother’s
own situation, when
you spotted her in
a room six months
after you took her
out of a care home...
When I spotted her watching that wall
with such an empty look in her eyes, it
gave me the shivers. Getting old should
connexionfrance.com French Living I May 2023
Photos: Blacklephant Editions
not resemble that. When we decided to
take her on a road trip in a camper van,
my parents and I first took her on a 40-
day road trip as a test. She did not know
what a camper van was, and things went
horribly wrong.
She broke her nose near the Lac du
Salagou and the operation required
stitches. When there was a hail storm she
thought France was being bombarded
again. We never saw the Mediterranean
coast, nor were we able to visit her native
Italy. When we came back, I thought she
would have never wanted to go through
that experience again. Next morning, she
told us: “Ok, I have slept enough. When
do we start again?”
When you look at the photos from the
start of the trip, she is hunchbacked and
knocked out by the medication. She was
struggling to stand on her legs and had
lost fifteen kilos. As the journey went on
she looked younger.
When people ask me what the miracle
cure is, I tell them it’s having a perspective
of the future. Every day was different and
the unexpected was part of the journey.
You have said that you did not have
a good relationship with your grand-
mother, so why did you choose this?
How did you overcome resentment?
Would I want to die alone or surrounded
by my family? I thought it would not be
too complicated to accommodate her,
since the doctors said she only had one
week to live.
It took six months to get her back on
her feet and six months to be able to leave Dominique Cavanna like babies. We do not like our parents to live life to the full that allowed her to die
in a camper van. Over the first two weeks, enjoying late-life speak to us in that way, but this is exactly peacefully. You should have seen her face
I wondered what I had got myself into. adventures with what we do to them when they reach old when she went for that eternal sleep. We
But with a lot of love and patience, you granddaughter age. One nursing home told us about a should all go like that. She looked like she
can do so much. With time, we came to Fiona Lauriol 97-year-old lady whose children refused was having a great dream.
understand each other’s differences. to let her take the hot-air balloon trip she This contrasted with my other grand-
always dreamed of because it was ‘too mother, who died of Charcot’s disease and
What is your take on health profes- dangerous’, but who asked her neverthe- who suffered a martyr’s death by enduring
sionals after she defied the official less to take a flight to Nice to visit them intensive medication despite the fact that
diagnosis for her life expectancy? during the summer. no treatment exists.
My opinion is that beyond a certain age, (Laughs) That’s the irony of it. I am
professionals are no longer interested. You fighting this attitude to give the elderly Your book came shortly before Les
“
are told that you are old, that’s it. I think back their place in society, after having Fossoyeurs, an investigation of the
the diagnosis indirectly takes into consid- more or less excluded them, or implied sickening way in which the elderly in
eration the environment she lived in. If I that they were useless. But there is also a care homes have been treated, and
had not taken her out generational problem. We no longer know which triggered a national debate.
of the care home, she how to communicate with them and tell What role do you have to play in this
probably would have them that we still need them. I saw this unfolding situation?
died within a week. with my grandmother. Mother/daughter The Fossoyeurs book was controversial but
I think overpro-
tection is the second
If I had not and grandmother/granddaughter rela- France moved on. My book makes people
dream, but once they have read the last
tionships are not the same. I knew how
reason. The doctor taken her to tell her when to stop because she was page, they will move on. The only way to
advised me that if she annoying me. My mother would never change people’s views is to go out into the
died in my car, I would out of the have had the gall to speak to her like that. field and convince them that there is not
bear responsibility. But I also think that at a certain age you just one way, that we have to give our time
I thought since she had care home, have to be able to confront each other, and put humanity back into our society.
one week left, my risk explain things to each other, talk to each We need this because not everyone can
was very low. she probably other even if there are differences. go away in a camper van or look after
their parents and grandparents. People
So you think this would have Are you the proof that want more humanity and communica-
overprotection is hope springs eternal? tion. We need more volunteers and more
what leads them inevitably towards… died within I think so. I was criticised for having kept openness to the outside world. This is a
Death. The elderly are excluded from up hope, but it may be the combination subject that affects the whole of society.
society, treated as useless and spoken to a week of hope, love, patience and the desire to It is not a religious or political issue.
6 Gardens
Three garden gems to visit in May:
Vienne, Mayenne and Loire-Atlantique
This month sees many
fine gardens welcoming
visitors. Cathy Thompson
explores three absolute
beauties throwing their
gates open to visitors
M
ay is the time to put
on your curious and
sociable hat again and
start visiting gardens
open under the ‘Jardins
Ouverts’ scheme (www.opengardens.eu).
Your €5 day card gives you access to as
many gardens as you can manage to visit:
not only will you make new gardening ac-
quaintances, but you will boost the funds
of important French charities, with special
emphasis on those helping children.
You may even want open your garden
and join in the fun yourself? Think less
of ‘picture-perfect gardens’ and more of
joining a gardening community in France.
Paul Robertshaw’s garden in the Vienne
(11 Peussicot, 86250 Genouillé; Tel: 05 49
87 28 49) is open Saturday 27 & Sunday
28 May from 10:00 to 16:00. This garden
satisfies not just the French criteria for
what makes a good garden – perfectly
grown vegetables – but is also beautiful
to look at.
Arriving here in 2010, Paul has since
devoted a lifetime’s worth of professional
landscaping and organic growing expe-
rience to creating this little one-hectare
paradise on former arable land.
He says: “I didn’t want somebody else’s
garden – I wanted space with potential.”
However, the soil was a nightmare. “If
you dug a hole to plant a shrub, you’d get
a wheelbarrow full of rocks. Over time,
on an old farm like this, the farmers just
plough the land to death, so I had this
claypan that I was never going to master.”
One solution was raised beds. These
are the result of a great deal of drystone
walling experience, but since recycling
and ‘making do’ are massive themes
here, the beds had to be created slowly,
as and when materials became availa-
ble. Knocking down a piggery or an old
outbuilding – or going begging at friendly
connexionfrance.com
neighbours with a wheelbarrow – each Clockwise, from
activity brought a wall slowly closer to Above, Paul
completion. Robertshaw’s truly
Throughout this last winter and into stunning Vienne
February, the Robertshaws have been garden is open to
eating chard, lettuces, many different visitors on 28 and
kinds of salad leaf, kale, broccoli, carrots, 29 May; beehives in
leeks, and winter greens, made possible Michel and Simone
by the raised beds and Paul’s 12m by 9m Paumard’s superb
polythene tunnel. Mayenne garden;
He tells me: “Everything I plant here – an idyllic viewpoint
except for the vegetables – gets no water in Mary and Joël
after the first year. The 16,000 litres of wa- Pruneau’s Loire-
ter that I save in winter, by collecting the Atlantique botanical
run-off from the barns, goes directly onto beauty, which is
the vegetable beds and the polytunnel. entirely organic
We have to ‘re-look’ how we garden, I be-
lieve, as a result of the way the climate is
changing. Think of microclimates within
the larger garden then use shrubs and tall
grasses to give more delicate plants shade
in the hottest part of the day.”
Paul’s unstoppable imagination express-
es itself not just in the garden structures
which he has fashioned, but the garden
art which pops out at you from the small-
French Living I May 2023
Originally their intention was not to
Photos courtesy of Paul Robertshaw, Mary & Joël Fruneau, Michel & Simone Paumard
garden the land, but simply to “inhabit it”,
Mary says. However, from 2000 they really
began to “catch the bug”, going to plant
fairs and buying from specialist nurseries
in order to plant more exotic trees and
shrubs, including over 60 types of camel-
lia, a special favourite.
A visit to England in 2008 reinforced
their interest and each year since then,
with the exception of 2020 and 2021,
they have spent about six days in Ireland,
Scotland or England each year, making
friends, acquiring plants.
Mary likes to experiment with prop-
agation in the garden and often makes cut-
tings, directly struck in the soil, of subjects
such as Erysimum ‘Bowles Mauve’. She
has a propagating tip: replace hormone
rooting powder or gel with a little saliva
at the base of the stem, or a preparation of
water into which you have added chopped
and crushed pieces of willow stem.
The couple garden entirely organically,
and Mary describes one of their biggest
annual jobs as both “a problem and a
windfall of good fortune”: Collecting
fallen foliage from those many trees used
to create garden-nourishing leaf mould.
The garden of Michel & Simone Paumard
in the Mayenne (4 Les Baries, Niort la
Fontaine, 53110 Lassay-les-Châteaux; Tel:
est corner, creations in repurposed metal 02 43 04 04 02) will also be open on Sun-
and wood. A visit promises inspiration day 28 May. Michel has been gardening
on many levels. this land of 9,600m2 since 1994. Originally
an old apple and pear orchard dedicated
Mary & Joël Pruneau’s garden in the to cider production, it was very overgrown
Loire-Atlantique (9 Rue de la Bouguinière, when he arrived. “A blank page,” as he
44340 Bouguenais; Tel: 06 24 73 08 85) is delightedly recounts.
open Saturday 27 May from 9:00 to 12:00 Passionate about gardening since his
and 14:00 to 18:00. Here you will discover youth, he began this garden with hundreds
a world of trees and shrubs as diverse as of cuttings from friends and family, which
any botanic garden, including many spe- he planted on the first small 200m2 plot
cies of oak, Metasequoia, Sequoia, Gingko that he cultivated. Visits to some of Paris’
biloba, Davidia involucrata, and an exam- grand gardens inspired him to plant a
ple of one of the world’s oldest conifers, structure of very young trees, now appre-
once thought extinct, Wollemia nobilis. ciated in their maturity as a backdrop that
The land was inherited from Joël’s pater- encircles a tranquil, life-affirming space.
nal grandmother and Mary relates that, The soil is deep, easy to work and light:
although the couple feel they have both azaleas and rhododendrons flourish with-
been ‘cradled’ in gardens since their child- out soil improvements and should be flow-
hood, when they first arrived much of the ering in May. The potager is always highly
present garden was simply a field, given appreciated by visitors, Michel tells me,
over to a neighbour’s goats. When that and it is in this area of the garden, as well
neighbour retired, they took back the field as the rose garden, orchard and beehives
and began to plant trees that grow locally, that he himself finds the most joy.
such as sessile and pedunculate oak, birch, Check the Gardens Open website regularly
maritime pine, and field maple. – there are new open days added weekly.
 May 2023 I French Living
Garden digest
Let barbecue battle commence
For those who indulge in shameless
barbecue one-upmanship, there is noth-
ing quite like an “outdoor kitchen” to
impress one’s summer garden guests.
For a très chic set-up with a stamp of
French elegance, check out the cuisine
d’été (summer kitchen) range by French
barbecue specialists Aluvy.
The individual JEAN storage and
worktop units (pictured on either side of
their LULU gas barbecue, and available
in a range of colours, above) are certified
“Origine France Garantie”. The price for
such a wow factor is €1,850 per unit.
Explore the full range of products and
colour options at aluvy-design.com/en.
The grower’s jobs for May
With longer, warmer days, May is a busy
month in the French potager (vegetable
garden), from sowing any remaining
summer crops such as courgettes and
runner beans, to harvesting seasonal
goodies such as lettuce, spring onions,
broccoli, spinach, rhubarb, beetroot,
radishes and peas.
Tasty asparagus should be ready, too
– try to cut their stems from about 5cm
below the soil.
Some parts of northern and central
France may still experience frosts so don’t
forget to protect young vegetable plants
with cloches or fleece if this applies.
Boho bamboo
Embrace nature when gardening by wear-
ing natural fibre gloves where possible.
These BOHO gants from French firm
Rostaing are largely made from bamboo
fibre (and latex). Providing durablity and
dexterity, they can be washed with soap
and water but should be dried away from
heat sources. €6.50 a pair at Leroy Merlin.
Photo: Rostaing
connexionfrance.com
Photo: Aluvy
Main photo: Cathy Thompson, Salvia sclarea; inset, Promesse de Fleurs/ Salvia nemorosa Blauhugel
Pick of the pots: my top 5 salvias
Salvia superfan Cathy Thompson selects her all-time favourites of the vast genus
French garden diary
I
t has become clear to me that,
wherever you live in France,
Fleuroselect’s favoured plant of the
Insta-jardins year for 2023 is also one of your
Instagram is a brilliant favourites. I am talking about the
place to enjoy other genus Salvia, to which we must now also
people’s gardens in add rosemary, Salvia rosmarinus.
France, with everyone The most obvious charm of the genus is
from visitors to chambre the much-needed zap of red and blue that
d’hôtes owners posting many salvias – particularly the more ten-
seasonal snaps and quirky der Central and South American species
updates from their gar- – add to our garden palette. Sometimes
dens (users can search us- the eye-catching hues will also be set off
ing the hashtag #jardins, to good effect by an outer ‘cup’ (calyx)
#monjardin, #jardinage in a contrasting colour, and these often
or #potager). persist, adding ornamental interest to a
Continuing our pen- border long after the petals themselves
chant for potager posters, have dropped.
here we have young But salvias have other charms. There’s
gardening author Tom le a salvia for every situation and their
Jardinier (tomlejardinier) tolerance of drought and almost every
who is a frequent provider soil is remarkable, although they do not
of planting tips, growing spread as vigorously on a heavy, summer-
inspiration and recipes. parched clay. Propagation is easy: division
His videos are great for for the herbaceous perennials and the
learning French in a shrubby types should be softwood cut-
horticultural context. tings in May/June, or semi-ripes in
August/September.
The latter are the traditional way of
overwintering slightly tender salvias in
colder areas, but I’ve been less than suc-
cessful with them in recent years. It could
be that the heat levels here in France are
more intense in late summer and this
deters rooting? Whatever – increasingly,
I’m tending toward taking out my insur-
ance policy against a hard winter in May,
rather than August.
So, if I could just choose five salvias,
which would I go for? I’m going to cheat
and group them a little according to their
attractions.
1. Top in my garden are the tough her-
baceous salvias under the Salvia nemorosa
umbrella (from 50 to 80cm). The species
name implies that they do well in light
woodland, but in my experience, they
don’t relish fierce competition from tree
roots in a dry situation – and watch out
for slugs that can pose a significant threat
on heavy soils.
Choose from a wealth of bluey-pinky-
purpley cultivars, old and new, but be
aware that there’s a lot of confusion with
names in the Nemorosa group, since
British and European gardeners have
loved them enough to select and hybrid-
ise for over a century.
Some cultivars, such as ‘Mainacht’, are
German hybrids with another European
species (S. pratensis), while cultivars pur-
porting to be Salvia x superba are actually
a fine form of S. nemorosa (‘Superba’),
selected in British gardens at the turn of
the nineteenth/twentieth century.
2. For fabulous blue and purple, I’d
choose late-flowering Salvia uliginosa
(90cm to 1.5m), or the more tender Salvia
‘Amistad’ (up to 1.5m, hardy to about
-5°C, possibly lower). The former is a
tough, tall plant of an excellent clear blue.
Although known as the ‘marsh salvia’, it
will be happy in rather drier conditions,
providing there’s a little overhead shade.
‘Amistad’ is known to everyone in the
salvia fan-club by now for its intense
pools of violet-blue, but look out for
other cultivars of Salvia guaranitica (the
parent that bequeathed the intense
colouring), for instance ‘Blue
Enigma’ or ‘Black and Blue’.
3. Characterful salvias.
This really is a massive
category from South and
Central America – and
pretty tender, particularly
on heavy soils like mine.
Personally, I’d rate Salvia
buchananii (up to 60 cm)
tops for its 1960s hot-pink,
fuzzy flowers that are surprisingly
“
There’s a salvia
for every situation
and their tolerance
of drought and
almost every soil
is remarkable
Gardening 7
large for a sage. Salvia involucrata
‘Bethelii’ (up to 1.3m) is as quirkily fuzzy
as S. buchananii.
These more tender sages need to be
overwintered under cover if your temper-
atures drop below about -3 to -5°C, but
you could grow them in containers and
bring them in during the cold months.
4. No-fuss shrubby salvias go from
strength to strength in warmer parts of
France. But there’s a huge caveat: they are
far from trouble-free further north (see
my temperature note on ‘characterful sal-
vias’): insurance-policy cuttings advised!
All originated as selections of red-flow-
ered Texan S. greigii and S.microphylla
(sometimes seen incorrectly as S. gra-
hamii), hailing from Arizona down to
Mexico. It pays to look out for cultivars
and hybrids of these, such as sexily
named ‘Hot Lips’ and ‘Lipstick’.
There are more and more cultivars each
year, since they’ve become a playground
for the collector’s passion. I’m very drawn
to apricot ‘Papajan’ and the ‘Mirage’ series
of S. greigii: ‘Mirage Violet’, ‘Salmon’,
‘Cream’ and ‘Burgundy’. The ‘Mirages’
look to me as if they’d make terrif-
ic container plants for terraces
and balconies, since they
should be long-flowering
and are quite low-growing
at about 40cm.
5. In the silver-leaved
group, Salvia argentea (up
to 80cm in flower), has got
to be top dog. A gravel garden
without this plant is incomplete.
Unfortunately, it has a tendency to be
biennial and die after flowering. You can
remove the flower stems to keep it going,
but of course on such a plant you are
unlikely to do that, because you’ll want
to save and sow the seed.
I have to confess that I could not grow
this plant here – it’s one that ‘got away’
when I moved to heavy soil – so I use
Salvia sclarea (‘Clary Sage’; flowering
stem up to 1m) instead. The foliage
rosettes are not quite as beautiful as S.
argentea, but the plant lights up many a
corner in the garden for very long peri-
ods with its persistent bracts in pinkish
white and self-sows on any kind of soil.
What’s your favourite salvia? Contact
Cathy at editor@connexionfrance.com
8 Interview connexionfrance.com French Living I May 2023

‘Economic

Photo left: Sébastien Peytavie; photos right, Photothèque Assemblée nationale

issues are too
central to our
society now’
France was criticised in April by the EU for violating
the rights of disabled people - Théophile Larcher
speaks to Sébastien Peytavie, the first wheelchair
user MP in parliament, about changing political will

S
eat 491 is unlike any other
in France’s lower House of
parliament, the Assemblée
nationale; from its position to
who occupies it.
On the front rows of the assembly –
dedicated to government ministers only –
sits Sébastien Peytavie, 41, an ecologist
MP for Dordogne’s fourth constituency,
and the first wheelchair user under the
Fifth Republic. He is listed under Nupes,
a coalition of left-wing parties.
Mr Peytavie – pronounced paye ta vie –
sits in this spot, following works carried
out at the Assemblée nationale to allow him
to access the space, and so participate in
the legislative activity of the nation.
His first question to the government,
on January 24, 2023, came after a sev-
en-month spell in hospital, something
which attracted journalists who had
consistently profiled him by emphasising
his condition.
Mr Peytavie’s life in a wheelchair was the
result of a heart operation that went wrong
when he was three years old – but he does
not want to be defined by that condition,
as can plainly be seen by how he describes
himself as an MP on his Facebook page.
Mr Peytavie grew up in Borrèze
(Dordogne) in a family that ran la
Ribambelle, a charity to help children
with difficult home lives. He graduated
with a Master’s degree in psychopatholo-
gy in 2006 and worked as an educator for
two years before opening a psychologue
practice. He has worked at Sarlat’s public
hospital in the Dordogne since 2019.
He is proud to have won several tro-
phies as a forward in the wheelchair
Rugby league team of Cahors.
environment with seats so tiny and
cramped it was impossible for me to
access them. The solution was to place me
where MPs sit with a folding console.
I was not very hopeful about the work.
I had imagined a sort of table with wheels
that anyone could move around, with a
casing dedicated to cast ballots. They came
up with this solution that far exceeded
my expectations.
You know, I come from Sarlat in
Dordogne where questions around accessi-
bility are central because of the many
medieval buildings there. It is hard to
make them accessible without diminishing
their charm and character.
When you see such dedication for
an MP, would you not like the state
to treat all disabled citizens like this?
Isn’t it double standards?
(Laughs). It should be the rule. But it is
already the case in many buildings since
they have to follow rules that include more
accessibility requirements. Of course, I
would like everyone to be welcomed the
way I was at the Assemblée nationale.
Are you surprised to be the first?
Yes and no. Yes, because there is nothing Above, Sébastien not the same as a métro ticket. Despite all presented myself as a person with a
to stop you from being an MP, except Peytavie, the first the infrastructure improvements made for disability. It is a reality, I don’t hide it nor
perhaps your imagination. When I com- wheelchair-user MP the Olympic Games, nothing has could I hide it. When I was elected,
peted to become a European MP, at first I of the Fifth Republic improved for people with disabilities. I wanted to be part of the social affairs
thought it was not for me. But if everyone In Dordogne, I take the train to Souillac committee. The state of hospitals and
with a slightly different background talked where staff are not trained to take a disa- medical ‘deserts’ are subjects close to my
themselves out of trying, we shouldn’t be bled person on the train. SNCF pays for a heart, but the question of disability is also
surprised at seeing the same old profiles. taxi to Brive station to get me on the train. present. It is obvious that I have some-
If we want to see other types of people These are just some of the things that go thing to say and to defend. I realised this
representing us, we must give ourselves the against the European rules of no discrimi- when I saw the number of people who
best chance to become them. Functional nation on accessibility issues. But for now, responded to me.
disabilities in particular are always valued France is far from achieving this.

He did not swerve questions about his
condition but gave perspective of the
challenges still facing France around
accessibility for disabled people, hoping
he could set an example in politics.
But he also shared what he hopes for
France in general, his stay at the hospital
having confirmed what he already knew
about the state of France’s public services.
You are the first MP wheelchair user
under the Fifth Republic. What work at
the Assemblée nationale was required
to facilitate your movements?
The main problem for architects was the
auditorium, as every other room except
this one had already been adapted for disa-
bled people with elevators and wheelchair
ramps. The auditorium is one of the oldest
areas of the building and a very narrow
through sport. It’s true that there isn’t
much valorisation other than through
sport. There is a little bit through cinema.
Once I was elected, many disabled peo-
ple contacted me to say that they were
happy to have someone in their situation
who could represent them. I think that this
can give ideas to others.
What is your take on the fight for
accessibility for disabled people?
Getting around is catastrophic. We are
going to have a rather extraordinary spot-
light with the Olympic Games in 2024 in
Paris, a city with only one métro line
accessible to disabled people. When 10,000
athletes and spectators travel around areas
to attend games, I don’t know how we’re
going to manage. The government’s plan
is to pay for taxis but the price of a taxi is
“
Does it require more education?
Training, I would say. Over the last 20
years, the way people look at disability has
changed. People are less surprised or
embarrassed. But when there are teachers
without disability training and you want
The state to encourage inclusive schools, it’s terrible.
Architects work with specifications and
of hospitals standards, but when you book a hotel
room for disabled people, it’s always
and medical bland. We need to create something both
accessible and beautiful.
deserts are
You have been interviewed in
subjects La Croix and Libération, yet your
political career is described from the
close to perspective of your wheelchair. Your
Facebook bio does not mention it.
my heart I have never defined myself nor have I
Are you not a symbol of hope?
Well, I am one in fact. And it would be
stupid not to accept it. It is obvious that
I have legitimacy in this area and that my
voice will have greater legitimacy on laws
around that issue.
How does one see the world from
your seated position? I ask because
it seems like this has an important
bearing on the issues about which
you feel strongly…
This is a very important question.
Remember that a painting will not look
the same wherever you stand. Subjectivity
plays out through the gaze. Mine is much
lower. But it is coupled with a whole
childhood history.
I grew up with parents who ran child-
care for people with particular life paths.
May 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com Green news 9

Main photo Pixabay

Cuttings edge: council
bans grass at the tip

I learned to watch and listen to difficult
life paths. The next logical step was to
become a psychologist. Obviously, those
who are on the margins of society have
accompanied my life path.
How has psychology
the number of elderly people who choose
to leave the city to settle in Dordogne for
better quality of life and see that the hos-
pital is not always open, it generates anxi-
ety and some eventually leave. The attrac-
tiveness of a region is also determined by
its access to public services and care.
Green news
Rennes residents’ clippings prohibited
In what is seen as a pioneering and
eco-friendly move by authorities in a
major city, a new law in Rennes will ban
residents from dumping their lawn clip-
pings at local tips (déchetteries) after
January 1, 2024.
Explaining the reasons behind the move
Vice-President of the metropolis, the
ecologist Laurent Hamon told Le
Télégramme: “It is time to adapt our ter-
ritories to the challenges of climate
change. To achieve this, we are focusing
on simple, effective measures that are
within everyone’s reach.
“For example,” he continued, “at pres-
ent, while lawn clippings are 80% water,
we are moving this mass of water around
the territory, from homes to waste collec-
tion centres, and then to platforms in the
department so that this green waste can
Top, Sébastien then be treated, with difficulty.”
Peytavie in the He added that grass cuttings represent
auditorium of the 30% of the average 380kg of vegetation
Assemblée nationale; dumped at tips per resident each year.
above, the modifica- “This is an aberration at a time when
tions that make the we are trying to preserve water resources.
space accessible to Plants, especially lawns, can also meet
Photo: MEDEF/Wikimedia
the first person to scientifically prove that
when CO2 increases, so too does the
global temperature.
He analysed “time capsule” air bubbles
trapped in ice cores extracted from the
polar regions, with his groundbreaking
1987 report revealing that levels of the gas
rose dramatically, along with temperatures,
after the Industrial Revolution. He drilled
down to 900m, a feat that allowed him to
retrace 40,000 years of climate history.
Later, as a member of the Academy of
Sciences, he was passionate in his fight
against global warming and in 2002 he
received the gold medal from the CNRS
(National Scientific Research Centre)
where he first began working in 1961.

influenced your political views?
My studies of Freud helped me
understand an important aspect of how I
approach politics. When we’re going to a
write a law, it’s not what I want to say that
is important but rather how we can get to
know those concerned so as to have
something that is as close as possible to
the needs and the realities. Politics is
about getting to know other people.
How did your first month
in parliament go?
Rough. From being in a hospital bed to
the intensity required at the Assemblée
nationale on the most important legisla-
tive reform of President Emmanuel
Macron’s second term, it was tough.
But it feels good to be here.
What did you see during
your stay at the hospital?
I already had an idea of the state of
French hospitals after having worked
there. In Sarlat, we have an emergency
service which has been closed for more
than 70 days. Rural areas do not have the
same access to care, education and
culture. This leads to inequalities which
impair people’s chances and prospects in
life. There is something about the repub-
lican promise that is impacted by this.
This is an important issue. When I see
What I have seen is healthcare person-
nel suffering, unhappy with their working
conditions and their work despite being
dedicated. Covid has highlighted a
healthcare system that is not working.
We have built a model of society since
the 1990s that revolves around economic
issues. We have to fit into the sustainabili-
ty pact, we have to be efficient, etc. This
needs to change.
During your mandate, what
do you most hope to change?
Our axis is the right to a dignified life.
It’s quite a catch-all phrase, but it can be
applied in any form.
Health is an essential issue. This is also
why the retirement reform is nonsense.
Increasing the retirement age by two
years means taking away two years of
healthy life from many people, even more
considering that life expectancy has
decreased with Covid.
Our health is also directly impacted
by global warming, our lifestyle and the
food we eat.
We have built a system where everyone
should have access to food but we don’t
care about the quality. The most precari-
ous are those most likely to eat low-quali-
ty food, and who are therefore the most
likely to be obese, with all the health risks
that this entails.
“
Mr Peytavie our objectives of preserving biodiversity
and the quality of our soil.”
Polluting fireplaces banned in Lyon
The use of open fireplaces or stoves over
20 years old has been banned in the Lyon
area, although homeowners can get
around the prefectural ban by adapting
their chimney with an insert costing
between €5,000 and €6,000. However, as Lorius was the first
well as claiming state aid for the inserts,
residents can apply for local donations of person to scientifically
between €1,000 and €3,000.
Wood-burning heating in around 6,000 prove that when CO2
homes is said to be responsible for more
than half of the fine particle emissions in increases, so too does
the agglomeration, with an estimated
2,000 premature deaths in the metropolis the global temperature
attributed to these particles each year.
As it announced the measure, the coun-
cil said it may be re-evaluated in 2027. Floating solar panels to power port
A Montpellier company has inaugurated
Climate change whistleblower dies its first floating solar (photovoltaique)
The scientific community has been pay- panels in the port of Sète, Hérault, and
ing tribute to French glaciologist Claude will later anchor them 1.5 km off the
Lorius (pictured, above right), one of the coast, where they will be connected via
first scientists to warn humanity of its electricity cables back to the town.
role in climate change, who died in In the initial test phase, 25 of the 12
March, aged 91 in Burgundy. metre-long rafts topped with panels –
Considered a leading climate change dubbed “Sun’sète” by their creators,
“whistleblower” since 1987, M. Lorius – SolarinBlue – will produce the equivalent
who went on 22 expeditions to Greenland of 300 kilowatts of electricity per hour to
and Antarctica during his career – was power about 20 homes in the port.
10 Nature
Making sense of moss and lichen
Jonathan Kemp marvels
at the growing power of
these resilient plants
E
arly in the year I clean out the
nest boxes I have put around
the garden. In nearly all, there
were the usual nesting materi-
als at the base of the tit boxes;
some fur from the dogs, a few feathers,
other plant matter and, below eveything,
a base lining of moss.
Sometimes, among the debris, I find
unhatched great tit eggs, with the same
markings as in the image below from
the RSPB.
Photo: RSPB image
Great tit (mésange charbonnière)
eggs actually about 10mm long
It all looks like a good place for the eggs
to hatch and the chicks to nestle under
the warmth of the parent bird’s body,
especially in the early mornings when the
temperatures are sometimes below freez-
ing. Many female birds have a ‘brood
patch’ – an area on the belly where there
are no or few feathers, so that the eggs
can be in direct contact with the warm
skin of the mother; in species in which
the male helps with the incubation they
too can develop this patch.
So obviously the mosses and other mate-
rials are there to both cushion and provide
insulation for the eggs. This year, by coin-
cidence, after cleaning the boxes, that very
same evening I watched a rather wonder-
ful programme, ‘The Magical World of
Moss’, and it opened my eyes to the fact
that this super-abundant plant that we
see every day is rather extraordinary.
Both mosses (mousse) and lichens
(lichen) are pioneer species, creeping out
(it is a rather slow process) as hardy colo-
Joy for animal welfare groups as police to receive animal protection training
Samantha David
A
nimal protection associa-
tions across France are
celebrating an enormous
step forward: police
officers and gendarmes
around the country are to be trained
in how to deal with animal abuse
and neglect cases. This is the result
of a convention signed by Gérald
Darmanin, the Interior Minister,
Marc Fesneau, the Agriculture
Minister, and Guillaume Sanchez,
the General Director of the SPA
(La Société Protectrice des Animaux).
“We have been waiting for this
moment for a long time,” said Jacques-
Charles Fombonne, the President of
the SPA. “Up until now in France, ani-
mal protection has been left to associa-
tions. The State has been very absent,
connexionfrance.com French Living I May 2023
nisers, and in fact mosses were the first
plants to establish themselves, some
the box (buis) trees – that are the understo-
ry below the oak trees – died back because
fungus may derive some nutrients from the
rock, provides support, absorbs moisture
450,000,000 years ago, on the barren, of the Asian box-tree moth (pyrale du buis) and minerals from the atmosphere, and
lava-covered surfaces of Earth, evolving ravages a few years ago, the stems and generally are an indication of good air qual-
from ocean algae that was left on land as branches were resplendent with green ity. They favour dead and dying trees with
water receded. mosses, in some ways even more beautiful less leaf cover as there is more light, and
Mosses are capable of living in extremely than box trees themselves. deciduous woods that provide shade in
hostile environments, and are found virtu- It is relatively humid on this north facing summer to help retain moisture. But they
ally everywhere on Earth. As they grow slope running down to the stream, and the do not contribute to the tree’s decline.
they change the atmosphere by releasing oaks shade out the summer sun; ideal They are also difficult to identify, as many
oxygen, and thus help to create our benign conditions for moss to grow. of them look very similar; below are my
atmosphere. When eventually they die and Identifying mosses is difficult. Because best guesses.
decompose they break down into organic the leaves and stems may be tiny, experts
matter that turns into topsoil, allowing who study them – bryologists – are always
other, more complex, plants to grow. to be seen with their magnifying glass
They can withstand extreme changes of (loupe) peering at the plants.
temperature, from -40° to +70°C, and are Also in the wood is a favourite tree where
capable of lying dormant for decades. the moss shares the branches with a lichen.
There is even an example of moss being This is a common combination and clearly
revived after being buried deep in frozen they can cohabit in similar environments
ground of Antarctica for 1,500 years. but they are not actually related species. An example of the foliose,
They generally reproduce by releasing The way to tell a moss from a lichen is or leafy, lichen is the
spores – essentially baby mosses – from that the mosses will have leaves and stems, common orange lichen
a sort of bud that grows on a stem and whilst lichens will not, although confusingly (lichen encroûtant jaune),
jaune),
opens to puff out a cloud of spores which some will have growths that look like leaves. widely distributed on trees
are carried by the wind to settle on a new A further source of confusion is that many in our region
host surface, but are also capable of lichens will have the word ‘moss’ in their
re-growing from a damaged stem or leaf. common name! A fruticose or ‘shrubby’
One of the most striking examples of lichen has a bushy look;
their hardiness is visible even today in this is oakmoss lichen
Iceland, where a thick covering of a grey (mousse des chênes),
chênes), or
velvety moss is steadily growing on the common antler lichen
lava flows that twist and turn on the high-
land interior of the island, resulting from
an eruption that occurred in 1783; a land-
scape probably not too different to that of
the earliest era of Earth.
Lava is very poor in nutriments, and one
of the specialities of mosses is that they
derive the nutriments needed for growth
“
directly from the air and rain; they do not
have roots and so do not feed on the sur-
faces they cover. A lichen is a complex life form that is not
Below is the view in the wood where I actually a plant at all, but is composed of And a crustose grows like a
sometimes take a morning walk. When two or more different organisms. The ‘crust’, on a rock for example,
organisms exist in a mutually beneficial as in the black patch shown
A lichen is relationship; symbiosis. At their simplest, below. (Probably collema
nigrescens))
nigrescens
the components are a fungus and a green
composed algae. They have existed on the planet much
less time than mosses.
of two There are three main types, foliose, fruti-
cose and crustose.
or more
Photos: Jonathan Kemp
They grow on many surfaces, including
trees, soil and rocks, and simply position
different themselves on a suitable place to grow. They
organisms
need sunlight, so that an alga can carry out
its function of photosynthesis, whilst the
meaning associations have not had police station in France.” Jacques-Charles Fombonne,
enough power. They do not have the As well as legal train- président de la SPA
legal authority to remove animals, ing to understand what
for example.” rights animals have, and
“We only have our only authority. how the law protects
We can visit people and talk to them. them, officers will also
Sometimes we can persuade them to get practical training so
give up animals they can’t care for. But that they understand
we don’t have legal status or power to what animals need, and
Photos: La SPA
act. The government represents the what constitutes an act
whole population so they should pro- of abuse.
tect animals too, and sometimes we “Officers will not be
need people with powers to help us Left to right: Guillaume Sanchez, expected to handle ani-
protect them.” directeur général de la SPA, mals themselves. It will
Under the new convention, new Gérald Darmanin, ministre still be the job of profes-
investigators will be trained to enquire de l’Intérieur, Marc Fesneau, sionals to actually catch
into cases of ill-treatment, illegal ministre de l’Agriculture aggressive dogs or
importation of animals, attacks on pro- people and will understand animal frightened horses for
tected animals, as well as into smaller protection law, which is quite compli- example. Officers will be in attendance zling it in public, for example. They
individual cases of animal abuse. cated. The initial training will be when required, in order to ensure the will know what to do and who to call.
Initially the aim is to train 4,000 gen- e-learning for gendarmes, and the new law is observed. They will be able to “In the past, officers didn’t have the
darmes and police officers, spread police trainees will from now on all hand out fines to people who refuse to training to intervene, but we hope that
between the 500 police stations and receive nine hours of training before give up animals suspected of being in the near future all gendarmes and
3500 brigades of gendarmes. they graduate. So very soon we will abused, they will know how to advise police officers across the country will
“They will know how to receive have a specially-trained officer in every the owner of a dangerous dog on muz- have this training.”
 May 2023 I French Living
Cultural tips: Marseille to Millet
A round up of the arts and culture stories creating a buzz in France
1. Marseille rescue tale comes to Netflix
New to the streaming platform Netflix
is Transatlantic, a dramatisation of the
remarkable efforts by an American
journalist and his cohorts to form a
rescue operation in 1940 Marseille, in
order to help anti-Nazi artists, writers
and other refugees – many Jewish –
flee Europe during World War Two.
connexionfrance.com Cultural digest/Trending 11
to be sent home. However, at Le Bourget
airport just as he was about to board the
plane to go back to Russia, Lacotte con-
ceived of a plan to distract the agents so
that Nureyev could seek safe harbour
with two French policemen.
4. Remarkable Ramses on show
Until September 6, ancient history lovers
will be flocking to an exceptional

1
Photo: Netflix

display at the Grande Halle de La

Villette in Paris. Ramses and the
Gold of the Pharaohs features
more than 180 original pieces,
some of which have never left
Egypt before, in an exceptional
collection. Organisers promise

Photo: Mehanic
“A breathtaking treasure trove of
over 3,000 years: exceptional jew-
ellery, spectacular royal masks,

Vintage mobile phone trend for

The Emergency Rescue Committee was
supported by Eleanor Roosevelt and led
by Varian Fry, who arrived in the port
city with $3,000 strapped to his leg.
Along with a small group of volunteers,
he hid away the likes of Walter Benjamin,
Marx Ernst, Marc Chagall, and André
Breton on an estate called Villa Air-Bel
until they could be smuggled out via ship
using forged visas. Fry eventually facili-
tated around 2,000 escapes.
Filming of the seven-part series,
furniture from the untouched
tombs of the city of Tanis.”
A highlight is the wooden sarcophagus
(sans mummy, which is too fragile to
travel) of the pharaoh Ramses II, third
ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty.
“It is the coffin that allowed Ramses to
a de-connected Generation Z
be protected for about 2,900 years, so it Simple, old-school mobile phones have a new generation of fans seeking
is absolutely incredible to have it here,”
Bénédicte Lhoyer, Egyptologist and to remove the temptations of social media apps, says Théophile Larcher
scientific advisor for the exhibition
told francetvinfo.
Visitors will also enjoy a virtual reality
#trending

based on the book The Flight Portfolio
by author Julie Oringer, took place over
six months in Marseille.
See also The Connexion page 13
G
exploration of the fabulous temple of
Abu Simbel and the tomb of Nefertari.
Tickets from €24, buy online at eneration Z – people born after 1995 –
www.expo-ramses.com. is turning to flip and vintage phones in

Photo: Darryl Brooks

a trend motivated by a renewed interest

5
© Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr

2. Traveller’s companion is 50 years old in vintage phones and a limitation of

Ask any French traveller which reliably
informative book they will choose when
planning a trip to a new destination and
they will invariably mention Le Guide
du Routard.
The guidebook series celebrates its 50th
anniversary this year, with sales of 55
million under its travel belt, covering
180 destinations far and wide.
Showing how it changes with the times,
one of the latest ‘Routard’ volumes fea-
turing a French destination is a guide to
sustainable tourism in Haute-Garonne,
in the region of Occitanie.
3. Nureyev’s defection friend dies
Pierre Lacotte, the former ballet dancer
and latterly choreographer, known for
his meticulous recreation of forgotten
19th century ballets, died in April at the
age of 91. He will perhaps be best
remembered in France for helping the
superstar dancer Rudolph Nureyev to
defect from Russia to the West in 1961.
Lacotte befriended the Russian, who
was on tour in Paris that year, and
showed him the sights of the capital.
This angered the KGB agents shadowing
the Russian dancer, and Nureyev was set
social media’s daily consumption.
The rise in popularity is mainly due to TikTok,
the most popular social media application among
youngsters, where throngs of users have posted
videos under a dedicated hashtag following a viral
video which highlighted their benefits for nights out.
The interest from Generation Z for phones released
prior to their birth has caught the attention of several
popular phone manufacturers such as Samsung and
Nokia or businesses which cornered that segment of
the market or intensified production.
The flip phone market was worth one billion dol-
lars in early 2022 and represented 16% of the total
phone market share, but is expected to grow to 27.6
million units to a market value of $29 billion in 2025,
according to International Data Corporation, a global
market intelligence firm.
“This eliminates accidental drug posts, drunk texts,
5. Alain Delon’s aft collection up or grabs bad hook-ups, it eliminates all of the bad things
81 artworks from French film icon Alain about college and brings the best thing from phones
Delon’s personal collection are up for which is connecting with people and taking photos
auction in June, with a total sale value and videos,” said Sammy Palazzolo, 18, who goes by
estimated upwards of €4million, accord- the name of skzzolno on TikTok and is the author of
ing to auction house Bonhams Cornette a viral video with 15.4 million views.
de Saint Cyr. The works range from Ms Palazzolo said she and some of her friends
Renaissance to Cubism with standouts switched to flip phones when going out after they
including Jean-François Millet’s charcoal realised bad nights out stemmed from their phones,
sketch La laitière (pictured) and Raoul preventing them from living in the present moment.
Dufy’s Plage de Saint-Adresse. Her post triggered 25 million views with the
hashtag #bringbackflipphones and celebrities
The Nokia 3310 was sold for €70 in France, an
expensive price considering the simple electronics it
carries, but still significantly lower than most smart-
phones, ranging from around €400 to €2,129 for the
most expensive version of the iphone 14 Pro Max.
HMD recently released the 2780 Flip, a flip phone
with neither tactile screen nor Android, but with an
audio socket and FM radio. Samsung has also
embraced the phenomenon with its Galaxy Z Flip 4,
a phone with a folding screen although still a smart-
phone nonetheless.
Djassem Haddad, owner of the vintage phone shop
Vintage Mobile in Albi (Tarn), said “more and more
young clients are turning to flip and vintage phones”,
his website listing the Nokia 3310, Motorola StarTAC
70, Nokia 3300 or Motorola V70 as his best sellers.
This company markets its business as a way
to forgo the ultra-connected life in favour of a return
to what is essential, a credo confirming a study*
from Recommerce which showed that 40% of
French people below 18 admitted to being unable
to disconnect from their phones for a single day.
Other companies have built a business on buying
them back from clients to refurbish and sell them
back on the market. Among them is Happy Cash, a
French chain with more than 90 shops which special-
ise in second-hand products.
Members of older generations – that is to say Gen

4
Granite bust of Merenptah, XIXth dynasty © 2020 World Heritage Exhibitions

such as American pop singer Camila Cabello
took to Twitter to say that she is “team flip phone
revolution.”
But others have mentioned the benefits of turning
to flip phones as a way of coping with ever-invasive,
attention-captivating social media applications,
Y, Gen X, and baby-boomers – looking to ditch their
old phones sleeping quietly in an old drawer some-
where should think twice.
*Study of 1,000 people, Jan 28 to Jan 30, 2019 by
Recommerce for market-analysis firm Toluna

“
whose features and functionalities are designed to
occupy users as long as possible.
French people spent more than three-and-a-half
hours on applications on average in 2021, according
to a study from mobile data analytics website data.ai,
an hour-and-a-half less than the average of the top
10 countries. Members of older
The return to acceptability and trendiness of flip
phones is also due to the 2017 relaunch of the Nokia generations looking to
3310, another iconic feature phone that sold 120 mil-
lion copies in the 00s, by Finnish company HMD in ditch their old phones
a retro-branding marketing technique that plays on
consumer nostalgia for old products. should think twice
12 Recipes connexionfrance.com French

A sausage for all season

In 2023, the Monbéliard sausage, a speciality from Franche-Comté,
marks its 10th year as a Indication Géographique Protégée product

T
he Montbéliard sausage is characterised by its
smoked aroma, obtained thanks to the wood
from Comtois conifers, and its caraway (also
called meadow cumin) notes.
Slightly curved and stuffed into a natural
casing, it has never been more popular with French sau-
sage lovers and its production and consumption statistics
are certainly impressive: in 2022, 5,800 tons of them were
produced. Taking an average weight of 180g per sausage,
32.2 million of the bangers were consumed in a single year.
Which, as the sausage's proud flag-waving producers
association points out, means 2.7 million per month,
89,500 per day, 3,730 per hour and 62 per minute... or one
sausage per second!
It is one of only two sausages in France boasting the
Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP) label, a sign of
quality and origin (the other is the Morteau sausage). The
IGP designates a product whose characteristics are linked
to the geographical place in which production or process- dust; seasoning with only natural spices; and a fat content
ing takes place according according to certain conditions. of less than 30%.
It is a European sign which protects the name of the prod- The Monbéliard sausage is a truly versatile ingredient,
uct throughout the European Union and beyond. handy for a quick brunch or an apéritif, practical for a
The specifications of the PGI Montbéliard sausage is picnic and generous as a main dish. It can be served at
precise and demanding: Manufacturing (from the prepara- any time of year, given that it pairs well with so many side
tion of the mixture to the smoking) in Franche-Comté; dishes and accompanying ingredients.
manufactured from pigs fed on whey; natural pig casings; Here we present three great recipes using the beautiful
slow and natural smoking with wood and softwood saw- banger – available in all leading supermarkets – as the star.

POTATO AND MONTBELIARD SAUSAGE GALETTE

Preparation: 10 mins / Cooking time: 12 mins; Serves 4 MOREISH MONTBELIARD

2. Cut the cooked Montbéliard sausages into thin slices
Ingredients and chop the sage. Add to the grated potato mixture.
2 cooked Montbéliard sausages
500g Charlotte potatoes 3. Heat a little grapeseed oil in a frying pan, spread out
grapeseed oil the grated potato and sausage mixture with a spatula.
4 sage leaves Cook for six minutes over low heat. Using a plate or a
Himalayan salt flat surface, turn the cake over, heat a little more oil
ground black pepper in the pan, place the cake on top and return it to the
pan until cooked through.
Method
1. Peel and wash the potatoes. Grate them. 4. Dressing. Slide the patty onto a plate, cut into 4 pieces,
serve and enjoy with a lamb’s lettuce salad.
A guide to the tasty Franche-Comté sausage in numbers
n 45% increase in sales volume in 10 years
n 22 Montbéliard sausage manufacturers are members of the Association
for the Defense and Promotion of Franche-Comté PGI sausages
n 163 breeders are involved in the sector
n Between 12 and 36 hours of smoking in softwood required
n 15 cm long
n 25 to 40 mm in diameter
n Between 150 and 200g
n 20 to 25 minutes of cooking
n They are often sold in pairs
Living I May 2023 connexionfrance.com Food notes 13

ns

Main photo: Pixabay; inset: Trizek/Wikimedia

ROASTED ASPARAGUS, CRUMBLE OF
Main photo: A2M; product portrait, Média Talents; Recipes: Suricate Photographie MONTBELIARD SAUSAGE WITH HAZELNUTS

Preparation: 25 mins / Cooking time: 2 litres of sparkling water

Simple taste of spring: the glory
10 mins; Serves 4 50g butter
15g butter of artichoke season is upon us
Ingredients 75g hazelnut powder
1 cooked Montbéliard sausage 25g pistachios In our series chronicling foodie tips and tales, we look
24 white or green asparagus stalks 50g breadcrumbs
½ lemon Himalayan salt at the theatrical, hands-on joy of enjoying artichokes
1 bay leaf ground pepper
1tsp sugar As for the most enjoyable way of eating
them, it's a hands-on affair: simply boil or
Method Food notes

O
1. Mix the pistachios, mix the sausage, mix with the breadcrumbs and the hazelnut
powder. Add 15 g of butter and mix again. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and
place in a preheated oven at 175°C to brown the crumble. Let it cool and mix. Do not ne of the simplest yet most
hesitate to put it back in the oven if it is not dry enough. satisfying French culinary
2. Peel the asparagus from the tip to the tail with a vegetable peeler placed flat on the pleasures is nearly upon us,
work surface. Cut them to the same length. Tie them up. In a saucepan, pour the two as May and June starts to
litres of water, the lemon juice, the bay leaf, salt, sugar. Place the asparagus in the yield the annual crop of
water, tips up (leaving some water over them) and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain large artichokes, mainly in Brittany
the asparagus and set aside. where some 900 farmers –
3. In a frying pan, heat the butter, add the asparagus, brown them on each side, add many in Finistère –grow the
salt and pepper, and sprinkle well with the butter. lanky, thistle-like plants of
4. Serve on 4 hot plates, place 6 asparagus on each, cover with crumble, then enjoy. the Asteraceae family.
First brought to France
from Italy in the 16th
LENTIL AND MONTBELIARD SAUSAGE STEW century by Catherine de’
WITH A VEGETABLE CREAM SAUCE Medici, the Camus variety
is labour-intensive to farm,
with each of the flower heads
cut by hand at an optimum
moment of maturity.
Each plant needs about 1m2 of space in
which to grow. This, along with the man-
power requirements (250 to 300 hours of
work per hectare compared to eight hours
per hectare for cereal crops), explains their
status as a premium, pricy vegetable.
steam the whole head (expect to wait half
an hour) then serve with a small bowl of
fresh vinaigrette for each diner (blend olive
oil, cider or red wine vinegar, mustard and
a touch of salt and pepper).
Pick off the bracts one by one and dip the
base of each into the sauce, sucking and
slurping on the small amount of
earthy heart as you go. Once
devoured, you are left with
the ultimate prize, the tasty
heart, to feast on in one go.
Smaller, more conical
and tender purple arti-
chokes, called petits violets,
are grown in Brittany too,
but also in Provence, from
where the best known recipe
for their preparation originates:
artichauts à la barigoule. A la bari-
goule in this sense means “in the manner
of a barigoule”, referring to the way that an
ancient variety of mushroom was braised
in white wine with onions, carrots, bacon,
garlic and herbs.
Serve with a chilled Provençal rosé.

Gadget inspector Now available

Preparation: 10 mins / Cooking time: coarse salt

25 min; Serves 4 1 orange
15cl cream
Ingredients 2 tsp curry powder
2 cooked Montbéliard sausages ½ tsp of Espelette pepper powder
300g green lentils Himalayan salt Create your own new ice Raise a glass to reforestation
1 clove of garlic
½ bunch of mixed fresh herbs
ground pepper age with a snazzy sorbetière with a charitable tipple
Method With summer on the horizon, home With harrowing images and, for some
1. Cook the lentils in a pan of simmering unsalted water with the garlic clove. made lollies are one thing, but to really readers, experiences, of the terrible forest
After 20 minutes of cooking, salt the lentils with coarse salt, mix, cover and cool down your guests in impressive style, fires that affected the west coast of France
stop cooking. Drain, rinse and set aside. there's nothing like a home-made sorbet or in summer 2022 still fresh, it is edifying
2. Cut the orange in half, squeeze and collect its juice. Wash, spin-dry and chop ice cream. This Made in France sorbetière the learn that a leading winemaker is
the herbs. In a salad bowl, mix the cream, the curry, the chilli, the orange juice, salt, from Lagrange – with a capacity of 1.5 contributing to reforestation programmes.
pepper, herbs, check the seasoning. litres and electronic programming – is 10 cents from each bottle of Producta
3. Cut the sausage in half lengthways. In a very hot frying pan, brown each side. available in a range of bright colours Vignobles’ Flore et Marius range of wines
4 Dressing. Pour the cold lentils into the cream bowl and mix well. Take four plates including framboise (raspberry, pictured) (red, white and rosé, priced around €5
and shape the lentil stew. Place the half sausage on each one. Serve to taste. and sold in most leading electrical goods in main supermarkets) is donated to the
retailers including Auchan (€69.99). Cœur de Forêt's effots in the Gironde.
14 Lamb
Pré-salé lamb: a meat-eater’s holy grail
Agneau de pré-salé is
raised in salt marsh
meadows of France,
notably in Normandy’s
Cotentin peninsula.
Patrice Bertrand reveals
its appeal to carnivores
W
ith its lighthouse,
dunes and sandy
expanses, the Pointe
d’Agon, a small strip
of land in the Manche
department separating the tiny port of
Régneville from the Atlantic Ocean, is a
hiker’s paradise. But it’s also where, day
and night, the 200 sheep of Roland Salle,
a producer of lamb with the PDO “Prés-
Salés du Mont Saint-Michel”, graze.
There, in the vast area stretching from
Saint-Benoît-des-Ondes near Saint-Malo,
to Port-Bail, on the west coast of the
Cotentin peninsula, they perpetuate a
thousand-year-old tradition producing a
rare and sought-after meat.
“As soon as the tide goes out, I take my
lambs to the ‘herbus’, the marshes regularly
submerged by the sea and known as ‘prés
salés’,” says Roland Salle, one of only ten
Breton and Norman breeders of the PDO
whose lambs, with their characteristic
black heads and legs, are born, grazed and
slaughtered on this territory in the
Manche and Ille-et-Vilaine departments.
“Halophytic plants, i.e. salt-tolerant, such
as samphire and obione, grow here. These
plants give the meat of the lambs that
graze in salt marsh meadows for over half
“
The lamb is highly
prized for its pinkish
colour, fibre length,
marbling and absence
of any wool-grease
(lanolin) taste
of their lives such a special taste.”
The lamb is highly prized for its pinkish
colour, fibre length, marbling and absence
of any wool-grease (lanolin) taste. “It’s a
holy grail for sheep meat lovers: not too
fatty, extremely delicate and very juicy
after cooking,” explains the owner of the
Relais butcher shop in Barneville-
Carteret. “Generally, it’s sold
between early June and
December and costs about
one and a half times more
than normal lamb, or
more.” Above all, it’s diffi-
cult to find and only sold
in specialised or high-end
butcher shops and
gourmet restaurants.
This is because, unfortunately,
the production is tiny – between
1,500 and 2,000 animals annually. One
consolation: many breeders have opted to
join “Le Grévin”, a brand created by a local
association of producers.
connexionfrance.com
Similar to the PDO but less restrictive, it
is comprised of the majority of salt marsh
lamb breeders, numbering around 100.
Based on an ancient tradition, salt marsh
lamb breeding exists in other Northern
France regions, such as the Bay of Somme
or the Bay of Authies. But it’s Mont-Saint-
Michel Bay where it’s been practised the
longest: in the 11th century, monks of the
Abbey had a droit de brebiage which
allowed them to choose the best ewe from
each farm in Mont-Saint-Michel Bay annu-
ally and to raise it between land and sea.
Historically, the creation of sheep farm-
ing near Mont-Saint-Michel was dictated
by the local lords’ desire to gain as much
land as possible along the sea, which, at
high tide, caused flooding of the coastal
lands. In the 10th century, dike building
began and consequently sheep farming
was introduced in these maritime areas
as far north as the Cotentin.
Later, the pilgrims, the first visitors to
Mont-Saint-Michel, discovered salt marsh
lamb and established its reputation. In the
early 20th century, the arrival of the first
tourists to Mont-Saint-Michel and the
Normandy coast greatly extended this rep-
utation. After the Second World War, tour-
ism developed and soon a gastronomic
product was associated with Mont-Saint-
Michel: “pré-salé” lamb. As demand quick-
ly exceeded supply, fraud became rampant.
“To deal with fraud and protect this tra-
ditional know-how, in 1992 the breed-
ers created an appellation of ori-
gin Prés-Salés du Mont-Saint-
Michel,” explains Roland
Salle, who is also vice-presi-
dent of the PDO. “The aim
was to guarantee the quali-
ty and origin of our lambs.
The first AOC (Appellation
d’origine contrôlée) ‘Prés-
Salés du Mont-Saint-Michel’
lambs were marketed in spring
2010. Then the European equiva-
lent, PDO (Protected Designation of
Origin) followed in July 2012.”
Despite quality guarantees, not
everything is rosy pré-salé lamb. There’s an
Clockwise, from above:
the breeding of salt-
marsh lamb has been
practised on the bay
of Mont-Saint-Michel
since the 11th-century;
grazing sheep in the
shadow of the Unesco
World Heritage site;
Roland Salle, one of
only 10 Breton and
Norman breeders of old rivalry between PDO producers and
the PDO lamb those of the “Grévin”. According to the
Etablissement de l’élevage (EDE) de
Normandie, ten times more salt marsh
lamb is sold outside the appellation. “The
term ‘pre-salé’ is not necessarily a sign of
quality,” says Roland Salle. “A sign of qual-
ity is a PDO or PGI label, not a brand. I’m
not saying that Grevins are bad – some
are good. But they’re different.”
François Leclerc, a Grévin breeder in
Courtils, in Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, says:
“For me, there’s hardly any difference
between PDO and Grévin. Grévin is regu-
larly sued by the PDO but I believe this
dispute is related to local context. Mont-
Saint-Michel is an important regional
anchor point; there’s a war going on about
who owns it – Brittany or Normandy –
and who has the right to use it.”
Beyond this dispute, the breeding is
fraught with heavy physical constraints.
“The job requires constant supervision.
In my case, the lambs are born around
mid-January,” says Roland Salle, whose
sheep are mainly Roussins de la Hague,
an old French breed perfectly adapted to
the windy coastal climate and grasslands.
“On average I have about one lamb per
ewe and to be salt-marsh lamb you have
to raise it for about six months with 70
days minimum on grassland.
“The lambs graze on the dunes and
the salt marsh meadows. As high tide
approaches and the grasslands are about
to be submerged, the lambs must be
brought back two hours beforehand to
avoid drowning. Until spring, they eat in
the grassland during the day and, in the
evening they return to rest on the dune.
French Living I May 2023
Main photos: AOP PS MSM; below: ML.Salardaine; inset; Agence MFranc
In summer, the sheep seek shade under
the trees all day.
“In the evening, they’re taken down to
the grasslands where they graze all night.
They come back on their own at 7am to
drink and get into the shade. Naturally,
you have to be there all the time.”
Another obstacle: tourists, pedestrians
and dogs. Since salt-marsh meadows are
part of the public maritime domain,
everyone has the right to circulate.
“What’s difficult is the presence of holi-
daymakers, tourists and dogs,” says
Roland Salle. “I’m in a tourist area and
often people walk around with unleashed
dogs. Sometimes sheep are bitten. There
are ditches in the grasslands, the dogs
chase the sheep, often jump into ditches
and get trapped or drown. Sometimes
dogs provoke miscarriages before the
lambs are born. Of course, people have
the right to walk around but they should
respect others.”
And the future of the PDO prés-salés
du Mont-Saint-Michel is not necessarily
secure either: the number of breeders
offering lamb of the designation was forty
in 2012, but has constantly decreased.
“What blocks us today is the need for
sheepfolds and shelters for lambing.
Coastal laws prevent that from happening,
but farmers need buildings to work in,”
says Roland Salle. “Plus, we’re on the job
24 hours a day. Will a young person today
be willing to work all the time, including
weekends?”
A list of outlets offering PDO prés-salés
du Mont-Saint-Michel can be found here:
www.aop-pressales-montsaintmichel.fr/
boucheries-restaurants.php
May 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com Wine and Cheese 15

Photos courtesy of La Maison des Abeilles

Keepers: collecting and ageing wine
Jonathan Hesford outlines which wines age well and how to pick ones to lay down

Images: Jonathan Hesford; Pixabay

A year in the vineyard

E
veryone knows a phrase about
wines improving with age.
You see them on T-shirts and
tea towels, posters and coast-
ers. Things like “Just like
wine, I get better with age” or “Wine
improves with age, I improve with wine”.
But how many people actually age
Cheese of their bottles of wine or buy aged wine in
shops and restaurants? I suspect it is
Meet the producers the month:

L
very few. A lot of the modern advances
in wine technology have been focused
a Maison des Abeilles in Bethmale on making wines that can be drunk
Ingrandes (Indre) was opened soon after harvest. The number of peo-
Photo: The supermat/Wikimedia

by Bruno Robrolle’s parents ple who have actually tasted an aged

Louis and Béatrice Robrolle- wine is getting smaller every year and
Mary in 2008. “I’ve been the current fashion for natural wines is
around bees since I was a child,” he says. all about drinking fresh wines that are
He now works with an associate, Louis only six to 24 months old.
Jules Moteau, and has hives spread across However, if you want to be a part of
four departements; Indre, the Cher valley, the small but exclusive club of aged-
the banks of the Creuse, Anglin and wine connoisseurs, there are a few things
beyond. In total they have 460 ruches to note.
(hives), each containing 15-40,000 bees. A golden-yellow cow’s The first is to realise that not all wines
“Having them spread over such a wide milk cheese native to the are made to age gracefully. In today’s
area means that if the weather is bad in Ariège department in the world of instant gratification, many
one place and yields go down, the weather Pyrenees, this fromage wines, even quite expensive ones, are
will probably be better somewhere else takes its name from the made to be enjoyed within a couple of
where yields will hopefully be unaffected.” Bethmale valley where years of bottling and are not designed to grapes. A tannic wine can be almost Often, wines which rely on acidity
He is the fourth generation of his family it was originally made. actually improve with age. undrinkable when young because the and/or tannin to age will appear unap-
making honey on the farm, and says Records date it as far back In order to improve with age, wines tannins make the wine taste bitter and pealing when they are young. Perhaps
everything is still done in-house. “The as the 14th century and the need to have certain preserving attrib- feel astringent, giving you that drying a major cause of the misconception
two of us look after the bees, collect the Moorish occupation. utes. These are acidity, sugar, alcohol feeling in your mouth. among some that expensive wines are
honey, process and package it, and sell it It is matured on pine and tannin. Not all four are required However, over time the tannin mole- not really that good.
from our own boutique.” boards for between three but a wine that lacks them will “fall cules actually change. The astringency It’s quite difficult to predict exactly
They produce a full range of honeys and 10 months. over” with time. The wine also has to disappears and the texture mellows, to when a particular wine will be at its
with varying textures (runny through to Mild tasting with touches have sufficient concentration of flavours make the wine feel silky instead of peak. It’s a combination of vintage, grape
thick) and flavours. The boutique also of sweetness and sour so that it doesn’t just fade away. coarse. Tannins also form a sediment variety, winemaking choices and cellar
sells cosmetics and wellness products notes, as well as hazelnut A high natural level of sugar is the key over time. This sediment has nothing conditions. Some producers will provide
derived from honey and beeswax. “At the and a distinctly farmyard preservative in the sweet wines of to do with whether the wine was fil- information on their websites and wine
moment we buy those in but we plan to note of hay, Bethmale is Sauternes, Montbazillac, the Loire and tered. It’s a natural chemical process magazines provide up-to-date drinking
make them ourselves in the future.” fairly soft and aerated Jurançon. The fortified wines of Banyuls, and an indication of a wine that was guides for the vintages of classic regions.
in texture. Rivesaltes and Maury have both high made to age well. The ideal conditions for ageing bottled
They also breed ‘Frère Adam’ and
In addition to being a
‘Abeille Noire’ queen bees, and swarms of alcohol and sugar to give them the abili- Tannins also release volatile phenols wine are a dark room with a constant
good cheese board option,
bees for other bee-keepers, and have an ty to last decades. into the wine as they age. These temperature of around 15 degrees.
it is also great for cooking
educational programme teaching children Acidity is important mainly in white molecules create the bouquet of the However, so long as the temperature
– try using it in tartiflette
and adults about apiculture and wines, including sparkling ones. Good wine, having aromas of dried flowers, doesn’t change much on a daily basis, a
or quiche-style tarts.
bee-keeping. “In the summer months we French examples come from sandalwood, furniture polish or warmer room will not ruin wine.
organise ‘bee safaris’ on certain dates. Champagne, Alsace, Burgundy and eastern spices. For me, this is the A spare bedroom, garage or
People come along and we kit them out Local speciality: Bordeaux. Well-made white wines can most rewarding aspect of age- broom cupboard will all
in protective clothing and we go out to Gardiane de age for 5-15 years, softening the acidity ing wine. The most popular work. For those with no
visit the hives, and we explain what the and developing intriguing characters grape varieties for achiev- cool storage space, invest
bees are doing and how they make Taureau such as honey, wax, wool and nuts as ing this are Cabernet in a wine fridge. Wines
honey.” (Safari places need to be booked the organic acids transform. The main Sauvignon, Syrah and with natural corks need
in advance.) grape varieties used for making age- Pinot Noir but other red to be laid down to keep
They also have a small classroom which worthy wines are Riesling, Chardonnay, grapes can produce the cork damp and pre-
they use when school groups visit. Semillon and Chenin Blanc. rewarding aged wines, such vent leakage but screw-
“Transmitting our knowledge is a real Finally, tannin is the most important, as Mourvèdre and Malbec. capped wine can be
passion for us,” he says. “We have a hive interesting and frustrating ageing com- In general, the best wines for stored vertically.
Photo: Bien Manger

in the shop which is separated from the ponent of red wines. Tannin is a pre- ageing come from the cooler, clas- If you want to collect some
visitors by a glass wall so we can do serving agent which alters over time. It sic regions of France, where the grapes wines for ageing, start gradually. Choose
demonstrations, and they can see comes mainly from the skins of red don’t over-ripen and are made in a tra- wines carefully. Take advice on produc-
everything with no risk of being stung.” ditional manner with the intention of ers and vintages. Buy several bottles of

“
Their honeys are available from the bou- One might assume that creating a wine for ageing. the same wine so you can chart its pro-
tique as well as online. “People like to know warmer regions such as For red wines, this means extracting gress. Tag or organise wines with the
where their food comes from, and who Provence do not have their plenty of tannin from the skins during year you plan to drink them. Don’t focus
made it. It’s the only guarantee of quality. version of slow-cooked, fermentation. They will often need to be too much on one region or vintage.
And buying local honey is an excellent way meaty stews. But Nice’s macerated on the skins for at least three Make sure you have plenty of other
of supporting local bees which contribute daube niçoise and gardiane weeks. Oxygen is also important for cre- wines on hand for casual drinking so
so much to local biodiversity.”
www.maisondesabeilles.com
de taureau, a speciality of Tannins and other ating the kind of tannins that improve
over time. Therefore winemakers will
that you won’t be tempted to dip into
the cellar.
the coastal Camargue area,
knock this assumption on compounds from the perform various tasks to get oxygen
into the wine during fermentation.
Finally, do not keep a wine for a spe-
cial occasion like an anniversary, birth
the head.
The traditional version of oak help to transform Another important step in creating a
wine for the long term is storing it in oak
or wedding. Open the bottles based on
the wine’s timescales, not yours.
gardiane must feature bull
meat from the Camargue the grape tannins into barrels. Because the barrels are porous,
and Brava breeds, with they permit a small amount of oxygen to Jonathan Hesford has a Postgraduate
their firm flesh and little fat. ones which both give permeate slowly into the wine. In addi- Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology
Marinated in red wine with tion, tannins and other compounds from from Lincoln University, New Zealand
onions, carrots, olives and the wine body and the oak help to transform the grape tan- and is the owner, vigneron and wine
herbs the result is packed nins into ones which both give the wine maker of Domaine Treloar in the
with flavour. future smoothness body and future smoothness. Roussillon. www.domainetreloar.com
16 Interiors connexionfrance.com French Living I May 2023

The artful approach to interior design

Parisian interiors experts client: an imposing La Cornue piano cook-
ing range, in stainless steel and copper.
Le Berre Vevaud reveal Adjacent to the reception rooms, it is a
great living area that really brings the space
how they put a client’s to life. A collection of copper utensils
decorates the brick wall, and the Hermès
art collection front and red colour of the ceiling brings a strength
and density, creating a link.
centre of an apartment Connexion quizzed Raphaël and Thomas
about their inspiration for the project...
renovation, and offer
What specific challenges did
Connexion readers this project present to you?
Raphaël Le Berre: We wanted to design a
exclusive design tips

T
space that resonated with the owners’ per-
sonal aesthetics and lifestyles to create a
The interior architecture and home that would enchant their daily lives,

[Kodak Ektachromth (cooking

design agency Le Berre Vevaud blending the art of living and comfort.
was founded in Paris in 2008 A challenge in the design of the apart-
by two friends, Raphaël Le ment was to magnify the owners’ collec-
Berre and Thomas Vevaud. tion of artworks by imbuing each space
The creative duo has skillfully designed with its own character and personality
high-end private residences and com- while respecting the original architecture
mercial projects, such as restaurants and by Haussmann.
offices, around the globe.
Influenced by the Memphis movement’s How do you go about best
vivid colours and shapes, Raphaël and presenting artworks when you
Thomas have reinterpreted this aesthetic in redesign an apartment/house?
a modern, sophisticated and sleek manner, Thomas Vevaud: When presenting
resulting in creations tinged with a discreet artworks, it is important to take into
reminiscence of Art Deco flair. consideration the size of the pieces, as
The interior designers daringly combine well as their colours, materials, and styles.
classicism with the present, seamlessly Then you can decide where they should be
associating a minimalist aesthetic with positioned in accordance with the volumes
precious materials and a skilled curation of the space, where they receive the right
of art pieces. amount of natural light, as well as how
Their private residential projects include they interact with one another.
this classic 180m2 Haussmann apartment Art always plays a central role in our
in Saint Augustin, Paris. The client wanted interior design projects. We tend to favour
a Parisian pied-à-terre which had to meet neutral palettes with accents of colours
a single requirement: restoring the apart- that complement those of the artworks.
Main photo and portrait, Stephan Juillard; otheres, Jean-Marc Palisse

ment to its former glory.

In this old hôtel particulier, now divided
into several apartments, the aim was to
showcase the artworks of their clients –
who are history lovers and art collectors –
whilst also giving life to the authenticity of
the place in a décor inspired by the capital’s
Musée Nissim de Camondo, but with a
contemporary twist.
Contemporary art is part of the agency’s
DNA and the theatrical décor, unveiled as
a preview in the entrance, offers a pathway
through the works of art on display in the
living room and into the master suite.
In order to give this apartment a new
dimension of splendour, the architects Searching for symmetry inspired by
challenged the contemporary spirit, historic places, the pair proceeded with a
embodied by pure white, the original style complete restructuring of the spaces: they
of Parisian hôtel particuliers. Thus, accents created a complete entrance gallery, previ-
of modernity are contrasted by the use of ously non-existent, with a cloakroom and
period materials such as curtain doors and guest toilet. The living room’s fireplace
a brown stone slab floor enhanced by black and classic Haussmann features were
Marquina marble tiles. moved into the entrance and an imposing
sculpture adorns the space. This gallery
acts as a preamble as soon as you enter
the building via the private lift serving
the flat.
In the corner, a secret door behind a
curtain reveals an unexpected space. The
hammam, a true invitation to travel, breaks
the classical codes of the apartment by
giving it an unexpected oriental touch.
The master bedroom suite is located
in front of a large living room where a
significant part of the clients’ art collection
is displayed. Theatrically revealed behind
two full-height doors, an entire wing of the
apartment is dedicated to it (made up of
the master bedroom, a dressing room, as
well as a bathroom).
In the bathroom, Emery & Co cement
tiles adorn the floor, highlighting the bath-
tub with four lion paws as legs. The sink
basins on legs are enhanced by an ancient
Rairies Montrieux ceramic and the large
mirror is framed by the mantelpiece of one
What advice do you have for sourcing
furniture and also finding artisans to
carry out the building work?
Thomas Vevaud: Craftsmanship is abso-
lutely essential in our interiors. On each
of our projects, there is a fascinating
synergy of savoir-faire and expertise.
We mostly collaborate with French
companies awarded the EPV label
(Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) and
who are recognised for their exceptional
expertise and great technical skills.
We admire all craftsmen and crafts-
women who devote their lives to the
Clockwise from above: in of the old fireplac- preservation of traditional and ancient
addition to showcasing the es. The children’s savoir-faire. We worked closely with
owner’s art collection, the bedrooms each the marble manufacturer Blanc Carrare
living room also features have their own in- for several of our projects and design
some of Le Berre Vivaud’s dependent spaces pieces; they gave us the opportunity to
furniture and accessory for sleeping, working and playing. explore quarries to find the perfect marble,
designs including chairs, The kitchen has been entirely designed with the right colours, nuances and veins.
stools and rugs; Raphaël around a primary piece specified by the
Le Berre and Thomas We always ask for some design tips
Vevaud; the bedroom for our readers. What are the three
includes bedding by most important design considerations
Maison de Vacances; for anyone renovating or re-purposing
the collection of copper an apartment or house?
utensils in the kitchen Raphaël Le Berre: For us it is always im-
portant to respect the architectural identity
of a space. This can be through preserving
the classical details such as parquet floors,
wall panelling and cornices; or taking
inspiration from the history of the site.
When renovating an apartment, we aim
to create spaces that reflect the lifestyle and
personality of the owners. It is important
to analyse the amount of natural light the
rooms receive and consider what the func-
tion and intended ambiance of the space is.
The layouts can then be opened or closed
off accordingly.
Finally, surround yourself with experts
for the actual work phase because this is a
proper trade which cannot be improvised.
leberrevevaud.com
May 2023 I French Living
The Louvre before it was a museum
Medieval art historian Dr Julia Faiers
digs up the hidden past of France’s
world-famous art gallery
Q ueuing up alongside tour-
ists waiting to enter the
Louvre, it is hard to
imagine that this sprawling
grande dame of a building
was anything other than a museum. As
visitors we are too distracted by the
super-sized history paintings and the
diminutive depiction of a certain Italian
Renaissance lady to consider that it was
not created to house exhibitions for the
general public. This glorious temple to
the arts was in fact built in the twelfth
century as a fortress to keep out the
dastardly English, and the story of its
evolution is inextricably linked with
Paris itself.
In 1190, king Philippe II Augustus built
a fortress to protect the city’s thriving
centre of commerce (on the right bank
of the Seine) from English attack. The
rectangular castle had multiple towers
and defensive gates. Defences were
strengthened further by the flooded
moat that surrounded the fortress, and
by a 30-metre-tall donjon (keep) inside
the walls, with its own circular moat.
Although nothing remains of this origi-
nal building above ground, excavation of
the substructure has shown that the mili-
tary fortress and its keep were built to the
highest standards. The donjon housed the
royal archives and treasury, and served as
a prison.
The fortress was so imposing that no
enemy dared attempt an attack. And little
by little, people started to build houses,
courts, gardens and a church outside the
military ramparts. Surrounded by a bus-
tling community, less than 50 years after
its construction the fortress had lost its
military raison d’être.
Philippe II Auguste’s grandson, the
famous Crusader king Louis IX (who
brought relics of the True Cross from
the Holy Land to Paris), decided to turn
the Louvre into a royal summer palace,
adding reception rooms and banqueting
halls. Here, he could escape the foul
stench and oppressive midsummer heat
of the city centre.
Each successive king contributed to the
embellishment and expansion of the palace.
Louis IX’s great-grandson, Philippe VI,
famously installed a menagerie for lions
and leopards, the first of its kind in France.
In 1364, Charles V built a huge new city
wall to enclose and protect the town that
had been expanding steadily around the
palace. He ordered his architect Raymond
du Temple to build new royal apartments
in the palace, accessed by a spiral stair-
5 Heures du duc de Berry. The donjon, which housed the Royal Treasury, is clearly visible in the centre of the inner
connexionfrance.com Hidden histories 17
1
case that was admired throughout
Europe. Du Temple’s steep roofs, chim-
neys and towers, all covered with blue
slates, are immortalised in several medie-
val art works. The Louvre palace in the
fourteenth century gave rise to our con-
temporary idea of ‘fairytale’ castles,
Disney being at least partly responsible
Photo: King of Hearts, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 license
for this.
During the Hundred Years War from
1337 to 1453, the triumphant English
occupied Paris and pillaged the Louvre,
installing a garrison there. Although the
French monarch Charles VII succeeded
in recapturing the city, he and his succes-
sors did not reside in the Louvre, as the
palace had since fallen into disrepair.
Only in 1528 did a monarch finally
come to the rescue. Francis I declared
that the Louvre would become his prima-
ry residence. The old donjon was torn
down, the remaining buildings repaired
and reorganised. But the architecture of
this ‘fairytale’ medieval castle was now
hopelessly outmoded. Francis instructed
his architect, Pierre Lescot, to transform 2 3
the Louvre into a magnificent
Renaissance palace. Francis did not live
to see the building’s metamorphosis, but
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Lescot’s new palace design served as a
model for French architecture for centu-
ries to come.
In the early eighteenth century, Louis
XIV abandoned works he started at the
palace to take up residency at Versailles,
leaving floors unlaid and roofs open to
the elements. But there was still plenty
going on, with many people living and
working there. The Mint, the Royal
Printing Press, and the Academy (which
monitored the correct use of the French
language) were all housed in the Louvre.
Other academies, of the sciences, of art,
4
Photo: RMN / R-G Ojéda, Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Photo: User: Tangopaso, Wikimedia Commons, public domain
architecture, and sculpture, all made a
home in the vacant chambers. And
throughout the eighteenth century, every
year, an exhibition of works by living art-
ists and sculptors was held in the Grand
Salon for the public to enjoy. The exhibi-
Photo: Pierre-Emmanuel Malissin and Frédéric Valdes, www.galerie.roi-president.com, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 license
tion itself became know as ‘the Salon’.
But it was not until 1793 that the
Louvre assumed its role as a museum,
when it became the home of the Musée
Central des Arts, populated by works
from the royal collections seized during
the Revolution, and then later with
treasures stolen during the Napoleonic
Wars (1803-1815). And while many
of these works have been returned,
the Louvre still possesses one of the 1. Interior façade of the Cour Carrée, designed by Pierre Lescot in 1546, and the oldest remaining part of
largest, most impressive art collections the Louvre.
in the world.
2. The Louvre palace as depicted by the Limbourg brothers in the fifteenth-century manuscript, the Très Riches
courtyard.
3. In 1826, the Count of Clarac drew an approximate reconstruction of the Louvre as it would have looked in the
fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, before the the central donjon was demolished in 1528.
4. Detail of the ‘fairytale’ medieval castle of the Louvre, in The Crucifixion of the Parliament of Paris painted
altarpiece, c. 1449, housed (where else) in the Louvre.
5. Underground evidence of the Louvre’s medieval donjon, discovered in the nineteenth century, then renovated
and opened to the public in the 1980s.
18 Puzzles connexionfrance.com French Living I May 2023

Bilingual cryptic crossword by Parolles

Answers are in French and English
Across
1 Daughter meets frisky grenadiers finding
they’re very much alike (4,7)
7 Girl’s back with John briefly (3)
9 Head of French and Heather in brief
romantic relationship (5)
10 New song by Edith initially filling Queen
Elizabeth with delight in Versailles (9)
11 Natural for Solange Brown brought back by
extremely unpopular women’s magazine (9)
12 Choose the Spanish film about the capital
of Catalonia (5)
13 English landed gentlemen’s sons joining
singing groups reportedly (7)
15 Letters from Beckett required to be in
French (4)
18 Hervé’s idea evident in pride events (4)
20 Caught Maria surprisingly drinking Penny’s
Italian aperitif (7)
23 Amazingly agile eagle in Beauval Zoo (5)
24 Exaggerate about Stockholm’s foremost art
gallery (9)
26 French emissary seen in series I’m producing
about America (9)
27 Travel fast in space on first of Voyagers (5)
28 Article on energy shown by Thibault’s
donkey (3)
29 Inhabitants of a fictional country managed to
protect ancient city with it against ruffians?
Not half (11)
Down
1 Stupidity of department head keeping
towards the rear (8)
2 Aura I’ve created around the top French
pilot (8)
3 With reference to a relatively young woman
almost getting to govern in Orléans (5)
4 Don’t require so many shortened goads (7)
5 Thierry’s to bid for early Nottinghamshire
ceramics at first in this place (7)
6 Captured along with strange musical
instrument (5,4)
7 Lafayette’s first to speak of Danton’s struggle (6)
8 Hint of vexation before accepting it as truth
in Metz (6)
14 Pierre Paulin’s right about needing a kitchen
sideboard (9)
16 Italian adventurer’s house in Milan is near to
rising river (8)
17 Cover up girl’s apparently insoluble
problems (8)
19 Novelist with story on earliest of revelations
by a schoolboy in Grasse (7)
20 Mild French patron saint of mariners (7)
21 Lead sulphide discovered in space after delay
over taking tip from academic (6)
22 Fuel left out is set on fire (6)
25 French soap found in vans travelling round
Ohio (5)

French-themed crossword by John Foley

Note: all answers are words or names associated with France
Across
1 Republican calendar month ending May 19
or 20 (7)
4 Acerbic or sour (5)
7 Cahier – for photos, cartes postales, etc (5)
9 Peu de peau d’orange ou de citron (5)
10 “Il n’y a point de liberté sans ___” –
Rousseau (3)
11 Limite d’une surface (4)
12 Cheveux tombant sur le front (6)
15 Journey back (6)
16 Popular salad cheese – often chaud (6)
19 Défenseur or edible fruit (6)
20 Plus que mûr – not so good for the fruit
above (4)
21 De bonne heure (3)
23 Établissement louant des chambres (5)
Down
1 Gustave ________, influential novelist who
died this month in 1880 (8)
2 Beautiful young heroine of 1 down’s 1857
debut novel (4)
3 Northernmost department in the Occitanie
region and the nation’s least populous (6)
4 Alcoholic drink also known as la fée verte (8)
5 Pluie de glaçons (5)
6 Commotion or excitement (4)
8 Hat most associated with La France (5)
13 Les sans-________ – radical and vociferous
citizens during la Révolution (8)
14 Molar surgeon (8)
17 Panneau de fenêtre (5)
18 Petit tuyau pour boire (6)
19 Character aka Comte de la Fère in Dumas
père’s Trois Mousquetaires (5)

??
24 Au sens géométrique le contraire d’un angle 21 Pièce du jeu d’échecs (4)
aigu (5)
22 One of the calendar’s
25 Red ones for an anniversary? (5) 12 divisions (4)
26 Engine fuel (7)
Solve the clues then unscramble the shaded letters to reveal two
fictional mousquetaires (6 & 7)

Fun French facts Like our quiz?

2 Talking tripe 3 Maître d’ disaster Buy our quiz books
1 Going dutch A menu mainstay in Caen, online at
IN HIS 2017 book A Taste of Paris,
connexionfrance.com
Photo: cyclonebill/Wikimedia

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May 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com Puzzles 19
Toughnut No.No.15
Toughnut 2 – Scribo Crossmots
- Scribo Crossmots Five French Facts:
To complete these dual-language puzzles called ‘Toughnuts’ you need to translate the clue
These dual-language
and then decide wherepuzzlesthe
called ‘Toughnuts’
answer require
fits into you toTo
the grid. translate the clue
help you, theand then
first decide
letter of where
the answer is
The Other Channel Islands
the answer fits in the chance!
grid. To help the first letter of the answer is provided. Bonne chance! To the British, the “Channel Islands” means an anglophone archipelago off the Normandy
provided. Bonne
coast, clustered around Jersey and Guernsey. These are not the only islands in the English
Find a location on the Monopoly board from the highlighted squares.
Channel (La Manche); there are others that belong to France. Apart from the tidal island of
For the answers see www.crossmots.com/connexion.
Mont-Saint-Michel they are not well known but why shouldn’t they have their fifteen minutes
A Avion (8) of fame? Here are five of them, arranged from north to south. All are easily accessible on
A Etonner (5) a day out from the mainland at Normandy or Brittany. When island hopping you will be
A N’importe quel (3) getting away from it all, literally. Take everything you need with you - don’t count on finding
A Enough (5) an ATM. By Nick Inman
C Charge (6)
1 The Chausey Archipelago consists of 365 mini-isles (one for each

hervedecostarmor/Wikimedia Gregofhuest /Wikimedia

D Nineteen (3-4) day of the year) when the tide is out and only 52 when it is in. No cars are
D Ancre flottante (6) allowed on the biggest island, the Grande Ile, which makes it a peaceful day
E Oreille (3) out. Get there by boat from Granville (17km away) or Saint-Malo (a little
E Energique (9) further). ileschausey.com
E Invaded (6) 2 Tatihou is a tidal island off the small port of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue at the
E Evènement (5) western end of the D-Day landing beaches. It can be accessed by amphibian
F Formule (7) vehicle or on foot at low tide over the oyster beds. Visitor numbers are limited
I L’impact (6) to 500 a day to avoid the place being spoiled. There is an admission charge.
I En effet (6) It is not a large island and there are only a few sights to see, including a fort
and a maritime garden. Manche.fr
I Inde (5)
I Italique (7) 3 Cézembre is a wild and uninhabited (except for the staff of a hotel

Raphodon/Wikimedia
L Faraway (8) restaurant in season) piece of land in the bay of Saint-Malo. Only one beach
M Acariens (5) is open to tourists and access to the northern part of the islands is prohibited.
In World War II it was fortified by the German army. Its garrison held out
O De (2) after the fall of Saint-Malo and only capitulated when its drinking water ran
O Pommades (9) out. www.saint-malo-tourisme.com
O Opéras (6)
4 Ile-de-Bréhat is still a commune with 350 inhabitants but where 70%

Pierre André/Wikimedia
O Oral (5)
of houses are second homes. There are no cars but there are tractors. Sights
R Radio (5) to see include a lighthouse, a chapel and a glassworks. A local myth has it
S Sauter (5) that the islanders discovered America before Christopher Columbus.
S Saisons (7) www.cotesdarmor.com
S Site (4)
5 Ouessant (Ushant). At the wide, western, Atlantic end of the Channel
S Sirop (5)

Folork/Wikimedia
and 20km off the coast of Finistère is this island which forms the most
U En dessous de (5) westerly landmass of metropolitan France. It has five lighthouses, three
U United (4) old-fashioned windmills, cliffs and sea views, prehistoric remains and lots
U Bouleverser (5) of wildlife. Ferries depart from Brest or Le Conquet and dock in Stiff
harbour. The island is only 8km by 4km wide, making it easy to get around
X Rayons X (1-4)
on foot or by bicycle. ot-ouessant.fr

Test your knowledge of France

For all answers with our Connexion quiz
please turn to
Guess the region... French Living 1 Writer, TV personality and chef Anthony
Bourdain said this was “the best food
France has 13 regions. Every issue we pick a spot, page 24 movie ever made”. What was it?
A Chocolat,
all you need to do is work out which region it is in... B Ratatouille,
C La Grande Bouffe?
Clue: Monks in the red 2 First made in 1956, this car was the top
seller in France between 1957 and 1961,
was it:
A Renault Dauphine,
B Citroën 2CV,
C Simca 1000?
3 What were Cagots?
A Persecuted people in south-west France,
B Wooden roofing in same area,
C Diarrhoea?
4 What is or was the Oriflamme?
A Eternal flame at the Arc de triomphe,
B French kings’ battle flag,
C Gas central heating boiler?
5 First worn at the Halles de Paris food
market, the Marcel was a warm work
garment, but what was it?
A Woolly jumper,
B Vest,
C Bobble hat?
6 The first football World Cup was played in
Uruguay in 1930, who scored the first goal?
7 Why was a Paris Métro station renamed in
December 2022?
8 How did French rugby player Jean-Marc
Doussain make history in 2011?
9 Where did the red tennis clay court originate?
10 Why was the 1954 Tour de France different
from all those before?
11 What walking route crosses Corsica from
Calenzana near Calvi in the north to Conca
near Porto-Vecchio in the south?
12 Which was France’s first autoroute?
13 France had 18 kings called Louis, but who
were they named for?
14 With 21 hairpins over its 13.8km, this
climb is one of the most emblematic of the
Tour de France – where does it lead?
15 Who was the last king of France?
16 If you were watching French TV and saw
characters called Idéfix and Assurancetourix
what would you be watching?
17 What links Boursin cheese, Régilait
powdered milk, Schneider electrical goods,
Bel knitwear and Virlux butter?
18 Which TV show was fined a record
€3.5 million by regulator Arcom in
February?
19 What programme drew the largest TV
audience in 2022?
20 This show featured a stunning 3,200
characters and ran for the equivalent of
4,665 episodes. What is it and where was
it set?
Profile
Quiz by Ken Seaton who has lived and
worked as a journalist in France since 2009
20 Reviews
French films
A critical eye on ciné
releases and classics
La Folie des grandeurs
Dir: Gérard Oury
THE SUNDAY evening prime-time movie
on France 2 recently was the knockabout
comedy hit from 1971, La Folie des gran-
deurs (translated as Delusions of
Grandeur). It was helmed by a director
with a comedy golden touch, Gérard
Oury, who made two more of France's
most famous and popular comedies:
La Grande Vadrouille (1966) et Les
Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (1973). Both
films are firmly embedded in the French
consciousness and lines from them are
often quoted by cinema fans of all ages.
La Folie des grandeurs is an historic romp
adapted from the play Ruy Blas by Victor
Hugo and features iconic funnyman Louis
de Funès (who also played the lead in the
two aforementioned sensations) as a
sacked corrupt 17th century Spanish
Empire Finance Minister who engages his
valet to seduce the country's Queen as an
act of revenge (she had fired him), and to
drive the King mad with anger.
Needless to say, by dint of various mis-
understandings, the plan goes awry.
What caught our eye was the casting of
the magnetically handsome Yves Montand
as the mischievous, seductive valet, since
the Italian-born legend (real name Ivo
Livi) – also a renowned crooner – was not
usually associated with slapstick.
Perhaps Montand's most notable role to
that point was in Henri-Georges Clouzot's
dramatic classic from 1953, The Wages of
Fear, about a courageous attempt to put
out an oil field fire. He would later win
career-defining acclaim for his role in
Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources.
Delusions of Grandeur is available to
stream on Amazon and Apple TV.
Cinema: Sur les chemins noirs
After an accident, a newly disabled writer
(Jean Dujardin) reappraises his life and
decides to trek across France.
Making an appointment with French military history
Language notes
W
when President George
W. Bush reputedly
muttered to British
Prime Minister Tony
Blair that “the trouble
with the French is that they don’t have a
word for entrepreneur”, he was probably
not being ironic. That it was even said
has never really been confirmed or
denied, but it offers great comic value
nonetheless, so let's presume it was.
The word entrepreneur, whose original
stem is from the Latin “inter prehendere”,
meaning “to seize with the hand”, then
the derivative French verb “entreprendre”,
perfectly implies the go-getting, risk-
taking aspect of any business start-up.
Such a new business requires plenty of
meetings (réunions), and for this you
will need to set a time and a place for a
connexionfrance.com
Music
Hervé Intérieure vie
BORN in Yvelines, Ile-de-
France and raised by his
single mother, singer-song-
writer Hervé (full name,
Hervé Le Sourd) eschewed
dreams of becoming a pro-
fessional footballer when,
aged 12, he took his first
piano lesson. Inspired by
the songs of Alain Bashung
and Reims electropop
Books - The 20 minute review
We read recent releases with a link to France. To be fair, each gets 20 minutes’ reading time
Who Was the Girl Warrior of France?
Joan of Arc, Sarah Winifred Searle,
Penguin Workshop €7.67;
ISBN: 978-0593224410
WHO Was the Girl
Warrior of France? Joan of
Arc is part of a series of
graphic novels about ordi-
nary people who ended up
changing the world, but
this is the only one about a
French person.
If you have never read a
graphic novel in your life,
you might be surprised to
find you are gripped from
the very first page, and
cannot put it down. We all
know how it ends, of
course, but this is such a
Editor’s
perky, lively way of telling the tale, that
it seems completely fresh.
choice
The drawings by award-winning art-
ist Maria Capelle Frantz are clever, and
really add to the atmosphere and to
the characters of the various people
involved. Telling the story in speech
bubbles breaks the facts down into small bite-sized pieces,
which are easy to remember.
Even though it is a graphic novel, and it stops with Joan break-
ing the siege of Orléans, Joan of Arc's ultimate fate at the hands
of Perfidious Albion makes it unsuitable for young children.
It is the perfect way for kids in middle school to learn some
history, however, along with some other lessons in tenacity
(Joan really had to stick to her guns simply to get started on her
quest), and in gender equality (Joan had armour and a sword).
But most readers will not notice the educational aspect; this is a
book anyone could pick up and read for fun.
rendez-vous – another word for which,
one likes to think, the President wishes
the French have their own version.
It dates back to the 1590s when used to
describe, in the broadest sense, an appoint-
ed place of meeting, in this case with a mil-
itary angle. One of the meanings of the Old
“
French verb rendre was “to present”, thus
“rendez-vous” meant “present yourself ”
(from the reflexive se rendre). Se rendre also
means to give oneself up in a military or
criminal-on-the-run sense – it translates
easily into the English “surrender”.
The word English-speaking military chiefs today
still refer to rendez-vous points, and the
rendez-vous word rendez-vous is also used commonly
in everyday French life.
is used For example, residents who make a
doctor's appointment via the excellent
commonly Doctolib application or website will
receive an SMS message reminder prior to
in everyday the alloted time, along the lines of “RDV
aujourd'hui à 12h00”, with rendez-vous
French life here abbreviated to RDV.
group The Shoes, he was also influenced by
rap. He took up music-making seriously
aged just 16, teaching himself music pro-
duction through watching clips by the likes
of Kanye West and Timbaland and earning
a living selling ice cream and taking clean-
ing jobs. By the age of 25, he was in a
Franco-British duo called Postaal.
During the lockdown of 2020, the newly
solo Hervé reached a wider public when his
video for the upbeat, catchy
France: An Adventure History,
Graham Robb,
Pan MacMillan €12.99;
ISBN: 978-1529007626
THIS unlikely mix of per-
sonal anecdote, wishful
thinking, travelogue and
history, is just perfect for
anyone who would not
mind knowing a bit about
the France of yesteryear
but who gives up the will
to live when faced with dry
dates, facts and figures.
It is not a straight retelling but rather a lucky
dip beginning with the Roman army's first
recorded meeting with the Gauls and continu-
ing all the way to Macron's encounter with the
gilets jaunes (yellow vests).
Reading it is like being at a dinner party
where the topic of conversation changes
direction, ebbs and flows, runs through
unknown alleyways as well as washing through
the high street. Some of the characters are
iconic (Napoleon) and others almost complete-
ly forgotten (Betsy Balcombe, who befriended
him when he arrived on St Helena).
Being an enthusiastic cyclist, the author
has included some of the routes he has
followed during his travels round France.
There is also a section about the Tour de
France and many anecdotes about cycling
in France generally.
Graham Robb is a former fellow of Exeter
College, Oxford and has written many other
books about France. He won the Duff Cooper
and Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prizes
for his book The Discovery of France, and was
awarded the Grande Médaille de la Ville de
Paris for his book Parisians. He has travelled
widely in France but lives in the UK.
Phrases to be taken with a pinch of salt
The French you don’t
learn at school
W
hen you live in France
and are keen to improve
your language skills,
every day counts as a
school day if you stay
alert and keep your ears (oreilles) open to
nouveautés (new things) – additions to
your internal dictionary that might be use-
ful one day, especially when it comes to
moving beyond the basics into a more
casual and chatty style of communication.
Back in school, pretty much anyone
with even the most basic linguistic ability
and word retention powers was able to
describe a small amount of something as
“un petit peu”. Spend some time in
France, however, and as you go along you
pick up alternative, more descriptive ways
to ask for “a smidgen” of this or “a touch”
French Living I May 2023
number Si Bien du Mal went viral (5.3
million views to date) – it featured him
dancing around while making pancakes in
his apartment and miming to the song.
In 2021, the album Hyper saw Hervé win
the prestigious Best Male Newcomer award
at the Victoires de la musique awards cere-
mony and in March this year he released a
new album, Intérieur Vie, with acclaimed
lead single D'où je viens revealing the
songwriter's impressive melodic touch.
The Reluctant Soldier,
Mark Perlman,
Independent, €21.88;
ISBN: 979-8360020271
THIS is a bit like
Woody Allen's
Midnight in Paris in
the sense that it
starts off sounding
like a straight
retelling of a family
history but once
the action shifts to
Paris all sorts of famous people arrive
in the plot including Josephine Baker,
Ernest Hemingway, Eugene Bullard,
and Sylvia Beach.
Our hero, who has already saved a
girl's life, become a professor and
fought his way across WW1 France as
a member of the Harlem Hellfighters
regiment, now finds himself palling up
with a Parisian detective.
The plot really does shuffle along
very quickly because very soon he has
fallen in love and moved to
Champagne when boom!, WW2
breaks out. Naturally the pair both
join the Resistance. They survive the
war but there is more drama ahead
with personal loss and an unresolved
murder lurking in the background.
This is a fast-paced novel moving
steadily through the 20th century in
the US and France, as seen through
the eyes of a Black hero. The themes
touch on racism, identity, loss and
personal responsibility while exploring
some lesser known chapters of history.
Also available on Kindle, and simulta-
neously published in French.
that. In the kitchen or at the dining table,
you might hear people talking about how
they added a little something to perfect
the taste of a recipe. For example – and
this one came to your Language Noter's
attention only very recently – someone
said they had added “un chouïa de sucre”
– to their dish.
Pronounced shoo-ee-ya, it comes from
the Magreb Arabic word suya, which first
appeared in France in 1866 thanks to
French repatriates from Algeria, and you
may find alternative spellings in written
form including chouya ou chouilla.
Another word to describe a dash or
hint of something is un soupçon, familiar
to the Anglophone ear and literally
meaning a hint or suspicion.
Soupçon also can also mean “a shred”,
such as in the context of evidence, ie:
“Le document ne contient pas le moindre
soupçon de preuve” – The document does
not contain one shred of evidence.
As for a pinch of salt – that's une pincée.
May 2023 I French Living connexionfrance.com
QUOI DE NEUF?
New products, designs and ideas from around France
Second coming
COMMITTED to crafting stylish
jewellery from recycled materials,
Nélemia Créations, formed by
Mélanie Laugier, offers chic afforda-
bility. Main image: Luna Mustard
earrings, €28, fashioned from leather
off-cuts with hooks and rings made
of 24K gold-plated brass that has been
manufactured and/or processed in
France; below, Soleil rouge bracelet,
€26, from the Eveil collection made
of upcycled pearls mounted on a
golden steel cable and a sun embrac-
ing a moon, in 24k gold-plated brass.
www.nelemiacreation.com
Relax on a recycled canapé On the ball
IN the market for a new sofa (canapé)? Why not plump for a
‘Made in France’ brand with eco-credentials? Conceived, designed
and shaped by hand at their factory in Saint-Vallier in Burgundy,
NO French playroom or holiday rental
shared space is complete without a fami-
ly-friendly baby-foot (‘foosball’) table.
each sofa, pouffe and armchair from Canapé Tissu features
modern lines and quality, eco-responsible materials – namely
structures made of sustainably sourced pine from the Périgord,
Creators of the leisure time favourite since
1927, Bonzini, has a wide range of tables for
all budgets and style preferences, from the
and all coverings made from 100% recycled material. brightly coloured to plain wood and even
Model shown, Santorin, available in four colours, from €1,539 leather-covered. They also produce a
for a three-seater. www.canape-tissu.com three-metre model and one designed
especially for wheelchair users.
www.bonzini.com/en
Scent of Provence
SINCE 1983, the artisan soapmaker (savonnier)
Le Mas du Roseau, based in Saint-Chamas
(Bouches-du-Rhône, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur)
has been making high quality cleansing products.
Over time its range has expanded from simple
Marseille soap to a wide array of gorgeous products
for him and her, including hair and body soaps,
shower gels, fragrance diffusers, bathroom accesso-
ries such as towels, and much more.
Among the latest offerings
in their back-to-nature
Philosophie range (featur-
ing natural colourings,
local plants cultivated sus-
tainably, and 100% organic
flowers) are a citrus and
olive oil savon liquide
(hand soap, €14.65) and
bougie (candle, €19.75).
Free shipping is offered
on all orders within France
over €65; see website for
full product range.
masduroseau.com/en
Shopping/Did you know? 21
Lille installed France’s
first street heating system
Did you know?
L
ille was the first French city
to introduce street heating
installations in 1954, a fea-
ture that today appears in
stark contrast to our current
struggle to reduce carbon emissions.
However, back then, it was deemed an
appropriate measure to fight the fierce
winds and freezing temperatures of
that particular harsh winter.
The heaters made television headline
news, as revealed by the Institut nation-
al de l’audiovisuel (INA), a repository of
all French radio and television audio-
visual archives, in a clip that was
unearthed in a timely manner last year,
when France forbade terrace-heaters in
restaurants and brasseries as part of its
‘Loi Climat’ to fight global warming.
“Rue Neuve has become France’s first
air-conditioned street,” said the jour-
nalist in the clip, referring to one of
Lille’s most popular and crowded
streets in the city centre. The street was
covered by radiant heaters installed
above shopfronts.
The 40-second news item shows a
man proudly taking off his overcoat
(such is the welcome warmth from the
heater above) while the story ends by
comparing Lille to the Côte d’Azur –
traditionally appreciated for its warm
weather – as a lady emerges from a
shop wearing a sun hat and mini-skirt.
Paris shortly followed Lille by install-
ing an infrared heating system on Rue
Tronchet, the INA reported.
The reason for Lille’s heating experi-
ment lies in the fact that the winter of
Photos: INA; Abbé Pierre: Wim van Rossem for Anefo
Clockwise, from
above: Still from the
Lille film, showing
the heaters above
store fronts; Abbé
Pierre, pictured in
1955; A poster from
Gaz de France proud-
ly announcing the
heating system
1954 is known for being one of the
harshest the country experienced dur-
ing the 20th century. That winter is
also known for having propelled Abbé
Pierre into mainstream fame.
Northern France was first struck with
below freezing temperatures from
January 1-9 but the cold turned nation-
wide from January 22 until February 7,
paralysing the country with frozen riv-
ers and ports such as Dunkirk.
Temperatures as low as -25°C were
recorded in Luxeuil-les-bains (Haute-
Saône), -21°C in Mulhouse (Haut-
Rhin), -17°C in Nancy (Meurthe-et-
Moselle), -16°C in Reims (Champagne)
and -13°C in Paris (Ile-de-France),
according to Météo France.
The cold temperatures killed several
babies and rough sleepers and shocked
French people, who were aware of the
dire housing conditions most people
endured as the consequences of World
War II.
Enter Abbé Pierre who – appalled by
the situation – took to the airwaves of
Radio Luxembourg on February 1 and
called on the government and the peo-
ple of France to open more sheltering
centres and their homes, as well as to
provide 5,000 blankets, 300 tents and
200 wood-burners by the next day.
Emmaüs, a charity organisation Mr
Pierre had founded in 1949, received
the equivalent of €18 million in a cou-
ple of days, including from French
celebrities Charles Trenet, Yves
Montand and from American actor
Charlie Chaplin.
The funds collected would prove
helpful two winters later, as France bat-
tled more freezing-cold temperatures.
However, no news organisations
reported on whether other towns fol-
lowed in Lille’s experimental footsteps.
22 History connexionfrance.com French Living I May 2023

René Descartes’ passionate,

lifelong search for the truth
Now regarded as the father of modern philosophy, Descartes was also a man unafraid to express emotion.
Samantha David unravels the story of the man behind the works, and of the mystery of his skull after death

R
ené Descartes (1596-1650) was edge, however, in the sense that his ideas

Photos: Wikimedia Commons, public domain

a mathematician, physicist and
philosopher now credited as
being one of the founders of
modern philosophy. “I think,
therefore I am,” is his most famous saying.
Born in La Haye in Touraine (now in
Indre-et-Loire), his father Joachim was a
member of the Parliament of Brittany in
Rennes. His mother died when he was
only two years old, and he was brought
up in Protestant-controlled Poitou by his
grandmother and great-uncle. He was a
fragile boy and in 1607, was sent to the
Jesuit school in La Flèche where he was
introduced to maths and physics. He
graduated at the age of 18 and went to
the University of Poitiers to study law,
because his politician father wanted him
to become a lawyer.
Having earned his degree in 1616, he set
off on a series of travels. In his Discourse
on the Method he wrote, “I spent the rest
of my youth travelling, visiting courts and
armies, mixing with people of diverse
temperaments and ranks, gathering
various experiences, testing myself in the
situation which fortune offered me, and
at all time reflecting upon whatever came
my way to derive some profit from it.”
He eventually joined the Protestant
Dutch States Army and studied military
engineering. Through his studies he met
Isaac Beeckman, and the pair began
making links between maths, physics and
engineering. He also, as a result of a series
of dreams, began to apply maths to philos-
ophy, concluding that the pursuit of
science would lead to wisdom, and be
central to his life’s work.
In 1620, he left the army and returned
to France. In Paris, he wrote his first essay
about his theories; Rules for the Direction
of the Mind. At this time, he invested in a
series of bonds which provided him with
a comfortable income for the
rest of his life.
This period saw dissent
between French
Huguenots and
Catholics, and
Descartes was pres-
ent during Cardinal
Richelieu’s siege of
ran counter to all the accepted ideas of the
era, including the religious tenets which
underpinned political power.
Galileo’s theory that the earth rotates
daily and revolves annually around the
sun was condemned by the Catholic
Church and declared foolish, absurd, and
heretical by the Roman Inquisition in
1615. Undaunted, in 1632, Galileo defend-
ed his theories in Dialogue Concerning the
Two Chief World Systems, at which point
the Roman Inquisition found him guilty
of heresy, and he spent the rest of his life
under house arrest.
Perhaps with one eye on these events in
Rome, Descartes abandoned the idea of
publishing his ideas as one large tome,
and just published parts of it in three
essays prefaced by his Discourse on the
Method, in which he tried to show that
his ideas were based on scientific truth.
Harried by the Catholic Church, he
moved to The Hague and continued pub-
lishing his ideas on maths and philosophy.
He read voraciously, and studied a range
of different subjects, including music and
surveying. Often called the father of
modern philosophy, he drew attention to
epistemology, and developed the theory
of rationalism – the idea that everything
must have a reasonable explanation.
His ideas are referred to as ‘Cartesianism’.
He was the first thinker to use reason
when investigating natural science.
To Descartes, a truth was only true if it
could be scientifically proven.
Cartesians viewed the mind as wholly
separate from the physical body, even
regarding physical sensations as a source
of untruth and illusion. To them, the only
real truth is metaphysical. In the 21st
century, with a different perspective on
medicine and secular life, it can be hard
to imagine the struggle that 15th-century
thinkers faced in order to isolate
rational thought from a jumble
of beliefs based on supersti-
tion, fear and politics. Above, Statue of him to visit the court to found a new
Descartes wrestled long Descartes in his scientific academy and to explain his ideas
and hard with the home town, La Haye; about love. While there, he experimented
question of how to inset, Bust of with reading atmospheric pressure to see
obtain reliable knowl- Descartes made by if it could be used to forecast the weather.
edge. This quest is called Sèvres in 1794, at However, Descartes and Queen Christina

La Rochelle. It was
also an era in which
alchemy was consid-
ered a new science. He
was Catholic, but even so
was warned to develop his
new theories on philosophy far from
the clutches of the Inquisition.
In 1628, he moved back to Holland
and studied astronomy at the University of
Franeker. He also studied maths at Leiden
University. With a servant called Helena
Jans van der Strom, he had a daughter,
who died of scarlet fever at the age of 5.
Swimming against the tide of popular
opinion, he openly wept over his daugh-
ter’s death in 1640, saying that refraining
from tears was not proof of being a real
man. His Passions of the Soul was written
to defend emotion. He was at the cutting
epistemology.
He believed that deduc-
tive reasoning was God-
given and said it could be
believed because God would
not deceive his children. This was
in opposition to Aristotelianism, which
viewed sensory experience as the source
of all knowledge about the world.
Decartes’ era is known as the Age
of Reason and is often cited as the
beginning of the Enlightenment.
A correspondence began between
Descartes and Princess Elizabeth of
Bohemia, mainly centred on moral and
philosophical topics, and he dedicated
several works to her, including Passions of
the Soul. By 1649, he had become Europe’s
most famous philosopher and scientist,
and Queen Christina of Sweden invited
“
the Museum of the seem to have taken a dislike to each other.
French Revolution By 1650, he had only given her a handful
in Vizille (Isère) of lessons, which were supposed to take
place at 5am three mornings a week. She
lacked interest in mechanical philosophy,
whereas he had no desire to pursue her
enthusiasm for Ancient Greek.
He died in February 1650, ostensibly
from pneumonia, but arguments abound-
Swimming against ed regarding the treatments he had been
offered, which he had refused, and which
the tide of popular had finally been administered. There was
also a rumour that he could have been
opinion, he openly poisoned by a Catholic missionary who
opposed his views. A wax effigy was taken.
wept over his He was buried in Stockholm, and in
1663, the Pope added his works to the
daughter’s death Index of Prohibited Books. In 1666, his
remains were transferred to France, and he
in 1640 was reinterred at Saint-Etienne-du-Mont,
May 2023 I French Living
a church near the Panthéon.
In 1671, Louis XIV prohibited
lectures on Cartesianism, and while
in 1792 the revolutionary National
Convention had intended to rebury
him in the Panthéon, he was finally
laid to rest in the Abbey of Saint-
Germain-des-Prés in 1819, although
by then his corpse was missing most
of its bones, including the skull.
In 1821, a chemist called Jöns Jacob
Berzelius heard that a skull supposed-
ly belonging to Descartes was for sale
in Sweden. He purchased it and
brought it back to France, without
questioning its authenticity. It has the
names of six eminent Swedish schol-
ars inscribed on it, along with the
words, “The skull of Descartes, taken
by J. Fr. Planström, the year 1666, at
the time when the body was being
returned to France” on the forehead.
(Planstrom was hired to guard
Descartes’ corpse after his death.)
This skull is still on display in the
Musée de l’Homme in Paris. Scholars
connexionfrance.com
in Lund, Sweden, contest its authen-
ticity however, saying they have a
fragment of the real skull. This was
donated to the University in 1780,
and was probably the result of
skull-blasting, which was commonly
performed at that period. The invert-
ed skull is filled with dried peas and
water so that as the peas expand they
push the individual bones of the skull
apart from each other. This was done
in order to sell the component parts
for more profit than selling the skull
intact for a single price.
The fragment is marked with the
figure 6, which supports the
skull-blasting theory, but as neither
the fragment nor the skull have been
DNA tested, it is unknown which is
the forgery. But since several other
skulls on public display in various
places are also attributed to Descartes,
the mystery is yet to be solved.
René Descartes spent his life search-
ing for truth, but his death plunged
his body into an enduring mystery.
Local history 23
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, public domain
Spotlighting progress and
tradition in Champenoux
Théophile Larcher discovers how a recent French TV
documentary about a ‘typical’ satellite village near Nancy
highlights the challenges facing its rural and urban inhabitants
Secret history of villages
C
hampenoux is a quiet village
of 1,544 inhabitants in north-
eastern Nancy (Meurthe-et-
Moselle) that happened to
be chosen as a ‘sample’
contemporary French village for a
52-minute documentary broadcast on
France Télévisions in January.
Vie(s) de village, directed by Jean-Louis
André, provides a broad panorama of the
daily life of the village, through conversa-
tions with members of its population,
in which each and every one of its
inhabitants raised issues that affect
the whole community.
The documentary ingeniously confronts
the varying viewpoints of different gener-
ations and social classes, and demon-
strates the challenges the mayor faces to
strike a balance between modernity
and tradition.
The programme presents
a gallery of portraits,
from Parisian new-
comers looking for a
peaceful environ-
ment to raise chil-
dren and a couple
of local farmers
describing how
Above, Portrait of much their village
Descartes by Frans has changed over the
Hals, c. 1649, in the years, through to
Statens Museum for teenagers and their
Kunst, Copenhagen experience of growing up
in Champenoux.
“I thought it was a joke at first.
Why would anyone be interested in
Champenoux?” said mayor Serge
Feger to The Connexion, adding that
filming took place from late 2021
through 2022. To which Mr André
answered: “Why not Champenoux?”
Mr André said they were hoping to
depict a typical village on the periphery
of a big town that faced many of the
challenges of the new millennium, pre-
dominantly a surge of incomers looking
to escape the city.
The wave of new inhabitants are mainly
néo-ruraux, as French people have called
this segment of the population – people
looking to leave urban centres without
having any experience of rural life or its
very different codes.
These néo-ruraux populations are often
Photos: Mairie de Champenoux
highly educated, young and environmen-
tally friendly, as the cliché goes. And
Vie(s) de village gets right to the heart
of the misunderstandings between local
farmers and what their daily life entails,
and the Parisian couple seeking the good
life, who complain about the smell of
pesticides in the air, or noisy midnight
lowing from their cattle.
Another scene shows Hubert Petit talk-
ing about the blank cheque he was given
by the owner of the space where he
intended to set up his pharmacy, a clear
indication of the hardships small French
villages face when it comes to having
access to medical professionals.
Likewise, it shows the growing prolifer-
ation of typical ‘pavillion’ houses, sought
after by families looking to escape the
nearest town, Nancy. A majority of new-
comers to the village had first settled in
Nancy before searching for more outdoor
space in the pavillion houses of
Champenoux. “Behind the documen-
tary lies a history of housing,”
said Mr André, adding that
it shows the develop-
ment of the idea of
privacy, individuality
and community
from the 70s until
today. He added
that, despite the
widespread stand-
ardisation of this
type of housing, he
was able to show in
the documentary how
owners brought their
own identities to their homes
through their personal belongings.
The trend is a double-edged sword for
Mr Feger, who is happy that the village
attracts newcomers, but fears it could
lose its soul in the process, adding that
its population has doubled since the 80s,
and as a result turned Champenoux
almost into a town centre.
However, Mr Feger said he does not
want Champenoux to exceed 2,000
inhabitants, as part of a Zéro artificialisa-
tion nette (ZAN) policy. ZANs were
created to limit the spread of urban
settlements by forbidding new building
projects to be erected on agricultural
land by 2050.
“When you buy in Champenoux, it is a
bit like you’ve settled down,” he said, hav-
ing himself bought a house built in the
first wave of housing projects in the 90s.
24 The big picture connexionfrance.com French Living I May 2023

Beautiful library is a reader's paradise

Samantha David heads

Main photo: Jean-Christophe Ballot - BnF - Oppic; inset: Elie Ludwig - BnF.
to a newly renovated
bookworm paradise in
Paris, home to rare
books and much more

T
he Bibliothèque Nationale de
France (BnF) contains copies
of everything ever published
in France. It is located in two
sites in Paris, the François
Mitterrand building and the Richelieu
building, which was re-opened last year
after renovation and restoration works
lasting nearly a decade.
The magnificent Oval reading room,
with its beautiful wooden panelling and
massive oval skylight, contains around
20,000 books, graphic novels and other
media. Nicknamed the ‘Oval Paradise’
it is open to the public every day, free
of charge. Anyone can go and read the
books, study at one of the desks or simply
appreciate the fabulous architecture.
One of the rarest books contained in
the collection is a copy of the Gutenberg
Bible, which was the earliest major book
printed using mass-produced movable
metal type in Europe. It marked the birth
of printed books in the West. Only for-
ty-nine copies ever survived, and they are
estimated to be amongst the world’s most
valuable books.
Children are also encouraged to visit,
and there are special activities for them
on Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and
during the school holidays. Get tick- A new digital installation offers a wealth Above, the BnF's Designed at the end of the 19th century
ets online via the BnF website because of immersive experiences, digitally trying magnificent Oval by Jean-Louis Pascal and inaugurated in
places disappear fast. Workshops include on some of the costumes displayed in reading room, nick- 1936, the library is now designed to be
activities such as making a paper globe the museum for example. For those who named the “Oval open to everyone, and to make culture
(for children aged four years and over) or prefer the outdoors, the Jardin Vivienne is Paradise”, contains and literature available to anyone. The
writing a message using hieroglyphs on a open to the public. over 20,000 books collections were founded by the medie-
papyrus scroll (for six years old and over). For researchers with a valid Pass Re- to read; below, the val kings of France and have developed
The building also houses a stunning cherche, there are specialised collections; building's façade throughout the ages. They are still grow-
1,200 m2 museum displaying around 900 performance arts, maps and charts, en- on rue Vivienne ing as more books are added almost daily.
artefacts from antiquity to the present day gravings and photographs, manuscripts, The reason the site is named after
including the Great Cameo of France, the coins, medals and antiques, and music. Richelieu is because the BnF was first
Throne of Dagobert and Charlemagne’s It is possible to take a guided tour of the installed in the former Mazarin Palace in
chess set. Tear your eyes away and look up whole beautiful building, as well as the 1722. The palace eventually became part
to admire the wonderful ceiling. As well exhibitions, museum and reading room, of the Richelieu site of the BnF. The li-
as documents like Victor Hugo’s original or sign up for a workshop (they also have brary, due to a massive programme of ac- during the revolution, the collections
manuscript of Les Misérables, there are them for adults). The Rose Bakery is open quisitions, became the largest collection grew exponentially. Many works of art
prints by Rembrandt and Picasso, pho- to the public from Tuesday to Sunday of manuscripts and rare books in Europe. were also added. The historical science
tographs, costumes and other objects. As (10.00 to 18.00) selling sweet and savoury During the Revolution it remained a collections are still growing thanks to
well as the permanent display, there will snacks using fresh produce. There is also working library open to the public, and large donations.
be temporary exhibitions. a bookshop. due to confiscations of valuable books www.bnf.fr/en

Quiz answers from page 19 Answers from page 18 and 19 A AIRCRAFT,

A AMAZE,
A ANY,
1. B – Bourdain was a consultant on Pixar’s animation but said it “captured a passionate love of food in a way that Guess the region Toughnuts A ASSEZ,
very few other films have” 2. A – The Dauphine was built until 1967. It won the 1958 Monte-Carlo Rally with Mean Ruz ("red stone" in Breton) lighthouse in Brittany C CHARGE,
Jacques Féret and Guy Monraisse 3. A – Repressed for centuries, Cagots were small and dark. They were banned is commonly called Ploumanac'h (after the nearby D DIX-NEUF,
from using items used by ordinary people. Several Pyrénées churches still have separate Cagot entrances 4. B – This village), meaning "monk's pool" in Breton. D DROGUE,
blood-red flag, with pointed ends, was used by the kings as a warning that no prisoners would be taken. It was kept in E EAR,
Bilingual cryptic crossword E ENERGETIC,
Saint-Denis Abbey 5. B – Woolen and sleeveless, it was created in the late 1800s. Thousands were sent in aid parcels to Across: 1 Dead ringers, 7 Lav, 9 Fling, 10 Enchanter, E ENVAHI,
First World War Poilus. The name Marcel came from the Roanne manufacturer 6. Peugeot car factory worker and 11 Naturelle, 12 Elect, 13 Squires, 15 Etre, 18 Idée, E EVENT,
Sochaux player Lucien Laurent, in France’s 4-1 win over Mexico. It did no good, France went out in the first round 20 Campari, 23 Aigle, 24 Overstate, 26 Emissaire, F FORMULA,
7. Argentine on Ligne 1 became Argentine-France, Allez les Bleus to support France in the World Cup foot- I IMPACT,
27 Vroom, 28 Ane, 29 Ruritanians. I INDEED,
ball final. It, too, did no good 8. He was the first player to make his international debut in a Rugby World
Cup final 9. Cannes, where the multiple Wimbledon champion Renshaw brothers were giving tennis classes. Down: 1 Daftness, 2 Aviateur, 3 Régir, 4 Needles, 5 En- I INDIA,
chère, 6 Snare drum, 7 Lutter, 8 Vérité, 14 Redresser, I ITALICS,
Grass courts suffered in the baking sun and William Renshaw thought red dust from broken pots from the L LOINTAIN,
nearby Vallauris pottery would give a better surface 10. It started in Amsterdam, the first Grand Départ out- 16 Casanova, 17 Dilemmas, 19 Écolier, 20 Clément, M MITES,
side France. Louison Bobet won 11. Grande randonnée 20 or GR20 is 180km, with 11,000m of height gain 21 Galena, 22 Ignite, 25 Savon. N NAMES,
12. The A13 or Autoroute de l’Ouest, to join Paris to Normandy’s transatlantic ships. The first section, from French-themed crossword O OF,
Vaucresson to Orgeval, opened in 1941 13. Clovis, the first king to unite the Franks, ruled from 481-511. Char- Across: 1 Floréal, 4 Aigre, 7 Album, 9 Zeste, 10 Loi, O OINTMENTS,
lemagne named his son for him in 814. It comes from High German Hlodowig and is also found as Ludwig, O OPERAS,
11 Bord, 12 Frange, 15 Retour, 16 Chèvre, 19 Avocat, O ORALE,
Llewellyn and Luigi 14. Alpe d’Huez, after a 1,090m climb from Bourg-d’Oisans. It is said the rider in yellow 20 Blet, 21 Tôt, 23 Hôtel, 24 Obtus, 25 Roses, 26 Essence. R RADIO,
at L’Alpe will win the Tour – doing so in 22 of 29 finishes 15. Louis Philippe I, who was forced to abdicate in Solution No.15 RUE DE VAUGIRARD S SALUA,
Down: 1 Flaubert, 2 Emma, 3 Lozère, 4 Absinthe,
1848 16. Astérix, with Idéfix known in Britain as Dogmatix 17. They were the first brand adverts on French TV, S SAUTA,
5 Grêle, 6 Emoi, 8 Béret, 13 Culottes, 14 Dentiste, S SEASONS,
on October 1, 1968. Previously only non-branded foods like Agen prunes and Breton artichokes were allowed
17 Volet, 18 Paille, 19 Athos, 21 Tour, 22 Mois. S SITE,
18. C8’s Touche Pas à Mon Poste was fined after host Cyril Hanouna insulted MP Louis Boyard. Channel owner
Canal+ has lodged an appeal 19. The France-Argentina World Cup final drew 24.08 million viewers for TF1. It Unscrambled answers: Aramis & Porthos S SYRUP,
U UNDER,
hit a peak of 29.4m for the penalty shoot-out which Argentina won 20. Plus Belle la Vie was a Marseille soap. It Fun French facts U UNIS,
ran for 18 years until last November. 1 Melon de Bourgogne, 2 Colombage, 3 Burnt cream. U UPSET,
X X-RAYS.
 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com Practical 21

Privacy warning over dashcams Take ID photos at home

A high-profile legal them because when I looked,
it seemed unclear if they were
case recently showed legal or not. It is something I
how useful dashboard would like the French author-
ities to do something about,
cameras can be, but because it is silly to have tech-
French regulations are nology available but then hesi-
tate about being able to use it.
unclear on the matter “I know that in the UK there
is a system where you can
SALES of dashcams are start- upload images for the police
ing to take off in France, with over the web, and they also
IT IS now easier to take an
official photo for administ-
rative purposes, thanks to an
app that works on iPhone
and Android.
The photo is often the final
missing piece needed for
various applications, when
you have all the other paper-
work ready to go.
This usually requires finding
a photo booth, or a profession-
al photographer certified by
the French state. In some cases,
team successfully used the app
to exchange a UK driving
licence for a French one.
When applying for a driving
licence on the ANTS website,
you need to add a photo with
an electronic signature. You will
receive a code to enter online,
which will allow the adminis-
tration to locate the image.
The company also claims to
offer lower prices than compet-
itors: €4.99 for a driving licence
photo, for example, compared

most car-parts shops offering
models from €50, but their use
falls into a legal grey area.
Exact figures are hard to
come by, but a survey in 2015
estimated there were at least
300,000 dashcams bought in
France that year. It is now not
uncommon to see the cameras
in cars parked on the street,
even in small rural towns.
Some even have features that
set off the camera if anyone is
close to the parked car, or if
the car is touched by another
vehicle.
Images are usually sent to the
owner’s smartphone, where
they can then be stored.
Dashcam evidence was
collected by the police in the
horrific head-on crash where
a car driven by actor and
comedian Pierre Palmade hit a
car with a family in it, causing
severe injuries and a seven-
months pregnant woman to
lose her baby.
A dashcam fitted to the car
of someone who stopped to
help recorded two young men
who were in Palmade’s car run-
ning away. Two suspects were
later arrested after a manhunt
was launched.
Palmade, who was badly
injured, was found to be under
the influence of cocaine at the
time, and was put in detention
in hospital.
France has very strict privacy
laws, and among them is a law
Dashcams have proved popular in France in recent years
that states that while it is legal
to film or photograph people
in public spaces in France, you
cannot use the images without
the express consent of all the
people who might be identified,
either through their features or
through the car they drive.
Obviously, people who have
recorded someone driving into
their car, or filmed another
driver being aggressive towards
them, will want to use the
images, but doing so can be
complicated.
Some years ago, the German
insurance company Allianz,
which has a big presence in
the French market, offered a
discount to clients who used
dashcams.
Now the company seems to
have removed the offer. It is
not available on its website and
it did not respond to repeated
requests for information.
Similarly, carmaker Citroën,
which offers dashcams as
factory-fitted options on new
C3 and C4 models, went silent
when asked how the images
they record might be used.
The CNIL data protection
commission told The Connexion
Photo: Shutterstock_kpakook
have access to dashcams used
by insurance companies, that
give discounts to clients who
have them.”
French motoring journalist
Jean-Luc Moreau investigated
their use for RMC radio.
“If you are in an accident
there was no specific legislation where another driver is at fault,
relating to them but it “strongly to be strictly within the law you
advised” that people did not have to tell them straight away
use them. that you have a camera and the
“While we are waiting for incident was filmed,” he said.
government or parliament to “You then have to transmit
come up with laws governing the images to the other driver
their use, we are vigilant on the as quickly as you can, and
question and have carried out also to the police if they are
legal exercises within the CNIL involved, because if you wait,
considering various scenarios,” the presumption is that you
it said. have manipulated the images.
“As a result, we strongly rec- “Obviously, the best way of
ommend that taxis, vehicles doing that is through your
with a chauffeur (VTC) and lawyer or insurance company,
individuals do not have any but you have to be quick about
device which records, even it, and it is not always easy to
partially, public spaces.” get personal details so you can
Connexion reader Patrick send the images.”
McCormick had front and rear
dashcams when he experienced
a road rage incident.
He said that if someone tells
you that you have been record-
ed, you can say you do not give
A van driver first tailgated consent for the images to be
him for several kilometres on used if you think that you
a narrow road, then overtook, might be at fault.
stopping in the road, running “But while you have the right
towards him and banging on to oppose the images, which
the side of his car. may or may not help your case
“Unfortunately, it turned out with the insurance company,
that the rear camera was not the courts also have the right
working because of a corrupted to use the images gathered as
micro card,” he said. evidence against you, if they
“I had the front images, but are presented to them by the
in the end did nothing with authorities.”
you might be able to take the
photo yourself, but this must
follow strict guidelines and
can be rejected.
The ‘Smartphone ID’ app
offers a middle ground, allow-
ing you to take a photo of your-
self using a smartphone, but
adding a verification process to
avoid problems down the line.
The photo is first checked by
an AI system, which will mod-
ify the background, lighting
and size to adapt to the official
regulations. A human will then
check its compliance, and you
will receive the photos by email
or in the post.
You can select the document
you require (passport, driving
licence, residence permit, etc).
The app will adapt the photo to
fit the specific regulations.
A member of the Connexion
MONEY-SAVER
Pick up items for free
SPRING cleaning means
people all over France have
clothes, furniture and other
objects they are looking to
get rid of.
As well as well-known sites
for selling second-hand items,
such as Leboncoin and
Facebook Marketplace, there
are numerous options when it
comes to giving items away
for free and finding donations
in your area. We look at a few
to €8 in a Photomaton booth.
The app works for official
photos in countries including
the US, UK and Canada.
It can be particularly useful
for renewing a UK passport
from France, as the ephotos
provided by French photo
booths are not accepted.
Founder Emile Ménétrey
created the company after a
friend of his was involved in
an accident, resulting in
reduced mobility, and was told
the only way to get a passport
photo was to contact a profes-
sional photographer.
If you would rather go to a
photo booth, you can locate
one on stores.photomaton.fr
using the interactive map,
which allows you to enter your
location and the type of photo
you need.

Boost for homeowners selling solar power

of the most popular websites.

PRODUCING your own solar power has
become more attractive due to changes to
installation grants in France.
The reform of the prime à l’autoconsom-
mation photovoltaïque, a grant for install-
ing solar panels for personal use and sell-
ing the surplus power, will benefit those
who are ready to take the leap.
Previously paid out over a period of five
years, the grant is now paid in a lump sum
at the same time as owners request their
first payment for producing electricity.
In most cases, invoices are annual, starting
on the first anniversary of the signing of
the contract.
The grant is currently worth €500 per
kWc (kilowatt- crête) for installations of
up to 3kWc, or €370/kWc up to 9kWc.
These amounts are updated quarterly –
in the past year they have risen from €380
and €290, respectively. The rates are due
to change once again in May.
For up to 36kWc, the grant is €210 per
kWc, and up to 100kWc, it is €110.
However, if the power is greater than
9kWc, only 80% of the grant will be paid
on the first anniversary of the contract,
then 5% each year over the next four years.
The most common category for homes is
3KWc or less, which equates to around 10
panels installed on a roof.
The grant is only available for the instal-
lation of photovoltaic panels, not solar
thermal panels. The installation must
be done by a professional with the RGE
environmental certification.
There has also been an increase to the
prices paid by EDF when homeowners
sell solar power back to the grid.
This was previously fixed at 10 cents per
kWh for selling surplus electricity, but a
recent change means the price is now
updated every three months. The price
has now risen to 13.13 cents.
You can choose to sell all of the electricity
you produce, in which case the price is
higher – 23.49 cents for less than 3kWc, or
19.96 cents for up to 9kWc. If you do not
use any of the power yourself, you will not
qualify for the installation grant, however.
The grant is available for second homes,
but for properties which are often vacant,
selling all the electricity you produce is
likely to be a better investment.
Consumer organisation UFC-Que
Choisir has simulated the costs and bene-
fits of installing solar panels in five cities
across France using the latest rates.
Photo: Geev
Geev
Geev is a website and app The Geev app includes food
“The new tariffs make solar power par- with more than 3.7 million donations and other goods
ticularly profitable in the long term, users, and more than 17 mil- agree to post the object.
regardless of the region, but even more so lion donations since launch- Alternatives include tout-
in the south,” it concluded. With install- ing in 2017. It has sections for donner.com and recupe.net.
ation costing €9,700 for 3kWc on a south- furniture, clothing, appliances
facing roof, and 30% consumed for per- and food. Trëmma
sonal use, the association found the panels The site’s USP is its ‘banana’ In 2021, Emmaüs created
would bring in €16,694 over 20 years in system. On signing up, users its own online platform to
Montpellier, resulting in €6,994 profit. receive three ‘bananas’, each appeal to people who would
The equivalent in Valence would produce one allowing them to send a not ordinarily think of donat-
€5,593 profit, €4,292 in Lyon, €3,198 in message about an ad within ing objects to the charity.
Rennes, and €2,176 in Lille. 48 hours of it being posted. As well as its physical stores,
The revenue used for the calculations You can get more credits by Emmaüs has an online shop,
includes electricity saved thanks to con- donating items or paying for label-emmaus.co, where you
suming what you produce, selling the a premium membership. can purchase donated items.
surplus, and the installation grant. The idea is to prevent a Now, via tremma.co, this
UFC-Que Choisir notes that, despite small number of users from includes objects people have
rising energy prices, “it is more profitable reserving all the donations. uploaded directly. When you
to sell all the electricity you produce, even if use Trëmma to donate an
the gap is closing,” due to the more attract- Donnons.org item, you are able to select
ive price. Except, that is, in the north, This site has a more basic which cause will receive the
“where solar production is relatively weak”. concept but is also very proceeds from the sale.
Small photovoltaic installations (up to popular. You can search by Once it finds a buyer, drop
3kWc) benefit from a low rate of 10% VAT. specific categories such as it off at a collection point or
For the same size installations, any income ‘fashion’ and ‘automobile’. hand it over in person. You
from selling solar power is not taxable. The website promotes local can receive a receipt worth
For more information go to donations for environmental 60% of the price of the dona-
photovoltaique.info or visit reasons, but the owner may tion, which is tax-deductible.
france-renov.gouv.fr to contact an advisor.
 Business Directory
Use these pages to find English-speaking tradespeople and firms across France. For your security, we check that all French
businesses listed here are registered. The listings are arranged geographically by the 5 landline telephone zones of France.
Are you a business searching for new clients?
Advertise with us - prices start from just €165 HT for 1 year!
To book a space email: sales@connexionfrance.com or place your advert online at the Directory section of connexionfrance.com

P23 All of France P24 North France P24 South East France P24 South West France P25 Classifieds
All Tel Codes Tel Codes 01 - 03 Tel Code 04 Tel Code 05

COMMERCIAL FEATURE

English-speaking insurance agency addresses concerns over health cover

Based in Bordeaux, we are
the only SwissLife agency in
France to work with English-
speaking clients all over
France. We offer a wide range
of healthcare insurance,
general insurance solutions
and private banking, backed
by one of Europe’s leading
insurance providers.
AS you would expect health cover offered
by Swisslife is comprehensive and we
enhance this with our helpful, English-
speaking, customer service.
We are currently offering three principal
types of health insurance cover:
Swisslife Santé Retraités appropriate
for retirees only. There are eight
complementary policies for retirees. After
3 years, 4 years and then 5 years of loyalty,
we automatically enhance your level of
Health Care Insurance, for free and offer
better reimbursements.
Swisslife Santé. This is suitable for
customers aged 18 to retiring age. We
offer nine complementary policies, all
policies also include reimbursements
for bills which are not reimbursed by
the French health system.
Swisslife Hospitalisation only. These are
available for life-long cover but must be
subscribed before the age of 65. The top up
of any bills relates to hospitalisation only.
Swisslife santé Retraités and Swisslife
santé provide full cover which includes
hospitalisation, surgery Dentistry, Optical,
doctor fees, specialists, xrays, Cardiologists,
pharmacy. Essentially anything covered by
the French health system will be reimbursed
by Swisslife.
We understanding that many people
are confused by the need for even a basic
level of protection let alone why one
would need additional cover for expenses
over and above the French state scale of
reimbursement. Hence we explain step by
step the procedures that are relative to an
individual’s situation.
Each case is different and there are many
misunderstandings based on hearsay or
inaccurate translations through a claim
reimbursement. Frequently asked questions
often relate to the care path and why at
times one receives a lower reimbursement
than expected. Medical franchises and
certain common phrases used in the
healthcare industry can lead to confusion.
Why do I need a health cover policy? Will
my medicines be free as they are in the UK?
Declaration de médecin traitant, what is
the importance of this, how do I proceed?
What is the télétransmission system? How
does it operate? What is a dépassement
d’honoraires? (specialists’ excesses). The
importance of requesting a prise en charge
hospitalière before an admission to the
hospital. These are questions which form
part of our ‘day to day’ telephone calls and
emails. We communicate the answers in
clear English.
For more information regarding our
health insurance plans, general enquiries
or questions on sales or claims procedures
contact our main administration office:
+33 (0)5 56 28 94 64
and speak to Marie
Email:
bordeaux.theatre@agence-swisslife.fr
Website:
www.swisslife-health-insurance.fr
(in English)

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 The Connexion May 2023 www.connexionfrance.com ALL OF FRANCE Directory 23
COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Swimming pool repair company ready for new season of leaky finders!
English speaking “Fuite
Detection” is the specialist
swimming pool leak detection
and repair company based
in South France. Owner and
co-founder Steve Mallet
reviews.
“THE 2023 swimming pool season is
approaching, and you can count on it being
as crazy as 2022,” says Steve. “Even with the
pandemic causing continued restrictions on
holiday travel, and second home attendance,
our phones continued to be red hot with
clients reporting water loss issues. We were
still able to function despite the Covid
restrictions as pool surveys and repairs can
easily be undertaken whilst respecting social
distancing and contact restrictions.
“Although based near Carcassonne we were
able to cover almost the whole of the South
of France area., repairing pools as far
as Bordeaux, Limoges and St Tropez.”
Swimming pools are a common feature in
properties in France, whether they are private
and used exclusively by the owner, or are the
all important selling point of a rental property
or a gite complex. Swimming pools are
complex and require a degree of knowledge
to keep them running properly. And they do
suffer from problems from time to time.
Pool leaks are amongst the most worrying
of issues to experience as they prevent the
pool from running properly, take up valuable
resource in both increased use of water and
chemicals, and often cause structural damage.
Steve continues: “I am a pool owner and had
been experiencing water loss for two years. I
had difficulty in finding anyone locally who
had the technical knowledge, equipment, and
desire to come and help. Eventually I found
a company in England, Thames Swimming
Pools, who were willing to come over and
have a look. They located the issue within
15 minutes – crushed pipework buried
beneath a metre of concrete! Using their
specialist technology they pinpointed the
precise location of the problem, shortly
after it was repaired and I had a perfectly
functioning pool.
“Taking the opportunity to launch this
brilliant service into France was an obvious
decision for me and so in 2014 Fuite
Detection was born, working in association
with Thames Swimming Pools.
“The service is essentially in two stages –
firstly we undertake a thorough survey to
find out where the leak is occurring, using
the most modern technology and equipment.
The second stage uses technology from the
USA to repair the leak, in many cases without we are able to use a unique sleeving method to help our clients to restore problem pools
requiring expensive and disruptive excavation. which does not require any excavation. to their full glory. There is nothing better
For example on a single line, such as a “We have had an exceptional response to than arriving at a property to see a beautiful,
Vacuum Line or a Bonde de Fonde (drain) our service and are delighted that we are able inviting crystal clear pool.”

AXA
INDEPENDENT
SwissLife INSURANCE

LEARN FRENCH
Insurance
Since 1898, we have specialised
BROKERS
HEALTH - HOME - CAR -
INSURANCE
Jean-Marie LECOMTE
One-to-one courses and in top-up health, home, car BUSINESS - ETC ST HILAIRE DU HARCOUET - 50600
one-to-one Skype lessons available. insurance and private banking. HOME - CAR - HEALTH
Professional language teacher with APIVIA, ALLIANZ, PET AND TRAVEL INSURANCE-
Please call Marie and Lawrence
Oxford degree.
On: 05 56 28 94 64
SWISSLIFE, AXA, BANKING / LOANS
www.frenchcourse.fr Web: swisslife-health-insurance.fr HISCOX, GENERALI, (call Angeline: English speaking
contact) - 02 33 49 12 34
bordeaux.theatre@agence-swisslife.fr APRIL, CHUBB, agence.lecomte@axa.fr
Certified translations SOLLY AZAR...
as required by RESIDENCY PERMIT NEED FRENCH LEGAL
Contact Kasia, Catherine,
CAF, Courts, Notaires, Prefecture,
(Births, Adoptions, Marriages, Deaths –
application Mark or Philip for quotes ADVICE IN ENGLISH?
Divorces - Pensions – Wills – Family Law…)
Contact: 06 88 59 91 90 YOU NEED Tel: +33 (0)5 57 80 43 35 Tax returns, pension

GOLDENWAY elisabeth.clavier474@orange.fr MEDICAL INSURANCE Email: info@wminsurance.fr schemes (QROPS),

We place health insurance W & M INSURANCE BROKERS Estate planning,
financial advice.
INTERNATIONAL PETS SWORN even without a carte vitale.
We are expats qualified in France,
TRANSLATION Top up cover managed in call to try our unrivalled service
& LIVE ANIMALS English is also available.
AND +33 (0)6 72 34 48 50 /
World Wide Pet
Relocator
INTERPRETING
SERVICES
Penny at GSAR Insurance Brokers
pennym.gsar@orange.fr
05 53 40 15 71
NLE
Accountants and Tax Advisors
+44 (0)20 3807 8311
www.
dtbwealthmanagement.com
Ministry approved Please contact Hilary Decaumont

No. 61195004 – 61195001
Offices CDG Airport Paris
Offices and Kennels Normandy
AXA
Paris & London offices
00 33 (0) 6 10 69 05 53 Services offered in France and UK
Email: info@leapfrogservices.net Tax Returns n Accounts n Business setup
www.leapfrogservices.net Agence International n Payroll n VAT

Dedicated English speaking Paris Tel: 01 42 93 18 42

Tel: 01 48 62 87 25 CDG Paris agency staffed by native London Tel: 0208 242 5540
POOL FENCE
Tel: 02 33 38 41 32 Normandy English speakers The pool security system
Website: www.nle-accounting.fr that works.
www.goldenwaypets.com • Insurance Email: info@nle-accounting.com AFNOR approved.
Siret: 397549551 • Health insurance
www.poolparc.com
BEAUX •
•
Pensions & Investments
Life assurance
TAX service covering
UK & French Returns.
VILLAGES •
•
Banking & lending
Business insurance
HMRC agent. Free estimate LIFELONG SWIMMING
of your tax liabilities. POOLS IN FRANCE
IMMOBILIER Tel: 05 61 07 16 84 W: taxspec.com
T: +44 1323 657320
1 week build, bespoke design & filtration
Selling your French home? Talk to us! agence.international@axa.fr Self cleaning & remotely monitored
Local, professional, expert team www.axa-in-france.fr We are British & understand
the French system too
International Associate of Savills www.gaiusta.com
ASTTRAL sa INDEPENDENT BROKERS
BEREAVEMENT Voted Best Agency in France
INSURANCE BROKERS
ALEXANDER PEARSON (MSc - CIWEM)
alexander@gaiusta.com
Join BVI Plus and connect
SUPPORT NETWORK with our hottest buyers Regulated Insurance
Working with selected +33 (0)5 58 55 72 15
insurers to find the best +33 (0)7 77 23 11 16
Freephone: 08 05 69 23 23 Broker Independent - policy for your needs
enquiries@beauxvillages.com not tied to at competitive rates
www.beauxvillages.com one company, STOP CLEANING
Are you grieving for a loved one best price & quality MOTOR, HOUSE, MEDICAL YOUR POOL
and needing to talk?
We support the bereaved and
We can meet all your TRAVEL, BUSINESS YOURSELF
insurance needs
terminally ill, face to face Health (top up or private), PoolGobbler Pro
in the Var, and by telephone House, Car, Business / For information and quotes automatically removes
elsewhere in France. FOREIGN EXCHANGE Commercial in English contact Penny all flies, wasps and leaves
www.bsnvar.org VOTED #1 – RATES AND SERVICE from your pool surface.
info@bsnvar.org Email: nchubb@asttral.com at G.S.A.R. 05 53 40 15 71
06 24 50 22 74
www.PioneerFrance.com Tel: 04 68 32 41 20 www.pure-piscines.com
(Mon - Fri between 09.00 and 17.00)
40yrs info@pioneerfrance.com FCA
£ € $ +33 (0)5 53 07 06 27 £ € $
Web: www.asttral.com
Siret No: 411 673 106 00018
pennym.gsar@orange.fr or call 0565 319623
24 Directory
Taking the paperwork and pain out of a left-hand drive vehicle purchase
At Gary Automobiles near
Lyon, convenience and quality
are assured for customers
buying a left-hand drive car
ARE YOU looking to buy a left-hand drive
vehicle for your new life in France?
Gary Automobiles is an English-owned
motor dealer based just outside of Lyon in
the Rhône-Alpes, specialising in the supply
of quality new and pre-owned, left-hand
drive, French registered vehicles to expats
moving to France.
The company has been operating in
France since July 1 2003 and customers
only ever deal with Gary personally.
Convenience for the customer is a key
element in the company’s ethos, which is
why Gary Automobiles now has the facility
to register your vehicle in your name at
PROBLEM SOLVING
Advice on all aspects of living in
France, buying/selling,
French administration, income tax,
etc...
Competent, experienced.
Contact me now for your free consultation.
Rachel THOMAS-BONNET LLB Hons
+33 (0)6 62 78 39 77
perfidealbion@bbox.fr
Visit me at
www.perfidealbion.com
TOP PRICE FOR
VINYL RECORDS
Mobile: 06 83 32 65 15
or sue.davage@wanadoo.fr
82120 Marsac
From a UK vehicle LOGBOOK
To a FRENCH vehicle
LOGBOOK – DONE !
PAULPALMER@CAR-REG-FRANCE.COM
WWW.CAR-REG-FRANCE.COM
Tel: 0780493243
Campervans, cars
and vans wanted
Both LHD and RHD.
Also part-exchange. Collection in
the UK or France. Polite service.
Please email, text or telephone
and we will call you back.
sunnyskycars@gmail.com
or Tel +33 (0) 6 17 22 93 23
00 44 738 325 3605
ALL OF FRANCE
their premises – meaning there is no need
to worry about translation and paperwork
issues. Gary will issue your new carte
grise directly from his
office and can even
arrange your French
motor insurance and
transfer your no
claims bonus.
“I remember how hard
it was to understand the
French paperwork and
red tape when I made the
move over to France in
2001. I am happy to assist
fellow expats and take
that burden away,” says Gary.
Reassuringly, they are fully French
registered company with Siret / Siren / and
TVA numbers and only supply vehicles with
European specifications.
For customers wishing to stay over and
GARY AUTOMOBILES
Specialists in supplying quality
New and Pre-owned
French registered vehicles
We buy LHD/RHD vehicles
Part-exchanges welcome
Unlike UK LHD specialists we
handle all the paperwork and
re-register the vehicle in your
name at our premises!
French registered, English owned company
Tel 0033 (0)4 74 43 89 51
or 0033 (0)6 84 85 04 61
gary.automobiles@wanadoo.fr
www.gary-automobiles.com
LEGGETT
Property Management offer a
comprehensive property management
and rental service for your holiday home.
www.leggettpm.com
hello@leggettpm.fr
ANGLO FRENCH
EURO REMOVALS
Weekly services to and from
the UK and France
Full and part loads
40 years’ experience
Full or fragile packing service
Storage facilities in the UK
and France
UK - 0044 (0)1237 751 293
France - 0033 (0)545 894 957
info@anglofrenchmail.com
www.anglofrenchremovals.co.uk
UK Reg: 5437760
CRANBURYS Movers - Shippers - Storers
Full and Part Loads
throughout France
Secure storage
Tel +44 (0)1962 777 684
Email moving@cranburys.co.uk
www.cranburys.co.uk
www.connexionfrance.com
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
visit the area (easyJet and Ryanair fly into
nearby airports), Gary can come to collect
you from the airport or train station, as
well as arrange
reservations or
advise on local
Lyonnais hotels.
Another part
of the service
offered by Gary
Automobiles is
that they do not
put people under
pressure to make
a purchase. They
understand the
logistics of moving abroad, so if they have
a suitable vehicle in stock they we will keep
it until you are ready to collect – with no
time limitations.
Part exchange with your right hand drive
vehicle is also available, while the company
Greetings Cards
Birthdays, Anniversaries, Special Occasion,
Christmas, Hand-made and Open - From €1.00
Hand Written Service Available
Tel: 07 70 17 73 86
enquiries@englishcardsinfrance.net
www.englishcardsinfrance.net
Siret: 538 583 60000019
Love French Interiors
French Reproduction Furniture.
Hand crafted from Mahogany.
Wide choice of finish options.
Full customisation possible.
Bespoke Design service available.
Delivery throughout France.
www.lovefrenchinteriors.com
0044 (0) 20 3474 0092
Chenil Les Mille Calins
English Run
5 Star accommodation for Dogs/Cats
l Underfloor heated kennels
l Qualified staff
Top Quality food and exercise
l Email: pabroadley@yahoo.co.uk
l Only 45 minutes south of Caen
Convenient Ferry Access
l
www.goldenwaypets.com
Telephone 02 33 37 49 19
Emergency 02 33 38 41 32
Fax 02 33 38 44 16
For Daily
updates visit
connexionfrance.com
The Connexion May 2023
also provides a car sourcing service –
meaning if they do not have the vehicle
you want in stock, they will find it for you.
For further recommendation, here are
some previous customer comments:
“Gary Automobiles made the whole
process as painless as possible.”
Colin Edwards
“I have used Gary Automobiles to source
and deliver a new car in France. Since I
don’t speak French it was a delight to deal
with Gary himself.” Tom Wall
“Gary’s personal and English-speaking
service has been really helpful and taken
the hassle out of buying and keeping a car
in France.” James Greig
Gary Automobiles EURL
Telephone: 0033 4 74 43 89 51
Mobile: 0033 6 84 85 04 61
Email: gary.automobiles@wanadoo.fr Gary at his office near Lyon
www.gary-automobiles.com
English TV in your Painter / Decorator
- interior & exterior -
French Home Contact Martin
Professional installations in martin.dodson79@gmail.com
Brittany & Normandy 07 85 13 93 04 / 06 07 45 62 63
Region: GARD/30
Mail-order throughout France
Free, friendly, helpful advice
TVBrittany
02 97 27 58 50 SKY IN FRANCE
www.tvbrittany.com Sky, Freesat
& French TV
Supplied & Fully Installed
Office: 05 63 59 85 16
www.skyinfrance.co.uk
Axa AngloAgence
Please see our main
advert in the Connexion
Car, House, Health, INSURANCE
Bank, Savings, Investment
Going Beyond since 1989
02 96 87 21 21
contact@angloagence.com
Alex, Richard, Trystan
SWIMMING POOL LEAK
DETECTION AND REPAIR
www.fuitedetection.fr
+33 781 444545
+44 7770 274528
Building restoration
City & Guilds qualified builder
Masonary, plastering, tiling,
Painting and decorating
Areas: 24, 46
Tel: 06 48 56 22 83
AUDE & HERAULT
Pool Specialist
ELECTRICIAN
Experienced & French Registered.
Available for all types of electrical work.
Weekly maintenance, repairs,
equipment replacement.
Contact Anthony Main 06 62 76 20 93
Insured and guaranteed.
Areas: 16,17
Tel: 05 46 86 07 61
Email: anthonymain.fr@gmail.com Email: trevor.miell@btopenworld.com
Siret 48468735500038 Siret No. 49376573200015
 The Connexion May 2023
A swimming pool for life and a return on investment...sounds like a dream!
Buying a swimming pool in France can be a challenging
experience; multiple pool types and materials coupled
with a wide range of pool companies….. how do you
ensure that the company you choose will understand
your design, dream or desires? Alexander Pearson
(MSc - CIWEM) from Gaius Terra & Aqua («Gaius TA») helps
you make sense of the French pool market and bring some
clarity to what should be an extremely pleasurable process.
“BUDGET is more than often top of the list,
especially if the pool is for a holiday home/
let,” says Alexander. “Cheap pools are
readily available in France but often come
with unforeseen or miscommunicated
complications resulting in higher installation,
operational and/or maintenance costs.
Often the material costs are mirrored in
the design and installation quality. It is
very important to make sure the pool
How to optimise the transfer of financial assets from the UK to France
Daniel Butcher, an expert
financial adviser to expats,
and founder of DTB Wealth
Managememnt (DTB), a
Conseil en Gestion de
Patrimoine” (CGP), which
is qualified in family law,
accountancy, real estate and
wealth management provides
essential advice to Britons
moving to France.
WITH the Brexit process now firmly
behind us Daniel reviews a means of
bringing assets from the UK into France
and recommends the use of Assurance Vie.
“Firstly, UK based advisers may no longer
be allowed to give advice in the EU, so as
WIFI Anglais
Keeping you connected
Internet - WiFi - VPN
Web hosting - CCTV
hello@wifianglais.com
07 78 52 20 46
DEMPSEY TREE SURGERY
CONTRACTORS
British trained & qualified tree surgeon
All tree work undertaken.
Tel: 05 45 65 96 86 Mob: 06 61 90 04 92
enquiries@dempseytreesurgery.com
www.dempseytreesurgery.com
Working in dept: 16, 17, 24, 87
Siret: 48930027700014
DORDOGNE SERVICES
All Gardening Work - Cutting
Strimming - Hedge Trimming
Clearance - Property Services
Depts - 24,46,47
Tel: Bob & Tracy 06 42 82 44 96
Email: bob.groundwork@gmail.com
siret : 48293447800017
www.connexionfrance.com
builder has Assurance décennale and is a
member of a professional accredited body,
such as the highly respected Fédération
des Professionnels Piscine. It is also worth
requesting references / case studies, and
even viewing a completed project first hand.
Alexander continues, “Planning
applications and the bureaucratical pitfalls
of building or renovating a swimming
pool in France can actually be a straight
French advisers with a British background,
DTB is perfectly positioned to give British
expats the best investment advice possible,”
says Daniel.
“Assurance Vie, an insurance-based
investment scheme, is an excellent product
for those with assets such as ISAs, General
Investment Accounts, liquidations assets
or property sale proceeds, into France.”
Daniel sees Assurance Vie investment
products as an optimal choice for expats
looking to generate an income (with
low tax), plan their succession, reduce
their overall tax burden and generate
capital growth.
DTB Wealth Management currently has
two favourite Assurance Vie products. The
first is for those who are already resident in
France and looking to invest at least
€100,000 whilst also having access to their
money at any time. The other is a new
scheme that has been 100% designed for
euroinstallations.com
• Rural Broadband
• UK & French TV
Satellite & On-Demand
• CCTV & Alarms
• WiFi Installation
• Home Audio & Cinema
Tel 06 80 55 06 09 SW France
mail@euroinstallations.com
CHARITY
PHOENIX ANIMAL RESCUE
If you are thinking of giving an
animal a home, please consider
adopting. We have many cats and
dogs looking for loving homes.
Please visit us at:
www.phoenixasso.com
www.facebook.com/
PhoenixAssociationFrance
ALL OF FRANCE
COMMERCIAL FEATURES
forward process, if the pool professional is
experienced and is willing to spend time
listening and putting together a professional
document. This consist of a ‘déclaration
préalable’ and ‘déclaration de travaux’ and
is needed for all in-ground pools under
100m2 surface area.
“Timescales of swimming pool installations
often have to be flexible; bad weather can
cause delays to the build, but with the rapid
install of a one of our carbon reinforced
ceramic pools these issues, along with bad
weather can easily be overcome. The whole
process, from dig to swim can be completed
in under 10 days.”
Gaius TA was founded by Alexander, a
French resident who previously worked for
10 years in the high-end swimming pool
and construction industry in the UK. He
sees it is apparent that a throw away culture
has crept into the French swimming pool
market, dominated by cheap polyester pools
British expats in France and is managed by
a well-known firm in Ireland, so all the
paperwork is in English.
“This is important,” says Daniel. “It is
now a legal requirement that Assurance Vie
policies can only be signed if written in
your native language, so English speakers
cannot open a policy that is only written
in French.”
Expats currently navigating the Assurance
Vie sector should know that advisors in
France are required by law to provide at
least two investment proposals for which
fees must also be disclosed. An engagement
letter must also be signed before any France
based investment commences.
Daniel recommends choosing a
knowledgeable, qualified and client-
dedicated advisor, who can match the
right independent Assurance Vie products
for clients taking any existing portfolio
into account.
Les Amis Des Chats
promotes sterilisation to improve
the well-being of stray and pet cats
in the rural villages of SW France.
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
to help run our
charity shops and events.
Donations are also gratefully received at
Les amis des chats, 82150 Roquecor.
See how you can support us by visiting
www-les-amis-des-chats.com
Registered charity no: W821000447
For unique,
French-themed gift ideas
see our shop at
shop.connexionfrance.com
HEALTH AND COUNSELLING
Directory 25
with 10-15 year lifespans. Gaius TA has a
philosophy of finding the best value, most
sustainable and longest lasting materials
to create a beautiful place that can be
enjoyed by families and friends for many,
many years to come. Gaius TA can give
you an estimate over the phone and if the
solutions are not within budget, Alexander
is happy to offer impartial advice and
recommendations.
W: www.gaiusta.com
E: alexander@gaiusta.com
T: (UK) +44 (0)7983806244
(FR) +33 (0) 777231116
“DTB Wealth Management is more than
just an independent financial advisor,” said
Daniel. “We hold the CJA (Code de justice
administrative) in notarial, civil and family
law, so we are also trained lawyers, and can
offer our clients everything they need to
make the best decisions for their assets.”
www.dtbwealthmanagement.com
contact@dtbwealthmanagement.com Daniel Butcher founded
06 72 34 48 50 DTB Wealth Management
JOBS OFFERED
Are you a contractor or freelancer and concerned
about registering as self-employed?
Do you have UK clients reluctant to employ you
through the French system?
There is an easier route to work in France
www.freelanceinfrance.com.
Fully compliant French Umbrella Company.
DANS LE COURTAGE EN
ASSURANCE ET TRAVAILLANT
AUPRÈS D’UNE CLIENTÈLE ANGLOPHONE
Nous recherchons dans le cadre
d’un remplacement un / une collaborateur
(trice) d’agence
Notre profil idéal :
- Bonne maîtrise de l’anglais
- Dynamique et force de propositions
- État d’esprit positif
Entreprise à taille humaine, vous souhaitez
intégrer un environnement de travail convivial
en plein cœur de Bordeaux Centre. (transport
à proximité, restaurants etc...)
Horaire de travail : à définir
Contrat : CDI / 35h
Rémunération évolutive et à définir selon profil / expériences
Nous attendons avec impatience vos candidatures !
info@wminsurance.fr
www.wminsurance.fr
26 Directory
How to effortlessly keep your pool clean all summer
A pool is an asset for making the most of the hot summer, but keeping its surface free from
flies, wasps, leaves and fluff is a never-ending story. But help is at hand: on Jan’s site you can
watch a stunning video that shows the PoolGobbler attracting all debris into its filter bag.
IT IS hard to imagine how the PoolGobbler,
such an apparently simple piece of equipment,
can keep a whole pool surface free from
floating debris, automatically and without any
human intervention. It seems unbelievable,
but on pools of up to 12 x 6 metres, its
effective design means the entire pool area
remains spotless.
Jan van Gils introduced the PoolGobbler
into the French market after coming across
it in South Africa where it is a very popular
product. He immediately installed it in his
own pool in France and now believes he
could not do without it.
But how does it work? “The secret to the
PoolGobbler is a clever use of fluid dynamics,”
said Jan. “Using the force of the water
Cancer Support France – 20th anniversary
Cancer Support France is a
network of 15 associations
throughout much of the
country who provide free,
confidential, emotional and/
or language support to
cancer sufferers and their
loved ones.
CANCER SUPPORT FRANCE is a network
of 15 associations throughout much of the
country who provide free, confidential,
emotional and/or language support to cancer
sufferers and their loved ones.
The first association was set up in 2002
by Linda Shepherd who had herself been
diagnosed with cancer. Although she was
a fluent French speaker, she wanted and
needed to talk her worries through in her own
FEATURES
returning into the pool from the filtration
pump, it connects to one of the inlet jets where
its design considerably increases the speed of
the water flow. The high speed of the water
then causes a pulling effect on the surface and,
as a result, the circular flow that is created
takes all floating debris to the PoolGobbler
where it is caught in its filter bag.”
Unlike many other pool appliances, the
PoolGobbler is completely unobtrusive and
positions itself neatly against the wall so it is
possible to swim at all times. It also does not
need any kind of electricity or cables, and is
easy to install. Maintenance is also easy – just
empty the filter bag when full.
Jan’s company, Pure-Piscines, sells the
patented product in France, and beyond,
language. Despite a long search she was unable
to find such support and so Cancer Support
France was conceived. All
our emotional support
volunteers are fully trained
to a high standard and
work one on one to ensure
that their clients have
a safe space to discuss
their concerns. Support
is given either in person
or by telephone or e-mail, these volunteers
are called Active Listeners. From humble but
successful beginnings Cancer Support France
has grown to maturity in the past 20 years. In
2022, we served 286 clients, using our base
of 166 fully-trained Active Listeners spread
across France.
We also have volunteers in other areas, those
who help us to raise funds to support our
work, they may organise events or support
events by making tea and coffee or baking a
www.connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023
COMMERCIAL FEATURES
through his website, which also features
a movie of the PoolGobbler at work and
comments from users.
To order online, visit the website or send
a letter with a French cheque (€59.95 for the
PoolGobbler, plus €9.95 for an extra set of five
filter bags and €6.50 for postage) to:
Pure-Piscines (Jan van Gils), Le Bourg, 46700,
Sérignac.
Anyone who is not satisfied will get their
money back. Pool professionals interested in
selling the PoolGobbler, and those looking for
more information, should contact Jan directly.
05 65 31 96 23
info@pure-piscines.com
www.pure-piscines.com The PoolGobbler will keep pools of up to 12 x 6 metres spotless and debris free
delicious cake. Some of our volunteers provide
administrative support. If you have a talent
or skill, we can use it. If you are
interested in becoming involved
with us, at whatever level feels
right for you, please contact
us by emailing volunteer@
cancersupportfrance.org
If you need support, please
contact our Helpline and leave
a message on our dedicated
Freephone line 0800 240 200
or you can contact us by e-mail helpline@
cancersupportfrance.org. Your message
will receive a response within 24 hours,
usually much less.
Our local associations are supported by and the websites. cancersupportfrance/
Cancer Support France, National who oversee To find out more about our work please Please do get in touch by one of the methods
the training programme and provide support take a look at our website where you can also above if you need support or are interested
to the local associations with marketing and find out more about your local association in finding out more about how you could
public relations. The National Association www.cancersupportfrance.org, or our contribute and help us to build on our work
manages our e-mail and telephone helplines Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ for the next 20 years.
W E A R E R EC R U I T I N G !
Start a new career as a property sales agent
Selling beautiful
properties
is my passion!
Elske Koelstra
LEGGETT IMMOBILIER AGENT
If you would like the freedom to grow
a successful business supported by an
award winning team, please contact
our recruitment department:
Scan for more
information
+33 (0)5 53 60 82 77 · recruitment@leggett.fr · www.leggettfrance.com
 FEATURES Directory 27

VEHICLE
60 DAYS FREE 77 500 € 117 875 € 128 125 €

TRANSPORT
BETWEEN THE
UK AND FRANCE 153 750 € 169 125 € 256 250 €
OUR SPECIALISED VEHICLES
CAN PROVIDE SAFE AND SECURE CALL TODAY
OFFICE: 0044 (0) 1522 686764
VEHICLE MOVEMENT TO MEET
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 28 Healthcare connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

Law should change to allow assisted dying

by Samantha David

CURRENT end-of-life care Legal reform ‘would give people hope

and dignity at the end of their lives’
is inadequate and active help
to die should be legalised, a
citizens’ convention consider-
ing the issue of euthanasia and
Photo: David Pereiras_Shutterstock

assisted dying has concluded. Philippe Lohéac of THE CONNEXION spoke several
the Association pour
Since last December, the times in 2018-20 to Jacqueline
le Droit de Mourir
convention – made up of 184 Jencquel, a former vice-president of
dans la Dignité tells

Photo: ADMD
members of the public chosen ADMD, who said she believed people
The Connexion why
at random to reflect the demo- At present, the law in France should be able to opt out from the

Photo: Supplied by Jacqueline Jencquel

he welcomes a
graphics of the population – only permits permanent sedation ‘winter’ of life, from age 75.
review of end-of-life legislation
have spent 27 days debating, Ms Jencquel, aged 74 when we first
and nine days working on ed by a majority of 75% that considered the current law, A POTENTIAL update of spoke to her, was looking into ending
Prime Minister Elisabeth active help to die, either in the which dates from 2016 and France’s assisted dying laws her own life in Switzerland, where
Borne’s question: Are end-of- form of assisted suicide or allows medical personnel to has been welcomed by the rules allow assisted suicide.
life services adapted to differ- euthanasia, should be legal place someone close to death pro-euthanasia groups, She had no life-threatening cond-
ent situations or should under certain conditions. and in intolerable pain under including the Association itions, but said she wished to die
changes be introduced? These included that only permanent sedation but stops pour le Droit de Mourir dans before becoming dependent, decrepit
Their conclusion, submitted people suffering from incur- short of authorising them to la Dignité (ADMD). and losing her enjoyment of life. She also wanted to act while
to President Emmanuel Macron able conditions and/or untreat- administer or supply a lethal However, its director gener- she was still mentally able to make a lucid choice.
in April, was that end-of-life able physical and/or mental substance, as hypocrisy. al Philippe Lohéac insists the After postponing her plans several times, she ended her life by
care must be improved, and pain should be considered. Medical professionals should debate is not simply a black- suicide, alone, with a lethal dose of a sedative a year ago, saying
access to it should be universal, No one, the convention said, be allowed to opt out of provid- and-white question of legal- in a last blog entry that she would rather die at home in Paris
rather than a postcode lottery. should be allowed to request ing help to die, the convention ising assisted death. than “in exile”. She hoped French laws would change and others
They made 67 detailed sugg- assisted death to escape loneli- said, but should refer patients “It’s about having the right could die at the time of their choosing, surrounded by family.
estions for how end-of-life care ness, or out of a feeling of guilt to willing professionals. to choose how we die. We
could change, most centred on for being a burden to family or It added that patients should should all have the right to What’s your view? Do you think they would fail to recognise
pain management, dignity and society as a whole. have a choice to die at home, a dignified death,” he says. euthanasia or assisted dying coercion? In fact, legalising
patient choice. The thorny questions of or in a retirement home or “We want euthanasia and should be allowed? Let us know assisted death would provide
It was noted that 21 depart- whether minors should receive hospital/clinic. medically-assisted suicide to at news@connexionfrance.com more legal checks and
ments have no palliative care such help too, or adults who It also said choices should be available because choice balances, rather than fewer.”
provision at all, and Mr have never expressed an opin- allow both assisted suicide and gives people dignity. ed and premature death is He points out that people
Macron agreed this should be ion on the subject and sudden- euthanasia, to provide solutions “It means people are nonsense, he adds. already make serious deci-
remedied as soon as possible, ly become medically unable to, for all kinds of situations. respected, their choices are “People approaching the sions about life and death –
and that carers should receive were not mentioned in the Mr Macron promised the respected at the end of their end of life are not children. for example, when deciding
more support. conclusions as there was no government would propose a lives. No one should have They are not feeble. They can whether to continue an
The convention also conclud- consensus. The convention new law by the end of the year. their death imposed. make important decisions. unplanned pregnancy.
Everyone should be able And also, medical teams are He also argues that pallia-

“
to choose for themselves.”
No one should
have their death
imposed. Everyone
should be able
to choose for
themselves
At present, people are limit-
ed to palliative care, which
is not always available. “Of
course, there should be
universal access to palliative
care, but also to an assisted
death,” he argues.
The argument that vulnerable
people might be encouraged
by greedy and unscrupulous
families to opt for an unwant-
trained to support patients
making complex decisions.”
The association strongly
believes that dying people
should decide their treatment
plans themselves.
“It should not be imposed
by either their doctors or
their family, except, of course,
in cases where they have
never expressed an opinion
and subsequently become
legally incapable of making
a decision.”
Mr Lohéac points out that
medically-assisted death is
already available in Belgium,
Holland, Spain, Portugal,
Switzerland, Austria,
Germany, Canada, New
Zealand, South Korea and
11 states in America.
“These countries are not
full of families urging their
parents to kill themselves.
“Families overwhelmingly
want their relatives to live as
long as possible, and doctors
are not stupid. Do you think
tive care cannot always
alleviate extreme pain.
“Some people experience
agony before they die. Why
shouldn’t they be able to
bypass that?
“In any case, death is inevit-
able. We will all end up dead
sooner or later, so we
shouldn’t be afraid of looking
at it and dealing with it.”
He says it is interesting that
in Holland only about half
of patients who request a
medically-assisted death
actually go through with it.
“Just knowing it’s there as
an escape if things get really
bad gives people the courage
and strength to continue.”
It could also reduce prema-
ture suicides, he suggests,
where people feel obliged to
kill themselves while they are
still able to do it unassisted.
“Having control of your own
destiny, right until the end of
life, gives people so much
more hope, and dignity.”

Make your wishes known in ‘living will’

ANY adult can make a ‘living will’ in France
to clarify their end-of-life wishes if they find
themselves seriously injured or terminally ill
and unable to express themselves.
In its absence, close family or friends will be
consulted, especially anyone you have designated
your personne de confiance – a trusted person,
named to help you if you are ill.
A living will can address such matters as limit-
ing or stopping treatment if in a vegetative state,
whether you would want to be transferred to
intensive care to keep you alive at all costs,
whether to use artificial respiration, or to under-
take surgeries, or instead to have palliative care.
Doctors will respect your written wishes unless
they agree they are manifestly inappropriate to
the medical situation or because a situation is so
critically urgent there is no time to consult them.
Anyone can make a living will, called directives
anticipées, although authorisation is needed for a
person who is sous tutelle (under legal guardian-
ship). See tinyurl.com/livingwilltemplate for
templates. The document must be signed and
dated, including your date and place of birth
and full name. A procedure involving two
witnesses is possible if you cannot write.
Your living will can be lodged with your GP,
personne de confiance, another family member,
or with your retirement home or hospital. It
can be changed at any time.
 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com French life in numbers 29

15 things your com com can do Five things they don’t tell you...
about arguing in France

apart from empty your dustbins

by Samantha David

What would you add to the list?

Tell us at news@connexionfrance.com
by Samantha David

THERE are almost 35,000 communes in

France, and nearly a thousand commun-
autés de communes (often referred to as
com coms) managing an array of services
as diverse as public outdoor spaces,
economic development, natural water
resources, spaces for travelling families,
refuse, sewerage and town water.

Photo: Elena Chevalier_Shutterstock

Some also manage the local environ-
ment, housing, development policy, meals

Photo: Antonio Guillem_Shutterstock

on wheels, roads, the provision and main-
tenance of cultural and sporting equip-
ment in nursery and primary schools, plus
‘social action’, which can be almost any-
thing designed to improve people’s lives.
The issue of which authority is respons- Communautés de communes can help with childcare, including holiday clubs
ible for exactly which services is complex
and localised, but if your com com cannot 6. Get rid of waste 1. Les opinions suspect they are trying to put
help on a specific issue, it should at least You can get a refuse collection timetable, a map of local recycling points, and informa- you down, just beam with
be able to tell you who can. Here is what tion on separating glass, paper and packaging. You may also register for a special bin IN SOCIAL situations, pride. Bien sûr!
else you can do there: containing a chip to record how often your bin is emptied, and how much you should although subjects such as
be charged for it. money are taboo, lots of 4. La lutte
1 Report problems They may deliver cards giving access to local déchèteries (tips), along with information other tricky topics are OK:
Report potholes, fallen trees, blocked on opening hours and items accepted. politics and religion are abso- ANY TIME you get involved
ditches or non-functioning street lighting. lutely up for grabs. You are in a protracted argument
You can also notify them of floods and organise events, lend minibuses to sports allowed to put your views on with someone, particularly
water pollution (eg. rubbish or a dead 7 Arrange an internship
teams, and lend music and PA systems, the table and defend them if it is the local mairie, it
animal in a stream, or a farmer using Teenagers can get short internships at the tents, tables, benches and reusable cups like a Dobermann guarding a becomes une lutte – a
restricted insecticides). com com. This is sometimes a useful step for events. bank. Just do it with wit and struggle. The word has
towards becoming a fonctionnaire. good humour. Si j’en crois! connotations of freedom
2 Get septic tank advice 12 Follow the tourist trail and fairness and revolution –
If your septic tank needs attention, you can 8 Use the médiathèque
They also run tourist offices, with 2. Les plaintes even if the contentious
get a list of local specialists, and sometimes You can swap seeds and cuttings at seed information about local events and leisure subject is the installation of
FRENCH people love to new swings in the playground.
even financial help to carry out the work. libraries in some médiathèques and activities such as hiking, riding, swimming complain. Râler is the next On lâche rien!
The assainissement department can also borrow foreign language books (including and fishing – plus free maps. Local artists most popular sport after
carry out inspections to determine if your in English). There are also activities for and craftspeople can often exhibit or sell football and fishing, and it is 5. La colère
fosse is up to standard – useful when sell- children on Wednesdays/Saturdays and their work here too. fine to admire this quality in
ing a house. Read more on p19. school holidays, including storytelling IF YOUR
people. The French like to
and illustrating fairy tales. 13 Get help with childcare
remind each other that even
lutte does
3

Photo: HJBC_Shutterstock
Start composting not go
They manage subsidised creches and after- their own politicians say they
Some com coms give residents free 9 Find out about local clubs
school garderies, as well as kids’ clubs on are ungovernable.
the way
you
compost bins, and even run training Ask the com com for a list of evening Wednesdays and during holidays. You can So whatever proposal is wanted,
sessions on using them successfully. classes, clubs and associations in your area. get help finding and hiring a nanny, or made, you know what to then
The com com often organises the forum becoming one yourself. They also run play say... Non, non et non!
4 Get a career steer
des associations in September. centres for nannies and their charges.
you can
3. Le caractère declare yourself en colère and
Com coms can point job-seekers in the
direction of local large employers 10 Get business support 14 Voice your planning queries poss-ibly even organise a
HAVING du caractère is a pétition, manif (protest) or
If you are setting up a local business, the They can help with questions on local plan-
5 Receive help with paperwork
com com can give advice and even invest. ning, such as what land can be built on.
good thing. It means you are grève (strike). At this event,
ready to fight your corner, you will ram your message
Find information about free services to help
with paperwork, even if you do not speak
11 Set up an association 15 Find out about telecoms stand up for your beliefs and home by carrying a large sign
express your opinions. adorned with the words en
French. Com coms can also provide legal Get help setting up, funding and running Find out if/when fibre internet will be So if someone ever remarks colère, or even tous en colère.
advice, youth employment and training, an association, including free photocopy- available at your address, and get help if that you have it, even if you C’est légitime!
food banks, and signpost other services. ing and advertising. Com coms also help you are not connected.

with The Connexion’s in-depth digital

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 30 Heritage connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

Bellegarde dig puts spotlight on France’s

evolving approach to archaeological sites
by Victoria Gibson
See it for yourself
IN MARCH this year, signifi-
cant artefacts dating back
to the beginning of the

Photo: Laurent Petit / Inrap

Magdalenian period (some
20,000 years BC) were con-
firmed at a site in Bellegarde

Photo: Denis Gliksman / Inrap

(Gard) in south-east France.
The age of the pieces makes
them some of the oldest art-
works known from this period, Tableware from Fort
alongside the famous paintings Saint-Sébastien in Yvelines
in the Lascaux cave. FROM June 16-18, members
Included in the haul were Horse profiles on limestone slabs from the Magdalenian period of the public can take part in
engraved limestone slabs. One were recently discovered at a site in the Gard (left) the annual European
featured a single horse, includ- Archaeology Days initiative,
ing its nostrils, mouth, mane, school, where prehistory the Association pour les fouilles coordinated by Inrap.
ears and more. Another showed students from the Université archéologiques nationales It offers a chance to meet
three horses with eyes, de Paris 1 could train. (Afan), which formed part of archaeologists, access excava-
jawbones and cheeks. Malraux was a crucial piece the Ministry of Culture and tion sites and laboratories,
While exciting enough in of the puzzle and, during the was responsible for conducting and, for youngsters, to take
Photo: Inrap
their own right, the excavations 1960s, two other events insti- rescue archaeology work. part in creative workshops.
also shine a light on France’s gated further progress. “Until the 1970s, rescue Visit journees-archeologie.eu
chequered efforts to better In Marseille, plans to reno- excavations were rare,” says for more information.
acknowledge and protect reportedly remained sceptical archaeological sites were open vate land behind the Palais de Dominique Garcia, president
culturally and historically until members of the to the public if the landowner la Bourse were already under of the Institut national de and development of our nation-
important archaeology, which Commission of the Geological and excavator agreed. way when the remains of a recherches archéologiques al heritage, from prehistory to
have only started to advance Society of London visited and For many years, the Lascaux necropolis, Roman docks, préventives (Inrap). “It is only modern times,” says
in the last 60 years. Before validated his work, bringing cave, discovered in 1940 in port facilities and ships recently that preventive (or res- Mr Garcia. “It is involved in
then, it is unlikely these sorts of him wider recognition. Dordogne, welcomed up to were discovered. cue) archaeology has become preventive archaeology, which
finds would have been pre- The idea of a monument 1,500 visitors per day to see Then-mayor Gaston Defferre established.” means that we excavate and
served or studied. historique can be traced back its ancient wall paintings. wanted to continue the work – In 1997, the so-called ‘Rodez study sites that could be
The discovery in 1685 in to when the Bastille was to be It was closed in 1963, after potentially removing the affair’, in which a developer destroyed by land development.
Houlbec-Cocherel, Normandy, demolished. Aubin Louis carbon dioxide, heat, humidity, artefacts and placing them destroyed a large area of a “The main challenge lies in
of a sandstone polisher, furni- Millin (1759-1818), a librarian and other contaminants pro- elsewhere, but Malraux stepped Gallo-Roman site in Aveyron, the fact we have to adapt our
ture, axes, flint tools and 20 and scholar who specialised in duced by the visitors were in with a decree to ensure con- revealed the limits of the know-how to new forms of
skeletons from the Neolithic archaeology, used the term in shown to have visibly damaged struction was stopped and legislation and funding system development, on land or under
period is considered the first a report to the Assemblée the paintings. excavation could begin. In for rescue archaeology. the sea, in France or overseas.”
archaeological operation in constituante in 1790. The Carcopino law was the all, 10,000m² of remains were Reform became necessary Since its inception, some
France. Since then, there have In the same year, the first on archaeological excava- preserved. and a new law was implement- 50,000 sites have been explored
been thousands of finds, but Monuments Commission was tions. Introduced by the Vichy The second victory for ed in 2001 to address past or excavated and, says Mr
highlighting their significance tasked with studying “the fate of regime in 1941, it insisted on archaeologists came during problems. It saw the creation of Garcia, the future looks bright.
and securing their future has monuments, arts and sciences”, excavations being overseen by the development of an under- a tax to fund preventive evalu- “The experience we have
not always been easy. and not long after, in 1804, the the state and any valuable ground car park adjacent to ations and excavations, and acquired over the last 20 years
In the early days, it was driven Académie celtique was found- discoveries had to be declared. Notre-Dame cathedral, which created Inrap, a public admin- is truly unique,” he says.
by the determination of just a ed, with a focus on researching Another breakthrough came unearthed objects dating back istration body, in 2002. “I hope we will be able to
handful of individuals. Jacques a range of subjects up to and with the excavation of to the Gallo-Roman period. Inrap is now the largest share our expertise with other
Boucher de Crèvecœur (1788- including the 16th century. Pincevent (Seine-et-Marne) in Official excavation was archaeological research countries and, in France, con-
1868), for example, is hailed as Then, disaster. A law on mon- 1964 by a team led by palaeont- secured between 1965 and structure in Europe with 2,300 tinue to save sites that may be
one of the founders of prehis- uments historiques passed in ologist and anthropologist André 1972 and the site was event- employees and a budget of damaged, not only by land
toric science and enhanced the December 1913 omitted the Leroi-Gourhan. Along with ually transformed into the €175million. development but also climate
theories of human evolution. protection of non-monumental André Malraux, France’s first Archaeological Crypt of Notre- “Inrap plays a decisive role: change – on the coast, in high
Yet his work was often dismissed prehistoric and historical minister of culture, he trans- Dame. Both events inspired it is the major player in the altitude areas and in places
by peers. Even Charles Darwin remains. As a result, various formed it into an excavation Malraux’s creation, in 1973, of exploration, excavation, study with a high risk of flooding.”

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 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com Community 31

Towns offer free app to boost social links for over-55s

AN APP that aims to reduce via smartphone, tablet or is more solidarity between to have to create a profile at
social isolation and encourage computer at seniorconnect.fr. residents in the countryside the beginning.”
links between people aged Video calls can be made from than in an apartment building. In Tourcoing, as a result of
over 55 is now available in within it, allowing users to see We were struck to see that the feedback from residents, the
several areas of France. each other and build trust need for social links is much local business guide, featuring
Users can find out the latest before meeting. greater in Caen or Orléans offers from 180 partners, is
news in their area, consult a Local authorities bear the than in rural areas.” also integrated into the app,

Photos: Olena Yakobchuk_shutterstock / Inset: Senior Connect

map of events aimed at their
age group, and post and
respond to messages requesting
help or proposing an activity.
Julien Champain, who created
the Senior Connect app with a
business partner in 2021, said:
“There’s a list of posts, a news-
feed, a calendar, an interactive
map, and the possibility of
exchanging messages and that’s
it. We don’t have ambitions of
becoming the Facebook for
seniors. The more complicated
an app is, the more it excludes
people.”
He cited a woman in Orléans
offering cooking classes to
small groups of people as an
example of how the app can
bring people together.
Senior Connect replaced
a previous app, launched in
2017, which allowed local
authorities to communicate
with this age group.
“In 2017, most towns offered
memory workshops or meals
for older people, but nothing
overly positive.
“And when people talked
about technology for older
Meet-ups and activities can be proposed via the app
people, it was often in the
context of dependency and
disability. But many people are
in great shape at 65 and they
just want to help out or share
an activity.
“Isolation is one thing but
you can be in a couple at 70
and still not know anybody
you can play cards with.”
To benefit, you must aged at
least 55 (60 in some areas) – an
age group referred to as seniors
in French – and live in a town
or department that has signed
up to the system. The app is
free for users and there are no
adverts. “Seniors in France hate
cost, which depends on their
size – €10,000 per year for a
town of 50,000 inhabitants, or
€48,000 for a department such
as Sarthe in Pays de la Loire,
for example – meaning it is
not available everywhere.
Users must have an address in
a town or department using the
app and enter their date of birth.
The project was born in
Normandy, where Mr Champain
is a local councillor in the town
of Cabourg.
adverts. They are the most The app is available in the
solicited people in the country: following towns: Caen, Dozulé
my grandfather would get sent and Mondeville (Calvados);
40 flyers a day.” Tourcoing (Nord); Oyonnax
No money is exchanged via (Ain); Cherbourg-en-cotentin
the app, either. This is partly (Manche); Orléans (Loiret);
to reassure those who are less and Soyaux (Charente).
familiar with technology and Toulouse is in the process
can be reticent. If, for example, of rolling it out for residents.
somebody decides to buy tick- Two departments have also
ets to an event for a group in implemented the app across
advance, the payment will take their entire area: Sarthe and
place offline. Rhône.
So that users are certain While they are happy to work
never to be asked for their with all local authorities, Mr
bank details, the app is not Champain says they are focus-
available via the App Store or ing on convincing larger towns
Google Play, but is accessible and whole departments. “There
There is also likely to be
more activity on the app in
densely populated areas.
Jean-François Pichon, director
of the Centre communal
d’action sociale (CCAS) in
Tourcoing, which launched the
app in December 2021 under
the name Tempo Connect,
said: “The example is ‘I’m
going away for two days, who
can walk my dog?’. Or ‘I’m feel-
ing lonely, does anybody want
to come and play cards?’.”
A little more than a year later,
it has 400 regular users, most of
whom are aged 65 to 75, with
the oldest in their nineties.
“Between 20% and 25% of
seniors no longer have any
family ties,” said Mr Pichon.
Technology is increasingly
seen as a solution, with 75% of
this age group having previous-
ly downloaded an application.
The France Services help
centres have been promoting
the app and helping people
learn how to use it.
Mr Pichon admits: “Some
time is needed to convince
users, as it can appear tiresome
making it possible to locate
deals using the interactive map.
It is also much easier for the
CCAS to reach residents this
way, compared to using the
print magazine it publishes
four times a year.
Rosina Fragale, head of
senior activities at the CCAS,
said: “Before, if we had
last-minute tickets for a show
or exhibition, we didn’t neces-
sarily have a way of communi-
cating with seniors. Here, we
can publish a listing for a visit
within the hour.”
She said most of the users’
posts are for organising things
such as walks and cultural
activities, rather than services.
“We’re not going to use it to
replace an activity which could
also be economic.”
Social isolation is something
the CCAS has identified.
“It’s a real problem, on a
national level. Even seniors we
don’t consider to be isolated
can have children or grand-
children who work Monday
to Friday, and so they only
have visitors at the weekend.”

The ‘one stop shop’ for every aspect

JOB POSTING
Job Title: Club Operations Manager
Employer: Standard Athletic Club
Contact: Richard Parkin, President, Standard Athletic Club (rparkin@saclub.org)
Background: The Standard Athletic Club (www.saclub.org) is a sports and social Club in the British tradition,
founded in 1890. Since 1923 the Club has been situated in its current home: an approximately 3.25 hectares
(8 acres) site in the Forest of Meudon, at a distance of 2.5 km south-west of the Paris city boundary.
While of British foundation, the Club is now international, with approximately 1000 Members from 60 different
countries. The working language of the Club is English, though most Members also speak French. Members come
to the Club for sports and social activities.
Sport: Football, cricket, tennis, squash, an outdoor pool, bridge, gym, yoga, snooker, among others. The Club has
a proud sporting history, having won the French football championship 5 times, and also provided the majority of
the team that represented France in cricket at the 1900 Olympics.
Social: A bar and restaurant, with numerous Member events throughout the year, often organized around
occasions in the English-speaking world (Guy Fawkes, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Burns Night, St. Patrick’s Day, etc..)
The Club is open 7 days a week, with the vast majority of activity taking place on the weekend.
The Club is a French Association 1901 not-for-profit entity, managed by a volunteer Management Committee of 9
people, who are accountable to Members through an Annual General Meeting. This role would report to a member
of the Management Committee.
Role: The Club seeks an Operations Manager, who would be responsible for co-ordinating the day-to-day
operations of the Club, while supporting the Administration team (led by the Club Treasurer).
The ideal individual should have a “customer-first, general problem solving” mindset, be familiar with the
traditions of a Private Members’ Club and be able to work in both English and French.
Responsibilities include:
General administration: Management of Club mail / Point-of contact for Member and external queries (phone,
front desk) / Assistance to the Club accountant / Use of Club Member database
Overall operations: Ensure cleanliness of all facilities, inside and out (cleaning provided by own staff and external
providers) / Management of maintenance of all Club facilities (maintenance planning, interface with contractors,
management of execution) / Management of Human Resources matters for the Operations employees (currently 2
ground staff, 1 cleaner) / Open and/or close Club on days of work
Bar and Restaurant: Planning of social activities (e.g., “Brunch” on the weekend, activities around televised sports
matches (e.g., 6 Nations Rugby, Premier League Football, major tennis tournaments) / Communication of Bar and
Restaurant activities to Members, via the Newsletter (currently managed by a volunteer) / Managing cleaning staff
(in-house and contactors) / Purchasing and ordering / Management and recruiting of bar and restaurant staff.
These staff are currently part-time / When needed, stepping in to serve behind the Bar.
of your removal needs
Modern methods, old fashioned values!
Company owner Andrea Watson explains
how removals have been a significant
part of the Watson European roots for
many years. From humble beginnings
servicing the needs of road haulage in
Europe, Andrea’s experienced team now
meet the demand for a regular and
professional removals service.
“Over the years, our services have been developed to offer wrapping and packing services, storage, vehicle
re-location services and customs clearances specialising in movements between the UK, France and Spain,”
says Andrea.
“Our dedicated and experienced team aim to provide you with both a friendly and welcoming experience,
while maintaining a professional and courteous skillset to give you the confidence in your move from the point
of first contact through to re-delivery, making your move a stress free and enjoyable experience.”
Watson European have found that following Brexit and the UK’s departure from the EU, the process in how
goods can be moved between the UK and the EU has changed. Clients also state that Customs’ requirements
can also feel extremely overwhelming now in addition to the natural stresses that are already present when
moving overseas.
“At Watson European, we can take care of all customs formalities from permanent house moves, second /
holiday home movements and vehicle movements. We were especially pleased to launch our new service for
‘HMRC Transfer Of Residence Relief ’ applications. Our team will provide information on the documentation
required and provide up to date information for your specific needs. We aim to be the ‘one stop shop’ for every
aspect of a client’s removal needs,” Andrea says.
Safely storing your belongings is often an essential part of your relocation journey. Whether for a few days, a
few months, or a few years, Watson European have got you covered with secure, modern storage solutions at
competitive rates.
For clients moving between the UK and EU, Watson European offer up to 60 days complimentary storage as
part of a relocation package. This sought-after storage solution is designed to relieve some of the time-sensitive
pressures of moving internationally.
“Our storage solutions allow you to travel at your own leisure, take some time to find the perfect new home
and finalise completion dates with solicitors, says Andrea. “Or you may simply want to do some renovations
to your new home prior to the arrival of your belongings knowing that your possessions are being safely and
securely looked after at our main operating base in Lincoln, UK or our newly acquired facility in Gandia, Spain.”
Andrea concludes with a ‘top tip’ when considering a home move. “Start by taking a little bit of time to call
our team and have a chat. They will be able to assess your individual needs and get things moving in a positive
manner.”

The contract will be a French CDI (Contrat de Durée Indeterminée) based on a 35-hour work week, including Whatever your removal requirements call Andrea and her team at Watson European.
work on Saturday and Sunday. www.watsoneuropean.co.uk
Tel: Office 0044 (0) 1522 686 764
Andy 0044 (0) 7876 504 547
Salary: Competitive, based on experience. Email: enquiry@watsoneuropean.co.uk
 32 Practical
Help for crime victims Watch out for these common scams
SUPPORT is available if you fall victim to
a criminal offence in France, whether you
are a resident or simply a tourist.
The France Victimes federation is a
network of 132 local associations provid-
ing free and confidential advice and
guidance to victims. They work with
victims of any crime, including fraud,
theft and domestic violence.
You can get in touch with a local assoc-
iation by calling 116 006 (or, if abroad,
+33 (0) 1 80 52 33 76). This is a European
helpline that has been introduced in 17
countries, with plans to extend it to all 27
member states. In France, it is run by
France Victimes, and receives some 50,000
calls each year.
Jérôme Moreau, vice-president of France
Victimes, said: “The idea is to have as
many people as possible who speak a
foreign language, and to keep a list of local
associations and the languages spoken by
the people who work there.”
He said the federation frequently assists
foreign nationals who have been affected
by any number of crimes, including tour-
ists who were present in Nice during the
July 14, 2016, terrorist attack. Common
offences include cyber crime and theft of
wallets and identity papers.
The associations provide legal support,
by guiding victims through the necessary
steps when taking action, as well as social
and psychological support.
The network helps approximately
400,000 people each year, including 90,000
women who were victims of domestic
violence in 2022.
For people who are not French, the feder-
ation insists on upholding their right to
M A K I N G
connexionfrance.com
IT CAN be harder to recognise
scams when you receive official-
looking messages asking you to
take action if they are not written
in your first language.
Photo: Shutterstock_Taljat David
If you fall victim to a scam,
you should inform your bank and
report it to the police or gendarm-
erie – you can contact France
Victimes for help with this (see
left). Once you have told the bank,
Victims’ associations are sometimes you can report bank account fraud
represented in police stations using the government’s online
have documents related to legal proceed- ‘Perceval’ platform.
ings translated, Mr Moreau said. “In order Here are common scams doing
to be able to defend yourself, and assert the rounds in France:
your rights, you need to understand the dif-
ferent procedures. UPS scam
“We help them to file a complaint, One to watch out for if you are
which is the first thing to do. Then if selling second-hand goods online.
there is a trial, we can inform them of While not limited to France, it is
the next steps, we can accompany victims commonly reported here.
who are abroad, or provide a link to other The scammer will send a mes-
associations in Europe.” sage pretending to be interested in
He said foreign victims often prefer to the item. They then say they will
travel home rather than filing a complaint, send a courier to hand over the
but this is a mistake. “Somebody being money and collect it.
foreign takes nothing away from our A British reader living in France,
ability to take action. We are there for who preferred not to be named,
anybody affected by a crime in France. agreed to this when selling an
“We are unique in that we are present item in a Facebook group, as it
everywhere in the country. Each victim was too heavy to post.
can find a France Victimes association.” “I had an email from UPS saying
In terms of cyber crime, he said there are I must send €100 insurance. I told
few legal options available, but they can the woman this was not right, but
help victims to block their bank accounts, she said that I had started the
make insurance claims, and file complaints. transaction and if I didn’t pay,
“Even if we are always asking for improve- UPS would take me to court and
ments, victims have plenty of rights in I would be liable. I had another
France. We are among the most advanced email from UPS stating this.
Did you know?
countries in Europe in this domain.” “I was so frightened that I paid
France has one of the best
health systems in the World.
By right it is open to all residents. Retirees
holding an S1 will have their cover paid by the UK.
Visit www.kentingtons.com for more information
Y O U R L I F E I N F R A N C E
The Connexion May 2023
up, but then she said I had taken
so long to pay that the transaction
had expired. She said UPS couldn’t
cancel the transaction and I would
be taken to court so I paid another
€100. Thinking this was now OK,
I felt relieved, but the next day she
said I needed to pay €500 for the
European Union Tax or the court
action would stand.”
That the emails were in French
added to her panic, she said.
The emails will usually use the
logo of UPS or another courier,
but they do not come from the
actual company.
UPS says it “does not request
payments, personal information,
financial information, account
numbers, IDs, passwords, or cop-
ies of invoices in an unsolicited
manner through email, mail,
phone, or fax or specifically in
exchange for the transportation
of goods or services.”
Fake parcels
You might have received a text
or email claiming to be from
Colissimo or another delivery
company, saying your parcel is
en attente de livraison (waiting
to be delivered), or a rencontré un
problème lors de son acheminement
(encountered a problem during
delivery).
You are usually invited to click
on a link, where it is hoped you
will enter your personal details.
This is particularly common
during sales or over Christmas,
L E S S
France: +33 (0)805 03 00 01
UK: +44 (0)8451 23 84 23
Web: www.kentingtons.com
when people are expecting deliver-
ies, but it happens year-round.
If you have any doubts, do not
click on a link contained in a text,
and contact the delivery company
to check it came from them.
Carte Vitale renewal
One of the most common scams
in recent years involves text mes-
sages informing people their carte
Vitale is about to expire or must
be updated, inviting them to fill
in a form. The link often sends
them to a page where they are told
to enter bank details and pay a
small fee to receive a new card.
A carte Vitale never expires. It
does need to be updated occasion-
ally, but this is done at the phar-
macy or doctor’s office. Assurance
maladie will never send you a text
asking you to update your card.
Crit’air text messages
Another text informs people they
do not have a Crit’Air (anti-pollu-
tion) certificate for their car, and
must order one within 48 hours
to avoid a fine, with a link to a
website. Earlier this year, the gov-
ernment warned the scam had
been multiplying since late 2022.
“The official Crit’Air site does
not send text messages to users to
buy stickers,” the ecology ministry
wrote. It added that the sticker
never costs more than €3.72 for a
French vehicle and that
certificat-air.gouv.fr is the only
official website.
T A X I N G
 The Connexion May 2023
The Connexion
Money / Tax page
Must I register side
activities for business
taxes and charges?
I WOULD like to make side income to my main
employment as a consultant or from selling
second-hand items online. Do I have to register
as a micro-entrepreneur for income tax and social
charges and, if so, can you register for more than
one activity? L.M.
IF YOU have regular income from a small business, you
usually have to register it and pay business social charg-
es. Regi­stering as a micro-entreprise is the easiest way
and it can be done at formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr.
For income tax, there is an option of regular definitive
instalments at a percentage of turnover, or declaring
annually and having estimated instalments taken off
during the year. In both cases, however, relevant boxes
must be completed in the tax return (on paper, these
are found on the 2042C PRO).
If you are just selling a few of your own second-hand
items from time to time, this does not need registration
(or declaration for tax, unless you are making significant
capital gains) but if you are selling as a regular activity,
you should register a commercial business, and partic-
ularly so if you are buying for resale or making items.
Being a consultant can also be registered as an
auto-entreprise but certain areas require a recognised
qualification – for example, in legal or property advice.
You can only register one micro-entreprise, but can
have several activities under it. You should choose
which is likely to be your ‘main’ activity and register
others as secondary ones. There are income figures to
be respected, depending on the sectors involved (go to
tinyurl.com/cumul-activities for more information.
Tax returns and inheritance Online corrections
I WOULD like to know if an inheritance received, whether in
France or the UK, has to be declared in the income tax
return. Does the amount make a difference? D.H.
IN SHORT, no, inheritances do not have to be declared in the
tax return as they are not seen as part of your normal declar-
able income. They might, however, have to be declared as
inheritances. There are specific forms for this but they are
usually filled in by the notaire in the case of dealing with the
estate of someone who has died in France.
As for whether or not any French inheritance tax is due, this
depends on who you inherit from and where they lived, as well
as double tax treaties in force between countries.
For example, no French tax is due on inheritances from a UK
resident with no French-based property.
The Connexion welcomes queries and publishes a selection with answers in
every edition. However, please note that we cannot enter into correspondence
on money topics. Queries may be edited for length and style. Due to the sensi-
tive nature of topics we do not publish full names or addresses on these pages.
connexionfrance.com
Photo: Shutterstock.com_Pickadook
Send your financial queries to
Hugh MacDonald at
money@connexionfrance.com. Please ensure you mark
your emails for the attention of Mr MacDonald
Does homeworking change rules for
frontier workers who live in France?
I LIVE in France and work for a company
in Switzerland over the border. Lately, I
have done a lot of homeworking. I am
not sure now if I should be declaring my
income to France or Switzerland. R.D.
THE RULES on income tax for ‘frontier’
workers (ie. those who live in one country
but work in another), can depend on agree-
ments between the two countries.
It is true that homeworking can further
complicate things.
In the case of Switzerland, there is a
recent agreement to the effect that French
residents working there can work from
home up to 40% of the time in any given
tax (calendar) year without any change to
their tax regime.
I HAVE submitted my online declaration but
now realise I forgot to declare a foreign bank
account. Is it too late to amend this? S.B.
YOU can correct/amend/add to your declaration
as many times as you like until the declaration
deadline for your department. You simply go
back into the online declaration section and
click Accéder à la déclaration en ligne and
then click Corriger.
After the deadline date, it is best to wait until
the official corrections service opens in early
August after the tax statements (avis) have been
sent out. This allows further changes for about
four months.
The information on these pages is of a general nature. Do not take action,
or refrain from taking action based on this information. Seek professional
advice on the specific facts of your case. No liability is accepted in respect
of these articles. These articles are intended only as a general guide.
Nothing herein constitutes actual financial advice.
The countries came to this agreement in
view of the fact that homeworking has
become a common habit, especially since
the Covid pandemic years.
At present, it is, technically speaking,
being applied on a provisional basis, await-
ing the final ratification of the deal.
As for the usual tax rules, these can vary,
depending on the Swiss canton involved.
For example, in Berne, Soleure, Bâle-Ville,
Bâle-Campagne, Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel
and Jura, the usual principle is taxation in
the country of residence, while for others
the principle is taxation in the place where
you work.
If you have doubts about your declaration
obligations, we suggest seeking clarification
from your local French tax office.
2023 tax help guide
For information
on how to declare
different kinds of
income in your
2023 declaration
of 2022 income,
see our annual
French Income
Tax Guide priced €14.50
(digital version only).
See connexionfrance.com or call
Nathalie on 06 40 55 71 63.
Practical: Money 33
Can I renounce
French pension
to get S1 benefit?
A READER who moved from the UK to France
and worked as a self-employed farmer before
retiring early has asked if he can claim an UK
S1 form and use it to gain access to French
healthcare cover on reaching UK retirement age
and thus move from cover by Mutualité Sociale
Agricole (MSA) to cover by the UK.
Having your healthcare covered by another EU/
EE state or Switzerland / the UK allows reduced
French social charge rates on investment and
property income. A social charge exemption also
exists on foreign pension income for residents of
France who are not a burden to the French
health system as is the case with S1 holders.
The reader says he is willing not to claim his
small French pension, if necessary.
It should, first, be noted that unless you are
already claiming a French pension (or working
in another field), former self-employed workers
are now covered via the ‘Puma’ scheme, which
gives healthcare by right of residency.
Cleiss, official French-based experts on coord-
ination of social security systems, said that
renouncing a French pension to be covered via
an S1 depends on whether the French pension
scheme in question allows people to do this.
It would also depend, it said, on whether the
UK is prepared to issue S1s to people who have
renounced their right to a French pension.
With regard to the first point, MSA – as well as
Cnav (the national body in charge of state pen-
sions for most people who have worked in the
private sector) – said, if you wish, you can effec-
tively ‘renounce’ your pension by not claiming it.
MSA said you could also explicitly put in writing
that you are renouncing it, if you wish.
MSA said that if you have claimed the pension,
you can renounce it in writing within two-
months of notification that you will receive a
pension but generally you cannot do it after that.
Cnav said you could ask for annulment in the
two-month period by writing to the Commission
de recours amiable of your pension body and you
would have to pay back any money already
received. It said you can also write at a later date
to ‘renounce’ it and, if you do, you cannot later
change your mind, and your payments will stop.
We asked the UK’s Department for Health if it
is possible for someone who gives up the right to
a French pension, or does not claim it, to ask for
an S1 for French healthcare. We were directed to
a website that states if you receive pensions from
both the country where you live and the UK, you
cannot get an S1 as the country where you live is
responsible for your healthcare. In our reader’s
case it appears therefore he could claim an S1 but
the issue is more whether he is entitled to later
give up a French pension to remain covered by it.
We asked several times for confirmation that
the UK allows someone who gives up a French
pension right to claim an S1 or to remain covered
under one but have not had an answer as yet.
 34 Practical: Money
Avoid tax return errors by understanding the system
This column is by Rob Kay, a
senior partner at Blevins Franks
financial advice group (blevins-
franks.com). Rob has decades of
experience advising UK nationals
in France and features regularly
in the media discussing the
issues affecting expatriates here
LOOMING tax return deadlines mean income
tax is on many people’s minds in May, so it seems
timely to cover how it works and what expatriates
need to know.
There are actually three forms of tax on income
in France:
1. Income tax on scale rates up to 45%, applied
on earnings, pensions and rental income;
2. Social charges up to 17.2%, depending on type
of income;
3. A fixed 30% rate that applies to investment
income and gains.
Your starting point has to be to establish where
you are deemed resident for tax purposes, since
this is not always clear-cut. In today’s world of
global information exchange, you need to get
this right from the outset. Sorting it later can be
time-consuming, stressful and expensive.
Income tax scale rates
Income earned in 2022 will be taxed at the
following progressive rates (ie. these are the rates
used for the tax return you will complete this
May/June):
n Up to €10,777: 0%
n €10,778 to €27,748: 11%
n €27,749 to €78,570: 30%
n €78,570 to €168,994: 41%
n Over €168,994: 45%
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Additional taxes are applied on ‘high income’. A
single person will generally pay an extra 3% on
income over €250,000 and 4% for income over
€500,000.
For families, the thresholds are increased to
€500,000 and €1,000,000 respectively.
A quotient mechanism reduces the effect of the
high tax when income exceptionally exceeds the
threshold.
Various deductions and tax credits are avail-
able, so make sure you are using all the ones you
are entitled to.
The beneficial parts system
The parts system is probably the biggest difference
between UK and French income tax.
While income tax is calculated on the indi-
vidual in the UK (and indeed in many other
countries), in France it is calculated on the whole
household.
This avoids higher rates of tax where there is a
large income and more than one family member.
The family is divided into a number of parts
fiscales, based on how many individuals the
household is made up of.
The total income earned that year is divided
by the number of parts and the income tax scale
rates are applied to this lower figure.
Once the tax is calculated, it is multiplied back
up by the number of parts to provide the due tax.
Social charges
Social charges are paid in addition to income
tax – and, in fact, now raise more revenue than
income tax.
While they are different and separate to social
security contributions, they do help to fund
France’s health and social care.
The social charges on employment income add
to The Connexion
FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002
connexionfrance.com
Alpine sports car
Photo: Renault Group and Yannick Brossard
outsells Porsche in
homeland France
Property owners must make Interview
new declaration – or face fine
Tax-site form requires details of all houses, flats, garages, cellars or parking spaces
by Liv Rowland
ALL OWNERS of property in
France must make a new one-off
online or phone declaration
explaining how they use their prop-
erty by June 30.
This is to ensure tax offices have
up-to-date information on how to
tax them and thus avoid errors,
officials told The Connexion.
However, an association that
holds public bodies to account over
the use of taxpayers’ money has
called the process ‘intrusive’.
It says it is important to warn
people that they can be fined €150
per property if they fail to comply.
The obligation covers main and
second homes, and properties that
are rented out. The only exception
I drew trials of the century, from Barbie to 2015 terror
THE DRAWING on the right will
be among 330 images of the
November 2015 Paris terrorist
attacks trial to be displayed at a new
Musée-mémorial du terrorisme to
open in Hauts-de-Seine in 2027.
They were drawn by Noëlle
Herrenschmidt, 82, right, a ‘water-
colour-reporter’ who has spent 36
years depicting trials.
She gave them to honour France’s
duty of remembrance of this ‘trial
of the century’, as it is sometimes
called.
The drawing shows former presi-
dent François Hollande as he was
called to give testimony.
“Aren’t we in a fair democracy,
France?” she wrote, quoting the
president who had to deal with the
nation’s deadliest terrorist attack. Ms
Vineyards’ new
weapon against
Photo: Bonnaire Champagne
weeds: mini pigs
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The Connexion May 2023
up to 9.7%. For pension income, they are 9.1% pay tax twice on income taxable in the UK, such
(though reduced to 7.4% for those on very low as UK government service pension and rental
incomes). income.
However, if you have an S1 form, you do not However, you must still include it on your
pay social charges on your UK pension income. French tax return.
Social charges on investment income are either You then receive a credit equal to the French
17.2% or 7.5%. income tax and social charges.
The general rate is 17.2%, but if you have an Real estate gains are liable to tax in both coun-
S1 or are covered under the healthcare system tries. You will receive a credit in France for any
of another EU/EEA country, the charges applied UK tax paid.
to investment and property income are reduced Gains made on the disposal of capital invest-
to 7.5% (in other words, you only pay the 7.5% ments are generally taxed in the country where
prélèvement de solidarité charge). the seller is resident.
This continues to apply to UK nationals even Residents of France are also obliged to declare
post-Brexit. all their foreign bank accounts and non-French
life insurance policies, even if you do not earn an
Tax on investment income – income or they are dormant.
the prélèvement forfaitaire unique (PFU) This is done when you submit your annual tax
Investment income, such as interest, dividends, return, using a separate form.
capital gains and gains from life insurance poli- Non-residents of France need to submit a tax
cies/non-French assurance vie, is taxed at return listing all income earned in France (eg.
a fixed rate of 30% rather than the scale rates rental income).
of income tax. Take personalised, specialist cross-border
This is inclusive of both tax and social charges. advice to confirm your tax-residence status and
Households in low-income brackets can opt what taxes you are liable to in France.
for the progressive income tax rates (plus social Getting it right early on will give you peace
charges) so they are not taxed more under this of mind that you have declared everything you
system. should.
Your adviser can also guide you on the most
What do you need to declare tax-efficient way of holding your assets in France,
and pay tax on in France? so that you do not pay any more tax than you
French tax residents are liable to French income need to.
tax on their worldwide income and gains.
You need to declare all income you earn n Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any
outside France, whether it is pension, rental or statements concerning taxation are based upon Blevins
investment income. Franks’ understanding of current taxation
However, follow the France/UK double taxation laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax
treaty to establish where any income earned in information has been summarised; an individual is
the UK by a French resident is taxed. You do not advised to seek personalised advice.
French li
ving
MAKING YOUR LIFE
IN FRANCE
LESS TAXING
Food Wi
ne Homes
Inter vie Gardens
w: Interview
March/April 2023 who ‘pa the woman s Events
ints’ the
Issue 245 €6.25
Senator joins campaign news
How pin
FRENCH
NEWS
IN ENGLISH
SINCE
Photo: Julia Kuznetsova_shutterstock
2002
to create easier visas eau des
Charente
for second home visits s got tre
P5 P6 ndy
“
is for properties that are not assess- so, in most cases, the declaration with what taxpayers own.” Mr
able for taxe d’habitation or taxe sur we are asking for is just a simple Bertaux said the authorities are
les logements vacants – for example, validation, to be done once, unless especially keen to establish which
if used by property professionals the situation changes in the future.” properties are second homes.
British
exclusively for renting out. However, Olivier Bertaux, tax “This is partly to avoid people
Apart from this, individual own- expert for association Contribu- You have to who own more than one proper-
ers, SCI property ownership comp- ables Associés, said: “The Fisc say give every ty giving the impression that,
anies and people with usufruit (legal
right of use) are all included.
it will make it easier for people to
manage their properties but tax- little detail...
from one year to the next, both
are main residences,” he said. ambassador
shares the
Owners must declare if the prop- payers are perfectly capable of “It is to oblige people to choose.”
erty is used as a main home or not, doing that on their own.
the Fisc People should, in any case, tell
either in a dedicated part of their “And as you have to really give is asking their tax office if a house is used
personal or business space on the
tax site impots.gouv.fr or by phone.
every little detail, it seems rather
as if the Fisc is asking the taxpayer people to
as a second home, as there have
always been differences in local aims of new
Tax officials say it is needed
because the taxe d’habitation has
to do its job for it. It is intrusive.
“It will enable them to check the
do its job
Olivier
taxation between main and
second homes. UK-France
summit
been abolished for all main homes number of rooms, the level of The new declaration will not
so they want to make sure this is comfort, the garages and cellars, Bertaux, mean there will be additional tax
only levied on second homes. etc. It comes in a context where compared to what would have
Contribuables
A tax office spokeswoman said: the Fisc is getting more intrusive, been paid otherwise and, contrary P6
“We have a lot of this information wanting to know everything to do Associés è Turn to Page 2
Our chat with...
The Bin-fluencer
Herrenschmidt’s first ‘trial of the
century’ was in 1987 when she
covered the case of Klaus Barbie,
who headed the Gestapo in Lyon.
Trials of other World War Two
war criminals, such as Paul Touvier
or Maurice Papon, followed.
She gave all of these drawings to
the Mémorial de la Shoah in Paris.
“Every trial had an enormous
emotional impact,” she told
The Connexion.
She has also covered environ- Tik Tok’s star
ments such as hospitals and prisons,
as well as some of France’s highest refuse worker
Image: Noëlle Herrenschmidt
places of power and the Vatican. French Living
The Paris attacks trial was her last
Photo: Coralie Jugan
and she has now retired but she still
jEan-pa
L 14574 - 245 H - F: 6,25 € - RD
has plans relating to the US. Learn
more about these, and her unique
ul bElm
career, on pages 8-9 French Living.
How La dictée We made place How th
spelling test has to stay from an becam e ugly/hands ondo
taken over France old cognac barrel e a natio om
nal icon e actor
Stock Photo
P5 Back page P39
_Alamy
RGR Collection
Photo:
every month (Split subscriptions between countries available)
plus the previous 11 editions
 The Connexion May 2023 connexionfrance.com Work / Ideas 35

Artificial Intelligence can write your letters

by Brian McCulloch but many opportunities too.” make best use of the free code.
COLD RECEPTION: Not all French Prices per letter start at 89 Valued at €2billion and with
A LETTER-WRITING and organisations share Merci Facteur’s cents for the first page, going 160 employees, the company’s
postal service called Merci enthusiasm for the potential of down to 20 cents per page founders are French and it got
Facteur is using the latest ChatGPT... Earlier this year, Sciences from the third page (up to 20 a major boost when it was
version of ChatGPT artificial Po became one of the first higher pages). It costs 10 cents for an allowed access to the French
intelligence (AI) to produce education institutions to ban use of envelope, and 97 cents for a National Centre for Scientific
correspondence in French the AI text generator to complete stamp to a destination in Research’s supercomputer for 17
from requests in English. assignments in order to clamp down France. Options to track the days to train language modules.
ChatGPT-4, which was on plagiarism. In March, staff of letter also exist. However, the company is
released in March, can answer Montpellier’s municipal and metropolitan Merci Facteur’s other services based and financed in the US,
questions and assist with tasks services were also forbidden to use it include sending birthday, anni- because when the founders
such as composing emails, versary and other greetings tried to get funding in France,
essays and code by sifting cards. Mr Bourdet said this no one was interested.
through information, gradually strand of the business particu- GPT-4’s release provoked
becoming more ‘intelligent’ as larly appeals to Americans hours of debate about artificial
it sorts out which content is living in France and looking intelligence on French radio
most useful. to send cards to friends and and TV after an open letter
It is possible, for example, to family in the US. from 1,000 IT experts, includ-

Photo: Tapati Rinchumrus_Shutterstock

ask it to write a letter in French
to an insurance company to
cancel a contract. The result is
brief and accurate, although it
does not include the customary
polite sign-offs found in most
French correspondence.
Merci Facteur, which adopted
AI from the start, uses humans
to manage the output. It pro-
duces a much more detailed
letter, with French formatting
and polite starts and finishes
that can be tweaked for most
of the insurance companies
selling contracts in France.
Speaking at the end of March,
its founder Robin Bourdet said
the results of ChatGPT-4, after
six weeks of switching to it,
were astounding.
“We started in 2004, when I
realised that many people no
longer had paper, envelopes
and stamps in the house and
hated post office queues, so
have seen some technological
changes,” he said.
“I can see that ChatGPT will
move into all sorts of areas:
ours is just one. However, it is
just a tool and companies will
always need humans to check
its output.”
He said people who make
a living helping non-native
speakers deal with French
bureaucracy, for example, will
probably not be threatened by
the technology, but could stand
to benefit from it. “Applied to
Merci Facteur is not the only
company offering letter models
in France, but is among the
most comprehensive.
La Poste has attempted some-
thing similar but the service
has not taken off, due in part
to its clunky website.
our service, it creates content The release of GPT-4 threw
much more quickly, and with light on another AI company
updates, than someone would called Hugging Face, which
be able to do even using their helps firms develop their own
own templates stored on their AI solutions.
own computer,” he said. Unlike ChatGPT, where the
“But it still requires someone code driving the AI is secret,
with good French and admin- Hugging Face is open source.
istrative skills to read and check It makes its money by offer-
the letter before it is sent. There ing premium services to com-
will be some jobs threatened, panies that are not able to
ing Tesla’s Elon Musk, called
for a six month ‘pause’ in
development. They demanded
better safeguards for such soft-
ware, which they said presents
huge risks to society.
Many commentators said it
was likely that Musk, one of the
pioneers of ChatGPT before
selling his shares to focus on
electric cars, was motivated
because he wanted to catch up
with the technology himself.
Other have speculated that
some of the letter’s right-lean-
ing signatories are worried
ChatGPT’s content is too
‘woke’, and they want time to
balance its responses.

Homeowners can save on

white goods by buying Does your
reconditioned appliances
A COMPANY set up by three French women
aims to give a second life to discarded washing
tax planning
travel well?
machines and other household appliances.
Underdog has raised €3.8million to expand its
first reconditioning workshop in Nantes and its
internet-based sales platform.
Claire Bretton, the company’s CEO and
co-founder, with Laura Chavigny and Léa de
Fierkowsky, said: “In setting up the company, we
started from a simple fact: that 25 million house-
hold appliances are thrown away each year.
“Only 3% are reconditioned, which compares
with 12% of similarly priced smartphones.” The tax and estate planning vehicles you used Talk to the people who know
Another French company, Back Market, is in the UK are unlikely to be effective in France.
one of the global leaders in reconditioned You may need to set up new arrangements to 0 805 112 163 (N0 Vert)
Photo: Underdog

smartphones. Unlike them, however, Underdog
intends to keep all the reconditioning in-house.
“We see the solution being to recondition
locally. With Underdog, we want to prove that
it is something that can be done on a large scale,”
said Ms Bretton.
She was the founder of an internet sales platform
before deciding to move into the reconditioning
business.
She says the company’s reconditioned washing
machines and tumble dryers – other appliances
will be added later – will sell for up to half the
price of new models and all come with a two-year
guarantee. The company also assures delivery
and installation.
Its website is up and running, and had a choice
of 17 brands at the time of writing.
The firm was founded by three French women
another 12 this year. It also hopes to open more
workshops soon, and has ambitions to expand
into Belgium, Germany and Spain.
Underdog is keeping quiet about where it
sources its appliances, but French washing
machine installers have to offer a ‘take away’
service of old machines to reduce the chances
of them being dumped in the countryside.
Many of the machines go for scrap, but some
might be in the reconditioning market.
“Washing machines and dryers are heavy,
difficult to move around and expensive to
make France a tax-efficient place to live and to france@blevinsfranks.com
be able to distribute your assets as you wish.
Likewise, French tax planning is not suitable if
www.blevinsfranks.com
you return to the UK.
With offices and advisers in both France and the
UK, Blevins Franks specialises in cross-border
wealth management and provides solutions for
both countries. Contact your local advisers for
personalised advice.
INTERNATIONAL TAX ADVICE • INVESTMENTS • ESTATE PLANNING • PENSIONS
Blevins Franks Group is represented in France by the following companies: Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) and Blevins Franks France

Mid-range machines from Italian manufacturer
Candy showed discounts of between 27% and
15% on what the company said were new prices,
equivalent to €151 for the largest discount.
transport,” said Ms Bretton.
“But we have signed up with a number of
partners to get around these problems.”
After washing machines and tumble dryers, the
191-fr
SASU (BFF). BFWML is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority, registered number C 92917. Authorised to conduct investment
services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice
is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system
differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks France
SASU (BFF), is registered with ORIAS, registered number 07 027 475, and authorised as ‘Conseil en Investissements Financiers’ and ‘Courtiers d’Assurance’
Category B (register can be consulted on www.orias.fr). Member of ANACOFI-CIF. BFF’s registered office: 1 rue Pablo Neruda, 33140 Villenave d’Ornon – RCS
BX 498 800 465 APE 6622Z. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire et

Financier and L512-6 and 512-7 du Code des Assurances (assureur MMA). Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial
Underdog currently has 10 employees, five of company intends to expand into reconditioning Services Authority for the administration of retirement schemes. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML.

whom are repairers, and it intends to recruit fridges and freezers, and then ovens.
 36 Work
Change parent mindsets
to boost apprenticeship
numbers even further
THE NUMBER of apprentices
during President Emmanuel
Macron’s first term doubled
from 350,000 to 700,000, but
the government is still trying to
steer more young people into
the system.
Apprenticeships are seen as
key to France’s reindustrialis-
ation, after years when jobs in
factories went mainly to China
and other eastern countries.
Efforts to further boost the
numbers will need to include a
concerted effort to change the
mindsets of parents.
For years, academic success
was seen as the way to a good
job in France.
Things are starting to change,
however, not least because
low-level white-collar workers
earn less than manual workers,
and considerably less than well
qualified crafts workers.
Rules around apprenticeships
in France have evolved over
the years from the basic model
established in medieval times
of a seven-year apprentice/
master contract.
Now most apprentice con-
tracts are for two or three years.
The minimum age to start is
16, unless the youngster is 15
with a birthday between the
date of the September rentrée
scolaire and the end of the year.
The maximum age is 29,
counted from the 30th birthday
minus one day.
It can be extended to 34 if
the apprentice is signing a
new contract with the aim of
getting a higher diploma than
the one he or she already has,
an earlier apprentice contract
was ended for reasons outside
the apprentice’s control, or the
last contract was broken due
to illness or injury, from which
the apprentice has recovered.
In these cases, the new con-
tract should be signed within a
year of the last one ending.
There are no age limits for
contracts if the apprentice has
a disability.
People looking to start their
own business are also excluded
from age limits.
There are various support
schemes for this, such as Acre
(Aide à la création ou à la
reprise d’une entreprise), Nacre
(Nouvel accompagnement pour
la création ou la reprise d’entre-
prise) or Cape (Contrat d’appui
au projet d’entreprise), which
can include apprentice training.
High-level sports men and
women are also excluded from
the apprentice age limit, as are
apprentices who failed to get
the diploma or qualification
specified in their contract
and who want to sign on for
another year with a different
employer.
Apprentices sign either a con-
trat à durée limitée (CDL) for a
minimum of six months and a
maximum of three years, or an
open-ended contrat à durée in-
déterminée (CDI), which opens
connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023
Jean-Charles Rodriguez, left,
sketches out a design carefully
on paper before forging it. He
aims for a 50:50 split between
traditional metalwork and
commissions such as the
curved numbers, right.
CRAFTS
the door for housing loans.
If the apprentice is a minor,
the contract is signed by their
parents or legal guardians.
in focus
Photo: La Ferronnerie d’art
Photo: Théophile Larcher
If the apprenticeship is with a
family member – for example,
when a youngster is apprent- Artisan blacksmith –
iced to their father or mother ferronnier d’art
– the contract is replaced by a
Blacksmith job will test your
simple written declaration.
Annexed to the contract or
declaration is an agreement
from a training centre.
mettle but can fuel creativity
Within five days of signing,
this must be sent to one of
the government’s registration
centres, called Opérateurs de
compétences (OPCO), which
covers the region. This can be
done online. The OPCO has 20
days to approve the contract
– outside of this time, the
contract is not valid.
Once approved, an apprentice
will learn theory at a Centre
de formation d’apprentis (CFA)
while getting practical on-the-
job training with an employer.
An apprentice must start at
a CFA within three months of
their contract being approved.
The time spent on CFA
courses varies from six months
Photo: Ferronnerie d’art Jean-Charles Rodriguez
to three years, and how this is
spread will differ from apprent-
ice to apprentice.
Some have two days a week
at the CFA and three with
their employer, while others
work one month at the CFA
followed by one month with
Photo: Théophile Larcher
their employer.
The qualification level is fixed Left: Aged 17, Mélisse Beylard is
in the contract but can be La Ferronnerie d’art’s newest recruit
changed after the first year. and, above, a forged iron rose
It is quite common for bac
professionnel students to switch by Théophile Larcher luxury hotels, but the firm also in the craft, to her description found blasting bands such as
to a certificat d’aptitude profes- supplies professionals from the of the solid experience (forgé Pantera and Metallica from a
sionnelle (CAP), with their time LA FERRONNERIE d’art is construction industry. l’expérience) they have gained mini-speaker in the workshop.
on a bac pro being counted as a a family-run business success Mr Rodriguez developed over the years. Listen to her story of how she
first year for the two-year CAP. story in Beaulieu-sur-Mer a taste for manual work at a For his part, Mr Rodriguez entered the trade and it is easy
Hours worked are the same (Alpes-Maritimes) run by Jean- young age before going on to says it was always his intention to draw parallels with Mr
as for any other employee – 35. Charles Rodriguez, 40, and his study metalwork. to approach the craft as creat- Rodriguez’s own career route.
This includes time in the CFA. wife Mélanie, 39. It was here that he had his ively as possible. “School was not for me but I
Salary depends on the age of The couple bought the prem- light bulb moment. “There was His output is roughly a 50:50 have always had a passion for
the apprentice. Between 16 and ises in 2012 in an area favoured a teacher working the iron over split between standard com- craftsmanship,” she says.
17 years, it is 27% of the Smic by other blacksmiths and a canopy,” he recalls, adding missions and those requiring Watching her at work, it is
minimum wage (or €444) in cabinetmakers, giving it “the that he could not help but more artistic flair. obvious that ironwork is a good
the first year, 39% or €641 in atmosphere of a little village”, marvel at the fluidity of their Meanwhile, Ms Rodriguez fit. Even her hair, dyed a bright
the second year, and 55% or says Ms Rodriguez. movements and technique. insists her experience in the copper shade, seems to match
€905 in the third year. The firm is renowned for its “That’s when I had my head hotel industry and a natural the sparks flying from her work
Similar wage limits apply level of detail and high quality turned,” he says. interest in storytelling has station.
for 18-20-year-olds, starting finish, with clients travelling A native of Savoie, he learned helped her grow the business Ms Beylard graduated with a
at 43% of Smic for first-year from around southern France his craft in Chambéry. on social media, both in French certificat d’aptitude profession-
students. to get their hands on bespoke He says he was one of a num- and English. nelle (CAP) in ironwork from
For 21-25-year-olds, expect railings, canopies, arbours, ber of academically poor pupils A blacksmith’s career is not a school in Nice – a course that
to start at 53% of Smic in the pergolas, staircases, railings, who ended up doing a brevet for everyone. Mr Rodriguez did not exist when Mr Rodri-
first year. gates, doors, and lighting. d’études professionnelles (BEP) points to the noise from guez was starting in the indus-
Meanwhile, 100% of Smic Mr Rodriguez is the black- because the French education machinery, the dust and heavy try. She is now learning on the
applies to apprentices aged smith while his wife deals with system had nowhere else to lifting to explain some of the job under his supervision.
26 years and over. the administrative and sales put him. reasons why the profession On the day we visit, she is
Apprentices do not have to side of the business. After qualifying, he worked does not attract more people. carefully fashioning a metal bar
pay social security contrib- Client requests are sketched in Savoie and near Geneva He is currently looking for into a number eight shape, her
utions, CSG or CRDS taxes, on paper by Mr Rodriguez in for around 10 years before a fourth member to join his feet on the pedals of a brand
or be included for income tax his tiny office, which overlooks becoming a workshop manager team, warning those interest- new induction forge that heats
calculations. the workshop floor, before for a firm in Monaco and then ed that “this is a man’s work”, metal to 1,200C in a matter
They get five weeks of holiday, being made real in the forge. setting up his own business. requiring strength and grit. of seconds.
maternity or paternity leave, La Ferronnerie d’art’s reach is Both he and his wife are Not that gender is a barrier “This is a job where you have
and special holidays if they get wide, from decorating public passionate about their work. to success in the industry. His to strive for greatness and keep
married or sign a Pacs, or if a buildings in nearby Saint-Jean- Indeed, Ms Rodriguez’s newest employee is 17-year-old seizing new creative opportun-
member of their family dies. Cap-Ferrat and Villefranche- conversation is unconsciously Mélisse Beylard, who has been ities,” Mr Rodriguez says.
Working outside France is sur-Mer to private commissions peppered with iron imagery, working at the firm for five If his firm’s success to date is
allowed for up to a year, as ornamenting houses as far from her claim that their months. anything to go by, he clearly has
long as at least six months of afield as Dubai. Regular clients business helped “spearhead” Her musical tastes tend to no problem himself in striking
the contract is spent in France. include architects, jewellers and (fer de lance) renewed interest metal too, and she is invariably while the iron’s hot.
 The Connexion May 2023
‘Ugly France’ pits Twitter
critics against architects
Architecture
of France...
La France By
THEOPHILE
LARCHER
Moche
A TWITTER account with nearly 80,000
followers is questioning the aesthetics
of modern architecture in France by
highlighting some of the ugliest examples
from around the country.
La France Moche (ugly France) posts
photos of bizarre, dilapidated or ill-
conceived buildings.
“We’ve got a lot of them,” the account
description reads, encouraging followers
to send in their own “local horrors” for all
to enjoy.
However, it has come under fire for
promoting a skewed image of modern
buildings and being too quick to write
off architectural styles without fully
understanding them.
The account borrows its name from a
landmark article published in 2010 in
Télérama, the weekly French cultural and
television magazine.
The feature took a deep dive into the
historic, political and economic factors
that have turned parts of France into
what it called “suburban metastasis”.
It charted the slow erosion of France’s
natural landscape to develop cookie-cutter
towns, sprawling commercial and business
centres in suburban areas, motorways,
concrete buildings and giant billboards.
“Urbanism tells us who we are,” it said.
“The Middle Ages had their fortified towns
and cathedrals, the 19th century its boule-
vards. We have our commercial hangars
and housing schemes.”
It also denounced the tunnels of advert-
ising in commercial centres, insisting “our
windscreens act like TV screens”.
Today there is even a Prix de la France
Moche, set up by an association fighting
the spread of these advertising hoardings.
Paysages de France tried to award prizes
to towns that made significant efforts to
get rid of illegal advertising “but found
it difficult to find any”, the association’s
Jean-Marie Delalande told The Connexion
in 2021.
From the late 1980s to the early 2000s,
some towns had kilometres of advertising
panels along main roads into the built-up
areas, even though a law setting out strict
controls had been on the books since 1979.
The association was founded in 1993, and
initially concerned itself with a range of
issues pertaining to the protection of the
French visual environment before shifting
its focus to advertising panels.
Paysages de France was active in the
Grenelle de l’Environnement debate in
2007, and succeeded in getting the laws
tightened further.
Although there has been some improve-
ment since then, it says the rules are still
flouted and enforcement is left to mayors
and prefects.
“Advertising has become very aggressive
and intrusive in our daily lives,” says
Olivier Saladin, Paysages de France’s
spokesman. “It’s public space harassment.”
Villard-de-Lans (Isère), Avenue des
Loisirs in Moussac (Gard), the commercial
centre of Aubières (Puy-de-Dôme) and the
Clockwise from top left: Buildings in Bourges, Juvisy-sur-Orge, Paris and Cambrai
have all recently featured in posts on La France Moche’s Twitter account
Chaussée Royale in Saint-Paul (Réunion)
are the latest recipients of the France
Moche award in 2022.
Of course, the issue of aesthetic appeal
(or lack of it) in architecture is not new.
In the early 20th century, for example,
French writer Jean Giraudoux branded
the urban planning situation in Paris
suburbs “a horrendous misery zone”.
He was similarly scathing about housing
schemes that took off in the late 1930s,
coinciding with the explosion of cars.
In the 1950s, urban architecture was
dominated by the grand ensemble – the
large-scale high-rise housing estate.
Architect Charles-Édouard Jeanner-
et-Gris – known as Le Corbusier –
embodies that period in France, notably
with La Cité Radieuse in Marseille.
This concrete unité d’habitation (housing
block) was built to accommodate 1,600
residents, with a school, a swimming pool,
shops and even an arts centre, and is on
Unesco’s World Heritage list.
Not all examples from that period are so
celebrated. A lot of the buildings and tower
blocks erected during the grand ensemble
era suffered from state budget cuts, leaving
the door open to standardisation and ques-
tionable aesthetics.
That, at least, is the theory set out by Mr
de Jarcy in his 2019 book Les abandonnées,
which insists the errors of urban planning
and social segregation that we see today
have their root in this period.
La France défigurée, a popular 1970s TV
show, also took an interest in interrogating
the ‘visual pollution’ caused by advertising
and buildings, with its presenters regularly
visiting construction sites or developments
that were the subject of controversy.
The issue upsetting architects with the
France Moche Twitter account, however,
is the lack of context and curation.
Caroline Mazel, lecturer at Ensap
Bordeaux architecture school, says:
“Critical thinking requires a bit of
culture and education.”
She says the posts are a hodgepodge of
content that groups disparate structures –
from roundabouts to commercial centres,
some new, others in various states of dere-
liction – under the same umbrella. “Every-
connexionfrance.com Property 37
Property Watch
Department 43:
in
Haute-Loire
DEPARTMENTAL CAPITAL: Le Puy-en-Velay
MAIN CITIES/TOWNS: Monistrol-sur-Loire,
Yssingeaux, Brioude
WHEN French people talk about the most remote parts of their
country, it is never long before Haute-Loire is mentioned.
It is a thinly populated department in the Massif Central,
with most parts at an altitude of 800m and above, and sees
snow most winters. Two river valleys, the Loire (which has
its source in the department) and the Allier, fork across, the
Allier running north-west and the Loire north-east, with a high
plateau between them.
There is one main road, the N88, running roughly along the
Loire from Saint-Etienne to Le Puy-en-Velay, and a network of
smaller roads linking the villages and hamlets which are evenly
spread over the department. TER trains under the Auvergne-
Rhône-Alpes network connect Le Puy-en-Velay with both Saint-
Etienne and Clermont-Ferrand, the nearest big cities.
Before 1950, the department suffered from an exodus of
people from the countryside to large towns, but recently the
population has been going up by 1% or 2% a year.
Farming remains the main activity, although tourism,
especially gîtes and hiking, is also important.
Photos: @lafrancemoche / Twitter
House prices are relatively low – it is possible to buy a
large, three-bedroom house in reasonable condition and with
a small garden for €39,000 out in the countryside.
People who are prepared to renovate, meanwhile, can find
properties under the €20,000 mark, although €35,000 gives
you more choice.
On the day of our search, there was an old, stone village
house, with three floors and 50m² of living space under
offer at €5,900. It had a new front door but otherwise
thing is debated, but nothing is compar- needed entire renovation.
able,” she says, adding that placing
everything in the same architectural and
historical context creates confusion.
Properties around France
Mr de Jarcy agrees that qualifying the
posts would be helpful, admitting he does Under €215,000
not think all the photos featured on the
account deserve to be there.
Dr Mazel points out that some of the
buildings that have been featured are by
architects whose works have been desig-
nated as monuments historiques.
“The Eiffel Tower was described by one
critic after its construction as ‘a hole-riddled
suppository’ and it is now France’s national
symbol,” she says, explaining why some
buildings need to be appreciated for their
social, political or historic significance. This good-sized, three-bed village A large, three-bed village house
Grand ensemble policy, she continues, property would make an ideal to renovate, located in the Var
was meant to provide affordable housing family or holiday home in Finistère. close to the famous Côte d’Azur.
in high-density areas to working-class The house comes with a garden and This family home can be modernised,
families, and that should be taken into is within walking distance of local or split into three separate flats for
amenities. With the stunning Atlantic rental income. Tucked away in a
account when measuring its worth. coast within easy reach too, this winding street near the centre of a
As an expert on 20th century buildings property has much to offer. Provençal village in Solliès-Pont.
and author of a book on French people’s €122,080 Ref: A18108EDA29 €212,000 Ref: A17143
attitude to architecture, Dr Mazel is keen
for better education to help people under-
stand, appreciate and inhabit buildings.
For Mr de Jarcy, however, that argument
More than €280,000
is “an admission of weakness”. He insists
architecture should be conceptualised for
future residents rather than for satisfying
an architect’s ego.
As Francis Rambel, from the Cité de
l’architecture et du patrimoine de Paris,
told the 20 Minutes podcast: “Architecture
is everything except performance. It talks
about space, use, and urbanity. Is the
habitat liveable? Is the use pleasant?
Does it create a link and vivre-ensemble?” A large 230m² house in the Within walking distance of Eymet
For now, ugly architecture is something centre of Brioude, Haute-Loire, centre, a beautifully decorated two-
we will have to carry on living with, says an area which is a hidden gem. bed Dordogne house with garden.
Mr de Jarcy. This is a fantastic opportunity to buy Potential for rental income with a
He cites the ongoing redevelopment of a town centre property with outside studio which can be accessed via
Porte de la Chapelle in Paris as a prime terraced area and large salon. There its own front door. There is a garage
example of architects continuing to get it are three bedrooms and another with room to create more living
three ready to be converted. space on the ground floor.
wrong, comparing the buildings there to
shoeboxes in their “grey-toned, rectangular €283,550 Ref: A13415 €323,300 Ref: A18994GJP24
uniformity”. Properties available through Leggett Immobilier
“When you see them, you can’t help but frenchestateagents.com Tel: 05 53 56 62 54
wonder whether the architects want resi-
dents to commit suicide by jumping from Next month: We look at Loire-Atlantique
the windows.”
38 PRACTICAL: Property

LegalNotes
connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

Old bricks have

Your questions
answered a character and
Antonia Ridley-Hughes
of Ashtons Legal, charm that is
entirely unique
answers a
reader query.

How must I declare family trust in England? Examples of stamped bricks found on the author’s property

Q: I am a beneficiary of a family
trust based in England. I heard
that I need to declare this but am
not sure what I need to do?
A: It is not possible to start
a trust under French law but
France does recognise the
concept. However, it adopts a
wide interpretation of trusts,
which may include charitable
trusts, discretionary trusts,
bare trusts, family settle-
ments and pension trusts.
Trusts are treated with
suspicion in France and are
subject to a strict regime.
Since 2011, the trustees of
most types have been bound
to declare the trust in France
where:
• the person putting assets
into trust (the settlor) is
resident in France; or
• any trustees or ben-
eficiaries are resident in
France; or
• any assets held within
the trust are situated in
France.
Trustees have two main
obligations in France. The
first requires them to report
the creation, modification or
termination of a trust, gen-
erally within a month of the
trigger event. The second is a
declaration of the net value
of the assets held in trust as
of January 1 each year.
There are two separate
forms, which should be
submitted to the French
tax office. They must give
details of the terms of the
trust, together with details
of the settlor, beneficiaries
and trustees. Generally, the
deadline for submitting the
paperwork is June 15. Fail-
ure to comply with reporting
obligations can result in
fines, to which the settlor,
beneficiaries and trustees
are held jointly liable.
Note that there is still an
obligation to declare a trust
that has a French resident
beneficiary, even where the
funds are sent to a UK bank
account. It is also important
to bear in mind that French
inheritance tax may be
payable on any distributions
made from the trust to a
beneficiary who is resident
in France. If the settlor is
resident in France, the
trust might also need to be
assessed for wealth tax.
DIY
than aesthetic properties and
duly covered up with plaster,
but they can look great when
exposed and cleaned.
These ancient bricks have a
Nick Inman good, long story to tell.
charts the ups Rectangular cuboids of com-
and downs of pressed mud were first baked
around 4,000 years ago to
renovating make a hard, resilient material
an old sometimes referred to as
French ‘artificial stone’. The Romans
farmhouse introduced bricks to France
and made good use of them.
The technology fell into
YOU might think that the decline as the Empire broke
average brick does not have up and was only revived in
much to say for itself, but you the Middle Ages.
would be wrong. There is no It was only in a few places,
such thing as an average brick. such as Flanders and around
I an not referring to raw- Toulouse, that bricks became
earth bricks dried in the sun the building unit of choice.
(discussed in a previous arti- These areas generally had a
cle) but to bricks baked in a short supply of stone but good
kiln to make them structurally deposits of the right kind of
stronger. Nor am I thinking of clay. Albi cathedral, near
modern mass-produced bricks, Toulouse, is an outstanding
which are much of a standard- example. Elsewhere in France,
ised muchness. most structures built entirely
Here I am concerned with from brick are post-1850.
old bricks that come in an This fact can help you date
assortment of sizes and colours, parts of your house. When I
giving them great character. In was repairing two pillars that
the old days, they were often frame our great farm door, I
used for their structural rather pulled away the mortar that
had been penetrated by damp
and found that the bricks were
stamped with the legend
‘Usine à vapeur Lartique
Nogaro (Gers)’.
This was enough information
to determine their origin and
approximate date of manufac-
ture, given that the factory is
no longer there.
The fact that they had trav-
elled 40km tells me they were
brought by motorised trans-
port, whereas other bricks
I have found on my property –
some stamped with a heart –
come from 5km away and
might have arrived on a horse-
drawn cart.
Before industrialisation,
bricks were mostly combined
with other materials.
They were commonly used to
fill in half-timbered frames and
in our region you see them as
neat horizontal lines across
walls made of round river
stones – every six or seven
courses, a line of bricks was
inserted to recapture the level
and solidity.
From the Middle Ages to
early modern times, bricks
were made in small-scale
briqueteries or tuileries close
to where they were needed
but also where there was a
good supply of wood.
Bricks were shaped using
wooden moulds and baked in
small wood-fired kilns. The
entire process was artisanal,
meaning that no two old-fash-
ioned bricks are precisely iden-
tical in dimension or colour.
Very broadly, there are two
species of old brick – although
there are many exceptions to
this rule. The brique du nord
(northern brick) is by far the
most common and is similar in
its dimensions to the modern
brick – the length being double
the width, and the depth being
more or less half-width.
More attractive, to my taste,
is the brique foraine or brique
toulousaine (southern brick)
which is longer and flatter/
thinner. It is typically 5cm
thick but can be as little as
2.5cm, or even less. You can
buy new ones from builder’s
merchants – useful if you have
to fill a hole in a row of exist-
ing bricks but the uniform col-
our will always give them away.
n Next month: building a
tortoise enclosure

Tel: +44 (0)113 393 1930  www.heslop-platt.co.uk

contact@heslop-platt.co.uk Home pool still adds value despite droughts
SWIMMING pools continue summer drought followed by a
to be a sound investment, dry winter saw Var department
despite their installation being announce a ban on the build-
banned in some parts of France ing of new pools in March.
Is DPE rating based on actual energy bills? due to water shortages.
A 2021 survey found pools
They have been banned, too,
in the town of Gérardmer in
Q: Our French home is an old out an online form, which
can add up to 20% to the value Vosges where the municipal
Photo: Cassanas Photography_Shutterstock

stone building so scores low on has algorithms giving good

DPE ratings, but our heating bill
is small as it retains heat. Are
bills not taken into account?
A: No, the new diagnostic de
performance énergétique
(DPE) looks at theoretical
and not actual energy usage.
It is a system based on
building standards first
imposed in the 1970s, and
so does not adapt well to
old stone properties where
the thickness of walls and
orientation of the house
play a key role in keeping
the inside warm in winter
and cool in summer.
Heritage groups have
alerted the government to
problems with the system,
but little has changed.
The DPE technician fills
Tel: 05 61 57 90 86  www.brightavocats.com
contact@brightavocats.com
If you have a legal query send it to news@connexionfrance.com
We select questions for answer every edition
scores for things like wall
insulation, but which does
not take into account wall
width or orientation. Re-
ceipts for insulation, double
glazing and plumbing work
are included – but not DIY
projects unless till receipts
can be matched to specific
jobs, such as attic insulation.
DPEs are important for
landlords as the govern-
ment has banned properties
with the lowest scores from
rental. For sales, they have
no legal force. If a poten-
tial buyer uses the DPE to
demand a lower price, you
can always produce actual
energy bills to explain why
your house is a good buy
nevertheless, no matter
what the DPE says.
of a property, and the pool borehole ran dry last year
builders’ federation, the FPP, and water had to be brought
believes this still holds true. in by tanker.
“Everything we hear points to In Pyrénées-Orientales, the
built-in swimming pools add- mayor of Elne is also banning
ing value,” a spokeswoman told any new pools for at least two
The Connexion. “Hot summers months from the start of May.
like last year are the best advert- All these areas were put on
ising we can have.” ‘yellow’ drought warnings in
Using data from across FRANCE has more than three million in-ground and above-ground pools, March, meaning restrictions
France, the survey by price esti- roughly equating to one for every 21 people. These figures make it the were placed on certain activ-
mation firm Meilleurs Agents second largest market in the world behind the US. ities, such as watering gardens.
discovered in-ground pools, as In 2020 and 2021 alone, new in-ground installations numbered 70,000 The added value of swim-
opposed to those that sit on the and 86,000 respectively, according to data from the Fédération des profes- ming pools is balanced by the
surface, add at least 5% to a sionnels de la piscine (FPP). The boom was attributed to favourable weather cost of installing pools – any-
property when sale prices are and the ‘booster’ effect of Covid-19 keeping people at home. thing from €15,000 to €50,000,
compared to houses without. However, as things return to ‘normal’, the demand for private pools shows according to the 2021 survey.
The added value of swim- no sign of abating. According to the latest FPP/Décryptis survey, 230,000 You should also factor in the
ming pools is not the same in in-ground pools will be built at home before the end of 2024. cost of running the pool, which
all areas. They add more when Pools have got significantly cheaper over the years, which is helping to FPP says is usually €40 to €60
properties are situated in com- drive this trend. The average price is currently €24,000, but above-ground a month, and higher taxe fon-
munes with beaches, especially pools can be bought for less than €10,000. cière bills.
in the south of the country. Global warming is also playing a part. As France warms up, pools are no The latter rises by an average
Pools in inland, northern longer the preserve of the traditionally warmer departments to the south but of 5% to 10% for houses with
areas do not make such a are spreading further north. However, climate experts warn that pools are swimming pools.
difference to value. exacerbating the problem. Heating can leave a significant carbon footprint, There is also the one-off taxe
A leading swimming pool while filling them puts pressure on increasingly stretched water resources. d’aménagement on built-in
firm, Desjoyaux, points out pools, which varies from
that most pools, unless special- the pools it installs are eight Pools have recently entered commune to commune but
ly designed for swimming metres by four metres, with a into the debate over use of is usually in the €600-€1,000
lengths, are small. On average, single depth of 1.3 metres. water in France. Last year’s range.
 The Connexion May 2023
We built a €120,000 eco-house for our retirement
by Brian McCulloch
A BRITISH couple are putting the
finishing touches to a self-built home
in Brittany, which has been specially
designed to lower living costs now
they are retired.
The ambitious project is the brain-
child of Jeff and Diana Huntley, who
moved to France 20 years ago.
“We are at an age where we are
young enough to do it. I am 69 and
Diana is 67, and I think we have
enough experience in project manage-
ment to see it all through,” said Jeff.
This is the second time the couple
have self-built, having completed
another, bigger house in Brittany in
2017. “The idea was to sell the large
house and to be very disciplined
with the cash to build the best, most
eco-friendly house we can afford,
while still having enough capital to
add to our modest pensions,” said Jeff.
The project did not get off to an easy
start when their main builder was
delayed six weeks before putting up
the wooden framework.
This was compensated by their roof-
er arriving quicker than forecast due
to so many new-builds being cancelled
because of raw material price rises.
“We were lucky because we bought
most of the material and stored it in
containers before the huge price rises,
but where we have been a bit short, it
has been a shock” said Jeff.
“Lengths of battening, which were
€3.20 when we bought them, are now
over €9. It’s a crazy situation. The pine
forest they come from, 40 km away,
is the same but sawmills say their
expenses have rocketed.”
The couple finally moved into the
house in early April and have a target
to complete the work by May, when
family are due to visit.
However, Jeff admitted that the
project has been harder than antic-
ipated – certainly compared with
their previous build.
“I definitely have more aches and
pains after a day’s work,” he explained,
“and I don’t remember having such
Dream of detached with garden fades
THE dream of building a new house
with a garden appears to be fading for
people in France.
Property commentators are basing
this on figures from the Fédération
Française du Bâtiment (FFB), which
show only 96,000 detached homes
were built in 2022.
This compares with an average of
125,000 new homes a year in the
period 2007-21.
Economic constraints, including a
doubling of the price of most raw
materials for building last year, rising
interest rates, and government restric-
tions on lending/income ratios used
for home loans, were all identified as
factors by the FFB in its annual report.
However, the media also claimed
political opposition to stand-alone
houses was making planning
permission harder to come by.
In 2021, then-housing minister
Emmanuelle Wargon said that
detached houses were “ecological,
economic and social nonsense”.
The resulting outcry contributed to
her losing her ministerial job, not least
because she owns a 150m² house with
garden in one of the towns north
connexionfrance.com
“
they were still fit and healthy. “The
guardians before us were in their 70s
and really did not want to leave, even
though the job was getting too much
for them,” said Jeff. “From our point
of view, they had left it too late and
had nowhere to go.”
Having the best The house they subsequently built
technology built in boasted 198m² of living space and five
bedrooms – plenty of room to put their
means our living costs plan of running a B&B into action.
will be lower, which is The wooden framework, comprising
the roof and walls, was delivered to
important now that we the site, but the couple did the rest
of the work themselves.
are no longer earning “It was very comfortable and met all
the standards of the time, but things
trouble lifting heavy plasterboard!” have moved on with environmental
The couple hail from Dorset, where standards and we wanted our new
they ran a plumbing equipment home to be even better.
company until “being stuck in too “Apart from anything else, having
many traffic jams on the M25” the best technology built in means
prompted their move to France. our living costs will be lower, which is
They initially lived in their Breton important now that we are no longer
holiday home and quickly found work earning.”
as project managers for an architect After lots of searching, the couple
who had a number of English-speak- decided to stay in Locmalo in Morbi-
ing customers. han, where they were already living.
This was followed by a “dream They bought a €20,000 plot of land
job” as salaried caretakers of a large measuring 900m² on a new housing
chateau in Gers, owned by a million- estate being developed in the village.
aire who seldom visited. One big advantage of doing so was
After 10 years, however, they that all utilities were already installed.
decided it was time to move on while They used an expedited planning
The 2050 timeline includes a
requirement that the amount of land
given over to new buildings must be
halved by 2030.
It means mayors with communal
building projects – new schools,
crèches and sports halls are the peren-
Alfonso Abaca Press / Alamy Banque D’Images
nial favourites – planned before then
are reluctant to see their land quota
used up by individual houses.
In its report, the FFB predicted a
2.6% fall in new homes – individual
houses as well as flats – built in France
this year and called on the govern-
ment to take a number of measures
to support the building industry.
Top of the list was an easing of
Former housing minister restrictions on the lending and income
Emmanuelle Wargon’s views on ratios imposed by the Banque de
individual houses caused huge France for home loans, which the bank
controversy in 2021 did on a temporary basis in February.
of Paris. However, her sentiments A spokeswoman for FFB told The
were reflected in France’s far-reaching Connexion that it was too early to say
Climate and Resilience Law, passed if this had had a positive effect, “but it
in 2021. is a sign the government is listening.”
It said that mayors should aim for Other measures the FFB would like
net zero land use by 2050 in their to see include an indexation of regu-
communes, meaning that by then they lated prices, and tax credits to com-
must have rules in place banning any pensate for the extra costs involved
new buildings on greenfield sites. with the RE2020 building standards.
Jeff Huntley (inset) and his wife Diana managed the build
themselves, from the planning stages right through to put-
ting the finishing touches on their house
permission procedure so the size of
their three-bed property (140m²) was
decided by that.
From the start, they were determined
that it would meet the ART 2020 regu-
lations needed for professional houses.
“You do not need the certification
for self-building, but if you want to
sell the property on later, the buyers
will obviously want to see a certifi-
cate,” explains Jeff.
They initially budgeted €116,496
(excluding the land) for the project,
and discovered that using local firms
would save tens of thousands of euros.
“There are kit homes out there that
look very good and which are put
together in places like Estonia and
Latvia,” says Jeff. “But what is not on
the sticker is the €10,000 transport
costs from northern Europe, which
we would have had to pay.
“From what we could make out,
too, the quality was no better than
the excellent work we have seen from
local builders.”
Foundations and the concrete slab
for the floor were installed last summer
and autumn. Meanwhile, Jeff and
Diana were forced to have “an extended
holiday” in their caravan at a local park
after their house sold within 10 days of
going on the market.
They moved into a gite over winter
Homeowners advised how best
to prepare for energy ratings
A LEAFLET has been made available
to explain how homeowners can
prepare for the property energy
ratings.
It is available at tinyurl.com/DPE-
leaflet while another at tinyurl.com/
dpe-read explains what householders
should look for in their certificate.
Advice is given on how to contest
the result of the diagnostic de perform-
ance énergétique (DPE) – if they dis-
agree with it.
DPE certificates have been issued
since 2006 as part of house sales.
They have become more controver-
sial since the government started ban-
ning properties with low DPE scores
from the rental market and requiring
others to have a new energy report
when put up for sale.
A programme of better training for
energy diagnostic technicians has
been launched after the chaotic launch
of restrictions linked to the ratings.
Housing Minister Olivier Klein
made clear that the government
intends to keep the DPE system,
and said: “It is starting to have an
Property 39
while the wooden structure, which
cost €27,300, was built. Roofing set
them back €17,250, including an
increase on the original estimate to
account for the soaring cost of tiles.
The roof was completed just before
a spell of good weather, which helped
the structure dry out enough for the
couple to start insulating it.
The only real setback they have
encountered during the build was
in the planning stage.
The development in which their
property is situated falls under pro-
tected environment rules, and initial
plans, featuring lots of glass, were
dismissed by a departmental architect.
He insisted on something more
in keeping with traditional Breton
houses and the couple redrew their
plans before having them done pro-
fessionally by a studio in Agen (found
online) for €600. The new plans were
approved without any changes.
“In our time as project managers,
we have seen a few disasters, like barn
conversions where the money runs
out, or people living in damp stone
houses without insulation,” said Jeff.
“So we have tried to avoid the same
pitfalls. At the same time, we want to
convey the message that other people
can do it too, and build smaller, eco-
logical houses designed for comfort.”
impact on property markets and give
a ‘green value’ to homes, which is an
excellent evolution.”
In theory, the DPE process is stand-
ardised, with technicians using a gov-
ernment checklist as they go through
a property, noting points such as the
presence of double glazing, insulation
and the type of heating.
A website then uses the information
to assign a score automatically.
However, problems with the website
led to a six-month delay introducing
the system in 2021, and it has become
apparent that technicians are using
different methods to fill it out, leading
to a variation in results – sometimes
by as much as two grades for the
same building.
Mr Klein said he would bring in
new rules before the end of the year to
make sure DPE trainees have practical
experience before receiving accredita-
tion. Exams, currently set by individu-
al training bodies, will be made
national and trainers will be subject to
inspections. There will also be a push
for more apprentices.
 The Back Page connexionfrance.com The Connexion May 2023

‘Do it yourself’ campsites offer cheap holidays

Campsites run by the the party must be able to commun-
The campsite at icate in French, in order to facilitate
campers themselves are Châtillon-en-Diois the organisation of chores.
(Drôme) is situated Various cultural and sporting activ-
growing in popularity, and it 560 metres above ities are on offer depending on the site,
is not all about the savings, sea level including tennis and pétanque comp-
as Martin Greenacre hears etitions, and some also have a pool.
The campsites mostly comprise spots
AS BELTS are tightened and plans are where you can pitch a tent or park
pushed back, it is still possible to have your caravan, but you can also rent
a cheap holiday in France, but you will accommodation such as a mobile
have to roll up your sleeves. home. One site even has apartments.

Screenshot: gcu.asso.fr
The Groupement des Campeurs “We generally do not have more than
Universitaires (GCU) association has 15% mobile homes,” Mr Bonnaire
Photo: Didier Bonnaire

more than 90 campsites, all of which said. “Lots of campsites are now
are run by the campers themselves. exclusively for mobile homes, and
They water the plants, clean the bath- in some areas we are the last ones
Find an interactive map of the GCU’s
rooms and welcome new guests. to offer classic camping pitches.”
more than 90 campsites at gcu.asso.fr
“We’re the opposite of large Members can book for this summer
campsites, where you are more like ers. Since 2015, anybody can join who sites in the mountains are now practic- who spend their holidays in France until June 7. Only half of the spots can
a consumer,” said Didier Bonnaire, “shares our values and accepts the par- ally full in late July. There has been a are the least well-off. They are less be reserved, meaning you can also turn
vice-president of the GCU. ticipative model”, Mr Bonnaire said. return to nature and simplicity.” interested in the attractive prices up on the day.
An assembly is held every Monday, That change in policy has coincided The attraction of camping participatif than the positive atmosphere, the There is no need to reserve for stays
during which volunteers are assigned with the current inflation crisis to is not only financial. Campers are calm, and the space,” he said. before July 10 or after August 15, Mr
tasks for the week ahead. Each mem- create a surge in popularity. The GCU also looking for a safe, convivial “These members do not stay at the Bonnaire said.
ber is asked to contribute around four now has 48,000 members, including atmosphere. four or five-star campsites with huge Even during peak season, you can
hours of their time for every three 6,000 who signed up last year. “Doing a short shift on reception pools and nightclubs. They prefer check online or phone the campsite
weeks they spend camping. “With the same budget, you can go means you will come across people more convivial, active holidays, with on the day to see if they have space.
If you split that time between two on holiday for three weeks, compared you have welcomed in,” Mr Bonnaire bike rides or trips to museums and Membership costs €28 per year for
campsites, you will not have to do the to one week at a four-star campsite.” said. “And practically once a week cultural attractions, to have interest- adults, €5 for under-18s, and €10 up
work twice, and if you stay for just two Mr Bonnaire said the cost of living during high season, everybody will ing discussions with their neighbour, to the age of 26. Prices depend on the
or three nights, you will only be asked crisis has also changed people’s habits, bring their chairs and food and we or simply to share a drink. region and accommodation.
to give up one hour. with the Var in the south still popular share a meal.” “The contact with French members A two-bedroom mobile home costs
The GCU was created in 1937 in but not at the same level as before. This is particularly sought after by is very rewarding for francophiles.” no more than €700 per week in peak
the spirit of the social advances of the “The cost of motorway tolls and foreign visitors, says Nicolaas van The GCU has a point of contact season, Mr Bonnaire says. “Neighbour-
Popular Front. Originally reserved petrol for people from the north der Toorn, from the Netherlands, in seven other European countries, ing sites on the Atlantic coast charge
for teachers in France, in the 1990s it means they are leaning more towards who oversees the GCU’s presence home to 650 members. This includes between €1,000 and €1,200.”
opened up to teachers from Europe Brittany and Normandy, and climate in various European countries. many in Germany and Belgium, and Go to gcu.asso.fr to learn more or to
and other French public sector work- change has had the same effect. Camp- “I don’t think the European campers 30 in the UK. At least one member of contact the local office in your country.

What does abolishing the UK

lifetime allowance mean for you?
The UK’s 2023 budget abolished the pensions lifetime allowance and resulting tax Talk to the people who know
charges – very welcome news for those who have built up larger pension savings over
decades of contributions and growth. A future government could, however, reverse 0 805 112 163 (N0 Vert)
this move and the Labour Party quickly pledged to do so! france@blevinsfranks.com
There may therefore be a limited opportunity to transfer your pension out of the www.blevinsfranks.com
UK and avoid any future lifetime allowance charges. We can review your funds to
establish if this would be a suitable option for you. Our local advisers work with our
pension and tax specialists to determine the best solution for each client, on a range
of pension opportunities.

I NTER NAT IONA L TA X A DV ICE • INVESTMENTS • E STATE PL ANNING • PENSIONS

Blevins Franks Group is represented in France by the following companies: Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) and Blevins Franks France SASU (BFF). BFWML is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority, registered number C 92917. Authorised to conduct investment
services under the Investment Services Act and authorised to carry out insurance intermediary activities under the Insurance Distribution Act. Where advice is provided outside of Malta via the Insurance Distribution Directive or the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II, the applicable regulatory system
differs in some respects from that of Malta. BFWML also provides taxation advice; its tax advisers are fully qualified tax specialists. Blevins Franks France SASU (BFF), is registered with ORIAS, registered number 07 027 475, and authorised as ‘Conseil en Investissements Financiers’ and ‘Courtiers d’Assurance’
184-fr

Category B (register can be consulted on www.orias.fr). Member of ANACOFI-CIF. BFF’s registered office: 1 rue Pablo Neruda, 33140 Villenave d’Ornon – RCS BX 498 800 465 APE 6622Z. Garantie Financière et Assurance de Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle conformes aux articles L 541-3 du Code Monétaire
et Financier and L512-6 and 512-7 du Code des Assurances (assureur MMA). Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of retirement schemes. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML.