FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002
connexionfrance.com November/December 2022
Photo: Archives Pierre UNGEMACH – Droits réservés
Our low-cost Would you pass a French Cold calls to
retirement on nationality language test? be banned
€8,000 barge Try with these real exam questions at weekends
Ferry firms
face UK fair
pay law after
P&O row Unions call on France to do same with Channel ships
by Liv Rowland
A LAW requiring at least the minimum wage
for Channel ferry workers is progressing
quickly through the UK parliament in the
wake of the P&O sackings scandal – and
unions are calling on France to follow suit.
It comes as ferry firms report a better year
– though not yet back to 2019 pre-Covid
levels – with France-UK services and their
frequency largely returned to normal.
Brittany Ferries is in profit and out of
judicial supervision measures after suffering
huge losses in the pandemic years (see page 2).
The Seafarers’ Wages Bill requires the
£9.50/hour wage to be paid to all staff with
‘close ties’ to the UK while in UK waters. It
also has new rules on ‘hire and fire’ practices.
It is in the last stages with the House of
Lords and will then be considered by MPs.
Brittany Ferries communications head
Nigel Wonnacott said: “It is a very serious
issue for us because it [the current situation]
creates a playing field that is not level, aside
from the fact that we, as a company, believe
in supporting people and enriching regions.”
In March Dubai-owned P&O Ferries sacked
Cancer patients
‘liberated’ by
parachute jump
P31
Issue 241 €5.80
P39 P4
P5
‘Stupidity and provocation are Interview
winning over articulate thought’ ‘Expect
EU border
chaos
next year’
Peter Ricketts
Former British
ambassador to France
P6
800 ferry staff without warning and replaced
them with low-paid crew, some of whom
were earning as little as £5.15/hour.
It avoided paying the UK minimum wage by
employing the new workers from areas such
as India on agency contracts out of Cyprus,
France’s
where some of its ferries are registered.
Irish Ferries, which also ‘flags out’ its ships
amazing
to Cyprus and started a Dover to Calais
service in 2021 was, at that time, accused by
a British union of being “aggressively low-
cost”, “anti-union” and using “the cheapest
labour from around the world”.
Brittany Ferries and DFDS, which register
Poppy lady
Channel ships in France or, for some DFDS P31
ships, the UK, have expressed concerns about
the pressure flagging out puts on them.
Mr Wonnacott said: “We don’t treat our INTERVIEW: Etienne Klein What’s in
the budget
seafarers badly and don’t think other comp-
anies should treat theirs differently.
French scientist on his
Inset photo: Etienne Klein via Twitter
“There is also the competition element. It is
‘Chorizo star’ tweet
at least twice as expensive for us to employ
seafarers as it is for a company operating P5
under a flag of convenience, and that’s a big
and the post-truth era
L 14574 - 241 S - F: 5,80 € - RD
hit when it comes to the profitability we now
need in order to pay back the loans that were
è Turn to Page 2 FRENCH LIVING
Electric fire ‘Strikes highlight P14 Parliament
ants are now mess at heart of to debate
in France French party politics’ corrida ban
P3 COMMENT: RICHARD OGIER P5
P5
 2 News connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022
HIGHLIGHTS
News
Lack of rural doctors leads to city/country health divide
1-11
3
Will France also act over ferry workers?
ÎÎ Continued from page one After protests over its decision
Could you pass test to become French?
What’s in the new budget that was forced through?
4
5
incurred during the crisis. We
have to repay €117million to
to flag out in the early 2000s,
Irish Ferries originally prom-
Brittany Ferries back in profit
Brexit and beyond: Fingers crossed for France-UK détente 6 French banks. ised to pay Irish minimum Brittany Fer­ries, which is

Photo: Brittany Ferries

We’ll resist cut in motorway speed limit, say car activists 7 “I met the Transport Secretary wages on its ferries, which his- 50 years old next year, is mak-
Push to kick-start wind energy 8 in Portsmouth and she was very torically operated only from ing profit again after accumu-
Bretons demand greater powers for the region 9 well aware of the issues and said Ireland. However, it declined to lated losses of €220million in Bretagne returned in April
New laws and other changes in France 10 we were on the right side of tell The Connexion if it is paying 2019-20 and 2020-21. after being laid up in 2020
‘Ghost garages’ help drivers evade fines 11 the argument.” a UK or French minimum wage The Roscoff-based firm, “the ghastly Covid years will
Low-rent lock houses provide business opportunities 12 He added that the measures on its new UK-France services. which has mostly British pas- be a time when we took steps
‘I was blown away by windy, welcoming Saint-Malo’ 13 should ideally take account of It also declined to comment on sengers, is almost back to its so if we are faced with some-
working hours and conditions the UK’s law, as did P&O Ferries. pre-Covid frequency and thing as awful again, we are
Comment 14-17 to avoid firms linking very long DFDS communications head routes, although adjustments better protected”.
Simon Heffer/Richard Ogier 14 hours to minimum pay. “There’s Nicole Seroff said: “We welcome are still being made to ensure it A new project, LiveLocal, to
‘Hunting feels safer in France’ / Nabila Ramdani 15 no point in wishy-washy wage anything that improves condi- operates as efficiently as it can. link holidaymakers to local
Readers’ letters 16-17 legislation without ensuring tions for our employees and sup- Portsmouth-Le Havre is still Breton hosts is to continue.
high standards in other areas.” ports a level playing field, and freight-only while it assesses There were some French
Practical 18-21 He understood the UK law look forward to the legislation passenger demand. strikes over pay which,

“
Your questions 18 would be tied to a new code of when it reaches its final form.” Spokesman Nigel Wonnacott Mr Won­ nacott said, were
Make sense of returns and refunds 19 France’s Feets-FO transport said that while 2021-22 was linked to rising living costs.
Five steps to French fluency 20 union lobbied on the ferry pay much better than the year He said the firm is working
Insure against bed bug misery for €2 21 and conditions issue before this before (its accounting year closely with unions and hopes

24
year’s election. runs November 1 to October to “offer good news” if business
Its international issues spokes- 31), there was a drop in activity continues to go well.
pages man Laurent Le Floch said: on the UK-France routes of 20% DFDS said Channel passen-
We are astonished
French living
Photo: Brasserie du Quercorb

“We consider the UK’s role in compared to 2018-19, partly gers were also up compared to
this to be positive although we due to France’s relatively late last year but below 2019 levels.
Hop to it as home-grown craft
that there have not are at the same time astonished lifting of Covid restrictions. P&O and Irish Ferries have
(BDQ Beer Co)

brews take drinkers by storm been any sanctions that there have not been any
sanctions by the British govern-
This has been balanced by a
boost on its UK-Spain and
not replied to our queries on
their post-Covid situation.
How to be an artisan baker against P&O ment against P&O.” Ireland-France/Spain routes. A new EU Entry/Exit system
Socialist of the skies: the daredevil pilot Jean Mermoz UK union RMT said the bill The firm also had a new will be a challenge in May 2023
THE BIG INTERVIEW: Etienne Klein
Laurent Le Floch, did not go far enough, and called €10mil­ lion injection from (see below) but DFDS’s Nicole
French transport union for amendments so it “promotes shareholders and hopes to have Seroff said it handled the first
trade union-agreed pay and paid off its debts in five to 10 phases of Brexit well and, in
DIRECTORY 22-28 conduct with a view to this. conditions, provides permanent years. On the whole, he said, collaboration with authorities,
Mr Wonnacott said they are employment, safe roster patterns the year had been “extremely is “well prepared for the com-
Worm blood transplant go-ahead 29 also “lobbying hard for France’s and minimum protections for as encouraging”. ing final phases”.
Hunt for lost cloisters unearths old treasures 30 sea minister to come to the aid many seafarers as possible”. The firm is not, for the Mr Wonnacott said Brittany
Poppy Lady of France finally recognised 31 of the French shipping sector A UK Department for Tran­ moment, resuming Christmas Ferries is working with ports
and replicate the clear action sport spokeswoman said: “We and New Year cruises, which and governments to deal with
Money / Work/ Property 32-39 the British are taking”. reacted swiftly and decisively were not profitable. It has also “another potential threat to flu-
“We want to make sure they against P&O Ferries’ appalling worked on its website and idity of traffic” and hopes prac-
The Back Page 40 have the same appetite to treatment of its staff, setting out booking systems and hopes tical solutions will be found.
Magic Roundabout to return to TV screens ensure we don’t allow unfair a nine-point plan to improve
competition that could – I’m their pay and conditions. with neighbours on seafarer firm talks have taken place.

Contact Us not saying Brittany Ferries

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would do this – encourage
other firms that do pay fairly to
take similar drastic measures.”
He hoped the ministry would
clarify this at this month’s
55 71 63* Assises de l’économie de la mer.
“Having brought forward min-
imum wage legislation, we are
now working with our near
European neighbours to further
protect their welfare and pay.”
The UK has set goals includ-
ing negotiating bilateral deals
welfare and possible ‘minimum
wage corridors’ in their respec-
tive waters.
How­ever, the ministry declined
to say what talks have been held
with France. The French Sea
Ministry was also unable to con-
Asked about any French bills or
deal negotiations, Mr Le Floch
said: “As things stand, France
has no plans on this but when
we next meet with the sea
minister’s team we will raise the
topic again.”

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Editorial: news@connexionfrance.com
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Eurostar: Calais remains shut after Brexit/Covid
Eurostar says it will not resume services
Le Grande Bretagne, 30 Av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco from Calais-Fréthun station in 2023.
@ConnexionFrance Eurostar trains have not stopped in Calais,
or Ashford and Ebbsfleet in Kent, since the
The Connexion Covid pandemic started in March 2020.
The decision will not be reviewed until
Contributors: Liv Rowland, Simon Heffer, Nick Inman, Thomas Brent, Samantha David,
Adrian Lithgow, Brian McCulloch, Justin Postlethwaite, Nabila Ramdani, Emma Morgan,
2024 at the earliest the firm said in a state-
Théophile Larcher, Gillian Harvey, Martin Greenacre Sub-editing: Sarah Henshaw ment. “This will allow Eurostar to regain
Editorial consultant: Bruno Lacombe Design: Lynne Spaight financial flexibility, stabilise its operations
and protect the customer experience.”
Directrice de la Publication (Managing Editor): Sarah Smith It cited debt incurred during the pandem-
Rédacteur-en-Chef (Editor-in-Chief): Sarah Smith ic, uncertainty surrounding international
The Connexion is published by English Language Media Sarl travel due to high inflation, and border
Registered office: Le Grande Bretagne, 30 av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco control issues due to Brexit and the launch
Environmental policy: of the EU’s Entry/Exit system (EES) in 2023.
The Connexion is printed on recycled newspaper. “Against this backdrop of constraints and
Subscribers to The Connexion receive their copy wrapped in uncertainty, Eurostar is focusing on the
biodegradable eco-friendly film. This is fully compostable at home. core inter-capital routes before considering
Subscription prices: any new commercial offerings.”
Annual: French address: €66, The news will come as a blow to Britons
address outside France: €81.50, 100% Digital: €54 resident in northern France who prefer to
Three-month: French address: €18.75, visit the UK via train.
address outside France: €22.65, 100% Digital: €15 Ellen James, 75, who lives in Eure,
Digital subscriptions only available if you subscribe at connexionfrance.com Normandy, used to visit her family in the
Encart abonnement sur une diffusion partielle. UK twice a year but she and her husband
have not made the trip since 2019 because
Printed by Rotimpres, of the station closure.
Impressions Rotatives, 17181 Aiguaviva (Girona), Espagne
All copyright is reserved to the publisher. Reproduction in whole or part of any “It was so convenient to drive to Calais-
text without permission is strictly prohibited. The Connexion cannot accept Fréthun, leaving the car in the bigger car park
responsibility for claims of advertisers or their professionalism. knowing it was free and safe there,” she said.
Mensuel Depôt légal – a parution.
RCI 10 S 05218 ISSN: 1742 - 6421 CPPAP: 0126 I 85379 She said she was reluctant to pay for park-
ing in Lille, or to travel via Paris. “It is true,
though, that we were few to board or leave
the train at Calais-Fréthun,” she added.
Veronica Harford likes to travel from
Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais) to see family in
the UK up to 10 times a year, often taking
the Eurostar due to rising Eurotunnel prices
when she cannot travel with friends and split
the cost. “I would use the Eurostar more if it
stopped in Calais,” she said.
When she takes the Eurostar, she parks at
Calais-Fréthun, where she knows her car is
safe, and takes the train to Lille.
“Parking in Lille is expensive, I couldn’t
leave my car there for a week. Sometimes I
travel on to the US, so am away for a month.”
Pas-de-Calais MP Pierre-Henri Dumont
said he has raised the issue with Transport
Minister Clément Beaune.
“This decision [not to serve Calais in 2023]
is unacceptable and strongly penalises our
area’s economic attractiveness,” he wrote in a
Facebook post. “Eurostar had been planning
to close Calais-Fréthun for a long time and
has used the pandemic as a pretext to do so.”
Eurostar saw its revenues fall by 95% dur-
ing the Covid crisis and was refused state-
backed loans, meaning it must pay higher
rates of interest on its £500million of accu-
mulated debt.
In a letter sent to Huw Merriman, chair of
the UK’s Transport Select Committee, in
September, then-CEO Jacques Damas said
Brexit-related checks had reduced the capac-
ity in its London and Paris stations by 30%.
“This situation has obvious commercial
consequences and is not sustainable in the
mid-to-long term,” he said.
The stamping of British passports by
French border police adds at least 15
seconds to passenger border-crossing
times, he added. “It is only the fact that
Eurostar has capacity-limited trains and
significantly reduced its timetable from
2019 levels that we are not seeing daily
queues in the centre of London similar to
those experienced in the Channel ports.”
Responding to Mr Merriman’s query
regarding the Kent closures, he wrote:
“Re-opening the intermediate stations
(where demand and yields are much lower)
would make matters even worse as it would
take away from vital London border police
resources. The reality of traffic numbers is
such that a police officer controls five to 10
times more passengers in our large term-
inals than in intermediate stations.”
Services continue to run between London
and Paris, Lille, Brussels, Amsterdam and
Rotterdam, but Eurostar has decided not to
run direct trains to Disneyland Paris during
summer 2023.
n See also fears of EES ‘travel chaos’ in
2023 in the Peter Ricketts interview on page 6
 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com News 3

Lack of doctors ‘means rural US runner Katie’s

peak performance
residents are dying younger’ in 171km French run
MEN who live in the country-
side die more than two years TELECONSULTATION – the act of
younger on average than those talking to a doctor remotely via a
in cities, partly due to a town/ webcam – is widely seen as a help in
country divide in access to care. areas of France which lack doctors,
This was one finding in a study but an MP is effectively trying to
by the association of French ban this now-common practice.
rural mayors. Rural women die Caroline Fiat (left-wing La France
on average just under one year Insoumise) managed to get an
earlier than those in cities. amendment adopted into 2023’s
The AMRF’s study found that social security finance bill saying
France lacks 6,000 GPs in total the process can only take place
Photo: shutterstock_rido

across rural bassins de vie popu- if another medical professional is

lation centres to attain a ‘desir-
able’ ratio of one GP per 1,000
inhabitants. The actual French
average is 0.83/1,000.
A bassin de vie is the area
where a given population works,
shops, socialises, and accesses
Solutions proposed for better care in countryside
essential services. There are
1,666, compared to 35,000 com-
munes, of which 1,200 are ‘rural’.
In rural sectors a GP must,
partly due to lesser population
density, cover a 30km2 territory
present with the patient.
It is expected to be struck out
when MPs vote on the bill.
THE Health Minister is said to have taken serious- so the wound doesn’t get infected and I end up in
ly four proposals put forward by the AMRF after A&E instead”;
consultation with citizens and healthcare profes- n A ‘one-stop shop’ to be created for each depart- Katie Schide takes
sionals when they met recently. They are: ment, online or in person, so when a new health part in the UTMB.
n Medical students to be offered placements in professional moves to the area, they can get She says hiking
rural areas as well as in the city where they are answers to questions and help with accommoda- with poles is a

Photo: Mike McMonagle

on average, compared to 5km2
in urban areas, says AMRF.
It wants national health statis-
tics to focus more on doctors per
km2 rather than per 1,000 inhab-
itants to better highlight prob-
lems rural communities face. “It’s
studying. Rural placements should have cheap tion, children’s schooling, or help for their partner key skill for some
accommodation and transport help; to find work. “They mustn’t feel like it’s a punish- tough uphill
n Where people do not have a GP, allow for more ment to come to our areas”; sections of a
flexibility for problems to be dealt with and co-or- n Find new ways to ensure essential care acts can mountain trail race
dinated by other professionals. be carried out locally – a new sharing of tasks
“Imagine I injure my foot: I might need to along the lines of how pharmacists and physios Champion runner Katie the national park, where she
see my GP, who refers me to a nurse or physio, vaccinated during the pandemic. For example, Schide has spoken of the fun enjoys the remote, unspoilt set-

“
We’re sounding
the alarm because
the situation has
been getting worse
for 30 years
Gilles Noël,
Mayor
not fair that just because we are
less numerous, we should be
abandoned,” said Gilles Noël,
a health issues specialist for
the AMRF.
He said the study (tinyurl.com/
MayorsHealth) looked at bassin
de vie level for GP cover, but
used departments for specialists,
as they recognise that people are
ready to travel up to 50km for
this and do not expect to find
every specialism locally.
As a rule, the south is better-
served by GPs than the north
and east. For specialists, the cen-
prescribes medicines, etc. But if I have no GP
I don’t get care. In this case, we need to give
permission for another professional to take charge
tre and west are poorly served,
though there are well-served
areas on the Atlantic coast.
Mr Noël, mayor of Varzy,
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté,
said: “Officials give us figures
based on regions and depart-
ments, but within one depart-
ment the picture can be different
from one area to another.
“So we produced maps show-
ing the share-out of doctors at
local level, which makes clear
the inequalities that exist.
“We are sounding the alarm
because the situation has been
getting worse for 30 years.”
The maps show where GPs are
‘lacking’ or ‘surplus’, compared
to the national average.
However, Mr Noel said the aim
was not to complain there are
“too many” doctors in urban
areas compared to, say, rural
areas such as Creuse, but rather
to show that there are not enough
in the latter.
Some places in more ‘rural’
areas buck the trend and are
well-served. The maps show, for
allowing nurses to be consulted directly for wound and the pain of competing ting. “There are more animals
care, or a physio for an ankle sprain, without the in this year’s Ultra-Trail du than people, and the weather
need for a doctor’s prescription being required. Mont-Blanc (UTMB), one of is always good,” she said.
the toughest races in the world. She had dreamt of doing the
example, that in the Dordogne, can’t have millions without a She won the women’s section UTMB for six years since seeing
the north east is quite well médecin traitant. of the 171km – and 10km of it on a visit to Cha­monix. “It’s
served and the south west is “You can see from our study elevation – annual race in more or less the world champ-
mostly poorly served. Thus, the that the quality of the parcours de 23 hours and 15 minutes. ionship of mountain ultra-run-
area around Périgueux has 12 soins [access to a suitable series The race is held in late ning and the most competitive
more GPs than ‘needed’ to meet of services to deal with a cond- summer and follows the route 100-mile race in the world –
the French average, whereas the ition] is not the same in a rural of the Tour du Mont Blanc walk the best place to test yourself.”
Ribérac area needs an extra eight
to level up to it. However, only
area as in an urban one, because
there is a scarcity of health
around the Mont-Blanc massif
– that hikers usually take over a
She said any race is “painful at
some point” and “it’s really
the Brantôme area, north of professionals, which is now week to complete. hard, especially at the end and
Périgueux, meets the ‘desirable’ really worrying.” Ms Schide, 30, an American the beginning when you know
aim of one per 1,000 inhabitants. A médecin traitant is a person’s who lives in the Mercantour how much is left, but there are
Another problem is access to designated GP. A recent Senate national park in Alpes-Mari­ fun moments when there are a
hospital services. City-dwellers report shows that 11% of people times, discovered her love of lot of people supporting you.”
are often served by well-funded aged 17 or more do not have the outdoors hiking and sled- She added: “I got into doing
teaching hospitals, whereas rural one. Mr Noel said everyone has ding with her father in her this because I really like to be
people are more likely to have access to water, electricity and a home state of Maine and on outside in the mountains and
access to a less well-equipped school, and it should be the holidays in New Hamp­ shire’s really like to challenge myself
centre hospitalier de proximité. same with GPs. White Mountains. She went on and am competitive, so it ticked
“Over the last decades, the Another factor facing rural to study geology, recently com- all the boxes for me.”
state has taken away maternity communities is that access pleting a PhD in Switzerland. Asked for running tips, she
depart­ments and sophisticated might suddenly change. Speaking from La Réunion, said people do not realise you
diagnostic and treatment units Last year, Mr Noël’s area was where she was supporting need to hike in many uphill
from the local level, saying it’s well-served with two doctors. her French partner in the parts, so it is important to
safer and better to give birth or This year, one has left the area Grand Raid ultramarathon practise walking fast with poles.
have an operation in the town. after a divorce, the other has left race*, she said she discovered For amateur runners, she
“But having such services to take a salaried job elsewhere. geology at university. recommends finding what you
locally is crucial, as it is for nurses Doctors 15km away have “A lot of the classes were in the enjoy: “Some people like to run
and pharmacies, to reverse offered to help, but not to be mountains walking around in groups, some people like to
inequalities in life expectancy. We médecins traitants. looking at rocks. It combined do it alone, some run to work or
my passion with my interest in at lunchtime.

Bad-sting ‘electric’ fire ants found in France for first time
‘LITTLE fire ants’ – an invasive,
ant with a sting disproportionate
to its tiny size – have been found
in France for the first time.
science. But now I’m pursuing
my career as a professional
athlete full-time because you
“See what works for you, and
don’t be too stressed about it –
if it doesn’t feel like fun, maybe
summer, and Olivier Blight, a worse than, a nettle sting that only have so many years, and so find something else to do.”
researcher from Avignon uni- lasts several hours. They can many opportunities, that make She will compete in ski moun-
versity’s Institut méditerranéen sting the eyes of domestic pets, that possible, so it makes sense taineering this winter and her
de biodiversité et d’écologie has causing blindness, and they are to focus on that. plans for 2023 include the
Photo: shutterstock_
Raja Sopan Purba

Native to south America,
Wasmannia auropunctata has a
light-to-golden brown colour
and should not be confused
with other unrelated ants com-
monly called ‘fire’ or ‘red’ ants.
One of them was identified in
a house in Toulon, Var, this
since found a ‘supercolony’, con-
sisting of separate but socially-
connected nests, in an area of
100m around the house.
He has alerted the EU, which
will set out a destruction strategy.
The ants had previously been
found only in Malaga, Spain, but
dangerous to biodiversity, being
known to cause a decline in
other insect species where they
are present.
A group of little fire ants The workers are only 1.2 to
have also been found in the UK. 1.5mm long, yet the ants are
Also known as ‘electric’ ants, nonetheless classed as one of the
they have a sting similar to, but world’s worst invasive species.
“It’s something to cherish, and
I’ll see what happens after that.”
She thinks about the land-
scape formations as she runs.
“It gives you a different kind of
appreciation, but I’m not doing
any calculations while I run!”
She usually trains at home in
Western States trail race, a
100-mile race in California’s
Sierra Nevada mountains.
* American female athlete
Courtney Dauwalter, 37, made
history by arriving fourth in
this 165km mixed-sex race.
 4 News connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Could you pass test Test yourself: Sample TCF questions

Examples and images: france-education-international.fr

Oral comprehension
to become French?
If you hope to become French or are a non-EU citizen seeking a 10-year
THIS part of the test involves listening to
texts, then answering multiple choice ques-
tions on the content, choosing A, B, C or D.
It tests understanding of spoken French but
a question about what you have just heard.
Which of the following is the correct answer?

A. En espèces.
is also partly a test of memory and concentra- B. Par chèque.
residency card, you will need to prove a certain level of French – and ministers tion. There are questions of varying difficulty. C. Par carte de crédit.
have proposed that this may be the case for more residency cards in the future. We have recordings for the following examples, D. Par carte bancaire.
at: https://we.tl/t-djizLrPgfF
Unless you already have a diploma from a francophone school or university, You can also find the answers there. 4. Listen to the dialogue and the question that
the main way to do this is by passing a test, often the TCF. Writer Adrian Lithgow is asked about it. Choose the correct response.
took this, as he describes below. We also give some example questions to try
A. Annuler une réunion de travail.
THE RULES on language requirements for (CEFR). The CEFR levels are A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 B. Fixer un rendez-vous profes-
French nationality and certain long-term and C2 (A1 being beginner and C2 being roughly sionnel.
residency cards have been tweaked over the years. the level of a well-educated native speaker). C. Passer un entretien d’embauche.
For example, in 2020 the main TCF test was made Age can still be an exempting factor for a test D. Trouver un nouveau conseiller.
harder with an added written section. for residency cards, but only from 65, and the level
People aged over 60 and wanting to become required has been raised from A1 to A2. 5. Listen to the information
French used to be exempt from a test and had their A2 means the ability to deal with straightforward presented and the question
French evaluated only at the obligatory information and to express yourself in familiar that follows it.
prefecture interview. That also changed and you contexts. You should be able to have a convers- Choose the best answer.
are only let off if you have a doctor’s certificate ation on simple, everyday topics.
stating you cannot take the test for health reasons. B1 is an intermediate level of French. A. Contribuer à la recherche sur
The level required for this is the B1 of the TCFs can be taken at many centres (see: tinyurl. 1. Choose the statement which les questions stratégiques.
Common European Framework for Languages com/frenchtestTCF) and cost around €100. corresponds best to the image. B. Créer un lieu de dialogue entre experts en
géopolitique.
I burst with pride when told ‘vous parlez très bien’ 2. Listen to the question and four replies.
Choose the most appropriate reply.
C. Fournir une aide pour le développement à
l’international.
by Adrian Lithgow 40 verbal and 40 responding everyday situations, such as deal- D. Intéresser l’opinion publique à l’actualité
to pictures. There were descrip- ing with local bureaucracy or in 3. Listen to a role-play scenario, followed by économique.
BEING a slave to tions or depictions of scenari- the shops.
Netflix does not
help when you have
os, then questions about them
through multiple choice op-
Anyone who can get by in day-
to-day situations would have lit-
Language structure and written comprehension
an exam the next day. tions. It took 90 minutes. tle difficulty in passing. THE NEXT sections are reading tests. They
Having stayed up late the night The TCF is scored at six levels, I wasn’t expecting the written test understanding of grammar and of written
before my Test de Connaissance with B1 the level required for answers we were next asked to texts. For the first three questions, pick the
du Français in Bordeaux, an nationality. To my relief, I scored do. The invigilator warned us correct word to complete the sentence. For the
hour by train from my home B2 on the practice website. that if our handwriting couldn’t images, choose the correct answer.
near Bergerac, I was somewhat Once arrived at The New Deal, be read, we would be scored
dazed as I travelled through the I had the chance to see my fellow zero. As I can barely read my 1. L’avocat…
Saint-Emilion vineyards the examinees. There were 11 of own after years of switching be- A. que
next morning and wondered us and, apart from a European tween short and longhand, this B. lequel
why I was submitting myself to lady of around my age, all were left me decidedly queasy. C. auquel
yet another exam. in their 20s and from former We had three questions: the D. duquel
It was due to my decision to French colonies in the Maghreb first involved 40-60 words to … nous nous sommes adressés est un des meil-
apply for French nationality. or other parts of Africa. When describe our home town to a leurs de Paris. 5. Que proposent Corinne et Patrick à leur amie ?
One reason for this is that the they talked, it was clear French stranger and what was worth A. De garder ses enfants en juillet.
right to vote is important to me. was their mother tongue. visiting, the next two, 60-90. 2. Four très chaud ! … B. De venir passer des vacances avec eux.
Since August, I have been in The supervisor herded us into One was to say why we pre- A. Faites C. De partir une semaine à Rome.
France more than 15 years and the exam room and explained ferred working for a large or B. Ferez D. De louer une maison ensemble en août.
so, due to Brexit, have lost the the format, which I realised small organisation or company, C. Ferons
right to vote in any elections at was different from the prac- and the third I can no longer D. Faisons
all. In theory, I will get back my tice I had done. The latest one, remember. I finished with time … attention à ne pas vous brûler !
right to vote in UK parliament- called the TCF IRN (Intégra- in hand, which I spent worrying
ary elections at some point, but tion, Résidence, Nationalité) was about accents and making cor- 3. Pour s’inscrire à la bibliothèque, il faut…
secondary legislation to allow introduced in January and is rections, making my paper even A. apporter
me to re-register seems to be on divided into four parts: 20 oral more unreadable... B. emporter
the back-burner. comprehension multiple-choice This over, I waited while the C. emmener
Due to recent changes – I’m questions, 20 on written com- examiner interviewed every D. ramener
not sure if influenced by Brex- prehension, three short written other candidate before calling … une pièce d’identité.
it or not – over-60s, previously exercises, and three oral tests me in. She was a friendly lady
exempt, must now prove their with an examiner. in her fifties who I took care to
competence in French along The atmosphere in the room greet in formal French.
with everyone else. was formal and one was under She asked me to describe my-
The TCF is the first major hur- no illusion the exam was to be self and family, to say where I
dle to overcome when organis- taken in strict conditions. After liked to go on holiday and what
ing the copious documentation some severe warnings about I do, then to look at pictures of
you must gather for a nationality conduct and that no question boats, canoes and paddleboards
application. It cost me €150 and papers could be taken out of the and role-play asking questions 6. Qu’apprend-on dans ce texte ?
you can apply online to one of room, it started with a series of with a view to hiring them. A. La majorité des enfants sont gardés par
many approved exam centres in beeps over loudspeakers and the I felt that it was as much a test leurs proches.
major towns and cities. ‘oral comprehension’ began. of perso­ nality and experience 4. Quand pouvez-vous voir un avocat B. Les mères préfèrent s’occuper d’elles-mêmes
My nearest was the New Deal Descriptions of scenarios in as of language because some- sans rendez-vous ? de leurs enfants.
Institute in Bordeaux and I ap- family life and business inter- one with the gift of the gab and A. En matinée. C. Le nombre d’établissement satisfait la
plied and paid online. They offer actions played out, delivered at broad experience will find it eas- B. À tout moment. demande à Paris.
two dates per month and so I pace and in different accents. If ier to chat away. C. Le samedi. D. L’ouverture des structures promises résoudra
only had to wait three weeks be- you missed a word setting the But I burst with pride when D. Dans l’après-midi. le problème.
fore taking the test. context at the beginning be- she told me afterwards: “Vous
Being casual about most cause you misheard or someone parlez très bien, Monsieur.” n The next test involves written answers to questions on varied topics. Examples could include:
things, it only dawned on me coughed, as happened at least You must gain at least an over- “Emma wants to know if your friend Jenny is joining you both at the weekend: describe your
the day before that it might be once, there was no going back all average score of B1 to pass the friend: age, job, personality etc”; “Your cousin got married last Saturday: describe the wedding”;
a good idea to find out what it and you just had to guess as language element for nationality. “Do you prefer shopping in supermarkets, small high-street shops or on the net. Explain why.”
actually involved. plausibly as possible. I was worried about the written
I found an online practice After this came written ques- section, but need not have been n The last is the oral, including presenting yourself and a role-play where you have to ask
test at apprendre.tv5monde.com, tions, which were easier because as I was later relieved to learn questions. It ends with a section where you are asked to express your opinion on a topic for
sat down with my headphones you could re-read them until you that I reached the required level several minutes, such as organic food or vegetarianism, what makes a country ideal to live in,
and went through 80 questions: got the sense. They focused on in all areas. whether we could live without oil, or whether travel makes you a better person.
 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com News 5
Jehovah’s
Witness wins
What’s in the new budget
payout over that was forced through?
transfusion France’s budget for 2023 has of €180. Around 12 million partner’s income will no longer
been pushed through without a low-income households should be considered when evaluating
A Jehovah’s Witness has vote after thousands of amend- also receive a cheque worth eligibility for the allocation aux

Photo: alberto clemares exhibition_shutterstock

won a court case against a
hospital that gave her a blood
transfusion against her wishes.
The CHU university hospital
in Bordeaux must pay €4,000 to
her following the procedure
which took place in 2016. The
woman had asked for €30,000.
The patient was hospitalised
for a gallbladder removal, but
complications resulted in
life-threatening bleeding and
the medical staff administered
two blood transfusions, even
though she had previously
said that this went against her
religious convictions.
The Administrative Court of
Appeal found no wrongdoing at
this stage, as “respecting the
patient’s wishes would have put
her life in danger, and as she
was unconscious, she was not
able to reiterate her refusal in a
reasonable timeframe”.
However, a third transfusion
took place after the patient
regained consciousness and
repeated her refusal when staff
explained the consequences,
which the court ruled contra-
vened Article L1111-4 of the
Public Health Code.
ments were lodged by oppos-
ition MPs.
Deprived of an absolute major-
ity in the lower chamber, Prime
Minister Elisabeth Borne used
the 49.3 constitutional mecha-
nism to automatically pass the
first section of the budget.
It came after several days of
heated debate.
Some 117 amendments –
mainly ones proposed by
President’ Macron’s party – feat-
ure in the final text, including
lowering taxes for small busi-
nesses and legalising the use of
cooking oil as car fuel.
The package must be approved
by the senate, which is domi-
nated by an alliance between
centre-right Les Républicains
and the Union Centriste.
Here are some key budget
measures affecting residents:
Energy price cap: Regulated gas
and electricity prices will be
capped at a 15% rise in 2023.
The government estimates
average gas bills will rise by €25
per month instead of €200 as a
result of the cap, and electricity
bills will increase by €20 instead
€100 or €200 to use towards
energy bills in December.
Second homes tax: The number
of communes which can imple-
ment a taxe d’habitation sur-
charge of 5-60% for second
homes will go from 1,500 to
5,000. Before, the option was
only available to towns of over
50,000 inhabitants. The list of
towns is yet to be revealed, but
will include touristic areas with a
high rate of holiday homes.
Income tax thresholds rise: The
thresholds at which income tax
brackets begin are to rise by
5.4%, in line with inflation,
meaning workers receiving a
pay rise to account for the cost
of living will not pay more tax.
Teacher pay rise: Teachers are set
to receive a 10% pay rise on
average in September 2023,
with additional rises for staff
taking on extra responsibilities.
President Macron pledged all
teachers beginning their careers
will earn at least €2,000/month.
Disability benefit changes: A
adultes handicapés benefit given
to disabled adults. The govern-
ment claims this will benefit
160,000 claimants, including
80,000 who will be newly elig-
ible, with beneficiaries receiving
€300 more a month on average.
This reform should be in place
by October 1, 2023.
Energy renovations: The budget
for the MaPrimeRénov’ scheme
of grants for making homes
more energy-efficient will
increase from €2.4billion to
€2.5billion. There will be a
focus on helping lower-income
households undertake whole-
sale energy renovations via the
MaPrimeRénov’ Sérénité grant.
Electric vehicles: The bonus
écologique grant, which offers
help towards purchasing an elec-
tric vehicle, will rise from €6,000
to €7,000 for “half of house-
holds” on the lowest incomes,
President Macron has said.
Also included is the introduc-
tion of a ‘social leasing’ scheme,
which will allow low-income
households to rent an electric
car for €100 per month.
Move to ban tradition of corrida
A VOTE this month on ban-
ning bullfighting will be the
first time the Assemblée nation-
ale will have debated abolishing
the custom.
Far-left La France Insoumise
MP Aymeric Caron has brought
forward a bill which is expected
to be debated on November 24.
Article 521-1 of the penal
code bans cruelty towards ani-
mals, but maintains an excep-
tion for the corrida in areas
where there is a “local, uninter-
rupted tradition”.
Corrida is a Spanish form of
bullfighting which typically
results in the animal’s death.
It still takes place in large
arenas in French towns such as
Nîmes, Dax, Arles and Béziers.
In 2020, the Court of Appeal of
Toulouse ruled that the tradi-
tion exists in much of the south,
including Provence, Languedoc
and the Basque Country.
Eighty-one per cent of French
people oppose bull fights where
the animal is killed, according
to a 2021 Ifop survey for the
Alliance Anticorrida association.
There are other, less violent
traditions. In a course camarg-
uaise, participants attempt to
remove ornaments placed
between the bull’s horns.
The course landaise consists of
trying to dodge horned cows.
Defenders of the corrida say it
is an essential part of the feria
festivals which attract millions
of visitors to southern France.

News in brief
WiFi routers soon to
include sleep mode
Internet operators will give
customers the option to have
their WiFi routers go into
standby mode when not being
used to save energy.
This is already possible with
some routers, but operators will
extend this option to all cus-
tomers, by pre-installing it on
new devices or via a systems
update for existing routers,
France’s digital minister has
announced.
Northern food gets
European recognition
Hauts-de-France is to
become the first French region
to hold the title of European
Region of Gastronomy in 2023.
The award was created in
2016, with a panel of experts
recognising regions for their
Evening and weekend
cold calls to be banned
Cold-calling is to be
banned early in the morning,
late at night, and on weekends
and bank holidays following
the publication of a decree
which will take effect on
March 1.
Companies will only be able
to cold-call prospective clients
Monday to Friday, from 10:00
to 13:00 and 14:00 to 20:00,
unless the consumer has given
explicit consent to be contacted
outside of these hours.
The new rules will apply to
individuals who have not signed
up to Bloctel, a list which allows
households to opt out of cold
calls, as well as those who are
signed up but are contacted
regarding an active contract.
Several Connexion readers
calls despite using Bloctel. The
change in legislation will also
ban companies from contacting
the same consumer over the
phone, directly or via an inter-
mediary, more than four times
over a period of 30 days.
If, during the conversation,
the consumer expresses their
opposition to receiving cold
calls, the company must wait at
least 60 days before trying to
phone them again.
The decree will allow for the
application of the law regulat-
ing cold calls, which was adopt-
ed in July 2020.
In October, MPs voted to
adopt another bill banning calls
or text messages related to the
compte personnel de formation
training scheme, which often

Here to listen
gastronomy-related projects. have reported receiving cold come from fraudsters.
Northern France is well-known

Concern over Covid variant

for its mussels and chips, and
also has a wide variety of
cheeses, such as maroilles.
Castres-Toulouse
motorway criticised
Plans for a new motorway
to link Castres and Toulouse
have been met with opposition
from France’s Autorité envi-
ronnementale.
“This project, initiated sever-
al decades ago, appears anach-
ronistic in view of current
ambitions concerning the
reduction of greenhouse gases,
air pollution…,” the consult-
ative body wrote in a report.
AN EIGHTH Covid wave
appears to have peaked in France
but some experts are worried
about a new variant, BQ.1.1.
This sub-variant of Omicron,
progressing across Europe, rep-
resented 16% of new cases by
the middle of October, com-
pared to 7% a week before and
some scientists fear it could
start off the epidemic again.
Rémi Salomon, a paediatri-
cian at Necker-enfants malades
hospital in Paris and a lecturer
at Paris Descartes university,
called its arrival “bad news” We are Cancer Support France, supporting English-speaking
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 Brexit:
6 News
Moving On connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Fingers crossed for France-UK détente

– but expect 2023 EU border ‘chaos’ and Northern Ireland issue still to be resolved
[ a nt a g on - relationship” with France, so and will automatically count
CONNEXION INTERVIEW ism] has “the signs are good, though it’s where you are up to in your
been dialled all very fragile”. 90-in-180 days in the Schengen
FORMER UK ambassador to down now,” Should it happen, we might area so border police don’t have
France Peter Ricketts says better he said. see more progress on new deals to calculate it. Hopefully, event-
times should lie ahead for “ T h a t on controversial issues, such as ually we will go back to e-gates

Photo: mehmet ali poyraz_shutterstock

UK-French relations – as long
as differences over the Brexit
deal’s Northern Ireland rules
with the EU can be resolved.
However, he fears travel chaos
in 2023 as the EU Entry-Exit
System gets under way.
Lord Ricketts, a cross-bench
peer, said: “Things are looking
better than they were, partly
because of the war in Ukraine,
which means everything else is
put into perspective.
“When you have a major war
in your continent, the other
squabbles and differences look
minor in comparison.
“Then with the energy price
crisis as well, the feeling on
both sides has been that they
need to draw a line under the
rows and differences.”
Lord Ricketts, pictured, was
speaking to The Connexion a
few days before Liz Truss stood
down as prime minister.
He said Ms Truss had not
tended towards the “personal
mockery” that Boris Johnson
was prone to, despite her com-
ment that “the jury is out” when
asked if President Macron was a
“friend or foe”. “So all that
Photo: Supplied by Peter Ricketts
remark was EU tours for performers. [as for EU citizens] and in three
just a mis- A less positive aspect, how- years’ time, when it’s all settled
judgement ever, is the EU’s new ‘Entry/Exit in, probably it will make things
during her System’ due to start in May, quicker, but it looks like being
leadership which is expected to mean chaos in the short term.”
contest to long queues, in particular at The operators are looking
appeal to Folkestone (Eurotunnel), Dover for solutions he said, but at
the anti-Euro­pean right of the (ferry terminal) and St Pancras St Pancras, in particular, there
Conser­va­tive Party, but at least New border checks for non-EU citizens are on the way in 2023 (Eurostar), where French is “almost no extra space” to
she had the good grace to go tion in the Channel. So, those more anyway,” he said. “If they checks are carried out on UK allocate to the new formalities.
to the meeting [of the new are positive signs.” do come to a deal, that would soil (see also Page 2). The problem of the weak
European Political Com­mu­nity, However, he added that what really signal a change of For other Channel ports, or pound is also likely to continue
launched by Mr Macron] in could “knock off [course]” this approach – a resetting of the airports, the same may be to pose problems for those in
October and she had a bilateral improved relationship is if the relationship. It’s an essential expected on arrival in France. France who rely on sterling
talk with Macron. UK government persists in precondition, because if the It will require people to get income, he said – a fact which
“She said on that occasion she “pushing through” a bill on government push ahead with out of their cars to have photos “is not getting coverage in the
was clear France was a friend – Northern Ireland which would the bill, I doubt the summit or and fingerprints taken to be UK”. “I really feel for people,
that’s something – and they allow them to “tear up part of some of these other good things registered in a new electronic but can’t predict where the mar-
agreed to a summit in 2023, the [Brexit Withdrawal Agree­ will necessarily happen. system on their first arrival into kets will go and do not see an
which is important symbolically. ment] protocol”. “If it does, we can talk about a the Schengen area. obvious solution to it.”
“In principle, it will be in Lord Ricketts said the signs détente [relaxing of tensions] or “All you hear from Eurostar, Asked about the likelihood of
France and they singled out the are “looking slightly more posi- entente – and things getting Eurotunnel and the ports is an early election – a concern for
issue of energy, on which the tive” on this too, as France-UK back together in terms of there will be chaos, at least for long-term British residents in
UK and France already work talks continue. The bill is UK-France, which would be the first year or so,” he said. France who have not yet
very closely. Notably, EDF is a expected to be under discussion very good. “They think recording each regained their promised West­
big investor in Hinkley Point in the Lords until the end of the “We need to know by the end person’s data is going to take up minster voting rights due to a
power station [being built in year, so the government has of the year if these negotiations to four minutes, so for a car of lack of regulations being put in
south west England] and is go- time to come to a deal on it and are going to work. I very much five it will be a nightmare. place – he said he doubts this
ing to invest in the next nuclear to change its mind on support- hope they will.” “But the idea is that once you will happen, because the opin-
site at Sizewell in East Anglia. ing it in the Commons. He added that he believed the are on the system, it will be ion polls are unfavourable to
They talked about renew­able “With all the current chaos, then-current Chancellor and much easier. I expect you will the government.
energy as well, and working I’m not even sure they would Foreign Secretary both wanted be able to scan your passport or The most likely date is autumn
together on small-boat migra- get a majority in favour of it any to “get back to a more normal fingerprint – it will be quicker 2024, he said.

Refused free health top-up: what can you do? Young Britons facing
Several more readers affect-
ed by the stoppage of the com-
residency difficulties
UK system. The latter is due to
being pensioners with S1 forms
refused the assistance with our
mutuelle, which was due for
cially, in the case of those with
secure residency rights such as
plémentaire santé solidaire (CSS) for health, meaning the UK pays renewal at the end of September, Britons living in France BRITISH children and young dents involving minors entering
– the ‘free’ (in some cases subsi- France for their care. and cannot afford to pay the full pre-Brexit and benefiting from people in France regularly face France, accompanied or not.
dised) healthcare top-up benefit The French authorities have amount. My husband is 90 and I the Withdrawal Agreement. problems due to lacking any On being asked why they were
for those on low incomes – have cited several sections of the am 81, so good healthcare is More recent arrivals are often proof of residency status under entering the country, they were
contacted The Connexion. social security code in support, essential to us.” subject to means tests. the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement asked to show a DCEM (docu-
Following reports of the prob- notably article R111-3. The French authorities have He suggested those concerned (WA), the campaign group Rift ment de circulation pour étranger
lem from readers, the British The current text of this article not replied to our questions make a recours amiable contest- for Britons in France reports. mi­­neur), a paper which is meant
Embassy in Paris told us the is from November 1, 2019, coin- about why this was enforced ing the decision by registered Rift co-chair Justine Wal­ling­ton to be optional. In many cases,
French social security author- ciding with the merging of the only this year. If the EU’s S1 letter to the Commission de (right) said its €198 fines were levied.
ities had confirmed that since former aide à la complémentaire system had not been retained in recours amiable (CRA) at their report on the sub- Ms Wal­ling­­­ton said the non-
spring they have been enforcing santé (ACS) and couverture mal- the Brexit deals, Britons such as Cpam’s address. At the same ject has been sent travel-related problems have
a rule that people covered by adie universelle - complémentaire our reader would still qualify. time, they could apply to the to the Euro­­­pean often been compounded by
another country’s social security (CMU-C) to form the CSS. Antoine Math of Gisti, a group Défenseur des droits. If the CRA Com­­mis­sion. delays in obtaining residency
system may not benefit. Similar wording existed relating supporting immigrants to refuses, or does not respond, it It has also raised cards – or even a prefecture
Readers report formerly bene- to CMU-C dating from 2017. France, believes an argument would be possible to go to court, the issue with the interview to apply for one –
fiting from CSS – and in some One reader who has lived in could be made against this based with or without a lawyer, he said. British Embassy, when young people do have a
cases benefits it replaced in 2019 France for more than 30 years, on EU principles of equal treat- The Comede association which has passed right to a card. They must apply
– despite being ‘attached’ to the wrote: “We have just been ment, with French people, espe- might also be able to advise. it on to the French government. at 18 and before 19 or earlier in
The Em­bassy has been “brilliant” limited circumstances, eg. if
Brexit updates in brief in helping to resolve tricky
cases, she said. However, correct
proof is required for work.
Once an interview has been
n THE EUROPEAN Commission has n IT HAS been reported on unofficial sites enough to support themselves. This is also procedures are still not always obtained and paperwork handed
confirmed to The Connexion that time about France that retirees/early-retirees are the case when applying for a temporary followed by some prefectures over, the person obtains a
spent in an EU country under a visa issued being asked by the French consular services long-stay visa for up to six months. Enough and border police. récépissé as proof of status in
by that country is totally separate from the in the UK for higher income levels than money to support oneself for the planned The issue arises from the fact France but it is not seen as
‘90 days in any 180-day period’ that is previously when applying for visas to stay is what is checked in this case. that France, unlike some EU equivalent to a DCEM by border
otherwise permitted to Britons and others move here. Visa expert Allison Lounes, of Your states, exempted under-18s from police, Ms Wallington said.
from non-EU countries visiting the A minimum of €2,000 a month has been Franceformation, told us early last year, requiring a WA residency card. It is not possible to apply for a
Schengen area. quoted, attributed to consular sources. The when the Smic was €1,231, “the amount will Problems often occur when WA card online – perhaps
A spokesman confirmed that this means, consulate has not confirmed this, despite be a bit higher if you’re going as a officials are unfamiliar with the because France sees those con-
for example, that a Briton who has been in several requests. couple, but not twice as much – around rules and demand proof of cerned as a small group.
France for six months on a temporary long- Last year, The Connexion was told by €1,500.” residency status. This is not necessarily correct.
stay visa that is about to expire can stay on official sources that the French consulate Rift has come across around More than 100,000 WA cards
longer under the 90/180 day rule because, as was not asking couples for double the n THE UK’S NHSBSA has re-confirmed 30 examples where this involved were issued to Britons living in
far as that rule is concerned, they have not amount asked of single people – currently that it is now possible to apply for an S1 older teenagers having problems France before Brexit. In many
been in the Schengen area for any days in the around the monthly net Smic minimum before moving to France and to have it sent with, for example, jobs, study cases, their children will need a
last 180. wage of €1,329 – though we were not given a to your UK address. courses, grants, driving, or card on reaching adulthood.
There is no need to leave the Schengen area set figure. We were also told that substantial However, the applicant does need to also student accommodation. For a more detailed version of
at the end of the visa period and then savings and owning one’s French home were supply a French address, even if temporary. Ms Wallington said there have this article, search Wallington at
re-enter to benefit from these further days. taken into account in deciding if people had Read more at this link: tinyurl.com/S1-info. also been “hundreds” of inci- connexionfrance.com.
 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com
‘Medieval’ We’ll resist cut in motorway
boat to speed limit, say car activists
sail from A leading drivers’ group has
warned it will resist any attempt
Brittany to to lower the motorway speed
limit from 130km/h to 110km/h.
Scotland
The debate has resurfaced after
renowned climatologist Jean
Jouzel called on the government
to implement the measure
which was initially proposed by
the Citizens Convention for
Climate in 2019-20.
It was rejected at that time as
it was seen as too unpopular
with the government wanting
to avoid a repeat of the unrest
caused by lowering the depart-
mental road limit from 90km/h
to 80km/h in 2018.
The then-transport minister
Elisabeth Borne – now prime
minister – said she was “per-
sonally” in favour of a motor-
way speed reduction but that it
Photo: Gward an Aod
would need public support.
The Ligue de Défense des
Conducteurs has launched a
petition rejecting any future
A group of history enthusiasts are to sail a boat built in the style of the Middle Ages from lowering of the speed limit,
Brittany to Scotland in honour of their shared Celtic heritage. which has gathered more than
The boat, named Brioc, is made from wood and leather with linen sails, and its sailors will 273,000 signatures.
be dressed in wool, linen and leather. They will aim to recreate the conditions of a “We want to show that we are
10th-century voyage, including cooking on an open fire lit using flint. watching and will not let such a
The association, Gward an aod, hopes to make the journey next summer. “Medieval measure pass,” the association’s
navigation is all about waiting for the right moment to set off. We have no motor, just oars spokesperson Alexandra
and sails, so we mustn’t take any risks,” said Ingwenog Jaouen, the boat’s captain. Legendre told The Connexion.
They plan to make several stops and participate in demonstrations and re-enactments. The government’s new energy-
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News 7
possible, it would only happen
in extreme cases.
Licences are suspended for
driving 40km/h over the limit,
Frederic Legrand - COMEO
but it is also a risk from 30km/h
over the limit if you decide to
Photo: Shutterstock_
contest the initial fine.
It was recently revealed that a
record 5,600 speed cameras will
be in place in France by the end
saving plan calls on public sector of next year, although only
workers not to go over 110km/h 4,600 will be in operation.
when making work-related This includes speed camera
trips. It says this will reduce fuel cars which are designed to
use by 20%. blend into the traffic and are
Ms Legendre said: “We don’t increasingly being delegated to
need the government to tell us private operators.
if you drive less fast you will More than half (58%) of
make savings. The treatment of speeding fines are issued to
drivers is based on infantilis- people less than 5km/h over the
ation and punishment.” authorised limit, which includes
In terms of safety, she believes a margin of error.
lowering the speed limit would Ms Legendre believes this is
be counterproductive. an injustice. “We need to stop
“The motorway network is by associating safety with just
far the safest in France. speed. We are also in favour of
“People will wonder why they strengthening punishments for
should pay the tolls if they can- drink-driving, for example.”
not drive at 130km/h, so they An Ipsos survey, ordered by
will end up taking more danger- the Agir pour l’Environnement
ous secondary roads.” association and published this
In its petition, the association summer, found that 63% of
also warned that drivers could French people would be pre-
have their licences suspended pared to reduce their speed by
for driving at 140km/h if the 20km/h on the motorway to
limit is lowered. While this is save money on fuel.
 8 News connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Glow-in-dark boules ball Wind farm future is offshore

perfect for night games The inauguration of France’s
first offshore wind farm at Saint-
Nazaire in September was long over-
duction,” Mr Létissier said. The deci-
sion to include children in the owner-
ship model was only partly symbolic.

Photo: Amélie Trigallez - Enercoop Nord Est

A DIEHARD boules player has come
up with an innovative idea to eke
out playing hours – a glow-in-the-dark
ball for late-night games.
Raphaël Paesa, from Toulouse, came
up with the invention after poor light
put paid to a match among friends.
“One evening when we were playing
pétanque, I sorted the barbeque out and
when I got back to the game, it was too
dark to see,” he said.
Having worked as an electronics
consultant since 2019, he spotted an
opportunity to create a cochonnet – the
LEDs solve the due, say climate activists who point “We want to give them a clean planet.
problem of out that France lags behind its neigh- It also allows us to gather them togeth-
games lasting bours when it comes to wind turbines. er when we have meetings and promote
beyond sunset In 2021, wind covered 8% of France’s green energy.
electricity demand, compared to “We play games with them, and help
23% in Germany and 22% in the them to understand the advantages of
UK, according to WindEurope. producing energy differently.”
The Saint-Nazaire site, over which Mr Létissier said there was “very little
discussions began back in 2008, is part The Ailes des Crêtes wind farm opposition” when the project was
of a push to change that, with the gov- is part-owned by local children launched. The Communauté de com-
ernment aiming for 50 offshore wind munes des Crêtes Préardennaises
farms by 2050. to the preservation of nature and invested, as did the Champagne-
France ranked 17th in the EU in landscapes”. Ardenne region, and there was a signif-
2020 for its share of energy needs met In certain areas, though, politicians icant effort to promote the wind farm.

Photo: Julie Rebaudo

little ball which players try to hit or
mask with their boules, like a jack in
lawn bowls – lit by LEDs.
“I wanted to produce something
environmentally friendly so the first
models were fitted with rechargeable
batteries which could be connected
using a USB. However, a cochonnet can
sustain substantial shocks, especially
on hard ground, and there was a small
safety risk. So now they contain non-
rechargeable button batteries, which can
be changed when they run flat.”
Most batteries will last four hours, but
Mr Paesa says this can be extended by
using good quality batteries.
His invention, called a ‘cocholed’, is
made from recyclable plastic and the
company sells replacement outer shells
if they get damaged.
“It is another way of avoiding waste.
We also hope people will recycle the
batteries, by putting them in recycling
bins placed at supermarkets, rather
than throwing them away.”
Cocholeds are made in France and the
company is moving towards sourcing
all the components here too.
There is only one manufacturer
of traditional cochonnets in France.
Monneret, in Haut-Jura, produces
around a million of them a year.
Traditionally made of boxwood,
they are now increasingly made of
hard plastic.
In official competitions, the cochonnet
is called a but. However, it has various
other regional names, including bouchon,
petit, têt, gari, cochon or pitchoune in
Provence, and boulic in Brittany.
by renewables. This is often explained and citizens are united behind wind Today, however, discontent is grow-
by bureaucratic hurdles and trouble energy. The Ailes des Crêtes initiative ing with more developments planned.
winning the support of communities. in Ardennes inaugurated three wind “I understand. Where we are in the
A draft bill aiming to accelerate the turbines in 2016, thanks in part to department, I think we have reached a
development of renewable energy €1.8million of citizen investment. certain saturation point. There are
projects has been presented to minis- There are 546 investors, including areas where you will see turbines for
ters and includes measures to reduce parents acting on behalf of 270 child- 50km in all directions, especially at
local opposition. ren. The minimum investment was night, when they are lit up in red.”
It would allow people who live close €5,000, or €100 for children. Part of the acceptance might have
to renewable energy sites, particularly Today, the turbines produce enough been down to the project’s scale: three
wind turbines, to get a discount on electricity to power 1,600 homes. turbines, just under 100m tall, where-
their electricity bills. Becoming shareholders allowed as many others are 150m or taller.
Renewable energy remains a divisive investors to take out loans to fund the “There are other developers who
issue. At the last election, Marine Le project. Once most of those loans are want to install turbines next to ours,
Pen pledged to put a stop to wind paid off, investors will begin to receive and people could say they were happy
farm projects and even to begin dividends. This could happen “within to have three, but more is too many.”
dismantling existing wind farms. the next three or four years”, accord- Mr Létissier is not convinced that
A law passed in February, dubbed ing to Marcel Létissier, president of the plan to offer locals reduced energy
3DS, gave local councils the power to the strategy committee. prices will be effective.
define areas where wind farms are “We have lots of investors who are “Having spoken to protesters, I don’t
“subject to conditions” if, for example, anti-nuclear activists, and others who think their main goal is to have cheap-
wind turbines would be “detrimental want to re-appropriate energy pro- er energy,” he said.

App helps blind hikers explore

planning to organise evening
training sessions in Strasbourg,
which they hope to replicate in
other cities, with a hike across
the Vosges Mountains also on
Photo: Yvoir_M. Franck

the cards.
A group of blind and visually Mr Muller, 74, has retinitis
impaired people recently traced pigmentosa, a condition which
the footsteps of Robert Louis caused him to progressively
Stevenson on a hike in southern lose his eyesight and become
France, thanks to a mobile app Gérard Muller, right, joined blind by the age of 50.
designed to help them become the group on the GR 70 trail He has always been hungry
more independent. on their white canes. “If the app for adventure, including cycling
Over seven days, five hikers says to turn left, the dog will from Paris to Beijing. “Becoming
covered 130km of the GR 70 spontaneously find the path. blind was a double penalty,”
trail, known as the Chemin de “It is more difficult with the he said.
Stevenson, from Puy-en-Velay cane, but we get there,” Mr When he met René Farcy,
to Chasseradès, southern France. Muller said. a professor at Paris-Saclay
Gérard Muller, president of One of the hikers, Grégoire, 31, University who was developing
Yvoir, the association which led enjoyed the experience so much an app to help blind people get
the expedition in late September, he wants to become a tour guide. around, he wasted no time.
said: “There were people who The group was supervised by Using the prototype app, in
had never walked on their own. two mountain guides Yvoir had 2011, he walked the famous
“One woman, Annie, who is trained to use the app and to Camino de Santiago, including
completely blind, previously recognise which types of path the 750km in France, which he
only walked holding on to would be difficult. They then completed on his own.
somebody’s arm. It was difficult taught the hikers to use it. Today, 1,500km of hiking
at the start, but she gained in The training component is paths have been digitised,
confidence and was able to do essential, Mr Muller said. mainly in eastern France.
the rest by herself.” “The idea is that, afterwards, The app can also be used in
That was made possible by the they will digitise the paths cities, by inputting an address,
Openway GPS app, which Yvoir around where they live, so they and through cultural tours of
helped to develop. will become independent and local monuments.
The free app speaks and won’t need to always ask some- “Only five per cent of blind
guides the user between differ- one to accompany them.” people get around independent-
ent checkpoints, 30 metres It is only necessary to follow ly. That’s because people do not
apart, using a clock face. the path once while accompa- want to be seen with a cane as
It might say “Next point at 12 nied and the app will record it they are ashamed to be blind,
o’clock, in 30 metres”, meaning automatically. Users can add and above all because there are
to walk straight ahead. If the comments, where there is a too few orientation and mobil-
user strays off path, it will adjust danger such as a road crossing ity specialists to teach them.
its instructions. or where specific instructions “For 900,000 people in diffi-
Two of the participants on the are required to find the path. culty, there are 270 instructors,
hike were accompanied by The route is then available to and people often have to wait
guide dogs, while others relied other users of the app. Yvoir is up to two years.”
 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com News 9

Bretons demand more local power

A HUGE Breton flag was people from Brittany there.
The Gwenn ha du (White and black),
unfurled in parliament square
in Rennes in a campaign for
Flag was only designed in 1923 as the flag of Brittany is known, is one of
Nantes could be an economic
capital, and Rennes the admin-
the most recognisable in France.
greater autonomy in Brittany istrative capital.”
The nine horizontal stripes represent
and for the Loire-Atlantique Although it officially became
the dioceses into which Brittany was
department to join the region. French in 1532, Brittany main-

Photo: Shutterstock_Victor Joly

traditionally divided.
The 1,400m² flag is said to be tains a unique identity, often in
The figures in the top left represent the
the largest Breton flag in the reference to its Celtic heritage
ermine (stoat), an animal which appeared
world and was also displayed in on the flag of the Duchy of Brittany as and the Breton language.
Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) ahead early as 1318. Calls for greater powers have
of France’s presidential elections. The creature is at the centre of local heightened since interior min-
Nantes was part of Brittany folklore, as the Duchess Anne of Brittany ister Gérald Darmanin said in
for centuries, having joined the is said to have been hunting an ermine March that France is prepared Ex-PM to be named
kingdom in 851. to grant autonomy to Corsica.
Paris transport boss
Photo: À la bretonne !

when it stopped before a muddy field.

However, in 1941, a law It turned and said “Kentoc’h mervel eget “Corsica is the proof that we
passed by the Vichy govern- bezañ saotret” (Rather death than stain), can keep the constitution we’ve Former Prime Minister Jean
ment removed the Loire- which became the region’s motto. had since 1958 and include a Castex is set to be appointed
Inférieure, as Loire-Atlantique It is branded all around the world as a certain autonomy for the head of the RATP transport
was then known, and attached A 1,400m² flag was displayed in Rennes to call for regions,” Ms Moreau said. operator.
symbol of Breton identity, but the flag
it to Angers regional prefecture. Nantes to rejoin Brittany and for greater autonomy was only designed in 1923. In October 2021, Brittany’s Mr Castex, 57, served under
That decree was overturned in regional council adopted a res- Emmanuel Macron for two
1944 but when metropolitan level, and having the fiscal Rennes [130km away] so I have olution to request the state years, but will partly be remem-
Photo: Shutterstock / Rainer Lesniewski

France was divided into 22 autonomy to go with it,” to go via Nantes which, with “begins, with a view to 2024, bered for searching for his
regions in 1956, Loire-Atlantique Ms Moreau said. “Our objective the connection, takes around the legislative process for con- glasses before a televised
was part of Pays de la Loire. is to arrive at a sort of regional three hours.” sulting the electors of Loire- speech, and eventually finding
Michèle Moreau, committee democracy, while still being Some question whether reuni- Atlantique on whether or not them on his head.
member at À la bretonne!, the part of the French state.” fication would ignite rivalry they wish to join Brittany”. He earned the nickname Mr
association behind the giant Tired of the major decisions between Nantes and Rennes This June, Loire-Atlantique Déconfinement, for leading the
flag, said: “We have no com- hope of a consultation to follow, all being taken in Paris, activists over which becomes the capital councillors also adopted a reso- strategy to bring France out of
mon history. We were dispos- and potentially a referendum. want the region to have the of the expanded region, with lution to request a referendum lockdown. As he was replaced
sessed of our Breton identity.” The calls for reunification go power to decide things such as fears of loss of status and jobs, on the issue. by Elisabeth Borne in May, he
In September, Brittany’s hand in hand with demands for hospital closures. but she says power has always In 2018, 105,000 residents in told reporters he planned to
regional council voted to launch greater autonomy. Ms Moreau also cited trans- been split. the department signed a petition return to the Pyrenees, saying:
an impact assessment on reuni- “We are not asking for inde- port as an area where devolved “The parliament of Brittany from the association Bretagne “I need to repaint my shutters”.
fication, which will be co- pendence. We consider our- powers could be used to was in Rennes, but the dukes Réunie, demanding a consult- The RATP manages most
financed by Loire-Atlantique. selves French. Autonomy just improve people’s lives. lived in Nantes. Loire-Atlantique ation, but not a referendum, public transport in the Greater
The results are due to be pub- means having the possibility to “I live in Saint-Nazaire, and is more of an economic hub, which the association judged Paris area, including the metro,
lished by next March, with the choose what is done at a local there are no direct trains to which is why there are lots of “too dangerous” for its cause. buses and trams.

News in brief Warning after reports

National service for all
France’s ‘universal national
service’ scheme is to be opened
of wood pellet scams Is your financial
up to all French 15 to 17-year- Police have issued a warning and very fast or cheap delivery

olds next year. over scams when ordering fire-
It will be the first time that wood or wood pellets online.
numbers will not be capped. The gendarmerie of the Sarthe
The scheme, launched in 2019, department advised locals to
saw 32,000 people participate “beware of unusually attractive
this year. The voluntary pro-
gramme includes a two-week
camp focused on developing
‘republican values’, and 84 hours
of volunteering – for example, in
prices” and to file a complaint if
they fall victim to scams.
Victims might receive a
poor-quality product, nothing
at all, or have their personal
a charity or local authority. information stolen, the police
force said in a Facebook post.
Lidl cars up for grabs Several business owners have
reported that fraudsters used
their names and brands to
create fake websites and rip off
customers.
Consumer group UFC-Que
Choisir advises you not to agree
to pay via bank transfer before
receiving the delivery, and to
Photo: Lidl
planning on
offers. Banks often refuse to
refund the money once a trans-
fer has been authorised.
Advice on detecting scams is
also available in English at
granulesdebois.org.
Nigel Dent, 77, transferred
€197 to a firm called Energie du
Pays, but never received the
wood he ordered and was un-
the right path?
able to get in touch with them.
Beforehand, he said, he had
“checked out the company on
Pages Jaune, Mappy and others
to find that they had registered
the company and had a Siret  Are your financial arrangements designed Talk to the people who know
number and location”. to get the best from your capital?
It was only later that he  Are you paying too much tax on your 0 805 112 163 (N0 Vert)
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investment income? france@blevinsfranks.com
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watch out for spelling mistakes
Lidl France is to offer the
chance to win three Mini cars Sacré-Cœur finally to receive
painted in the chain’s colours.
Clients can participate until historic monument ‘honour’
November 13 via the Lidl app. It Sacré-Cœur Basilica in
follows the surprising success of Paris is set to be classified as a
the store’s own-colour trainers. historic monument, reigniting
a long-standing controversy.
Paris city council voted to
Yes to Lyon light show request the state grant the list-
Lyon’s famous Fête des ing, which allows for more state
Lumières festival is to go ahead funding for preservation work.
from December 8-11 this year Built from 1875, the Sacré-
despite attempts by the city to Cœur is the second most visited
reduce energy use. City hall said site in the capital, after Notre-
LED lighting would be used, so Dame, but its status has long
sites at signal-arnaques.com.
move has taken so long. It sits
on the hill of Montmartre,
which in 1871 was the site of the
Paris Commune insurrection.
At least 6,000 people were
killed in a single week as the
army crushed the uprising.
For certain politicians at the
time, the basilica’s construction
represented a form of revenge
against the revolutionaries, and
today some left-wing council-
082-fr
funds, which is the best for you? www.blevinsfranks.com
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the energy needed for the light been at the centre of an ideolog- lors believe it should not be
Blevins Franks Trustees Limited is authorised and regulated by the Malta Financial Services Authority for the administration of retirement schemes. This promotion has
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 10 News connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Fuel discount, energy voucher, pet adoption... new changes in France

1. Heating oil voucher
People who use oil to heat
their homes are to receive a
voucher worth €100 (€200 in
some cases) from November 8.
All vouchers should be received
by the end of the month.
They will be sent automatic-
The measure is still set to
be abolished completely on
December 31.
TotalEnergies will also
prolong its 20-cents-per-litre
discount, which was set to fall
to 10 cents from November,
for an extra two weeks.
which is provided by the shop. 6: Eviction truce
For digital products such Help is to be given Help for housing refugees
as subscription services or The trêve hivernale – to people who house
mobile phones, firms must France’s winter eviction truce – Ukrainian refugees People who have Ukrainian
provide new information on begins on November 1 and will refugees living in their homes are to
any security updates. For receive financial support from the
last until March 31.
example, the amount of end of November.
It is illegal for a landlord to
storage required and potential Those who have housed a refugee
evict a tenant during this time,
consequences in terms of for at least three months between
including for unpaid rent.

ally to people who have already
used a voucher to pay an oil
bill. Everyone else eligible can
request the aid via an online
platform from November 8.
Around half of the three mil-
lion households using heating
oil will be eligible, specifically
those on the lowest incomes.
2: Pension increase
More than 13 million retirees
have seen their complementary
pensions rise by 5.12% in
response to rising inflation.
In addition to basic state
pensions, private sector work-
ers receive the Agirc-Arrco
complementary pensions,
which are managed by trade
unions and employers’ organi-
sations.
3: Fuel help extended
The 30-cents-per-litre state
discount on petrol and diesel
has been extended until
November 14. It had been due
to reduce to 10 cents a litre
from November 1 but this has
been delayed due to refinery
strikes pushing prices up.
4: Consumer rights
Businesses now have extra
obligations in terms of inform-
ing customers of their rights.
The seller must inform clients
of the garantie légale de conform-
ité and garantie légale des vices
cachés, the guarantees all prod-
ucts come with in case they are
faulty, and how to claim your
money back.
They will also have to make a
clear distinction between these
and the garantie commerciale,
New rules on pet adoption
New rules around adopting a pet
have come into effect.
Prospective owners of a dog, cat,
ferret or rabbit must sign a document
stating the responsibilities involved, and
wait for seven days before the adoption
to avoid impulsive decisions.
The document will include inform-
ation on the specific animal’s psycho-
logical, behavioural and medical needs,
whether it requires a microchip or
tattoo, and the costs and other require- The rules apply to
ments to meet its needs, such as the
ideal space and exercise needed.
performance. Energy providers are also
5: Adverts switched off forbidden from disconnecting
household gas or electricity
Advertising screens must supply as a result of unpaid
now be turned off between bills during the winter.
the hours of 01:00 and 06:00
everywhere in France, except 7: Motorway help
for those located in airports The cost of motorway
and train, bus or metro stations breakdown assistance has risen
during service hours. 4% to €138.01 for vehicles
All lit-up advertising is also weighing up to 1.8 tonnes, and
banned on certain days where €170.65 for vehicles between
electricity supplies are particu- 1.8 and 3.5 tonnes.
larly strained. Prices are set by government
decree, and are 50% higher if
the emergency call is made
between 18:00 and 08:00, or on
weekends or public holidays.
8: Livret A: no change
Photo: Shutterstock_Prostock-studio The interest rate on regu-
lated Livret A savings accounts
is to stay at 2%.
The Banque de France can
advise the government to mod-
ify the rate twice a year, in May
and November, in addition to
the scheduled recalculations.
It decided to maintain the
pets which are current rate to encourage
bought or adopted spending rather than saving.
The rate is expected to rise to
Photo: shutterstock_Maxew
April 1 and December 31 will be
eligible for €150 per month.
An internet page where claims
can be sent should be unveiled in
the coming weeks.
around 3% in February. The 22, two days after the tourna-
accounts are tax-free. ment kicks off in Qatar.
The usual fan zones will not
9: Repairability score be returning, however. Several
More types of appliances major cities have decided not
must come with an indice de to screen the matches in
réparabilité (repairability score) response to ethical issues
from November 4. surrounding the host nation.
The score out of 10 tells buy- These include Paris, Marseille,
ers how easily a product can be Strasbourg, Lille and Bordeaux.
repaired and aims to reduce
waste. It will apply to top-load-
ing washing machines, dish-
Dates for your diary
washers, pressure washers and November 1: Toussaint bank
vacuum cleaners. holiday falls on a Tuesday.
It was first introduced in
2021 for front-loading washing November 11: A second bank
machines, televisions, laptops, holiday to mark the Armistice
smartphones and lawnmowers. of 1918 which brought World
War One to an end.
10: World Cup begins November 17: The Fête du
The French men’s national Beaujolais Nouveau. This is
football team will begin their always held on the third
defence of the World Cup Thursday of November as
against Australia on November this year’s wine goes on sale.

Investment insight by Joanne Leach

Structure your portfolio to thrive in an inflationary environment

Joanne Leach
Senior Client Director,
Strabens Hall EU

Fireworks ahead?
The last six months have been exceptionally
difficult, as developed market equities, suffered
their worst start to the year in over 50 years.
Fixed income assets were unable to provide
half of the year as the traditional inverse rela- rates we asked Will Bartleet CIO of Pacific
tionship between equities and fixed income Asset Management for his thoughts.
broke down as central banks turned increasingly ‘It is important to have a portfolio designed
hawkish in the face of elevated inflation. to thrive in an inflationary environment as
Physical Gold benefitted from US dollar this type of portfolio looks very different to
Photo: Vladimka production_shutterstock

the protection, perhaps expected, in periods
of equity market weakness.
Recession short and shallow
The response from central banks, to stronger
than expected inflation, provides a headwind
to global growth and recession is likely, in fund
managers Pacific Asset Management’s view.
However, it is expected to be short and shallow
given the healthy state of consumer balance
sheets and strong labour markets.
Diversifying assets continue to benefit
Most equity markets suffered losses over
the last year, showcasing the current level of
strength and Energy Investments made one that’s set up for a low inflation regime
further gains, although continues to trade as we’ve seen over the last decade.’
at a significant discount to its net asset value.
Diversifying assets continue to benefit To learn more about building a portfolio
portfolios, providing returns uncorrelated to that will thrive in an inflationary environment
equity markets. Notably funds which benefits please don’t hesitate to contact us.
from interest rate volatility.
Outlook
Elevated inflation levels can mostly be startherefrance@strabenshall.eu
attributed to the disruption of supply chains Strabens Hall France
as a result of the Covid pandemic, higher 37-41, Boulevard Dubouchage,
commodity prices brought about by Russia’s 06000 Nice, France
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invasion of Ukraine, and wage inflation.
Whilst the former two are showing signs Strabens Hall UK
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risk aversion, however, there was further diver- of abating - delivery times in China have
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gence between ‘growth’ equities and their ‘value’ improved to more normal levels and a broad
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weakness in pound sterling and euro, which record highs as recessionary fears increase -
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has the effect of softening the losses from there are signs of wage inflation broadening
non-UK, non-EU equity holdings. as consumers face a cost of living crisis.
Investors have been challenged during the first With inflation pressures and rising interest
This communication is not intended to constitute and should not be construed as investment advice or investment recommendations or investment research.
 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com News 11
‘Ghost garages’ help drivers evade fines
Identity thieves are exploiting the
trend for moving administrative processes FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002

December
online to create ‘ghost garages’ which offer
vehicle registration certificates under
stolen names.
Victims realise something is wrong only
when they receive fines for road offences
or, in one reported case, a call from the
police over a vehicle used as a getaway car.
Your questions answered
The crooks use stolen identity details to n Is gift tax payable if my n is a UK premium bonds
register a garage and premises with the daughter who lives abroad win that is reinvested in
chambre de métiers and then apply to issue buys me an electric car? more bonds liable to tax
cartes grises vehicle documents. if you live in France?
As more and more administrative pro- n Should I apply for UK
cesses move online, rather than being dealt citizenship for my son, n Can foreign GP issue

Photo: Carte Grise_HJBC

with in person in prefectures, scammers
are finding it easier to do this.
The cartes grises are then sold illegally
and allow the motorists who buy them to
drive, in effect, registered cars that cannot
easily be traced to them.
The carte grise lets the driver get a
contrôle technique (MOT), meaning the
vehicle appears to be in order if checked by
police. However, when vehicles with
the false plates fall foul of the law, it is the
person whose identity has been stolen who
is assumed responsible – and who receives
the penalties.
One anonymous victim, a salesman with
one car, told TF1 of his horror on finding
out he was ‘officially’ owner of a garage
with a fleet of more than 250 vehicles.
His lawyers have managed to freeze, but
not get rid of, the €250,000 in fines for
speeding, parking and other offences
which drivers of cars with the illegally
issued numberplates have racked up.
Police on the other side of the country
even contacted him after a hold-up
because the getaway car had a numberplate
linked to him.
When journalists went to the registered
The garages provide real vehicle registration certificates using false identities
address of the garage, they found an empty
shop, with a flat converted into offices
above. The owner had no idea the garage
business was registered with him and
when he alerted the chambre de commerce,
he was told they could not do anything
without a demand from the local procureur
de la république.
According to TF1, most ‘ghost garages’
were initially confined to the north of
France, but they can now be found all
over the country.
Authorities are working to shut down the
networks, but the process is painstaking
and time-consuming.
One idea that has been mooted is to
physically verify a company’s address
before it can be legally registered.
The chambre de commerce for Roubaix
told TF1 it has shut five false garages, but
can only do so after an order from a judge.
The director of Roubaix’s municipal
born in France, or wait a medical certificate for
until he has lived in UK? French walking group?
n Can I reduce size of n What refund rights do
porch on planned house standard French credit
without new permission? cards offer?
police, Christian Belpaire, said demand for
fraudulent cartes grises was being driven
by people using them to evade speeding PLUS...
fines and motoring penalties.
They are also popular with drug smugg-
lers and other criminal gangs, who use
How ‘duty-free’ works
falsely registered vehicles to travel without
being tracked.
Concern about false cartes grises has led to
between France and UK
a tightening of procedures when it comes to
issuing them, a spokeswoman for the
Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie
Hauts-de-France told The Connexion.
This includes using electronic certificates
to help verify the identity of an individual
or company first and establish credentials.
“Checks are becoming stricter and strict-
Santons
and Santa!
er and the eligibility criteria are now so
tight that even some garages which have
been operating for several years legally are
finding it hard to meet them,” the spokes-
woman said.

Photo: Andrew Birkin

France delivers on new GPS address system
The big INTERVIEW
new address systems for homes the number and road, then the
and businesses, imposed by postcode and commune. There
an EU directive to standardise was hardly any opposition to
them for GPS, are now in place
all over France.
the changes, apart from some
cafe gossip about how silly
Andrew Birkin on his sister
The obligation for communes
to maintain address databases
Parisians are when trying to
find people in the country-
Jane and Serge Gainsbourg
in a standard format was side, or anecdotes about GPS
reinforced by a measure in leading delivery lorries down + History: Bluebell girls at the Lido
the huge ‘3DS’ law from the dead ends.
environment ministry, which Orders to make the changes + Christmas gardens in the Loire
was passed by parliament
in February.
were sent directly by prefects to
maires, and not passed through
+ Magic of Marseille at Christmas
Photo: Neydt Stock_shutterstock

Prompted by the gilets jaunes
protests, one of the objectives
of the law was to give more
power to local communes,
including responsibility for
naming and numbering roads
and lieux-dits.
It follows a decade which has
seen every commune in France
slowly change addresses so they
can fit in standard computer
forms for a common database.
This has led to a multipli-
cation of road signs, with
previous lieu-dit signs having
No post for properties that do not display their new numbers
letters to all its clients asking
if they were happy for these
details to be passed on.
Government recommend-
ations to communes on how
they should run their address
databases are still in place,
and have led to two different
the former conseils généraux, + Toulouse’s mythical medieval poet
which operated at a depart-
mental level.
Residents and businesses had uk-born french rower
Susannah Duncan
to bear the cost of changing
their addresses on stationery
and take time to amend them
from an intersection. The
system brought an end to
on all electronic forms, although
advances in technology mean + Crémant as your festive fizz
centuries of tradition in France,
where many rural addresses
many institutions, such as
banks, did that automatically.
+ Cyclamens at Christmas
were simple lieux-dits.
Usually, these were either the
Most communes, which had
to pay for the new road signs,
+ The suffragettes of Paris
name of a former occupant placed orders for new house
(Chez Jean was popular), or number plaques at the same These and many more practical tips and topics
about life in France + full access to our website

new road names planted next
to them, even where the road is
called ‘Route de (lieu-dit)’
Originally meant to speed up
the deployment of GPS maps
and navigation aids, the change
also allows the government to
sell off addresses to commercial
businesses and forces utility
companies, such as EDF, to
open their address database to
competitors if clients give their
consent. In October, EDF sent
systems – one for towns and
another for rural areas.
In towns, almost all addresses
are numeric, with the first
house in a road numbered one,
and continuing down the street
with odd numbers on one side
and even numbers on the other.
In rural areas, almost all com-
munes have followed a metric
system, where houses are
numbered according to the
distance in metres they are
subscribe
describing a local feature, such time to give to residents.
as Les Roches. However, courts have ruled
This made for a simple three- that they are not obliged to
line address system, with the do so.
name of the recipient on the Residents must clearly show
top line, the lieu-dit on the their new numbers at the
second line and the postcode entrance to their property.
Subscribe now to receive the December edition
and commune on the third. La Poste, which is slowly at your home. Only €66 to a French address
Now a fourth line, giving trying to reduce staff by not
the road name and number, replacing postmen and women connexionfrance.com
must be added, meaning most who retire, has warned it will
rural addresses are the name
of the recipient, the lieu-dit,
not deliver to properties that
fail to do so.
Call Nathalie on 06 40 55 71 63
 12 Inspiration connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Low-rent lock houses provide business

opportunities on scenic Brittany canals
by Brian McCulloch Ille Flottante bid for a lock-house and moorings in the early days of
ENTREPRENEURS are taking the scheme to set up their boat-based accommodation business
over lock houses and stretches
of canal bank in return for low
rents in a project to boost the
tourist potential of Brittany’s
old waterways.
The scheme started in 2013.
Local government changes
meant the Brittany regional
council became responsible
for canals in the area, many
of which have not been used
commercially for many years,
but which still boast working
lock systems.
In the old days, each lock

Photo: Region Bretagne

would have its own lock-keeper,
responsible for helping boats
navigate through and main-
Photo: Ille Flottante

taining the lock infrastructure.

Now it is no longer necessary
to have a keeper at each house Prospective bidders are shown around one of the empty lock
– pleasure boats either operate houses singled out for its tourism potential in Brittany
the locks themselves or rely houses on the 440km of canals for by the successful bidder, maintenance required. They could do, and we are proud to April to October, with four
on the services of mobile in Brittany. who benefits from low rents were replaced with ‘themed’ have made use of them.” full-time salaries on the
lock-keepers who travel Véronique Gonzalez, in charge and a guaranteed right of craft, including a cabin cruiser, The couple pay €3,000 a year business, but for at least five
between sites in cars and vans. of tourism services at Redon occupation for 10 years. a narrowboat, a converted in rent for the whole business months there is no work, which
In total, there are 156 lock Agglomération which runs One of the stars of the first barge, a ‘yellow submarine’ and the house, and received is a difficult way to live.
the scheme, said: “People love round of the project is the Ille houseboat and a sailing boat. guarantees that the 10-year “I am thinking of looking for

“
being next to the water, so
keeping paths open and
developing tourism makes
a lot of sense.
“This is one way of making
use of the heritage we have,
as well as providing people
People love being with the opportunity to have
next to the water, businesses which they might
not otherwise have.”
so keeping paths The region remains the legal
open and developing owner of the lock houses and
the canal and its banks, and is
tourism makes responsible for basic mainten-
ance, including walls, roofs
a lot of sense and sewerage systems.
Véronique Gonzalez Everything else must be paid
Flottante sleep-on-a-boat busi-
ness, developed by Catherine
Saint-James and her musician
husband Guillaume. It is on
the Canal d’Ille-et-Rance, on
the outskirts of the village
of Hédé-Bazouges, between
Rennes and Saint-Malo.
The couple took over a lock
house and moorings with the
idea of living in the house
themselves and having people
stay on boats on the canal.
They originally used specially-
built wooden boats from the
Loire, but these were sold after
a couple of years due to the
The couple also run a bar and
cafe, organise jazz concerts,
and hire out bicycles and small
motor boats.
More recently, they have
converted the stables, originally
used by canal horses to pull the
boats, into accommodation,
and last year took over a second,
neighbouring, lock house to
expand the business.
“We lived in the village and
realised the potential of the
site,” said Ms Saint-James.
“When the region decided to
make use of the lock houses,
we knew it was something we
contract would be renewed in
2023 before they started work
on the second house.
“Low rent enabled us to spend
on the business, but the arrange-
ment does have its problems,”
said Ms Saint-James.
“We cannot sell the business
when we leave and get no return
on the rise in value of the
property due to our turning it
from a sad, empty house into a
thriving tourist and social hub.”
The extreme seasonality of
a canal-based tourist business
can also be difficult to manage.
“We work very hard from
a salaried job in four or five
years to have more financial
security, and hope to find
someone to take over the
day-to-day management.
“But we went into this with
our eyes open, the project has
benefited the area, and I would
recommend a similar arrange-
ment for people who think
they would like to build up a
tourism business on the canal.”
Anyone interested should
keep an eye on bretagne.bzh.
The latest call for projects
has closed, but there might be
others in the years to come.

Career change: Salon kept me away from home but now I employ my sons
In our series featuring British qualification recognised, and people who are being funded through
people who have changed New directions: in August 2016 finally managed to government grants – the only British
award Connor a CDI contract. window-fitting company with this
career in France, Jane Hair salon owner to Caleb remained in education, first accreditation in Brittany.
Robertshaw explains how a family window business qualifying with a Bac Pro, then enroll- All in all, there is no shortage of
ing at university in Portsmouth. work and the company is thriving.
desire to be a better mum only find a part-time job. One day, we Sadly, he was unhappy there and As for me, I am working hard but
Photo: Brittany PVC

spawned a family business
My husband Allan and I moved to
France in 2005. I had been working
seven days a week running a hair salon
and didn’t feel I ever got to be mum to
my two boys, Caleb, then 11, and
Connor, seven. In France, we could
buy a house outright in Brittany,
freeing valuable time for family.
With money in the bank, Allan,
who had worked as a mechanic, lorry
driver, engineer and window installer
over the years, took up a gardening
job to bring in some extra cash.
I concentrated on learning French,
enrolling on an intensive course, so I
could support my children at school.
We began to make friends with
locals, both English and French, and
each time the question of what I did
in the UK would crop up. When I told
people I had been a hairdresser, they
Allan and Jane Robertshaw
were keen to use my services. In the
end, I registered as a part-time hair-
dresser but kept my client list small
and made sure I had plenty of free
time for the kids.
A couple of years of cutting grass
took its toll on Allan’s knees, and he
was advised to find a role where he
wasn’t pushing a lawnmower up
and down. He decided to return
to window-fitting.
We set up Brittany PVC in 2011,
with Allan as the fitter and me
managing the day-to-day admin and
appointments. It brought in a healthy
income, but we had no plans to
expand further.
In 2015, things changed. Connor, by
then 21, had left education but could
received a letter from Cpam saying he
was not earning enough to keep his
carte Vitale. We were shocked.
At the time, we had been debating
whether to take on a member of staff
at the window company – demand
was high and Allan was struggling to
manage on his own. We asked Connor
if he would be interested.
Before we could offer him a contract,
however, he needed to gain a qualifica-
tion. He worked for several months
with the company, carefully learning
his trade. Then, when he had acquired
the necessary skills, we arranged for
him to return to the UK to Allan’s old
company and be assessed for an NVQ.
Both he and Allan worked there for
three weeks (Allan for free in return
for the opportunity to have Connor’s
skills assessed).
They returned to France, we went
through the process of having the
returned home after 18 months unsure
of his next steps. We told him he could
get a job in IT as he had already gained
a good French qualification, or take
12 months doing a casual job to think
about what he wanted to do.
A third option, if he wanted, was to
join the family business. He chose the
latter, and spent two years completing
a full apprenticeship. Now he, too, is
working for us with a CDI. Having the
CDI means both my boys – now aged
25 and 28 – have mortgages and live
in their own homes.
The firm has gone from strength to
strength. We initially sourced products
in the UK, but when we expanded to
fitting shutters too, we liaised with a
French supplier and are now one of
their main customers.
In 2021, we became RGE (Reconnu
Garant de l’Environnement) registered,
which means we can work with
could not be happier. I work from
home, liaising with customers and
organising the boys’ schedules.
And even though both my sons now
live independently, I get to see them
every day through work.
Our company would have stayed
small if Connor and Caleb had
not joined it, but employing them
means we have taken on more cus-
tomers and the business has become
well established.
Allan, now 61, hopes to take a step
back sometime in the next few years
and eventually we will pass the firm
fully to the boys.
My move to France was prompted
by a desire to be a ‘more present’
mum. I never thought that as well as
being there for my boys through their
childhoods, moving here would let us
give them steady employment and a
bright future to boot.
 The Connexion November 2022
Blown away by windy, welcoming Saint-Malo
Sally Ann Voak continues her journey through France in
tribute to her late husband, this time enjoying a hair-raising
mini-break on the Brittany coast and sightseeing in Nantes
On a clear, starry evening, I boarded
the overnight ferry from Portsmouth,
slept soundly and woke up in the
vibrant port of Saint-Malo.
As a first-time visitor to Brittany
and Nantes (just a two-and-a-half-
hour train ride away), I was eager to
explore one of the most beautiful and
dramatic areas in France.
With its historic ties (and skirmish-
es!) with England, this part of the
country has always fascinated me.
It was my penultimate trip on a ‘wish
list’ my husband Patrick and I com-
piled for our 50th wedding anniversary
but never carried out together as he
died before we were able to do so.
I remember Pat’s sound advice: “Sal,
let the wind blow through your hair,
walk, talk, observe, learn.”
Upon arrival in Saint-Malo, I set
off to walk the ramparts and explore.
The city was originally built on a
rocky islet and named after a hermit
monk named, oddly, Maclow. Mac
was canonised after his death, hence
Saint-Malo. It is a city of pirates,
explorers and modern-day sailing
folk looking for adventure.
As a strategic port and fortress, it
has seen rebellion, bloody battles,
wealth, poverty and disasters. It was
almost totally rebuilt (using old stones
and bricks) after bombardment in
World War Two. Yet the walls stayed
firm and the paths on top are a great
place to view the sights, monuments,
churches and beaches.
I paused to admire the huge statue
of Jacques Cartier, who left the port
on August 25, 1534, on a 20-day
voyage across the Atlantic looking for
a passage to Asia. Instead, he became
the first European to map the St
Lawrence River and claimed Canada
for the king of France. His statue is
popular with Canadian tourists.
Further on, I stood opposite the
Fort National, built in 1689 and
which contained the gibbet on which
criminals were hanged. Hair-raising!
Back at the main gate of the Old
Town, I spent the evening eating
delicious scallops and oysters and
learning about the upcoming Route
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du Rhum 2022 single-handed yacht
race from Saint-Malo to Guadeloupe,
when 2,000 or so yachting enthusiasts
would be in town.
Boat trip to Dinard
Day Two was misty and the sea
looked rough. I felt nervous about
taking the short trip across the bay to
Dinard. A tiny boat bobbed up to the
landing stage and two elderly ladies
stepped off laughing and chatting. So,
fearless Pat in mind, I braved the
weather and bounced over the waves.
My 15-minute shake-up was worth
it to see the beautiful Art Deco houses,
rummage around vintage shops and
eat a perfect omelette au jambon at a
glamorous brasserie on the wide,
sandy beach.
Back in salty, welcoming Saint-Malo,
I joined a tour of French visitors at
l’Hôtel Magon, built in the 18th
century by François-Auguste Magon,
director of the Compagnie des Indes
Orientales and a corsaire (privateer)
under Louis XV.
His opulent pad (which also some-
how escaped the bombardment of
1944) has a network of dungeon-like
cellars stretching out under the sea.
His sailors would offload spices, gold
and silks onto small boats and trans-
port the booty into these cellars to
avoid losing it to English pirates wait-
ing outside the port.
I wandered the cobbled streets, visit-
ed the cathedral, then popped into a
little print and photo shop. As I stood
admiring the wonderful shots of the
port and beaches, the owner, Frédéric
Aussant, asked if I would like to meet
the photographer, his son Guillaume.
From the darkroom below popped
handsome, smiling Guillaume, who
then invited me to his new gallery
near the cathedral. Wow!
Historic treasures in Nantes
Next, to Nantes. We had flown over
the city in a friend’s Cessna many
years ago and had always wanted
to see it on terra firma.
My return ticket cost €50 with just
one change, at Rennes. An easy walk
Start your property
+33 (0)5 53 60 84 88
connexionfrance.com
Sally’s full ‘For Pat’ list
1. Grand Massif for serious walking
2. Haute-Savoie to explore a
mountain-top chateau
3. Bordeaux for wine, rugby, culture
4. Nice, Monaco and the Côte d’Azur
for a coast train ride listening to
Charles Trenet
5. Toulouse and the Mont-de-Marsan
rugby chapel to put one of Pat’s rugby
shirts there
6. Avignon to explore the ramparts
and the bridge
7. Armentières because their late
pal and Chelsea Pensioner Frank
Mouqué, Légion d’honneur, helped
rebuild the canal bridge
8. Brittany coast to feel the wind
9. Nantes because they flew over the
city in a friend’s Cessna and decided
to explore it from terra firma
10. Paris for a Sunday open-air bal
guinguette. “I’ll dance for you, Pat!”
from my hotel took me to the Bouffay
district, with its labyrinth of streets,
chateau and the Cathédrale Saint-
Pierre et Saint-Paul.
Jacques Prévert wrote that Nantes is
so beautiful “it shakes you up”. Its size,
wide boulevards, imposing monu-
ments, elegant townhouses and tiny
alleys certainly shook me up and I
vowed to come back for a longer trip.
Until then, I made do by taking
Le Petit Train de Nantes, which
whizzes around its diverse districts.
By evening, I had a plan, a beer and
my first gluten-free galette.
Day Four started with the Château
des ducs de Bretagne, which dominates
the centre of the city. Built at the end of
the 15th century by François II, the last
duke of Brittany, and later by his
daughter Anne, it is a palatial 32-room
residence and brilliant museum.
Anne was raised in the chateau and
was just 11 when her father died.
A much-coveted heiress, she was
married to Maximilian I of Austria by
proxy, but Charles VIII of France was
quick to realise this could mean
trouble as his realm was sandwiched
between Austria and Brittany.
Consequently, he started a military
search today!
leggettfrance.com
Exploring France 13
Sally Ann Voak in
front of Saint-Malo’s
Fort National
campaign, forced her to denounce her
marriage and, in 1491, she tied the
knot with him, becoming queen
consort of France. He lived just seven
years more, after which the throne
passed to his cousin, Louis XII.
Following the annexation of Brittany
by France, Anne, aged 21, had to
marry him, and was queen consort
for a second time.
Accounts say they enjoyed a happy
marriage. Anne is thought to have
had 11 pregnancies (three by Charles),
with just two daughters surviving.
Despite spending most of her life in
the Loire Valley, she remained true to
her Brittany roots, defending the
independence of the Duchy.
Exhausted by her multiple pregnan-
cies, she died in 1514 aged 39, and was
buried in the necropolis of St Denis.
In the evening I walked to the
fascinating Feydeau district, with its
untouched 18th century buildings.
Two small arms of the Loire once
info@leggett.fr
Photos: Sally Ann Voak
Breton photographer
Guillaume Aussant
The imposing Château des
ducs de Bretagne in Nantes
surrounded the area to make it an
island, but they were filled in between
1926 and 1946. It still has an ethereal,
quiet quality, like a floating village
within the city.
Back to Saint-Malo
After returning by train to Saint-
Malo, I found my hotel near the walls
and gate of the Old Town, convenient
for my taxi ride to the ferry the
following morning.
I was told the building had been
a corsaire’s house, and my room
certainly looked spooky.
Grand Mère Augustine was a
renowned early 20th century cook,
and her eponymous restaurant is still
packing them in. So I headed there
for my final meal – a galette and pint
of Duchesse Anne beer. Anne was,
truly, a girl after my own heart!
One more journey for Pat remains: I
will be dancing in an open-air Paris
guinguette before Christmas, I promise!
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14 Comment
Richard Ogier is an Australian journalist based in
Strasbourg. He has written on France and Germany
for the LA Times, Canadian Globe and Mail, Liberation,
Independent and for his native Australian press.
He joins The Connexion as a regular columnist
connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022
Simon Heffer, the renowned political commentator
and historian, turns his gaze to French politics
Simon Heffer is also a columnist for the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs

Strikes highlight the A Macron an easy

ll of Europe is confronting
social and political difficulties
caused by a combination of
Russia’s war on Ukraine and the

mess at the heart of scapegoat as

aftermath of the pandemic.
It is especially unfortunate for
President Macron that these come

French party politics

when he has no majority in the
Assemblée Nationale, and a

opponents seize
vulture-like set of opponents who
have decided to hate him more than
they hate each other.
Five months after the French legislative elections, the French political They are making him the scapegoat
modus operandi for the next five years remains uncertain. The modus viv- for every difficulty France faces.

on crises to
endi, however, is becoming clearer. Amid strikes and further disruption in Some problems are not his fault, and
critical sectors (oil refineries, public utilities and transport), febrility could it is hard to make a case that any-
be described as a keyword. thing he has done has made matters
The crisis has made obvious numerous political and societal issues for worse than they would be.
France and beyond: a still diabolical dependence on the petrol model However, as France becomes more

motor car despite the climate emergency; energy multinationals reluctant damaged by industrial action and its
to accord pay rises amid record profits; the inherent limits of both French people more angry, the government
minimum service legislation and French corporatism, where workplaces is the obvious target for those who
host multiple major unions for whom so-called majority agreements don’t seek something or someone to take
mean much. it out on.
France, like the rest of Europe, is racked by the energy crisis post-pan- And the president is further goad-
demic, though has coped comparably well due to the government’s ing his enemies by forcing through a
early-stage Keynesian policy and especially the €47billion ‘energy price budget after the Assembly’s refusal to
shield’ (rather than, as across the Channel, the economic non-sequitur of do so.
lower taxes followed by unfunded energy subsidies). To borrow from They challenge his commitment to
Le Monde, France has provided its citizens with a level of democracy; he challenges their sense
financial support and protection unparalleled in Europe. of responsibility as he tries to carry
And yet the hard-left opposition of Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s The bizarre on a serious government.
‘Nupes’ is urging a rudderless “convergence of fights” Britons will view France’s 6.2%
against the catch-all of “expensive life”, while blaming the spectacle inflation rate as a luxury, compared
government. This could be politely called a broad-brush is of Le Pen with the 10.1% in the UK.
endorsement of pure protest, that the latest public opin- British rates are higher thanks to a
ion polling shows the majority of French do not like.
in the role ridiculous degree of economic
A florilège of Mélenchonian tweets, and one in particular of the mismanagement, but also an initial
last month, in which he called on protesters to “do better” Reasonable determination to have British con-
than the women in October 1789 who marched on sumers bear the rise in energy prices
Versailles and forced the king and his family to return to One (a policy that changed, and is chang-
Paris, was widely interpreted as a thinly-veiled call to citi- ing again) to a degree that the
zen violence. Why was there not simply a press conference Macron administration decided was
called to clarify? Because French political culture is often words left to hang not politically feasible.
in the air as pundits rush in like jesters at court, falling over each other to One day the French will find the
interpret what, in this case, the kingly ‘Mélenchon’ might have meant. proverbial ticket collector standing at
On the mainstream right, Les Républicains (LR) have called for a the top of escalator, and the bill will
score points
been dire. The French government,
faced with 30% of filling stations out
of service, has used the power of
requisition to force some refineries
to re-open: this further provoked the
trade unions, and – if the pun can be
forgiven – provided an enormous
amount of extra fuel for the fire that
M. Mélenchon has lit under
M. Macron.
The hard left have not had it all
their own way, however: a general
transport strike called for October 18
in support of the oil refinery workers,
to protest against the government’s
use of requisitions to force refineries
and depots to open, and for good
measure (and its public relations) to
demand more action on climate
change, was nowhere near so well
observed as the unions had hoped.
The cost of living, demands for
higher salaries and general political
opportunism are causing other
unions to threaten industrial action,
among them the SNCF, which would
if carried out lead to further eco-
nomic damage and paralysis.
It remains to be seen how extensive
any such action would be, and
whether unions thus far not engaged
in seeking to hobble the administra-
tion will feel minded to join in.
M. Macron still promises to raise
France’s retirement age, which might
be provocation enough.
The CGT claimed after the day of
action that it had offered to talk with
TotalEnergies about pay and condi-
tions; the employers refused to
countenance talks, which suggests
they were aware that the strike was

conciliatory style while dismissing Macron’s National Council for be presented. With luck, M. Macron
Refoundation — his attempt at a more conciliatory style — as a “gadget” can postpone that until after he can
and a “machin” (a “thingy”). The party is not, its scions have told us, dissolve the Assembly, hold new elec-
merely a supplement to government. tions and hope for a better outcome.
Except that exactly, or even remotely, what LR might be proposing is That can’t happen before next June:
unclear. This could be construed as a rather pressing issue for the party, and the way he is being turned on by
given that they haven’t produced much in the way of new ideas for about Marine Le Pen and Jean-Luc
15 years as their electoral fortunes have continued to plummet. Mélenchon, from opposite extremes,
The further LR has moved to the right, the harder it’s become to get the sense of a France in turmoil,
their hands on the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen; that is, to or perhaps before long chaos,
hold it still long enough to land a major blow upon it. may spread.
They do, though, seem to spend inordinate amounts of energy on the
psychodrama of former president Nicolas Sarkozy and his role and
If it does, the likelihood of
M. Macron persuading his electorate
influence as senior party elder. The debate could be summarised thus: to choose candidates who support
a marvellous president he was, but is it not time, as Freud would have it, him will diminish, and he could end
for the metaphorical “killing of the father”? up even more beleaguered after such
Out further right, Madame Le Pen is doing her best to ‘detoxify’. The detox- a poll than he is now.
ified right, after all, has the wind behind it. Just look at what Giorgia Meloni France has attracted international
has managed in Italy or what the misnomer of the ‘Swedish Democrats’ attention because of the consequenc-
have achieved up north. The bizarre spectacle is of Le Pen in the role of the es of a walkout by operatives at oil
Reasonable One because already positioning for the next presidential elec- refineries owned by the fuel giant
tion in 2027. Not as a repository of protest, but an entirely comprehensible TotalEnergies, making many filling
good sense ‘alternative’. After Macron, she’s hoping that a majority of the stations run dry.
French will see her as the only one they haven’t tried. Many may well do. France’s popularity as a holiday
More alarming, perhaps, is the President’s governing coalition. Thanks to destination is not confined to July
a constitutional change ushered in by Jacques Chirac, not otherwise the and August, and there is anecdotal
most energetic of reformers, no French President can run for a third term. evidence from tourist attractions that
So Macron’s Knights at his King’s Table are already arguing that he’s en customers from France and adjoin-
route for the exit sign. Of course, knowing that he’s going might lead him to ing countries who choose autumn to
behave in a way he wouldn’t if he weren’t — his eyes on the history books. visit them are staying at home or
But this is conjecture. At this stage, the President’s modus operandi going elsewhere.
(yes, his too) is unclear. His modus vivendi, however, might be said to be Inevitably, the effect on the nation-
constant movement. But for what? At a critical juncture in his presidency, al economy of those who wish to get
he’s playing his cards close to his chest. At least for the moment. to work or to the shops, never mind
have a recreational experience, has
“
M. Mélenchon is
in the early stages
of a programme of
harassment aimed
at undermining
the President
Two unions involved in the oil
dispute seem willing to settle, but
the militant CGT union – which has
M. Mélenchon’s backing, and vice versa
– was slower to offer concessions.
The courts have upheld the requisi-
tioning powers, and if tensions con-
tinue to rise there could be some
ugly confrontation.
It is quite likely that, with the help
of his union comrades, M. Mélenchon
is simply in the early stages of a
programme of harassment aimed at
undermining the President in the
hope of making electoral capital
when an election next occurs.
crumbling. Some refineries went
back to work that day.
It was the eve of the school half-
term holidays, and people with chil-
dren they might want to drive
around and entertain during the hol-
idays also have votes.
The unions must throughout this
or any other industrial action make a
judgment weighing up the damage
done to the government against the
damage done to M. Mélenchon’s
electoral prospects – in which the
labour movement has an enormous
vested interest. On the left, he is the
last man standing.
There are, potentially, worse prob-
lems ahead than being unable to fill
up the Renault. Workers for EDF, the
power company currently being
nationalised, are also threatening
industrial action, with winter immi-
nent and a war on against the
region’s main energy supplier.
Subsidies on fuel and power
can’t last forever, as the British
government has found.
M. Macron’s best bet is to seek to
get the public onside, probably best
done by challenging the political
sense and good faith of his oppo-
nents. He is not dealing with entirely
rational people, and that is why,
in the weeks ahead, anything could
happen.

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 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com Comment 15

Hunting feels safer in France Nabila Ramdani is an award-winning

A British woman was shot In its petition, the Un jour, un chasseur
group called for hunting to be banned
and later died during a boar on Wednesdays and Sundays, but the
hunt in Brittany in October, measure does not appear among the
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.

Roman Polanski’s
raising fresh concerns about Senate’s proposals
“A hunt-free day is not a bad idea,
safety. We speak to a hunter because some people tell me they’re
who still believes hunting afraid to go in the woods on certain

defenders are
days,” Mr Porter said.
is considerably safer in “It is well signposted, and we all wear
France than in the UK high-vis jackets. Accidents have hap-
pened, and that is terrible.

setting women’s
A British woman has died after being “I’ve seen people cycle within 50 yards
shot by her partner during a boar hunt. of me and I think they are either not
The 67-year-old was taking part in a looking at signs or are ignoring them.”
Photo: Martin Porter

hunt in Goudelin, in Brittany, on Mr Porter, 62, has been shooting in

rights back decades

October 16 when her partner let his gun the UK for 25 years, and decided to
go off as a result of a handling error. join his local French hunt when he
Official reports say his rifle was on his bought a second home in rural
When Martin Porter shot a wild boar,
shoulder as he was heading for a field, Dordogne three years ago.
the meat was shared around
with the barrel pointing backwards, He said this has allowed him to get Listening to a self-obsessed show-
when the bullet was fired and hit the required to obtain the certificate. The to know locals he would not otherwise biz worker discussing the intricacies

Photo: Shutterstock_Featureflash Photo Agency

woman in the chest. 2021-22 hunting season in France saw have met. “The local chasse puts on a of her private life can be an unset-
Tests later showed he had consumed 90 accidents leading to physical injuries, meal once a year, and the whole village tling experience. Beyond droning on
neither alcohol nor drugs. data from the French office for bio- is invited,” he said. “I would encourage about glamorous homes and fad
The incident has reignited debate over diversity show. Eight of these were any Brits living abroad to get involved diets, they invariably offer too much
whether there is sufficient protection fatal, including two victims who were with a local hunt as one of the ways of information about messy relation-
for hunters and locals. not hunters. integrating with a part of your village.” ships, while mixing them with woe-
The Senate recently published a In the last 20 years, 12% of all injuries On his first hunt of the year, the fully half-baked opinions about polit-
report with 30 proposals to make happened to non-hunters. group shot two wild boar. ical or social issues. Emmanuelle Seigner is
hunting safer, including banning The number of fatal accidents has “They were taken back to the hunt This was certainly the case when married to Roman Polanski
alcohol during hunts. been in slow decline since 2001-02, cabin and butchered and all partici- Emmanuelle Seigner – a French
It follows 120,000 people signing a however, when 31 people were killed. pants received a portion. It was very actor, model and singer – started mitigating on behalf of a convicted
petition calling for stricter regulations. Mr Porter believes the idea that most much a team effort and the reward child sex abuser on a TV chat show.
Hunter and retired doctor Martin hunters are either drunk or careless is was spread throughout the team. Looking peculiarly sinister on TF1’s Sept à Huit, she made out that
Porter, however, says that hunting a myth. “I’m sure it did happen in the “I was able to give some of my spoils her husband Roman Polanski was ultimately misunderstood and
regulations in France are already past, but I think people are far more to our next-door neighbour, who grate- should be “left in peace”.
“far superior” to those in the UK. conscious now. They’ll have a drink fully received my offering of fresh wild Worse, Ms Seigner said Polanski – a fugitive
To obtain the licence required in afterwards, but I’ve not seen anyone the boar and invited me in for a beer.” from American justice after raping a schoolgirl in French
France, hunters must complete training least bit intoxicated during the day.” The former NHS doctor from Hollywood in 1977 – could not have been guilty of
and pass theory and practical exams. According to the Senate’s report, 9% Worcestershire further believes the such a heinous crime because “all the young girls presidents
The theory test evaluates knowledge of hunting accidents are alcohol-related. image people have of hunters in the wanted to sleep with him”. have
of wildlife, weapon safety and hunting One thing that does make accidents UK can lead to misconceptions. She intimated that what he did was somehow
regulation. The practical exam involves more likely in France, Mr Porter says, “Hunting is not seen as an elitist acceptable in a “more permissive age”, and that always set
several activities, including shooting is the species involved in large game activity in France. On the contrary, it the gruesome details of how Polanski, then 43, the tone
clay pigeons. Those painted red, to hunting. is the activity of the working man.” forced himself on a 13-year-old had never shocked
represent protected species, and “With deer shooting out on the He said it costs him around €300 per her. Polanski is accused of other sexual crimes, for a
those travelling in the direction of Scottish hills, you are in isolation, year in membership fees and insurance but Ms Seigner called his critics “mad”. thoroughly
human silhouettes, must be avoided. 200 or 300 yards from the animal.” to hunt every Sunday in France. If all that was not bad enough, Ms Seigner even
“There is no need for any test of com- In France, on the other hand, it is In the UK, “shooting with a modest attacked the #MeToo movement, which has seen sexist
petency or safety in order to go game common to hunt wild boar. This means syndicate will cost €350 to €450 for one thousands of women across the world highlighting country
shooting in the UK as long as you have “eight to 10 people with guns within day. However, people will spend a lot sex assaults online and then bringing their torment-
a shotgun certificate,” said Mr Porter, 50 yards of each other. It requires a more than that”. ors to justice.
who has hunted in both countries. much cooler head not to break the safe- He has also noticed more young and She said it had been responsible for “a lot of abuse, lies, which dis-
No exams or training courses are ty rules and shoot where you shouldn’t.” female hunters in France, he said. credit victims and do them a disservice”. In short: young women are
being far too hard on rich, powerful men like Polanski.

No remorse for being a disloyal, fickle customer

Ms Seigner, 56, is, of course, biased. She has been married to the
89-year-old director since she was 23, and they share a prosperous,
relatively untroubled life together. France does not have an extradi-
by Samantha David faction lasted all of two months. The tion treaty with the US so he is free to live and work.
actual electricity didn’t go up but a However, Ms Seigner’s disturbing views echo those of a Paris
I confess to being probably France’s whole bunch of other standing charges arts establishment which is at best amoral, and at worst criminally
Photo: Tyshchenko Photography_shutterstock

most disloyal consumer.
Far from staying with the same com-
pany for decades, I change all the time.
Car insurance, internet and phone,
mobile contract, heating fuel and, of
course, electricity. I change most of
them every year, taking advantage of
the introductory offer and then skip-
ping off to some other firm once the
prices start creeping up.
And let’s face it, electricity is the same,
regardless how much I pay for it or
who supplies it. It still comes in
through the same wires. It is not like
my washing machine works better on
expensive power than the cheap stuff.
I changed to Mint Energie last year
because they were cheaper than Engie,
and when they put their tariffs up at
the beginning of this year, I kind of
expected it because the news was full
of warnings about rising prices.
I am aware there’s a cost-of-living
crisis on, I have noticed what Russia is
doing in Ukraine!
So I didn’t mind the initial price hike.
did and, bingo, we were soon back to
double the price again.
Off I went with my pal Google look-
ing for electricity bargains on the web
again. I very soon found Total, promis-
ing to peg their electricity prices for the
next year, which sounds good to me.
So I changed again and my monthly
electricity bill is back down to normal.
It was a bit more than 4%, but what- Better still, Ohm have refunded
ever. I am a cynic. I expect companies almost two months-worth of direct
to rip you off if they can. debits. I am thrilled. Or am I? I think
Except that Mint didn’t stop there... there’s a bit of shock and anger in there
the price soon doubled. So I changed to too somewhere.
Ohm. It’s not difficult to change once Ohm were clearly overcharging me by
you figure out how. I know precisely around 50% every month, with the idea
how much electricity I consume and at of reimbursing me at the end of the
what times of the day. I also know the year. But that means they effectively
number you have to tell them so they would have had an interest-free loan
know exactly who you are. With these from me all year. A bit cheeky!
details, I can easily search the internet Unavoidable rising prices are one
for prices and compare offers. thing, but jumping on the bandwagon
Having changed to Ohm, I was almost and inflating costs way beyond what is
back to where I started in January, plus legal is something else entirely.
a few per cent, which seemed right. I If Total try that malarkey, I know
was pleased with myself. This satis- what I’ll be doing...
irresponsible. Women who are far more famous than Ms Seigner
summed up the problem in 2018 when they wrote an open letter to
Le Monde saying #MeToo in part represented a “hatred of men” who
had the right to “hit on women”.
Signatories such as Catherine Deneuve and Catherine Millet moder-
ated their opinions later on, but the damage was done.
Even Brigitte Bardot – arguably the most famous French movie icon
of all – had joined in the pillorying of alleged sex abuse victims, say-
ing many were “hypocritical, ridiculous, and uninteresting”.
Bardot is also known for her sulphurous political views – she has
criminal convictions for spreading racial hatred against ethnic and
religious minorities – but as an A-list grande dame, you might expect
her to be kinder to other women.
France is a country where the most powerful man of all – the
president – has traditionally always been associated with humiliating
women. Whether it was Valéry Giscard d’Estaing who reportedly
crashed a borrowed sports car after a wild night in Paris with a
famous actress in the passenger seat, François Mitterrand keeping
a secret family on the public payroll, Jacques Chirac and his
legendary turbulent private life, or François Hollande heading off to
cheat on his première dame on the back of a moped, they have
always set the tone for a thoroughly sexist country.
Emmanuel Macron might yet buck the trend – he appears to be a
loyal and decent husband – but with women like Ms Seigner on the
offensive, it is clear that the country still has a great deal of work to do.
 16 Letters
Do you agree? La bise is dying out but sociability lives on
by Nick Inman
Some people loved it; some people
hated it; everyone had to do it at the
risk of looking antisocial.
You got to the office (or the party, or
the choir rehearsal) and you had to
kiss everyone there. It was called la
bise – ‘the kiss’ (not to be confused
with the ‘French kiss’).
Man to man, you could get away
with a handshake but it was pretty
much the same thing: an act of
physical contact to say hello.
It was a ritual of recognition of the
other’s presence. One, two or three
pecks on the cheek, according to the
region of France you were in.
There were only two ways out of it.
The first was to say that you had a
cold – but you couldn’t use that
excuse too often.
The other way was if there were
enough people present to form a small
crowd. At some magical number, you
were exonerated but no one could
ever tell me what the cut-off point
was. I would say it was about 12, but I
am no expert. If in doubt, you did the
rounds so as not to offend anyone.
Certainly, fewer than 10 and you had
They said it …
The British monarchy is a
big joke! It only serves to
control the emotions of
the working class
Roger Waters
Pink Floyd star tells Paris Match why he envies French republicanism
We would end up arse over head
Emmanuel Macron
The President, asked about October’s fuel strikes, does not mince his
words explaining why it is not his job to enter into salary negotiations.
The old but uncommon expression cul par-dessus tête raised eyebrows
online among people who were not familiar with it
The only time there is social
equality is when it comes to
incest. It affects everyone
equally, everywhere
Corinne Masiero
Actress and victim of incest, on France Inter
To affirm that the police remain a
fundamental institution in a
democracy is not to be on the far
right. How did we come up with
such an idea?
Cédric Jimenez
Director defends his overwhelmingly positive portrayal of French police in
his film Novembre, set in the wake of the Bataclan attack, to Le Monde
Making a baby is great teamwork
François Olivennes
French obstetrician and gynaecologist specialising in IVF, in Quotidien
I have always considered
myself a French
filmmaker of American
nationality
Woody Allen
The director, currently shooting his latest film in Paris, in Le Monde
connexionfrance.com
Photo: antoniodiaz_shutterstock
Post-Covid, kissing acquaintances
in greeting is much less common
no choice. You approached each indi-
vidual, said bonjour and their name
and, if you felt like it, you twinkled
your eyes, and then you both smacked
the air beside each other’s face.
It took time and sometimes you just
didn’t want to do it.
You were not allowed to show
favouritism: you had to kiss your boss
and worst enemy along with the rest.
Then came the pandemic. You didn’t
go into work so you didn’t have to kiss
anyone. And if you did venture out,
Hands off
French shops
I enjoyed your article on
Photo: Denis Makarenko_shutterstock
French attitudes to consumer-
ism in the October issue. The
older I get, the further I leave my
consumerist cravings behind.
Sad to say, I can always fall back
on Amazon if I need a new
printer cartridge or pedal bin!
We moved to France with our
eyes wide open as my late wife
had lived here in the 1980s.
I can survive without shops
being open all weekend but I
do find the requirement for my
boulangerie to be closed one
day a week bizarre and cannot
understand why nearby Super
U has no fresh fish on
Mondays whereas Leclerc
30km away does. Please leave
the idiosyncratic French retail-
ers to themselves. It takes some
getting used to and it’s not nec-
essarily ‘better’, but once you’ve
cracked it, the system works.
Mark BENNETT, Morbihan
Dans le passé – 10, 50 and 100 years ago
November, 2012
Rallies against gay marriage
On November 17 and 18, tens of
thousands of anti-gay marriage protesters
gathered in Paris, where they clashed
with the feminist group Femen.
The demonstration, which was echoed
in cities including Rennes, Nantes and
Bordeaux, was in reaction to a govern-
ment proposal to legalise same-sex mar-
riage in France (made law in May 2013),
and allow gay couples to adopt.
March organisers, including conserva-
Photo: s_bukley_shutterstock
tive Catholic groups, said marriage
required “one dad and one mum for
every child”, and the idea was a “major
and dangerous upheaval”.
They wore pink T-shirts and scarves
and carried pink balloons. They were
met with counter-protests, which at times
resulted in violent clashes.
The Connexion November 2022
Royal correspondent
One of France’s
the last thing you were going to risk the same ubiquitous fashion. For one biggest anglo-
was going near another person and thing, it must have contributed to the philes was thrilled
physically touching them, even if only transmission of infectious illnesses. to get a letter
for an instant. The most likely scenario is that a from British
Instead, people wore masks and fled hybrid system will emerge. When two Ambassador
from each other and developed new people meet, they will agree on a code Dame Menna
rituals of recognition. between them, just as they decide Rawlings to add
A bonjour, a nod or a wave worked whether to call each other tu or vous. to his treasured
pretty well but there were other varia- “On se fait la bise?” one of them will correspondence
tions, such as the namaste sign of ask, and the other will either nod or from the Queen.
palms pressed together. shake their head. They may make a Dame Menna replied to Normandy’s
Although there were still irrepress- little joke out of it. Noé Patrel after he wrote following the
ible, inveterate, Covid-defying people But what if someone lunges at you Queen’s death. In French, she told the
who tried to kiss, you could swerve without asking your permission? eight-year-old she was touched by his
out of the way with a comment about Then, you are on your own. You letter, saying it reflected the friendship
erring on the side of caution. will have to use your body language between France and the UK.
The pandemic abated – although it to signal how you feel. Noé told The Connexion: “I hope one
has not gone away altogether – and Will France be France without the day to see King Charles and Queen
the big question is: do we all go back universal bise of greeting? Camilla. My dream would be to have
to la bise or let it drop? It won’t be quite the same but I my photo taken with them in front of
Resurrection or retirement? It’s not doubt if it will lose its social warmth. Buckingham Palace in memory of my
just me agonising about this: it is People will still wish bonjour to each friend the Queen, who will not write
regularly discussed on national radio other before they say anything else to me again.”
and television too. and that is more than I can say for She had replied to letters of condo-
How are people going to say hello my home country, Britain, where the lence on Prince Philip’s death and
from now on? Do we return to la bise inhabitants (in general) are much Jubilee congratulations.
or is this the moment to dispense with more wary of each other and afraid “It makes me really happy that the
what many people saw as an obliga- to encroach on personal space. ambassador replied. I will show the
tion and a chore? Do you agree or disagree? Tell us why letter to my teacher. I asked if we can
In my subjective experience, I would write to the King as a class. She said:
at news@connexionfrance.com
say la bise is not going to come back in ‘We will see’.”
Furious phone customer Entertaining
In June you produced a brief article about unhappy customers of addendum
French phone companies. Can you write about this in more detail, I ENJOYED Samantha David’s
as readers would undoubtedly benefit from advice on the matter. list of ‘Five things they don’t
This summer I arrived at my second home in France to find the tell you about entertaining in
internet (and therefore the phone) was not working. Nearly four
months later, I still have no internet. It is bad enough trying to
France’ in the October issue,
but there is one thing she for-
deal with phone staff on the spot, but it is virtually impossible got to mention.
now that I am back in the UK. Orange clearly do not care about It is the habit of French guests
their clients, perhaps in part because, like BT in the UK, they to ‘orbit’ the dinner table before
control the infrastructure and this monopoly means they can do sitting! This can go on for
exactly what they want. some time and can be a bit try-
On my next visit to France, in September, I switched to SFR, hav- ing when you are keen to start
ing warned the agent in the shop that my internet was not working. the meal. I have been coming
He assured me SFR would exert its huge corporate influence to to France for close on 50 years
repair the fault quickly. Ha ha! An engineer is finally expected next and still haven’t got used to it.
week. I have fingers crossed that a) he will actually turn up, and b) Peter HAYS, Mayenne
the fault will be mended before my next visit to France.
Neighbours have told me endless stories about the appalling ser-
vice provided by Orange, whose sole objective seems to be to flog
high-speed fibre connections. It also has a bad reputation for con-
Animal oddity
tinuing to take payments from bank accounts long after a contract Regarding your recent
has ended. Much to my delight, when I rang my bank to ask for
advice, they offered to terminate my prélèvement immediately.
newsletter call-out for animal
expressions in French, how
Whether Orange will ever cough up the three months they took about: ‘He speaks French like
for a non-functioning service, let alone the compensation due, a Spanish cow’?
remains to be seen! I hear this all the time!
Louise DU BOULAY, by email Ross ANDERSON, by email
November, 1972 November, 1922
Abortion case reaches end Proust dies
Photo: Natata_shutterstock
November saw the end of the Procès Born in Paris to an
de Bobigny, in which 16-year-old Marie- affluent family, novelist
Claire Chevalier was tried alongside four Marcel Proust is best
other women for an illegal abortion after known for A la recherche
being raped by a boy at school. du temps perdu, pub-
When a doctor agreed to carry out the lished in seven volumes.
termination at a cost of 4,500 francs, It breaks from the 19th-century realist
Marie-Claire’s mother Michèle, who movement to instead explore the nature
earned 1,500 francs per month, asked of memory and time. He started it in
work colleagues for help. The rapist was 1909, aged 38. The first volume was
arrested a few weeks later in relation to a refused by the publisher Gallimard and
stolen car, and told police of the abortion eventually published at the author’s
to deflect attention from himself. expense elsewhere. Proust paid for
When she appeared before the judge, favourable reviews, calling it “a little
Michèle Chevalier said: “I am not guilty. masterpiece” and his writing “almost too
It is your law which is guilty!” Marie- luminous for the eye”. He died of pneu-
Claire was eventually discharged and the monia on November 18, aged 51, and is
decision contributed to the Loi Veil, remembered as one of the most influen-
which decriminalised abortion in 1975. tial writers of the 20th century.
 The Connexion November 2022 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

Irresponsible hunting Problems switching EDF tariff

We recently received a letter promoting the EDF Tempo
Looking for French-themed
I agree totally with the views
on hunting in Nick Inman’s
an area. There was no respect
for the no-hunting zone.
tariff for electricity, promising we could cut our usage and save
money by switching to this plan.
Christmas gifts?
article (Connexion, October). We have had to rescue our My initial assessment of our usage suggested I could save
I am not anti-hunting except chickens from hunting dogs upwards of €150 a year for our detached four-bed house. The Connexion shop can help
when it is done irresponsibly. and have lost a cat to them. However, once logged into our EDF account, there was no obvi-
When I came to live in They would shoot from the ous way to choose this option. Instead, I had to enter an ‘analytics’
France 22 years ago, hunting roads and across roads at any- page with a simple (but wholly inadequate) range of questions/
here took place on Thursdays
and Sundays. Hunters were
thing that moved. When chal-
lenged, they were aggressive.
options. Based on this information, the system suggested the tariff
it considered best suited to our needs. In my case, there was no
France
local men, singletons with a This is totally irresponsible change – it advised staying on the ‘base’ rate! 2023
dog or small groups. They and it is no surprise that I then tried to manipulate the system to come up with other
respected the no-hunting area people get shot. options, but the best I could do was a suggestion to switch to the wall
of which my land forms a part.
By the time of the first Covid
Covid brought a welcome
break.
split rate of cheaper night hours. However, in so doing I would
need to increase power from 9kVA to 12 or 15kVA (thereby sig-
calendar
lockdown, hunting was happen- For the moment, we are back nificantly increasing the monthly standing charge) and the poten-
ing every day in the season and to mostly Thursdays and tial savings were marginal.
often involved groups from out Sundays so it’s safe to walk on Why is EDF trying to promote this tariff to regular domestic
of area using large numbers of
vehicles and mobile communi-
other days, but I wonder for
how long?
consumers but not giving them a simple way to switch to it? Have
other readers had similar experiences trying to change to it?
Quality
cations to seemingly encircle Keith HOWLETT, Vienne Steve RANDALL, Charente French-themed
Share Let off steam or share a point
of view on an aspect of French life Editor’s note: In such cases, the best solution would be to speak to an tea towels
letters@connexionfrance.com or write to: advisor at EDF. The firm has an English-speaking helpline open 8:00
your Email:
The Connexion, Le Grande Bretagne, to 18:00, Monday to Friday, on 09 69 36 63 83 (at local call price
within France). You can ask about all EDF services and offers. EDF
views! 30Please
av. Grande Bretagne, 98000 Monaco
include your name and department of France will also reply to emails sent in English to simpleenergywithedf@edf.fr.
or country where you live. Letters used may be edited
for space and sense; the Editor’s decision is final.
Letters received may be used online and/or in print. EU charger folly Charles III visit
Legal name questioned
I just read your article about I was delighted to learn that
charging cables to be standard- King Charles’s first planned
ised in the European Union overseas visit is to be to France. and French ‘abc’
I recently arrived in receive proceeds of the sale as I from 2024. I imagine other readers may
France intending to buy a would be unable to create a And just what is Apple’s reac- have had the same reaction. cat aprons....
home. At settlement of the bank account in that name. tion to this European ruling? So far neither dates nor itin-
purchase of my property, the The property is now registered Europe is only a tiny fraction erary and engagements have
notaire announced the house in my married name. I assume of their market, so they probably been announced. Do other
was to be registered in my no French law was breached. don’t care. readers feel, as I do, that it
maiden name and not my
married name, which I have
C M MORRIS, Dordogne Or will they continue to insist
on Lightning connectors and pay
would be wonderful if a time
and venue were arranged so we
See shop.connexionfrance.com
retained since my divorce. Editor’s note: The notaire the EU any fines that Brussels European Britons could gather for many more ideas and special offers
My Australian passport, would not have allowed this if it deems appropriate? to pay him our respects?
French long-stay visa, French was illegal. The French conven- So, to save economically and Bearing in mind that the
bank accounts, driver’s licence, tion is to use birth name as this environmentally dubious money diaspora is widely spread, and
house insurance, indeed every follows you through life. However, on charging cables, Apple has to a journey to Paris may not be
legal document in my life is in it is possible for French people to retool all its production lines for practical for those living in the
my married name. have their identity documents a ‘European’ exception. Midi, for example.
I said I would not permit my amended to add their spouse’s I see no gain for anybody - just Meg Fenn, by email
money to be used to purchase birth name and, having done so, buy two cables! Editor’s note: We asked
a property in another name they may use this for all purposes. Typical bloody EU - no wonder Buckingham Palace press service
and if I did, if I sold my home This right continues after divorce we (the Brits) wanted out. if a trip is planned but no inform-
in future I would not be able to if the ex-spouse agrees. John Gregory, Cavillargues ation has been released yet.

You can debate and comment on articles via our Facebook

You said it
Climate protesters let down tyres
of SUVs in south west France
“Then they get into a little diesel Peugeot
and depart in a cloud of particulate
matter, while the hybrid/EV/ultra-clean
diesel SUV owner gets someone to waste
electricity re-inflating their tyres” TM
“By all means object to cars that use fossil
fuels (and electric which are not really much
greener overall) but don’t pick on one
category as being worse than others” AB
“Apart from farmers and people pulling
heavy loads, nobody needs to drive around
in these monsters” TS
Record 5,600 speed cameras to
be operating in France by 2023
“On the positive side, they are clearly antici-
pating that people will have, or be able to pay
for, fuel to run their motors!” SB
“Tax on the motorist just like the UK” KR
page: facebook.com/TheConnexion. Here is a selection of
recent popular subjects... You can find the original
articles at connexionfrance.com
“Nothing to worry about if you’re within the
speed limit” MT
“Not so easy – a bit sparse on speed signs
on some routes” BH
“To save fuel I don’t go above 30km/h these
days unless it’s downhill” SB
You can save money on wine by
buying direct from the producer
“Not strictly true. Low prices in super-
markets as they buy in bulk and thus have
significant bargaining power” JE
“In general, wine on the bulk market is
rarely of the same quality as wines bottled/
sold by estates” JH
“Save more money, stop buying wine!” MT
Major cities in France refuse to
screen or support Qatar World Cup
“Unless, of course, France reach the later
rounds when this (rather feeble) stand will
be forgotten” RS
“Those murderers should have never
been chosen” DS
UK’s economic situation ‘worrying’,
says French finance minister
“Agreed – got my state pension at €1.11291
today. Disastrous” JD
“Worry about your own country, the EU
and the euro, pal” PM
“Conservative Party handing control of the
UK to Labour on a silver plate” MM
Reports that retired couples need
higher levels of income for visa
“Higher income requirement is to be
expected, considering the increases in
living costs over the last three years” AM
“Brexit, the gift that keeps on giving” AS
 18 Your Questions connexionfrance.com The The
Connexion
Connexion
November
Xxxx 2020
2022

Q& A Are all-season tyres allowed?

Readers’
questions MY department is not All-season tyres
answered affected by the new laws
requiring winter tyres, but
These are specifically designed
to be suitable for all-year-round
some nearby areas, which I use. They are usually a little
Send your queries about life here to Liv Rowland might want to drive through, more costly than ordinary tyres,
are. Can I get all-season but will provide better grip in
by email to questions@connexionfrance.com tyres instead? M.A. wintry conditions than ordin-
ary ones. Some of these pneus 4

Are there any tax benefits to switching to YES, all-season tyres are (at least
for now) an acceptable alterna-
saisons do also carry the 3PMSF
logo but many have only the

a renewable energy electricity contract? tive to fitting purpose-made

‘winter’ tyres in those areas that
M+S rating.
All-season tyres are suitable
are subject to the Loi Montagne for use in the winter, but they

Photo: Shutterstock_Kichigin
We want to support renewable ener- II, the ‘new’ law that you are are not specifically designed for
gies and are thinking of taking out a referring to. severe snowy or icy terrain, and
‘green’ electricity contract. Are there This law relates to the period are therefore not ideal for driv-
any additional benefits to this, tax or from November 1 to March 31 ing through mountainous areas.
otherwise? F.D. and requires drivers in some of The M+S rating represents a
Photo: Shutterstock_ZHMURCHAK

France’s mountainous regions to declaration from the manufac-

In response to the energy crisis, France ensure their vehicles are adapted Snow Flake) logo – see below – turer that the tyre operates
wants to step up its production of renew- to winter conditions, either with and will also come labelled as better in snowy or muddy
able energy to reduce its dependence on ‘winter tyres’ or with alternative ‘M+S (or sometimes M.S or conditions than regular tyres.
imports, which represent two-thirds of systems to improve grip. M&S), which stands for The rating refers to the tread
energy consumption at present. In the For the time being, ‘all-season’ Mud+Snow. design, with M+S tyres having
context of climate change, there is also a tyres can qualify as ‘winter’ ones These purpose-made winter deeper ridges than conventional
desire more generally from consumers attached to the French electricity grid, for these purposes. tyres are specifically designed tyres, though they are not
to turn towards renewable sources. regardless of supplier or type of offer.” Although only 34 of the 48 for use in severe snow, and pro- required to pass any specific,
As a result, providers such as EDF and Instead, clients have a guarantee that a departments covered by the law vide optimal protection against standardised performance tests
TotalEnergies do, therefore, offer what are quantity of renewable energy equivalent have opted to enforce the meas- treacherous conditions. 3PMSF to obtain this.
called vert (green) contracts as alternatives to their consumption has been injected ure, it will still affect a signifi- For the time being, the moun-
to their regular tariffs, while several alter- into the grid at the European level. cant number of people, and not tain law nonetheless allows

Photo: Shutterstock_YegoeVdo22
native suppliers offer ‘green’ deals exclu- It is possible for providers to use a supply only residents. tyres with either M+S or
sively. Note, however, that some alternative of energy from mostly non-renewable The rules will be applied to 3PMSF to qualify as acceptable
providers have advised certain clients to sources and at the same time purchase cars registered in France or pneus d’hiver under the law,
return to EDF’s regulated tariff recently garanties d’origine certificates which show abroad, so even if you are only thus including ‘all-season’ tyres.
because of rising market prices. an equivalent amount of renewable energy visiting, you will need to com- From Novem­ber 1, 2024, the
However, while help is available for reno- has been produced from producers else- ply to avoid a €135 fine. law will require tyres with both
vating your home to make it more energy- where in Europe – for example, in If you do not live in a moun- the M+S and 3PMSF symbols.
efficient, there are currently no tax benefits Scandinavia, where certificates are cheap tainous area yourself, it might tyres must pass a standardised
or grants for households switching to a because renewable energy is abundant. feel unnecessary to equip your acceleration test on a snow- Alternative options
renewable energy contract. That is why, in 2021, Ademe, an official car with winter tyres just for a covered road and have at least If you would rather not invest
And while green deals do support the agency promoting greener lifestyles, couple of short trips. 25% better traction than a in winter tyres, you can also
development of renewable energies, there launched its label VertVolt, to help consum- As this is only the second year standard reference tyre. carry chains or snow socks, for
is actually no guarantee for the consumer ers identify offers which are truly green. the measure has been in place Certain manufacturers and at least two drive wheels, in the
that this is what they will receive in their There are two levels to the label. The (and the first in which fines are sellers, such as Michelin, have boot. Socks are easier to apply,
home. This means that taking out a green first, engagé (committed) or très engagé actually liable to be levied), created a specific logo labelled but are less effective and do not
contract will not, for example, protect you relating to how the energy production drivers may still be unsure of ‘Loi Montagne – Certifié last as long as chains.
from any potential energy shortages linked schemes involved are set up. However, how to comply. 3PMSF’ to remove any doubt The Loi Montagne applies to
to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. both of them provide a guarantee that the Fortunately, the law provides about eligibility under the law. most vehicles apart from motor-
Energie-Info, the website of the national provider buys the equivalent of clients’ several options. 3PMSF specialised winter tyres cycles, licence-free cars, and cars
energy mediator, states: “It is physically consumption in the form of renewable are designed to stay soft and with studded tyres. It is up to
impossible to determine the source of energy actually produced in France. Winter tyres pliable in temperatures below the departments to decide
electricity delivered to a given client. The You can find out more about labelled The first option is to fit your 7C, but if used during summer, which communes the obligation
same electricity is delivered to all clients offers here: tinyurl.com/vertvoltlabel. car with four specialised winter the softer tread will mean they will apply to. A map and list of
tyres, which will bear the wear out more quickly, so it is communes is available at

Disposing of old fire extinguishers

‘3PMSF’ (3 Peak Mountain best to switch in the spring. tinyurl.com/wintyres.

CAN I take a very old foam fire extin-

guisher to the déchetterie (local tip)?
other options, including car maintenance
companies such as Norauto, and firms that
Garage did not fix car fault: can I get refund?
If this is not allowed, is there another specialise in safety equipment, which can I took my car to a garage for mechanic fails to fix a problem they letter, mentioning the article of
location? P.S. also take them. repairs, but a few days later the were hired to fix, they should repair the Code Civil and requesting the
Ecosystem will collect the items and take same problem returned. Can I the car again, without charge, or repair be redone, or a refund made.
Old fire extinguishers cannot be thrown them to a recycling centre where they will claim my money back? A.E. reimburse you for the faulty repairs. It is also possible to claim compen-
in the regular rubbish or recycling, and be depressurised and emptied, with the Similarly, according to case law, sation if the problem has resulted
must be disposed of according to specific components then reused or destroyed. When a mechanic agrees to keep when an identical or very similar in extra expenses to yourself.
guidelines. Small extinguishers (under 2kg You can also take your old extinguisher your car for repairs in exchange for fault appears shortly after the In case the mechanic disputes
or two litres) using powder or foam can be to a shop selling new ones, which is payment, they have what is called repairs, the mechanic is generally your claim, it is a good idea to keep
taken to certain déchetteries, although this obliged to take it in exchange for the an obligation de résultat (obligation presumed to be at fault for not any quotes, invoices, réparation
will depend on your local authority. purchase of a new extinguisher, though it of result). This means they are having completed the repair in a orders or correspondence as proof.
A non-profit sector body, Ecosystem, might also agree to take it, regardless. obliged to return your car in work- satisfactory way. As the problem If they refuse, it would be possible
working in partnership with the state, can For more help on what to do with specif- ing order, having fixed the problem reappeared just a few days later, to take the garage to the tribunal
help you find a point to dispose of and/or ic types of waste, see the Que faire de mes you brought it in for. this is likely to apply in your case. judiciaire court, though it is usually
recycle extinguishers, as well as, for déchets site developed by the Ademe This should preferably have been Were the problem to appear after necessary to first seek resolution via
example, bulbs, neon lighting strips, agency at: tinyurl.com/dealwithwaste. subject to a detailed written devis a longer period of time, it could be a consumer mediator (ie. tinyurl.
electrical goods, batteries and mobiles. (quote) or ordre de réparation. more difficult to prove this is linked com/carmediator) or conciliation
Photo: Shutterstock_Pic One

You can find a map of recycling points The main law covering this is arti- to the original problem and the (conciliateurs.fr/Trouver-une-
near you where you can drop them off for cle 1231-1 of the Code Civil, which work that was done. permanence). You could also seek
free here by selecting Je souhaite recycler states that the only justification for To exercise your rights, you can advice from a consumer defence
petits extincteurs at: tinyurl.com/eco-syst. not properly carrying out the job is send a letter headed mise en body (tinyurl.com/consumerhelp)
This includes déchetteries in those areas force majeure, ie. unexpected events demeure (formal notice) to the though you might need to pay a
where they are able to take them, but also out of the person’s control. If a mechanic via recorded delivery membership fee.

FUTURE QUESTIONS Are French banks covered by

an equivalent of the UK’s
Can we reduce size of planned
porch without a new planning
Should I apply for UK citizenship
for my son, born in France, or
I need a medical certificate to
join a walking group in France.
- SEND IN YOURS... Section 75 refund regulation? permission application? wait until he has lived in UK? Can I ask my British GP?
Questions@connexionfrance.com To receive the next issue at home... subscribe at connexionfrance.com by November 12
 The Connexion November 2022
Make sense of
Photo: Shutterstock_Pormezz
Taking defective items back
to the shop used to be a
traumatic experience for many
English speakers in France.
Expecting a ‘customer is
always right’ attitude, it was
common to be met with a
glare, shrug and a suggestion
to contact the manufacturer.
The law has changed only
fairly recently to bring France
into the European Union
rulebook based on the Anglo-
Saxon legal model of the seller
being responsible for the
goods. This applies universally
for a standard two years after
all purchases and should be
mentioned on till receipts.
This garantie légale de conform-
ité is different from any com-
mercial guarantee that a shop
might offer, and it does not
cover private sales between
individuals. It does, though,
apply to all products bought
within the European Union.
As a result, things are better
now for returning faulty goods.
Most supermarkets have ded-
icated staff, who go through
the necessary replacement or
repair procedures without fuss.
Smaller shops sometimes still
put up a token resistance,
particularly with older shop-
keepers, but in general the
‘replace or repair’ process is
handled with good grace.
The government too has
started to try to make sure
consumer rights are respected
in all areas of business.
Children now have lessons,
usually in their last year at
collège, in basic consumer
rights, usually from the history
and geography teachers.
The finance ministry has a
dedicated page with consumer
rights advice, found at tinyurl.
com/2r8p5xyz.
Most of the advice is simple.
If you find yourself in a con-
flict over what you think is a
consumer rights issue, try first
to find a ‘friendly solution’.
Where it is a large organisa-
tion and your first contact has
gone badly, get in touch with
Returns and refunds
the service clientèle to explain
the problem calmly and what
you would like to have done.
This can often be done by
telephone – if so, write down
before the call the points you
want to make, and make notes,
either while you are on the call
or immediately afterwards, on
what was said and by whom.
Some customer service
departments in France insist
on written communication and
this can be done by email or by
letter (either way, keep a copy
of what you send). If you opt
for a letter, sending it by récom-
mandé avec accusé de réception
allows you to have a trace.
Smaller French businesses
might be offended by the regis-
tered letter, but do not let that
worry you, especially if they
did not respond face to face.
If you get no joy, either
because the service clientèle
refuses your requests, makes an
offer you consider unaccept-
Perry Taylor’s
illustrations,
which usually
feature alongside it is the government’s
‘Make sense of’
articles, will
return next month. after consumers. It is
See perrytaylor.fr organised from the
able, or ignores you completely, conseil départemental, and does
the next stage is to consider
making a formal complaint.
You have three choices: hire
a lawyer; try to lay a complaint
with the Direction générale de
la concurrence, de la consom-
mation et de la répression des
fraudes (DGCCRF); or join a
consumer rights association
such as UFC-Que Choisir and
try to get it to take up the case
on your behalf.
An annual digital subscrip-
tion to its magazine starts at
€45. A list of local sites is at
tinyurl.com/UFC-local. It claims by the telephone number
to have local associations in
every department, but in reali-
ty, many do not seem active,
especially in rural areas where
connexionfrance.com
there is a small presence in
the main town only. Other
consumer bodies can be found
at: tinyurl.com/consumerhelp
If you go down the legal route,
many household insurance
contracts come with a bundle
which includes help towards
legal fees, but check how much
you will have to pay upfront
before finding a lawyer.
As always with lawyers, it is
likely to be expensive.
For disputes of under €5,000
or involving neighbours, medi-
ation is now obligatory before
going to court, but it is best to
have a lawyer to represent you
during this process.
Mediation is, in spite of its
name, effectively a law court
below the tribunals.
The options here are to use
a mediator associated with the
specific business area involved
(tinyurl.com/mediatorlist) or
the service of a concilateur
(tinyurl.com/findconsiliateur).
France does not
have the equivalent
of UK county council
trading standards
departments. Instead,
DGCCRF which is
charged with looking
prefecture, not the
not have a public face, so going
in person to the prefecture will
be fruitless. Around 300 leaf-
lets, from house buying dis-
putes to how oysters are classi-
fied, are on the body’s site,
tinyurl.com/buy-problems, and
you are expected to read the
one corresponding to your
problem before going further.
If you still feel you have a
case, then you can contact the
DGCCRF directly, either
through the government’s
signal.conso.gouv.fr site, or
0809 540 550. This works
between 8:30 and 12:30, and
13:15 and 17:15 on Mondays
and Tuesdays, on Wednesday
In summary: What
to do in a dispute
1. Your first step is to
contact the firm’s customer
service department.
2. If this is fruitless, make
a formal complaint, using
one of three routes:
i) Hire a lawyer and be
prepared to take your case
to court. You may first
go through a process of
mediation or concilation;
ii) File a complaint with the
government’s Direction
générale de la concurrence,
de la consommation et de
la répression des fraudes;
iii) Contact a consumer
rights association, such
as UFC-Que Choisir.
afternoons between 13:15 and
17:15, Thursday mornings
between 8:30 and 12:30, and
on Fridays from 8:30 to 16:00.
Deaf or hard-of-hearing
people can use the ACCEO
service. Details are available
here: acce-o.fr/client/dgccrf.
DGCCRF can also be contact-
ed by writing to DGCCRF,
RéponseConso, BP60, 34935
Montpellier Cedex 9.
The service says it will exam-
ine your case and take it further
if warranted, issuing warnings,
advice to shopkeepers, or even
taking the case to prosecutors.
However, do not expect quick
replies. Even professionals
complaining about unregistered
competition, expect complaints
to take months to be acted on.
If you are the victim of fraud,
the first stop should be to
report it to the police or gen-
darmes, which can either be
done in person or through the
website pre-plainte-en-ligne.
gouv.fr, if you do not know
the identity of the crook.
You will then be called in to
the police station or gendarm-
erie to sign a statement, based
on the online declaration.
You should do this if you
intend to also make a claim on
your insurance.
Many of the worst consumer
frauds in recent years have
come from cold-call opera-
tions, and the government set
up ‘Bloctel’ which, in theory,
informs all telemarketing oper-
ations not to call your number
if you register at bloctel.gouv.fr.
For years, it was widely seen
as ineffective but recently, after
consumer organisations threat-
ened to take the government
to court, it has become better,
mainly because fines have been
increased. It is now possible to
complain about calls if you
continue to get them through
your Bloctel account.
Special attention is given to
calls relating to home insula-
tion – an area where crooks
abound, and which has a
dedicated reporting button.
Practical 19
John Kitching, a
director of French Law
Consultancy Limited,
answers a reader query
If I choose to follow UK inheritance
rules, will my friend still pay French tax?
Q: I live in France and am apply inheritance tax to the
single and without children. I French property only.
have chosen to be subject to UK The election of English
rules in my will so I can leave my law simply allows you to
French house to a friend, which use the freedom of English
will be tax-free as my assets are law to bypass strict French
under the UK tax-free limit of laws and determine who
£325,000. However, my friend inherits. It does not change
thinks that she will still have to the tax that they pay.
pay French tax on it because of Your friend will indeed
the French change in the law in face 60% inheritance tax on
November. Is she right? anything above €1,594.
If they are disabled, they
A: There are a couple of benefit from an extra tax-
clarifications that I will make free exemption of €159,000.
but essentially yes, your The change of law in
friend is correct. 2021, however, is not the
A great number of people reason. This rule essentially
make the same mistake, protects children who have
as the election of English been disinherited by the
law in your will is not an election of non-French law.
election of English inherit- They must be informed in
ance tax. If France is your such a case and can opt to
last place of residence at make a claim for part of the
your death, then France will French estate if they wish.
seek to tax your worldwide This rule change did not
estate, even if you have an change anything for you as
election of English law. you do not have children.
For those living in the UK Your election of English
(or elsewhere outside of law, if correctly drafted,
France) where the French remains effective, but it
property is just a holiday does not elect English
home, then France will inheritance tax.
Call +44 (0) 16 63 74 54 88 for an initial free consultancy.
frenchlawconsultancy.com
Owning a
second
home in
France
Owning a second home in France
Photo: Shutterstock.com / E. Spek
Can you leave your car parked on the street?
Q: We have no parking at, or in front of, our second home
in France, so when we visit we usually leave the car on
another street with free parking for the duration of our stay
and get around on foot. Do we risk a fine for doing this?
A: Apart from the obvious risks involved in leaving a car for
several days where you cannot keep an eye on it and other
people can see that it is rarely moved, you might inadvert-
ently be breaking the Code de la route.
In France, when a car remains parked in the same spot in
the street for more than seven days, it is considered stationne-
ment abusif (excessive use of a parking space).
This time limit can even be reduced to 24 hours in areas
where the town hall has passed a byelaw on this because
there is a severe lack of parking spaces. This applies even
for on-street parking in areas where it is free, as well as to
public car parks. Those caught breaking the rules receive a
€35 fine and can have their car impounded (and must pay
the fees associated with this as well).
If you are only staying for a short period of time, this is not
likely to be a problem. In practice, once a car is believed to
have been parked for a long time, authorities will often paint
a line going from the tyre to the ground, and then wait at
least seven more days before calling the tow truck.
In order to avoid any problems, though, your best bet would
be to move the vehicle to a different spot at least once a
week. There is more risk for those who leave their car in a
public space when they return to their main home due to the
significantly longer timeframe.
 20 Language / Finance connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Five steps to French fluency Don’t sweat the small

Nick Inman argues progress
should be measured in
stages, rather than by
native standards
For a long time I was taken in by
other people’s expectations.
“If you live in a country long
enough, you will become fluent,”
everyone used to say, as if it were an
automatic process or a matter of accu-
Readers’ tips for tackling the language head-on
stuff, just jump right in
If there is one thing that makes
Dog-groomer many language learners groan, it is
Fiona Clark, 63, moved grammar.
to Limousin in 2011. Even those who were taught English
“I knew no French grammar at school will often find
when we first started their knowledge of the proper terms
coming for holidays for types of words and sentences has
here,” she says. started to elude them by adulthood.
“Our neighbours So it is good to know that, while
knew no English, but there is nothing better than a well-
learners feel inhibited at the idea of
joining a conversation, knowing that
their French is not fully formed.
However, it is good to think of your
imperfect initial conversations as being
the best route to later proficiency –
speaking and listening is a crucial part
of the journey and avoiding it might
slow your learning down.
“The best sentences will come later.

Photo: Fiona Clark

mulating frequent-speaker points.
It isn’t true. Some people are good at
maths; others struggle with numbers
their entire lives. It is the same with
foreign words.
There are people who become biling-
ual without trying.
I am never going to be one of them
and I have learned to accept it. Rather
than chase the impossible, I concen-
trate on where I have come from and
the progress I have made.
Fluency, for me, is not reaching a
pinnacle and passing myself off as a
regular M. Dubois. It is noticing my
achievements.
My level of fluency can vary from
day to day. It also depends on who
I am talking to and whether I think
they are judging my language rather
than listening to what I am saying.
Sometimes I surprise myself at how
easily French comes out. However,
there are days and situations in which
I find it difficult to string a sentence
together. On such occasions, I laugh it
off and blame whomever I am talking
to for having such an impossibly
convoluted language.
The reality is, we are all (the French
included) on a continuum, from the
baby uttering its first words to the
editor of the Larousse dictionary who
never has to describe something as a
machin truc (‘wotsit’ or ‘thingummy’).
There are degrees of competence in
a language according to the operations
you can perform. It is possible to be
fluent in the language of rugby, wine
or dry-lining walls, but not to know
who Jean-Jacques Rousseau was, and
vice versa. I prefer to measure apti-
tude according to a series of not very
precisely defined stages.
they managed to teach turned phrase, worrying too much Be kind to yourself. Don’t worry about
me some words during about grammar at the outset of inflexion and gender and getting the
apéros and meals. language learning might not actually participles right – this will come in
“When we moved be the best route to bilingualism. time,” says Prof Lahiri.
Folk dancing helped Fiona Clark become more
permanently in 2011, In fact, rather than let the perfect be To provide a more solid base from
confident conversing when she moved to France
my neighbours took me the enemy of the good, experts say we which to converse, she also recom-
dancing and I joined their group doing traditional Limousin folk dancing. should take the plunge without sweat- mends learning a few key phrases to
I insisted from the start that it was all to be in French as I needed to learn. I ing the small stuff. explain that you are learning French,
now have a French teacher too and only watch French TV. I have more French According to Aditi Lahiri, professor emphasising that you are trying, but
friends than English and am going to take my Delf nationality exam this year.” of linguistics at Somerville College, might not be there yet.
Oxford, formal grammar lessons have “People will know to be more patient
Dressmaker Nicky Leather, 64, moved over in June 2017. their place, but the real key to unlock- if they understand you are learning,”
“I went for French conversation and language lessons at first, but as all the ing a language is listening. she says.
other students were native English speakers, we all made the same errors and “It is your words that are important,” For those who still feel unsure, Prof
didn’t really improve much. I have gradually improved, but I know my she says. “The best thing is to get the Lahiri recommends shifting the focus
grammar isn’t up to scratch at times. Luckily, my partner and French friends structure right, the basic syntax from yourself to think about your
think my errors are mignon (cute). That said, I’m now working with Duolingo pattern. And you need to be able to impact on others.
to try to improve my grammar and find it helpful.” hear it so you can speak it correctly.” “People are so pleased when they
Share your tips and experiences of learning French via news@connexionfrance.com Just as when we were children, realise you are trying to speak their
picking up our very first words, it is language,” she says.
Stage One is functioning on a day- test is dictating, or accurately writing the speaking and listening in a “You are giving someone else so
to-day level. This means being able down, a telephone number made up language that our brains look for. much joy. Think of that person – you
to trot out the common phrases that of pairs of digits over 70 (quatre- Poring over texts is not necessarily are trying hard, and they will know.”
lubricate daily interactions and to ask vingt-dix for 90, etc). the best way to start out. When it comes to expanding your
pertinent questions. “When it comes to acquiring a lang- language, Prof Lahiri recommends
You could sum it up as the ability Stage Four is being able to speak in uage, reading is a later skill. If you reading a book or listening to a text
to have a chat about nothing special public, even if it is only posing a acquire some language, it’s a great start that you are familiar with in your
with someone whose name you don’t question at a town hall meeting. Or, – even if you don’t learn it properly, with native language, in French.
even know. alternatively, being able to make a the grammar. Just as a child would.” “Having something you know will
joke in French which makes everyone While perfectionists might baulk at help – it gives you a context.
Stage Two comes when you manage to laugh – at the joke, not at some faux the idea of leaping into conversation “And choose an audio format –
hold a conversation on some abstract pas or mispronunciation. with wobbly conjugations, speaking, listening is better. Television isn’t great
topic without your interlocutor listening and responding could fast- because you are seeing the action.
furrowing his/her brow as he/she tries Stage Five, I imagine, will be reached track your comprehension of grammar, “And don’t spend hours on it. Listen
to figure out what you are trying to when I become as comfortable in without the endless written exercises. for 15 minutes, then go and do some-
say. An example is explaining your French as I am in English. “A native speaker will use the correct thing fun. Later on, come back again
requirements to the guy in the timber At this stage, I will be able to have a grammar, but they won’t necessarily and see if you improve.”
yard over the noise of a circular saw. debate with an acquaintance about an think of it in that way,” explains Learning a language is difficult,
increase in cartons on the road to the Prof Lahiri. but trying methods that feel more
Stage Three is voluntarily picking up supermarket without me thinking we “They know it intuitively because natural could make the process less of
the telephone, explaining yourself to are talking about burger boxes when they have acquired it naturally.” a struggle. Jumping in feet first might
an unhelpful operator and answering he is really talking about car crashes – Unlike children, who are less afraid be daunting, but it could ultimately
difficult questions including your the slang for which is carton, normal- to make mistakes and not self-con- accelerate your French – without the
mother’s maiden name. The ultimate ly meaning ‘cardboard’. scious about having a go, many adult extra homework.

Inflation, interest rates: is France on track to boost economy?

Money Matters
Christopher Davenport of
Kentingtons explains.
kentingtons.com
With talk of a recession in the UK reaching
fever pitch, it is interesting to look at how the
French economy is doing, including implications
for savings and investments in both countries.
Over the last two decades, perhaps longer, it
could be argued that of the big three European
economies of France, Germany and the UK,
France has been the laggard.
Now, however, with Germany battling with an
energy crisis and the UK searching for direction,
could it finally be time for France’s economy to
shine brightest?
As anybody who follows the English Premier
League will know, regional dominance cannot
last forever. Just ask Manchester United fans.
The same goes for economies.
In August, France had the third-lowest
inflation rate on the European continent (only
Liechtenstein and Switzerland had lower). At
5.8%, inflation in France was nearly half that of
the UK.
This is important, as it means the purchasing
power of the French people has been less erod-
ed, so they have more money to spend on
non-essential items. This keeps the cogs of the
economy turning, warding off a recession.
Energy prices are a big part of this differential.
The French government has been quick to
help French households and businesses by,
for example, capping electricity and gas prices,
as well as subsidising petrol purchases.
Months later, Germany and the UK are
stepping in to help their respective citizens, but
the damage might have already been done.
Ironically, perhaps, the gilets jaunes protests,
caused by high petrol prices in 2018, were a
blessing in disguise for President Macron. This
time around, he was quick to offer help.
The UK, however, now seems to be going
through its own protest movements, with strike
action becoming increasingly regular.
Central banks are raising interest rates to
combat this inflation, with rates in the UK
approximately 1% higher than in France. This is
good news for savers (relatively, at least), but not
so good for those with mortgages, as mortgage
rates are intrinsically linked to interest. It is
interesting to note that, here again, France
stands on a firmer footing. This is because in
France the great majority of mortgages are at a
fixed rate, with terms of 20 years common.
In the UK, however, most mortgages are at
variable rates, thus repayments rise with interest.
If the mortgage is fixed, it is usually only fixed
for two or three years, meaning people are
currently having to re-finance at higher rates.
Mortgage rates are still relatively low in France,
so it could be a good time to lock in at a low rate
of interest.
Is France on track to have best economy in Europe?
Coming back to the football analogy, so far
that makes it 2-0 to France. Could it be that
President Macron, without people really
noticing, is quietly turning France around?
One of the first things he did in 2017 was to
introduce a flat tax (maximum 30%) on capital
gains. This has encouraged more foreign invest-
ment in France.
The UK had dominated foreign direct invest-
ments (FDIs) in Europe for 18 years, but France
took the title in 2019, 2020 and 2021. This year,
according to the Elysée, global companies are
expected to invest €6.7billion in France.
Another major focus of President Macron is
training and re-training, with employability
being the end goal.
The fact is, France has a long-term structural
unemployment problem. Since 1982, unemploy-
ment in France has never been lower than 7%,
with more than two million people unemployed
since 1983. When President Macron came to
power, unemployment was over 9%; today it
stands at 7.4%. Lucky timing, or good economic
management? Geopolitical and economic span-
ners in the works allowing, time will tell…
So what does all this this mean for you and
me? Well, one thing we need to think about
is currencies.
France is not alone, of course, being part of the
eurozone. Currency movements are intrinsically
hard to predict, but when a currency slides, it
can do so very quickly.
We would encourage people to hold at least
five years-worth of living expenses in the
currency where they live, so if you live in
France, this means euros.
The French football team is rated the best in
Europe. Is it possible that one day we will be
saying the same thing about its economy?
 French living
Food Wine Homes Gardens Interviews Events FRENCH NEWS IN ENGLISH SINCE 2002

HOP TO IT!
The changing face of
French beer making

Iconic aviator
Jean Mermoz
UK-born French MP
Charles Rodwell
Brasserie du Quercorb (BDQ Beer Co) in Puivert, Aude
2 French beer connexionfrance.com French Living I November 2022

Hop to it for the home-

grown craft brews taking
French drinkers by storm
Samantha David takes us on a virtual booze tour of the museums, fairs, fêtes and artisanal
micro-breweries that let you have your craft beer and drink it across France this November

C
raft beers are becoming

Photos: left, E. Perez and inset, La Débauche

increasingly popular in
France, driven by a desire
to adopt healthier drinking
habits, and by the explosion
of new micro-breweries on the market.
Statistics show that in 2006, there were
246 breweries in France, whereas today
there are nearly 2,000 — most of them
small, independent enterprises. In con-
trast to the decreasing consumption of
wine and spirits across Europe, annual
consumption of beer has increased
from 30 litres per person in 2015 to
34 litres now.
It seems reasonable to deduce that
people are turning to beer as a drink that
contains less alcohol than wine, but
which offers a similar range of choices
and complexity of tastes. The concept
of terroir is very much part of French
culture — the idea that produce from a
region has a personality derived from its
geography. This has always been part of
wine appreciation, and which transfers
naturally to locally produced craft beers.
A new word has even entered the vocab-
ulary: biérologie. The Musée Vosgien de la Brasserie at Above: The Gallia Français de la Brasserie, which is open all kinds of workshops matching foods to
It is no surprise that most of France’s Ville-sur-Illon (Vosges) is housed in a craft beer company despite ongoing works to the building, various beers, and opportunities to find
beer museums are located in north-east former brewery and malthouse and run stand at Planète Bière and is well worth a visit. Their displays out more about home brewing, tasting
France. The Musée de la Bière in Stenay by an association of passionate volunteers 2022 in Paris; inset reveal the history of making beer. Under beer, discovering new beers and the new
(Meuse, Lorraine), near the Belgian bor- who still brew beer on the premises for left: the striking 26s get in for free, and the tour includes a fads. Is la vière (a blend of wine and beer)
der north-west of Reims, was founded in the museum’s bar and boutique. Some of label design for tasting and a free glass of beer at the end. really going to be the next big thing?
1984 and is now a Musée de France. the volunteers used to work in the build- La Débauche’s Bière As part of the Salon du Brasseur (see Discuss! (planete-biere.com)
Housed in a former malthouse, the dis- ing when it was a commercial brewery d’Hiver below) they organise an annual Concours The Musée des Boissons just outside
plays explain the processes and equip- and are more than willing to share its his- National de Bières. Next spring (30 March Angers (Maine-et-Loire) is the collection
ment needed to brew beer, and describe tory. The bar is a favourite with locals, 30 to 1 April) they are organising a of a sommelier with a passion for all
the history of brewing and how beer making it a very convivial spot. conference, Art Deco Brasseries, to cele- drinks: water, fruit juice, wine, alcoholic
consumption has changed over time. You can join a guided tour every after- brate the conclusion of the restoration sodas, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, milk,
It also has a beautiful collection of noon, but phone ahead to find out works. The museum also offers a range of and, of course, beer. He has acquired an
advertising posters, and its winter opening hours. (The courses lasting from one day to a week, incredible array of objects and documents
another one of vintage museum is closed during teaching everything from basic brewing relating to the history and evolution of
vehicles used to trans- January and February.) and fermentation to the microbiology of drinks. He also hosts some quirky events

“
port beer. All the If you want to visit a making beer. For more information see including a ‘night at the haunted drinks
ingredients needed working brewery, their website passionbrasserie.com. museum’ on 31st October. He is running
to brew beer are there are opportuni- From the museum has grown a fully- a wine-tasting session on November 20th,
grown in the gar- ties all over France, fledged annual trade show held in Nancy and from 24th November onwards will
den. The entire but Brasserie over the third weekend of October. The put on Christmas-themed evenings with
collection is curated Castelain in Salon du Brasseur is aimed at profession- free entrance to see the lights. All details
in four languages: Benifontaine (north als, amateurs and the general public. are on his website musee-boissons.com.
French, English,
German and Dutch.
of Lens, in Pas-de-
Calais) is very The word There are around 160 stands, plus work-
shops, talks about subjects as diverse as
In Lille, L’Echappée Bière has set up a
beer tour which takes place one Saturday
Go this month and
you’ll catch the end of
well-established.
Founded in 1926, and for brew in making a customs declaration, packaging
and bottling, additives, craft beers with
afternoon per month. It can be booked
privately for four people or more. This
their temporary exhibition
Dans la Peau d’un Soldat (in
run by the third genera-
tion of the same family, it still French is low or zero alcohol, organic beer, and
how to serve draft beers. There are also
walk around the craft breweries and bars
of Lille’s historic centre draws upon the
the shoes of a soldier), which ends
on 1st December, 2022.
produces a range of craft beers
including organic and gluten-free brasser, but unlimited opportunities to taste and buy
a vast range of beers. On the Sunday
expertise of a bièrologue, who not only
guides you to the best spots, but explains
The museum also has a tavern where
you can drink beers and even order
options. They have a small collection of
vintage brewing equipment and while very few there is also a Marché de Bières et Saveurs
selling locally brewed beers as well as all
how craft beers are made, and how to
taste and appreciate them. The unmissa-
some locally made snacks to go with
them, such as cheese flavoured with beer,
you taste a few of their beers, one of their
expert brewers will talk you through the brasseries sorts of other local produce. To keep the
whole family happy there are bouncy cas-
ble visit includes beers at five venues,
nibbles, and even a pairing of beer with
and dried sausage made with beer. The
museum’s boutique sells more along the
different flavours. They have a boutique
onsite selling local produce as well as actually brew tles, wooden games and other attractions.
This is always a well-attended event.
chocolate. (echappee-biere.com)
The word for brew in French is brasser
same lines. You can also arrange a
beer-tasting with a professional. Book
their own beers. Reserve the visit online
in advance at brasseriecastelain.com. their beer on The enormous salon Planète Bière, in
Paris every March, welcomes the public
but very few brasseries these days actually
brew their own beer on the premises.
ahead by phone for food orders and
tastings (museedelabiere.com).
Just outside Nancy, a former brewery in
Saint-Nicolas-de-Port houses the Musée the premises on Sunday and professionals on Monday.
There is a huge range of beers to try and
Many of them do not even specialise in
beer anymore, let alone draft beers.
November 2022 I French Living
Therefore breweries who do have a bar
on the premises are searching for new
terminology to describe themselves —
such as brew pubs, brewery bars, and tap-
rooms. A search for ‘taprooms France’
brings up a delightful selection of bars
run by independent breweries, and they
are often the quirkiest venues in France.
To pick just one, try the ZooBrew
Brasserie Animale in Castelnau-le-Lez
near Montpellier (34), open on Thursday
and Friday evenings from 5 to 10pm.
There is a different food truck every
Friday, and you get to see the brewery
and taste beers with names like ‘Growler’,
‘Big Viper’ and ‘Ibex Milk Stout’.
Another taproom making a name for
itself is the Brasserie la Débauche in
Angoulême (16), open Tuesdays to
Thursdays 5 to 10pm and Fridays and
Saturdays from 4 till 10pm. It offers a
range of novelty beers, including one fla-
voured with Chamallow (marshmallows
made by Haribo), or fruit juice. The latter
is called ‘Kiss My Ace’ and there is anoth-
er called ‘Slap a Banker’, which gives you
a pretty good idea of their light-hearted
approach. They also serve charcuterie and
cheese, plus wine and cocktails. A tour of
the brewery costs €8 and includes three
beer tastings.
In the Pyrenees, the Brasserie du
Quercorb in Puivert (11) has a taproom
on the site of the original brewery,
although production has now moved to
Chalabre, 10 minutes away by car. The
taproom is open Thursday to Sunday
from 4 to 9pm, selling four craft beers on
draft plus a wide selection of bottled beer.
They also sell bar snacks and have events
like pizza evenings and live music.
The Brasserie Sainte-Cru in Colmar (68)
has a taproom in the brewery which is
open Tuesday to Saturday from 5 to
10.30pm, plus Saturday lunchtimes from
10 till 1pm. They have eight draft beers,
bottled beers, gin from a local distillery,
live music, table football, blindfold
tastings, plates of bread and charcuterie,
and a variety of food trucks in the sum-
mer. They promise their bar staff will tell
you everything you want to know about
anything, including the beers they brew
on the premises.
Fêtes de la Bière are multiplying across
the Hexagon like empty glasses at a free
bar. Every large town, and many small
market towns, seem to hold one. The best
way to find a local one is to search online
or ask at the tourist office. Your local craft
beer brewery will also probably know.
Summer is obviously high season but
the agenda for this November alone
includes: in Baldersheim (68), La Fête de
la Bière from 29 October to 5 November
(craft beers, large breweries, European
beers, election of the Beer Queen, bingo,
concerts, dancing, stands); in Rouen (76),
Beerdays, 11 to 13 November (50 brewer-
ies, late-night on Saturday, workshops,
cooking shows, tastings); in Chalon-sur-
Saône (71), Festi-Beer, 12 to 13 November
(concerts, world beers, gastronomy, farm-
er’s market and concerts); in Lens (62),
Festi’ bières on 25 November (craft beers,
concerts, local produce, gastronomy); in
Mieussy (74), Salon de la Bière on 19
November (stands, local restaurateurs,
evening concert); in Bordeaux (33), Et
Paff Festival de Bières et Boissons Gazeuses
Artisanales, 25 and 26 November (craft
beer, gastronomy, concerts, etc).
connexionfrance.com
Photos left and below inset: Le Camp
Périgord Beers
A stork at the centre for
Living in the Dordogne, Valerie and
breeding and protection
Michael Povey started their micro-brew-
at Parc de l’Orangerie in
ery La Brasserie Artisanale de Saint Saud
Strasbourg
(known locally as ‘Périgord Beers’) think-
ing it would be fun, almost a part-time
hobby. “We moved from the UK in 2005,”
says Valerie, “and we brought some
English beers over for Michael’s 40th
birthday party. The French people at the
party loved them and asked where they
could buy some.”
At that time it was quite hard to buy
English beer in France. “All the bars had
the same mass-produced beers, and we
just joked about brewing our own.”
Michael was a maintenance and land-
scape gardener and Valerie was working
for a company doing online training.
“We eventually set the brewery up in
2016, and very quickly realised it would
be a full-time thing.”
They took various brewing
courses in the UK because
the aim was to make
British-style beers,
and Michael spent
some time working
at a friend’s brewery.
In France, they reg-
istered the business
with the Chambre
des Métiers and con-
tacted the douanes to
let them know they
were producing beers
because there is duty payable
on it.
“We had a meeting with the customs
people who were very helpful and effi-
cient. They helped us sort it all out and
now we declare our production to them
every month. Valerie and Michael also
obtained permission to make beer,
which involved getting approval for a
change of use for the building.
They acquired a licence to retail beer
from the premises. “We have a very small
Above: A stand shop with a tasting room. We had to
at the annual comply with the guidelines for allowing
Salon du Brasseur public into the building, providing disa-
fair in Nancy bled toilets, respecting fire regulations
etc, because the general public visit the
brewery to see how we make our beer.
“We only do that by appointment
though, because we’re too busy to have
someone permanently on hand just in
case. We also wholesale our beers to
other businesses.”
French beer 3
They make just under 400 hectolitres
(40,000 litres) of beer a year, brewing
1,000 litres on average once a week. “It
takes four weeks to make beer; one day
of initial work, then a week of fermenta-
tion, then a week in the bottle for a sec-
ondary fermentation and then two weeks
in a cold room before we sell it.”
They buy in hops from all over the
world, and malt from a company which
imports it from the UK, and from a malt
producer in Charente. “Suppliers are
struggling to meet demand. There are so
many micro-breweries now! When we
set up there were just seven registered
micro-breweries in the Dordogne,
but now there are more than 40.”
She doesn’t feel that this is too much
competition. “Every micro-brewery
makes different beers, each with its own
personality. It means people can find a
style they like, which is great. It’s an
explosion of new tastes. For some of our
beers, we infuse elderflowers from the
garden into the beer, but we
only make it when the
elderflowers are blos-
soming in the spring.
People love things
like that. We also
use ginger, lemon-
grass, coriander,
and orange peel.”
The difference
between French-
and UK-style beers
is mainly in the type
of barley used. When
making UK beers, the
hot water is added to the
malted barley at a different
temperature, which makes the beer not
so sweet. Fermenting the beer turns it
into ale.
“We thought we’d be selling mainly to
British customers but that’s not the case
at all. During covid nearly all of our cus-
tomers were French and they’ve stayed
French. We sell kegs to French and
British bars, plus bottles to restaurants,
because they don’t sell enough to make
kegs worthwhile. I’d say our sales are 50%
kegs and 50% bottles.”
“At the moment we’re not bio, but we
want to develop an organic range because
there is a demand for it. So we’re in the
process of speaking to the certification
people to check how to go about it.”
Apart from that, the couple have no plans
to expand. “We would like to stay small
and family run. We enjoy the personal
service we provide.”
Photos: La Brasserie Artisanale de Saint Saud
Michael and Valerie,
owners of La Brasserie
Artisanale de Saint
Saud; above, one of their
award-winning beers
4 Rencontre connexionfrance.com French Living I November 2022

‘The young feel they’ve been voting

for politicians who don’t change’
The 26-year-old political high flyer Charles Rodwell

Photo: Charles Rodwell

talks to Theo Larcher about dual nationality, and
how a British childhood and French education
have informed his approach to politics in France

C
harles Rodwell may bear
a British name, but his
attachment to France comes
straight “from the guts.”
The 26-year-old man was
born in London to a British father and
a French mother, but was raised in Ver-
sailles (Yvelines) from the age of seven.
The Connexion reached out to Mr
Rodwell (among the youngest new MPs
to have been elected in June’s legislative
elections) thinking that both his age and
bi-nationality reflected signs of renewal in
an Assemblée Nationale often criticised for
its preference for older white males.
Mr Rodwell is already a product of the
elite French system, having graduated
from Sciences Po, one of France’s most
prestigious universities in the political
sciences. He then worked as an aide for
several ministers and cut his teeth in his
hometown as Versailles’s deputy mayor,
for the mayor François de Mazières.
He sits in number 301 at the Assemblée
Nationale, is affiliated with governmental
group Renaissance, is the Yvelines’ first
district MP, and has close ties with
Minister of the Economy and Finance,
Bruno Le Maire.
The joke about students having gradu-
ated from Sciences Po goes that they can
speak for 15 minutes on any subject, for
they are taught to master “bulls**t”, to
quote a word employed by Mr Le Maire.
This came across quite clearly during our
30-minute interview.
But it is unfair to judge Mr Rodwell
purely on his privileged education and
‘neat-and-tidy’ image, for that part of his
British heritage has had a positive impact
on his desire to serve France in a public
service career.
Emigration and the regulation of Amer-
migration, but often disregarded. France
suffers from throngs of French people
leaving the country who distrust its ability
to provide a job or personal wellbeing.
I do not accept that. This is the reason I
worked at the Commission for economic
affairs, since this is the body which gets
the closest to understanding the daily life
of French people, and the young in par-
ticular. They have voiced their fears about
having to rely financially on their parents’
means, and about the lack of stability
projected for the future.
The young shoulder a grave problem for
the future. They tell us that they want the
freedom to roam a liveable Earth. I think
of this as a dynamic, powerful engine that
proves wrong those who believe the youth
are disinterested in politics.
One could argue that abstention
is France’s most influential politi-
cal party, as this idea is sometimes
brought up by right-wing parties
Absolutely. But why? Because the young
feel they have been voting for politicians
who don’t change, and that have degraded
their quality of life. Anyone would think
that France was in a state of persistent
decay. Nothing could be further from
the truth. France is one of the richest
countries on earth, with 3,000 years of
diverse history and exceptional culture, a
language spoken throughout the world,
and which is globally famous for its tour-
ism, science and technology. So what do
we do with that?
Above: the Anglo- ing Netflix. These are all forms of cultural trustful of foreign investors, particularly
Do you consider yourself to be British? French politician, uniformisation from the United States. industrials, British finance companies or
Of course, even though both cultures are Charles Rodwell It is a fundamental threat to our culture. Americans from tech-companies. I think
diametrically opposed on how they built I am not saying the US are our enemies the government played the right card by
their societies and countries, with France but rather that their culture is not ours. lowering taxes, simplifying legislative
looking forward to Europe, while Great GAFAM (Google, Amazon, Facebook, procedures and allowing work to pay

ican tech companies are among the sub-
jects he hopes to defend at the Assemblée
Nationale, as the ‘guttural’ French – and
European – citizen he is.
The unfolding conversation was also
reminiscent of the en même temps charac-
teristic, a form of rhetoric popularised by
President Emmanuel Macron, after it was
noticed that he used the term extensively,
and that has come to represent a policy
that often presents opposing ideas.
How did the first months
at the Assemblée Nationale go?
I’d like to say it is very dynamic. The
media and social media tend to cher-
Britain roamed the seas. I also think
both differ in what French people call
vivre-ensemble, or through universalism
and laïcité. I have seen it in my own fam-
ily during Brexit. The French side of my
family explained that the British did not
see they were driving straight into a brick
wall, whereas the British side felt like they
were regaining their liberty.
Why did France attract
you more than Great Britain?
I feel ‘viscerally’ attached to France,
because I feel connected to what makes
France French, in other words, critical
thinking, equality, liberty, its universalism
“
Apple and Microsoft) need to be regulat-
ed because it is a fundamental economic,
social and cultural issue. And on econom-
ics? France is extending 5G technology
throughout the country thanks to French
people’s taxes, while these five companies
consume nearly 50% of the total output
without paying any taxes.
Anyone I hear regular complaints that these
would think companies stopped establishing
European headquarters in Ireland
that France in order to avoid taxes...
This is why I’m rooting for a worldwide,
was in a or at least European, tax on tech giants.
These companies need to pay for the
more. It has helped France to be the most
attractive country for foreign investors for
three years in a row.
How do you hope to attract American
investors after talking about the
looming danger of uniformisation?
Both can be reached. Not all Ameri-
can investors are GAFAM. Europe is a
cutting-edge organisation for regulating
ecological, economic and social rules.
They put ecological transition, protection
of diversity and the fight against inequal-
ity at the core of what foreign companies
need to abide by.

ry-pick the vocal outbursts from the

extremes of the political spectrum,
but I would rather focus on the nego-
tiation aspect of parliamentary work,
especially on the spending power bill,
in which the government allotted
€26 billion to the French people. As an
MP, the current parliamentary period is
particularly fascinating.
You are part of a new generation of
MPs. What do you hope to fight for?
Emigration, a topic as important as im-
and laïcité. These are the values that
I absorbed as a young child.
The French spirit is something that still
exists, and will continue to exist, but it
needs to be nurtured. The main threat
I see for our culture comes from the
uniformity espoused by new tech com-
panies that blend 1,000 to 2,000 years of
history together.
Let’s take an example: I wake up, check
my iPhone, go on Facebook, Instagram
and Messenger, Google things, take an
Uber to travel, eat Deliveroo while watch-
state of service they use. And what about the debt
that countries accrued during Covid?
persistent Should it be carried by small entrepre-
neurs, citizens and committees or, since
decay. they benefited greatly from the crisis,
should it not be covered by GAFAM?
Nothing I think they should.
Culture is all about how European
could be countries want to organise it. But reg-
ulation does not mean the government
further from should downsize its goal to attract further
anglophone companies. When President
the truth Macron took office, France was mis-
But this could have also fed the
desire from British companies to
look for greater liberties…
It is because we only enforce these norms
on European companies. I think the EU
should export these approaches interna-
tionally. The issue is key. If companies
abide by American regulations, the EU
will lose on both environmental and so-
cial aspects. France is a beautiful country,
but abiding by laws regulating 67 million
consumers is different to America’s situa-
tion with its 450 million consumers.
6 Gardens
Open Gardens promise: “If you open
your garden for us, you are part of us”
Cathy Thompson looks
at the charitable garden
association’s origins and
speaks to organisers
about how Connexion
readers can get involved
T
his month I have been talking
to some of the prime movers
behind Open Gardens, about
both their own gardens and
their commitment to the asso-
ciation. It is an organisation that is pecu-
liarly British in flavour, modelled on the
National Gardens Scheme. Not so much
about weed-free, impeccable gardens à la
français, as about community, cups of tea,
carrot cake and raising money for charity!
The boost to mental health that gardening,
community involvement and contribution
can make is taken as read.
First, I wanted to know a little more
about the history of Open Gardens, whose
spirit was transplanted so tenderly from
Britain to a new home in France. Ronnie
Ogier, treasurer and secretary, explains:
‘In 30 June 2013, the owners of four pri-
vate gardens in the department of La
Creuse opened to the public with the
object of giving the money raised to
charitable causes.
They raised €300, which was donated to
the association ‘A Chacun Son Everest’
(supporting children and young people in
remission from leukaemia and other forms
of cancer). More gardeners were encour-
aged to join in and the Association was
founded in January 2014.’
Now Gardens Open spreads far
beyond La Creuse, with gardens in
37 departments. Donations to charities
supporting children and young people
with life-limiting illnesses have totalled
more than €115,000 since 2013 and the
increasing numbers of French, Dutch
and German members make it a truly
European association.
Ronnie tells me that the conseil d’adminis-
tration (organising council) has recently
begun forging ever stronger personal links
connexionfrance.com
with the charities that Open Gardens sup-
ports. ‘A Chacun son Everest’ is wonderful,
but we are just one of many organisations
contributing to them. Now we’re actively
building closer ties to smaller charities,
such as ‘Souris à la Vie’ and ‘Quelque Chose
en Plus’, by personally visiting their offices.
Sue Lambert, garden development man-
ager, explains that, after the last two isolat-
ing years of confinement, they are keen to
expand further east. “What I really want to
get across is that your garden does not
have to be a masterpiece to open. It’s about
sharing what you’ve learned, learning from
others. My wildish garden is open at the
same time as the small workshop garden
of a sculptress in the village and
Frenchman, Alain’s, immaculate potager.
Someone else, who hasn’t got a garden,
decided to open their large terrace to pro-
vide refreshments.
“We are looking for new gardens to open
and especially inventive area coordinators.
There is room for as many different kinds
of coordinator as there are gar-
dens!” Sue adds that you don’t
have to open your garden to
become a coordinator – ideas, pas-
sion and commitment are what
counts. “People who concentrate
solely on supporting garden open-
ers, rather than opening them-
selves, are sometimes able to dedi-
cate more time.”
Sue goes on, “We’ve had people
holding fish and chip evenings in
their garden, courtesy of a daugh-
ter’s itinerant chip van. Just before
confinement someone was all set
to host a garden fashion show.
Somebody else holds monthly
‘swap shops’ in their garden.
I’m thinking of hosting a carol
concert centred around a blue
fir in my own garden!”
Opening your garden for the
first time can be daunting. But
when someone decides to go
ahead, there will be telephone
French Living I November 2022
year and careful publicity to really get
Photos courtesy of Ronnie Ogier, Shelia Cole and Sue Lambert
going.” When not opening her own garden
or working directly for the conseil, Sheila is
busy spreading her passion for snowdrops.
She and husband Ian – one of the found-
er members of Open Gardens – are on the
road selling their snowdrops and giving
talks to interested gardening clubs. Sheila
is particularly proud of the fact that the
association is transparent. “Everyone can
track where the money we raise goes –
and we take virtually no travel expenses
for ourselves, in spite of being on the road
so often to visit gardening clubs for my
snowdrop talks.”
One of the joys of an association such as
Open Gardens is the sharing of one’s gar-
den-making struggles with others. And this
group from the conseil have had their fair
share of struggle in pursuing their personal
gardening passions!
Sheila and Ian’s garden was simply a
blank canvas when they arrived back in
2007. Now they say that, in season, a
machete can be useful, since the plantings
are mature – light years away from the hot
field they first began to cultivate – and they
enjoying sharing their inspiring no-dig
philosophy and pleasure in recycling
everything that was already on site.
After arriving permanently in La Creuse
in 2015, Ronnie Ogier’s land had to be
Clockwise, from manhandled and bullied into new levels
above: The Open around the house, but this year she can
Garden conseil report the completion of a two-year con-
d’administration; finement project: a long rose pergola, built
details from some entirely from ‘rebar’ (reinforcing bars). She
of the council mem- borrowed the idea from another Open
bers’ own gardens – Gardens garden – even better, one of the
Sheila Cole, Sue incumbents, rose ‘A Chacun son Everest’,
Lambert and, below was won by Ronnie at an Open Gardens
left, some of Ronnie raffle at Chantilly Plant Fair, having been
Ogier’s autumn donated by famous rosarian André Eve.
impressive bounty Becoming part of the association and
opening your garden is a promise of many
such serendipitous encounters with others.
calls, emails and visits (geography permit- And, judging by the gleam in the council
ting) to support prospective new openers. members’ eyes, I suspect that they would
As a rule of thumb, if your garden has a also like to guarantee you as much fun as
half hour’s interest in it for visitors, it’s suit- possible too. As Sue Lambert says, “If you
able to open for charity and Sue will be on open your garden for us, it doesn’t matter
hand to advise on publicising locally, as how far away you are, you are part of us.
well as providing realistic guidance on the Contacts: Sue & Mick Lambert, 16
paperwork that’s essential if one is raising Valaize, 23150 Saint-Pardoux-les-Cards
money for charity. (La Creuse), tel: 05 55 62 32 86; Sheila &
Long-time garden opener and member of Ian Cole, 7 La Poste Sud, 87160, Arnac-
the conseil d’administration, Sheila Cole, la-Poste (Haute-Vienne), tel: 05 55 60 67
cautions: “I’m an old hand now, so open 40; and Ronnie & Richard Ogier, 4 La
days hold no fears for me, but we like to Guinandie, 87600 Vayres (Haute-Vienne),
emphasise to new openers that interest can tel: 06 41 09 82 05.
be slow at first. It may take more than a www.opengardens.eu
November 2022 I French Living
Garden digest
Get the sac
A ‘pop-up’ vegetable waste bag is an
ideal solution for anyone without the
inclination to buy, or the space to store
a wheelbarrow or other hefty gear.
This collapsible “Pop-up Max” model
is a hard bottom bag with a new top clo-
sure that allows for easy transportation
of garden waste, and clips for storage
when not in use.
The hard bottom lends solidity which
means the bag can be pulled across the
ground without the risk of tearing seams.
It is also equipped with several handles
and even a pocket where you can store
pruning shears and small tools.
Available in two sizes: 100 litre (price
€29) and 175 litre (€32.99) from Truffaut.
Gardening jobs for November
With winter coming, now is the time to
plant dry bulbs such as border tulips for
next spring. As for the potager, there is
plenty to be done: trim back your
autumn-fruiting raspberries after harvest-
ing, and plant garlic, shallots and onions
(in soil with good drainage or raised beds).
As for your lawn, it’s a last chance to
aerate and feed – though we imagine the
drought this summer will have left many
readers’ pelouse in a sorry state.
Waste not, want not
French firm Rostaing is the first to
produce a pair of “upcycled” (surcyclé)
gardening gloves composed of old scraps
of denim and leather.
The denim, made of organic cotton,
comes from their collaboration with the
Drôme company 1083, while the water-
proof leather comes from reused leather
scraps tanned in France. Available from
garden centres including Truffaut.
aing
: Rost
Photo
connexionfrance.com
Photo: Bosch
Main photo: Julian Sutton/Wikimedia Commons; Inset: Myrabella/Wikimedia Commons
Bless you, fluttering hanky tree
Cathy Thompson would love a Davidia involucrata but hasn’t the patience
French garden diary
A
s we sneak up to St
Catherine’s day again, I’m
reflecting on a tree I wish
Insta-jardins I’d got in the ground years
Instagram is a brilliant ago, so that I’d be enjoying
place to enjoy other it now. Sadly, since it takes ten years or
people’s gardens in more to flower, I’m afraid I’m going to
France, with everyone have to visit someone else’s garden to lie
from visitors to chambre (in April or May, depending on our sea-
d’hôtes owners posting son), under the fluttering white hand-
seasonal snaps and kerchiefs of Davidia involucrata.
quirky updates from This desirable tree has a nice link to
their gardens (users can France, since it was first discovered by
search using the hashtag Père Armand David in 1869 on a natural
#jardins, #monjardin history expedition from Beijing (previ-
or #jardinage). ously Peking), west to the flower-rich
We love a récolte (har- territory of Sichuan and Tibet. With a
vest) proudly displayed, degree in biology from the university in
such as this magnificent his native Espelette in the north of the
array of autumn veg Basque country, he was ordained a
from guillaume_du_ Lazurist (missionary) priest in 1850 and
potager_permacole. dispatched to Beijing 1862 as part of a
Passionate about perma- team setting up proselytising schools.
culture and biodiversity, In 1869, the Natural History Museum
he is a very popular of Paris persuaded the Lazarist mission
Instagrammer with over that Père David should be dispatched on
11,000 followers. a government-funded expedition west of
Beijing into the flower-rich regions of
Sichuan and down into Tibet. This land-
mark trip is best remembered amongst
the scientific community as marking the
first western sighting of the ‘fameux ours
blanc et noir’, or Giant panda.
In the month of March his first
encounter with the bear was, sadly, in
the form of a rug on the floor of the
home of his dinner host for the evening
– ‘un certain Li’, who was the biggest
landowner in the Hong-chan-tin valley
in Sichuan, which Père David was then
surveying. He did manage, thankfully,
to finally encounter a live specimen,
later in the month of April.
Much less famously, it was exactly in
this month and in this valley that he saw
Davidia involucrata in flower, sending
specimen leaves and flower bracts back
to the museum in Paris. Europe would
have to wait until 1897 before another
French botanist-cleric, Frère Paul Farges,
dispatched in the tracks of Père David by
his patron Maurice de Vilmorin, brought
seed back to France.
Two years later Vilmorin had germi-
nated one seedling and was savvy
enough ensure distribution of this fabu-
lous new genus by sending out cut-
ting-raised material to European botanic
establishments, well before the original
tree flowered for the first time ‘in cap-
tivity’ in 1906. Let’s continue, proud of
the French achievement and mention,
only in passing, that most of today’s
commercially available Davidia stock
has, as its origin, the hugely successful
later crop of 13,000 seedlings raised by
English nurseryman, Harry Veitch, in
about 1900.
There is no reason why I should not
plant Davidia here – it is a medi-
um-sized tree, no larger than about 20m
in maturity and I’d have the space. It
likes well-drained but moisture-retentive
soils which are, like its native mountain
forests in China, fairly rich in organic
matter. The issue is that I might have to
wait between 10 and 20 years to see
those wonderful bracts, with the glori-
ous, ball-like agglomeration of stamens
at their base.
Instead, I think I’d be best to go to the
national arboretum of Barres in the
Loiret. The Domaine de Barres was
the family home of Maurice de
Vilmorin and you can still
see the first Davidia invo-
lucrata introduced to the
West in its grounds.
While researching gar-
dens to visit during the
summer, I was intrigued
to note that one gardener
had planted a strawberry plant
“
It likes well-drained
but moisture-retentive
soils which are, like
its native mountain
forests in China, fairly
rich in organic matter
Gardening 7
to cover his pergola. Lead me to that
robust strawberry, I thought, and my
soft fruit visions will be satisfied for the
foreseeable future!
Disappointment followed, of course.
It was a simple problem of translation
from English to French of the name
‘fragola’. This was not a new and prolific
strawberry, but a grapevine whose fruit
and resulting wine carry unmistakable
overtones of strawberry.
There’s a lot of controversy and confu-
sion as to why it is illegal to sell ‘fragoli-
no’ wine in the EU, in spite of the fact
that it is still treasured, and produced, in
northern Italy. Officially the wine was
outlawed by the European Union in
1979 because the process of fermenta-
tion is said to provoke high levels of
methanol, difficult to control and
unsafe for health.
Another possibility ties in with the
1935 French ban on new plantings of
the American ‘Isabella’ vine (a parent of
the Italian ‘fragola’ vine, related to Vitis
labrusca rather than V. vinifera). It was
this vine that carried the dreaded plague
of phylloxera into Europe in the 1800s.
As we know, later introductions of
American phylloxera-resistant
rootstocks would save the day,
but ‘phylloxera fear’ lingered.
There are also whispers
about an element of
national hubris: was it
feared that the sweet,
strawberry-like taste could
undermine the quality of
French wines?
There might be another reason
behind the European ban, however,
and I quite like this one. The popularity
of the Isabella vine in northern Italy
stems not just from the rustic wine pro-
duced, but from the fact that the Isabella
grapevine was easy to propagate vegeta-
tively by layering, doing away with the
need to buy in expensive grafted vines.
There you are – peasants always favour
what’s cheap to plant and maintain. An
early example of big business manipulat-
ing sustainable local agriculture?
Whatever, I’m ready to experiment
with a ‘fragola’ vine …
You can email your comments or
gardening queries, to Cathy at
editor@connexionfrance.com
8 Interview connexionfrance.com French Living I November 2022

Renowned French
physicist, philosopher ‘People are part
and astrophysicist
Etienne Klein talks to
Théophile Larcher about
of the same
truth, ‘post-truth’, the
role of social media in society but they
spreading untruths, and
how to spot the difference
between a prank and a lie
don’t live in the
same world’
P
hysicist and philosopher
Etienne Klein made headlines
recently with a Twitter prank
in which he reposted a picture
of a chorizo slice and pretend-
ed it was an image of Proxima Centauri
(the closest star from the sun) from the
James Webb Space Telescope.
The tweet, which was liked 21,000 times
and retweeted nearly 7,000 times, went
so viral that a Google search of his name
now will return countless articles about it
from more than 60 different countries.
However Dr Klein said he agreed to talk
to The Connexion after turning down hun-
dreds of other media requests he received
following the story, as our interview would
focus on the man, not the prank.
In fact Dr Klein has been a regular
commentator on French news and is
well-known for presenting scientific con-
cepts to the public in an accessible way.
He is also a research director at govern-
ment-funded research organisation
French Alternative Energies and Atomic
Energy Commission (CEA) and has
published more than 40 books on philos-
ophy, physics and astrophysics.
When Covid hit, he hoped it would
bring people closer to science via
increased access to scientists and

Photos: Etienne Klein

researchers on prime-time TV, but the
reality of the situation meant that he
came away with mixed feelings.
For example, he was shocked when Le
Parisien ran a poll in April 2020 stating
that two-thirds of those polled thought
chloroquine was an effective treatment
for patients with Covid symptoms.
This came in the context of a controver-
sial doctor – and Donald Trump – pro-
moting the drug as a cure. However
Dr Klein said the consensus at the time
among health professionals and scientific
researchers was no treatment existed for it.
He called the phenomenon ‘ultracrepi-
darianism’, or the tendency for people
to speak with confidence about some-
thing of which they have absolutely
no knowledge.
the wool over people’s eyes by using my
scientific authority. The message behind
it was to always check the source, no
matter who published it.
What is even more paradoxical
is that the image was retweeted
by a journalist, someone whose
job it is to check sources...
Yes, but it is easy to mock the people who
were fooled. I have been fooled by imag-
es, myself. Everybody is fooled at some
point. It is not always easy to check the
source. This is a lesson we can all learn.
live our lives more and more online in a
‘virtual’ world].
We have been wanting to interview
you for months to hear your thoughts
about the post-truth era, metaverse
and social media in our society.
Post-truth is an important word here. I
don’t know what was written in Japanese
and Israeli newspapers since I don’t speak
Japanese and Hebrew, but CNN called it
fake news. They accused me of fraud.
American sociologists wrote letters to
the CEA calling for my resignation, say-
Post-truth was institutionalised in mod-
ern western society with Trump and his
notion of ‘alternative facts.’ Trump does
not lie. He spouts ‘bulls**t’, which is
different from lying.
A liar knows the truth and conceals it.
Trump does not understand anything
about what he says. He just wanted to
appeal to his voters.
What I am concerned about is how
the poor language on some social media
platforms leads people away from debate.
Stupidity, provocation and shocking
messages seem to be trendier than argu-

“Behind ultracrepidarianism lie tomor-
row’s problems, created by a world
designed by Big Tech, that overwhelms
people with information, erodes truth
and offers a virtual world as an easy
and quick escape from reality.”
“It seems that the hierarchy between
the territory and the map – the idea
that the territory is always more accurate
than the map – is coming to an end,”
said Dr Klein.
How did you react to the chorizo
prank? Did you expect it to have
such an international impact?
It was meant as a prank since using
pictures of chorizo is a common prank
in the science community. I mean, the
picture speaks for itself. It really looked
like a chorizo slice. But I wanted to pull
What is funny is that the chorizo pic-
ture had more reactions and comments
than the genuine pictures sent from the
telescope that I had previously retweeted.
I published the following text [in a
related Twitter comment] along with my
prank tweet: “According to contemporary
cosmology, no object relating to Spanish
charcuterie exists elsewhere than on plan-
et Earth.” I thought it would be clear that
the image was of chorizo.
It went viral the next morning. I offered
condolences to the journalist and to read-
ers. I refused interviews from hundreds
of newspapers because I feel uncomforta-
ble with the fact that the virtual world is
more interesting than reality.
It is as though we were already living
in the metaverse [editor’s note: this term
refers to predictions that in future we will
“
ing I was hindering science credibility:
a credibility already put to the test in the
US, where post-truth originated.
Pranks differ from fake news in that
they allow critical thinking and act as a
lesson in how to spot actual fake news.
Pranks can have an educational pur-
France is the pose. I wanted to raise awareness, but
never thought it would spread in the
only country way that it did.
where trust Do you think western societies
have reached a tipping point in the
in scientists post-truth era? And if so, when?
Post-truth was coined by Stojan Tézich,
has decreased a Serbian immigrant in the United States
who understood during the Gulf War
sharply that Americans wanted their government
to protect them from the truth rather
following Covid than tell them the truth.
mentative, well-articulated thought.
This is what I was aiming to denounce
by using that strange-looking word
ultracrepidarianism.
Do you think that scientists have
not said ‘I don’t know’ enough?
People tend to think that our brains must
have an answer for everything.
A scientist should say “we know that”
and “we are wondering whether” in the
same sentence as a way to distinguish
between science and research. People
have confused and used both terms
inadequately during the Covid period.
France is the only country where trust
in scientists has decreased sharply follow-
ing Covid. That is an intriguing phenom-
enon. Are French people special, or has
the dramatisation of science and research
November 2022 I French Living connexionfrance.com Green news 9

Main photo: Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes/Facebook

Nantes goes green with
‘vegetalised’ new bridge

Etienne Klein and the prank tweet, in which he claimed it was a photo of our nearest star, Proxima
Centauri, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope and praised the ‘level of detail’ it showed.
during the pandemic differed from other countries so
that it erodes confidence?
I think we urgently need to hear a lot more from
people with moderate views.
Do you consider that proper science
was bypassed by social media so as
to spread ideas faster?
Pedagogy in science was the victim of what I call
‘a crisis of patience.’
We cannot share our research as fast as social media
can, so people with bad arguments won without any-
thing to back up their claims.
But I am not saying that science has not worked at
all. People are more informed than before about R
rates and epidemics.
We could have hoped for more but that’s what we
got. The scary truth is that the pandemic increased
our cognitive biases.
think. People on social media can look like a majority,
like the anti-vaxxers for example. But how does this
manifest in the polls? Their voting scores are weak.
When polls say 17% of French people believe that
the earth is flat, I always raise an eyebrow. Seventeen
percent is a lot. I barely meet them, yet apparently
they ought to be on every street corner.
Does technology now do more evil than good?
How could I know that? Drawing on my own con-
sumption of technology, I am under the impression
that it is extremely useful. It’s another matter when you
see two-year-old children holding phones.
It is a bit like the reverse of Plato’s cave, a symbolic
representation of how human beings live in the world,
contrasting reality versus our interpretation of it.
The real world is no longer the outside world but the
one with which we are connected through our cell
phones. It leads to the metaverse.
That’s your second mention of the metaverse.
Ville de Limoges/Facebook
Green news
Eco-design approach to new pont
A new ‘vegetalised’ bridge that will
also act as a bustling “square” in central
Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) is set to feature
on the current site of the Pont Anne de
Bretagne. The new bridge will incorpo-
rate the existing one – thus re-using
approximately 2,600m3 of concrete and
1,300 tons of steel – and will be 3.4 times
wider, giving it a width of 50 metres.
Local authorities announced that the
bridge will feature 1,270m² of green space
(nearly 20% of the total surface) planted use that is made of it because there is
with local species of the Armorican mas- traffic, there can be dogs, cigarette butts.
sif (NW France) and Mediterranean vari- But once all these points are clarified,
eties which are considered more resistant why not consider consumption”, added
to global warming. This is part of a the town’s “Green spaces” deputy director,
broader plan to “help fight against heat Laure Marliac.
islands”. However, 75% of the bridge’s area
will be dedicated to pedestrians, bike Night-time advertising banned in Paris
lanes and a tram (future lines 6 and 7). In a major move as part of the French
“This project will mark the landscape capital’s attempt to reduce energy con-
of Nantes,” says Mayor Johanna Rolland. sumption, illuminated advertising will

More people seem to have lost their grip on reality
and to be following conspiracy theories. Has
technology become dangerous for democracy?
People are part of the same society but do not live in
the same world.
My neighbour is a flat-earther who has come up with
hundreds of arguments to dismiss mine.
But he made me laugh recently by saying: “You know
Mr Klein, flat-earthers are everywhere around the
globe.” I thought that was the start of a reconsideration
of his position.
The question you ask is a new one and I do not have
an answer for it. This will entirely depend on our col-
lective intelligence.
Will we be able to live with an increasing amount of
information by practising critical thinking and educa-
tion or will it become more and more anarchic so that
reality will fracture?
Alexis de Tocqueville (a 19th-century intellectual)
predicted it. He wrote that the greatest threat to
French democracy was what he called “small societies”
taking root.
Is that something different from
communitarianism [identity politics]?
It pretty similar actually, in that cognitive biases cate-
gorise people into groups that no longer speak to each
other. This is communitarianism with regard to what
truth is, so to speak.
Everybody defends their vision of truth and no
longer feels the desire to oppose a different concept.
When your neighbour thinks that the earth is flat,
what does he have in his mind? And how can that
communicate with what you have in yours?
These are impressive and mounting questions.
Covid raised the alarm. We will need to wait for
an answer. But the situation is not as desperate as we
As a climber, virtual reality glasses now allow me
to experience the top of Everest from my couch.
Does the metaverse not heal the frustrations of
life and provide access to hopes and dreams?
Frustration is part of education. If everything is
artificially and effortlessly accessible; does it replace
pleasure? I think that contact with reality is something
that cannot be recreated.
This world was arranged by Big Tech and people
of science. How do such people think, who seem
to want to suppress real life?
Well, as I said earlier, it seems to me that the tradi-
tional hierarchy between the territory and the map is
coming to an end. The impression is being given that
we could live a far more interesting life in the
metaverse than in reality.
Why do people shun books when they
are the best way to impart knowledge?
I do not know whether people read less. But they read
fewer books, that’s for sure. The problem is that by not
reading long texts, we lose something that encourages
linear and deep thinking.
Students read a lot but they are always doing some-
thing else at the same time. This could have political,
psychological and social consequences in how we deal
with the future.
When I was younger, some books could separate me
from the outside world, from the fascination and con-
centration I applied when reading them. Is the book
still able to produce that concentration? Haven’t video
games or cell phones replaced them?
The political question for the next generation is: What
will we, individually and collectively, pay attention to?
A lot of industries want our attention. Toward which of
these will we orient ourselves? And who will win?
It’s a real square that will be created on
the Loire... offering a new place to stroll,
peaceful and festive, with multiple points
of view and contemplation of a city and
its metropolis that are reopening step by
step to their river.”
In unveiling the project, the architect
selected to design the new bridge,
Austrian Dietmar Feichtinger, said: “I
don’t think there is a comparable bridge
in France, nor in the world, in terms of its
width, its ratio of soft traffic/tram to car
lanes, its status as a true public place on
the water and its ecological ambitions.”
Groundbreaking légumes for Limoges
Limoges has taken the innovative meas-
ure of replacing some of its public flower
beds with vegetable patches. On October
14, the first beetroot, leeks and lettuces
were planted alongside edible pansies in
front of the town hall on the symbolic
place Jacques Chirac.
Deputy Mayor Nadine Rivet, told
France Bleu: “We want to show that even
with vegetables, we can achieve a beauti-
ful harmony.”
Authorities made it clear that produce,
if it does prove to be okay for public con-
sumption, would not be available on a
free-for-all basis – any harvesting will
take place under the watchful eye of
mairie employees in specific time slots
on certain days.
The mairie says it still needs to address
a few practical and health issues: “We are
not sure of the quality of the soil, of the
“
soon be banned at night in Paris.
Limoges authorities
made it clear that
produce would not
be available on a
free-for-all basis
The new law, banning luminous adver-
tisements between the hours of 11.45pm
and 6am, comes into force on December
1 and affects Clear Channel, the firm that
manages electric or electronic billboards,
digital, backlit or scrolling advertising
panels. Meanwhile, French company JC
Decaux, which manages Morris columns
(cylindrical advertising columns), the
backlit panels of press kiosks and bus
shelters, will have to turn them off
from 1am.
Already, as of November 1, shops and
offices are obliged to switch off illuminat-
ed signs and screens “when these organi-
sations cease their daily activity and when
their premises are no longer occupied”,
or the companies will risk fines and
administrative sanctions.
10 Birdwatching
Electric blue in the fast lane of life
Jonathan Kemp marvels
at the habits of kingfishers
spotted in his Aude locale
O
ne result of the deficit of
rain this summer has been
the reduction in flow of the
tributaries of the main riv-
ers, in our case the Aude.
We live in a water mill perched above the
Brézilhou stream (ruisseau), and not for
the first time see why the original mill,
dating from about nine hundred years
ago, was built here.
Upstream all the flow has gone under-
ground, but whilst the waterfall that feeds
the mill pond has slowed, it would have
still supplied enough to keep the ponder-
ous wheels turning.
Juvenile kingfishers with
white tips to their beaks
Somewhere upstream a pair of kingfish-
ers (Martin-pêcheur) nest every year. I
have not found the current nest, the older
ones of previous years have been washed
away in the floods that will eventually
return. This year we have seen a kingfish-
er nearly every day; there is often a spark
of electric blue and the piercing cry as this
year’s family make the kilometre journey
down to the main river to hunt for their
meals – and sometimes they stop at the
millpond and try their luck here.
So, a few days ago, I was delighted to
see three fly away simultaneously from
various perches round the pond. They
would have been from the same family;
Geolocating Alpine sheepdogs and flocks can allay tourist fears of animal attacks
Samantha David
C
oming across dogs guard-
ing flocks of sheep when
walking in the Alps can
be terrifying, but Pastoral
Mediator Bertrand
Selosse, in Allos (Alpes-de-Haute-
Provence) says the dogs are only
doing their job. “They are trained to
scare off any humans or other animals
including wolves, who might disturb
or menace the sheep. But of course it’s
frightening for walkers.”
He says that as wolves return to high
Alpine pastures, shepherds are faced
with the problem of protecting their
livestock from predators. In order to
receive compensation from the gov-
ernment, shepherds have to show that
they have taken all possible precau-
tions against wolf attacks; electric
connexionfrance.com French Living I November 2022
A kingfisher fixing
shrimps and tadpoles every day, and in
the nest every gaping mouth will eat six
on its prey
or seven minnows a day. A busy life, and
often over very quickly. Note the intense
stare in the photo to the left; having fixed
a prey and judged its depth, it will dive,
opening its beak and shutting the protec-
tive eyelid, in effect diving blind – but
it works!
Needless to say the most striking thing
about kingfishers that we, humans,
notice, is their brilliant colours. So the
Photo: Adrian Henderson
question this brings is why evolution
has developed something so dazzlingly
extraordinary. Interestingly, most of my
photos show only male kingfishers, the
Photo: Jonathan Kemp
females have a red base to the lower
a kingfisher – both males and females – beak – they ‘wear lipstick’, the joke goes.
will hold and defend a length of water However, my friend Adrian has one
sufficient for their needs, and they may photo that there is a hint of red at
merge their territories together in the base of the beak, so a female, but A well-used Kingfisher nest in the
February if they choose to breed together. probably a juvenile. bank of the stream.
If successful, the six to seven eggs laid Ever since the time of Darwin it has
in March or early April will hatch at the been known, and proven by modern shuttle during atmospheric re-entry (207
end of the nest tunnel built in a sandy research, that it is very often the females body lengths a second); at full speed at
bank where a chamber is excavated. They that make sexual selection of mates on the bottom of his dive his gorget [patch
fledge after about twenty-five days, are criteria that we humans are just to slow of colored feathers found on the throat]
fed for a further four and then the parent and un-observant to see, unless we use flashes a vivid, sexy magenta, then its
couple will drive them away – so quickly photography and scientifically study the iridescent nature causes a change – in a
that some of them have not yet learnt to colours (and sounds and movements). mere 120 milliseconds – from bright red
fish for themselves, and thus die – and Many birds also see in the UV spec- to dark green, as he passes over”.
then go on to have one, even two more trum, and so a colour will have a range The amazing thing is that the female
clutches in the same year. of subtlety to them beyond our abilities. can see these precise details, judge his
Photo: Adrian Henderson
Researchers have seen that there is a All these clues can give a choosy female vigour by the speed and the brilliance of
wonderful feeding arrangement in the information as to the health and vigour his plumage, and makes a mate choice as
nesting chamber, where the chicks rotate of a male bird, and she will choose to a result...
in a sort of star formation waiting for the mate with him – or not – on what she is
next parent to come back with its beak able to detect, sometimes in a flash, as he
full of fish. If this works each chick gets patrols a neighbouring territory. Thus, a
its turn, and then they all shuffle around! brighter blue and vibrant orange breast
Whether it is quite so perfect as this is may lead her to choose a mate and pass
“
another question, but ideally this is how on those characteristics to their progeny,
Photo: Jonathan Kemp
it works. and thus evolution works its magic.
Kingfisher numbers fluctuate wildly An example of the speed of existence in A kingfisher
from year to year. A hard winter will the avian world is shown by a bird that hunting on
decimate numbers, but, with breeding none of us will see, unless we travel to the millpond
success, they can bounce back. Most America; the broad-tailed hummingbird.
importantly, by mid-September each bird It has a display flight that is “one of A female kingfisher
will have had to establish its own winter
territory, to provide enough food for the
Each adult the world’s coolest, weirdest courtship
displays” according to Mary Caswell
with its catch
hard months ahead. Only a quarter of
the adults survive from one season to the
has to eat Stoddard who studied them in Colorado.
The details are complex and wonderful,
at least its
Photo: Adrian Henderson
next, and very few breed for more than but suffice it to know that the male dives
one season. down on a perched female at a speed of
All this shows that the species are living
in the fast lane. Each adult has to eat at
body weight 385 times its body length per second, rel-
atively nearly twice the speed of a diving
least its body weight in small fish, or every day peregrine (faucon pèlerin), or the space
fencing, motion-sensitive lighting, number of dogs, the shepherd’s first
Photo: Pictures01_shutterstock
and guard dogs for example. name, and the dogs’ names. If ever the
“The mountains are shared,” says collars are not readable, the circle
Bertrand Selosse. “On one hand are changes colour to show where the
the people who maintain the envi- flock was two hours ago.”
ronment, who prevent avalanches, He says the scheme has been a big
who manage the forests, and also the success in the commune. “In Allos we
farmers raising livestock. usually have around a dozen incidents
“On the other hand there are visitors every summer involving tourists being
who want to enjoy the mountains frightened or bitten by sheep dogs, The website advises
without being attacked by sheepdogs. but this year we only had three, so it what to do if you come
It’s important that both sides under- worked very well for both sides.” across a herd protection
stand and respect each other.” The initial funding was €30,000 to dog (Pyrenean Mountain
He therefore created a website called construct the website, buy the GPS dog shown)
PastoRando.com which geolocates collars, and run an information cam-
flocks of sheep and sheepdogs in real paign. “We’re hoping for more fund- look them in the eye. Don’t try to (OFB) estimates that in 2021-2022
time. “ Each flock has two sheep ing to expand the scheme next sum- force the passage if a dog doesn’t want there were between 826 and 1,016
wearing GPS collars which are linked mer. Neighbouring communes already you to pass. Speak soothingly, adult wolves in France, including
to the website. Tourists can use the want to join it, and eventually perhaps stay calm.) populations in the Vosges, the Massif
site from any mobile phone to find the idea could be used to geolocate The scheme will run again next year Central, and the Pyrenees as well
out exactly where the animals are, so hunters too, and avoid accidents.” from June, when the sheep are moved as the Alps. Hunters and farmers
they can avoid them. It shows the The website includes videos about to the high pastures, and October, claim that around 12,000 farm
zones where sheep are liable to graze, pastoral zones, and sheepdogs, and when they return to the pastures animals were killed by wolves in
and you click on them to find out the what NOT to do if you encounter one. lower down in the valleys. 2020, across 39 départements
number of sheep currently there, the (Do not run, shout, throw stones, or The French Biodiversity Office during 3,700 separate attacks.
 November 2022 I French Living connexionfrance.com Cultural digest/Trending 11
Dog tales and a cinema at risk

A round up of the arts and culture stories creating a buzz in France
1. Shaggy dog story from actress
Valérie Bonneton is a familiar and well
liked face on French television, the grin-
ning comédienne having starred in many
films and the decade-long series Fais pas
ci, fais pas ça until 2017.
Now the actress has turned her creative
forces to writing a debut book, but she
Photo: Rejeanne
A model wear items
from Rejeanne’s
Paysage range of
period underwear
ration between the band and luxury
Limoges porcelain manufacturer J.L.
Coquet looks pretty tasty.
The Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat (Haute-
Vienne) firm had the idea to celebrate
the Stones’ 60th anniversary by repro-
duceding black dinner plates featuring
covers of two of the band’s famous LPs:
Some Girls and Sticky Fingers.

1
Obtaining rights permission
was not easy, admitted Coquet
general manager, Sébastien Cich:
“We had to work for a very long
time [...] to obtain the rights, to
propose the product and to be
able to validate it with the man-
agers of the Rolling Stones.”
A limited edition number of
1,962 coffrets (sets) of two large
and two small plates were made,

French women welcome taboo-

in reference to the year the band
Photo: Studio Canal

formed (1962), and were sold for

€750 via a flash sale online.

selected an unusual narrative perspective

for the fictionalised account of a difficult
time in her life, when her then four-year-
old son Joseph (who fully recovered) was
diagnosed with leukaemia.
The narrator of Maman à moi (Editions
Jean-Claude Lattès) is Gaston, her Bichon
maltais (Maltese). Bonneton says she
chose the device to remove herself from
4. Still-life in the spotlight
If you enjoy gazing upon superb still-life
(nature morte) paintings, then the exhibi-
breaking period underwear
tion Les Choses (Things), running at the
Louvre until January 23 2023, is unmissa-
The market for period underwear that is not only practical and safe
ble. Examining the genre from the per- but also attractive, is enjoying a major boom, writes Theo Larcher
spective of the ongoing dialogue between
past and present artists, the display “sheds Réjeanne products are distributed in Monoprix,
new light on our attachment to material Bon Marché, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps.
things, while covering the history of art #trending They extended their products to menstrual swim-

the emotion of the story. “The prism of
the dog was a possibility to take some
distance, to be able to express myself
and to put humour, lightness there,”
F
from prehistoric axes to Chardin, Manet suits in July 2019 and traditional lingerie following
and the readymades of Marcel Duchamp”, the economic success.
says the prestigious Paris museum. rench women who have not undergone Comfort, value, health and environmental-friendli-
the menopause have been buying period ness are the main selling points that customers are

3
she told franceinfo. underwear for the last five years, evidence looking for in menstrual lingerie products.
of a buzzing new market that has emerged It follows a societal change in which women are
2. Culture at the coiffeur in France. no longer concerned about hiding their period, the
Saint-Priest, a commune in the Lyon Items include period knickers or swimsuits able result of years of marketing strategies from feminine
metropolis (Rhône), launched an innova- to absorb the blood from menstruation thanks to hygiene companies.
tive art project to mark September’s a new technological patented invention. They have “The taboo around the period is slowly crum-
Journées Européennes du Patrimoine proven to be more comfortable than pads and bling,” said Elise Thiébaut, author of ‘Ceci est mon
(European Heritage Days). menstrual cups. sang: petite histoire des règles’ (This is my blood: a
The mairie invited 15 local shopkeepers 8% of French women bought period underwear short history of periods), explaining the reason why
Ville de Saint-Priest /Facebook

to pick their favourite paintings from the
town’s Artothèque (art library), in order
to display them in situ – thereby bring
some culture to a wider audience.
The shops, which included a butcher’s
and a hairdressers, then formed an itin-
erary of discovery for guided tours, with
each artwork accompanied by a QR code
providing further background on the
painting and artist. “It’s an opportunity
to take an artistic break while having
your hair done. I never go to museums, I
really like this principle, it’s the museum
that comes to the visitors, in a way”,
one customer told francetvinfo.
3. Porcelain on vinyl
One might not necessarily associate rock
legends the Rolling Stones with French
fine dining, but a recent creative collabo-
in 2020, the equivalent of 10.8 million units sold,
in a market that has increased 37 fold, and where
products are now featured in supermarkets such
as Monoprix or at Galeries Lafayette.
Hundreds of companies now compete on the
new market with independent companies such as
5. Curtain call for iconic cinema? Réjeanne, Sisters Republic, Célisette or Perdième,
The Luminor, one of the best known and more established companies such as Etam
arthouse cinemas in Paris, which has have extended their product range to include
existed for over 110 years, is under threat menstrual underwear.
of closure because the premises’ owners “We basically crafted the underwear we wanted to
Sofra wish to install “stores or offices”. wear,” said Wye Morter, who co-founded Réjeanne
“Supporting the Luminor, through a very with her friend Alexandra Rychner during the
advantageous commercial lease, is no months after Ms Rychner gave birth.
longer part of Sofra’s objectives,” it said. Mrs Morter and Rychner said they wanted a prod-
“This is cultural vandalism,” producer uct that was able to absorb high quantities of blood
and the Luminor’s manager François Yon from a period but did not require to change pads,
told Le Monde, while Paris City Council tampons or cups, resulting in greater comfort in
hopes to “propose a conciliation [...] so personal hygiene.
that the Luminor remains a cinema”. “If you are investing in the menstrual underwear
market, you might want it to be beautiful,” said Ms
such products had not been conceptualised earlier.
Ms Thiébaut explained that companies marketed
the period as “shameful” with the hygienist idea that
blood needed to be hidden, adding that products
were designed in white and blue so that it highlight-
ed blood.
Ms Morter gave similar explanations when asked
about the recent technological feature, mentioning
the term “taboo” as well.
Ms Thiébaut said companies in the 19th century
favoured single-use products to enhance profits.
But pads and tampons’ popularity decreased over
the years particularly after several clients were fear-
ing toxic shock syndrome, the most emblematic
figure being American model Lauren Wasser who
had both legs amputated as a consequence.
However, 74% of French women have reported
being unwilling to swim in the sea, 65% unwilling
to dress in a swimsuit and 57% unwilling to practise
sports while menstruating, according to a poll*.
Likewise, several studies have reported high levels

2
Ville de Saint-Priest /Facebook

Morter, adding that they got some inspiration by
studying products from American company Thinx
– with no French company having yet positioned
itself in the menstrual underwear market.
Ms Morter and Rychner, former lawyers them-
selves, patented their knickers for their unique
Oeko-tex® fabric that was capable of absorbing
of pesticides within feminine protection products
since they were fabricated from organochlorine
derivative products.
*Poll carried out by Ifop for care company Intimina
on 1,010 women aged from 15 to 49 through ques-
tionnaires between April 17 and April 18, 2021.

“
blood through multiple layers of cotton fibres.
They opened a crowdfunding page that collected
€230,000 in just 45 days, closing sales with 3,500
clients who had ordered a total of 7,500 pairs
of knickers.
“This is when we understood the size of this
new market,” said Ms Morter, who adds that the They opened a
crowdfunding provided countless of thankful
messages from clients. crowd-funding page
Réjeanne, named after an old French name that
took roots from the Latin “regina” (queen), has sold that collected €230,000
500,000 knickers since its crowdfunding campaign in
October 2018. The company now employs 10 people. in just 45 days
12 Recipes connexionfrance.com French Living

How to be an artisan bak

Eric Kayser is hailed as one of France’s best bakers and founder of
the award-winning international bakery Maison Kayser. In his new
recipe book he explores classic techniques and exciting innovations

L
e Larousse du Pain, later released in English as
The Larousse Book of Bread, was published in
French in 2013. The purpose of the book and its
recipes was to lead the way for ‘real bread’, made
using traditional leavening techniques so dear to
our predecessors. As consumers become more savvy and
conscientious, there’s a thriving movement for people to
reclaim their food, control ingredients that go into them and
take responsibility for what they eat. Inspired by the notion
that food is medicine, Le Larousse du Pain came about as a
response to the growing demands.
Master baker Eric Kayser rose to the challenge, sharing the
classic recipes that have brought Maison Kayser great suc-
cess since its inception in 1996 and enabling baking novices
to make his breads at home.
Translated into eight languages and with nearly 200,000
copies, the book has helped many home cooks to develop
new skills, expand their repertoire and further the cause!
By using simple and readily available ingredients, a new
generation learned to make starters, to knead dough and to
become fully fledged bakers. The Bread Book continues the
journey of discovery begun in The Larousse Book of Bread.
This exciting new collection proudly builds on the princi-
pals that made a success of his first book.
While the bread-making techniques remain the same, the
(re)discovery of ancient and heritage flours has opened up
an entirely new field of opportunities and extraordinary
flavours to be explored.
This book features new loaves of breads with unexpected all recipes can be re-created with ease in home kitchens,
flavour profiles to suit all tastes and dietary requirements. using a handful of quality ingredients and basic tools.
Here, readers will find more than sixty classic recipes made For Eric Kayser, taste is the quintessence of good baking.
with a range of flours, from high-protein lentil flour and Whether it’s Kamut® bread, hemp bread or babka, readers
chickpea flour to low-gluten varieties made with einkorn, can expect to find goodness, flavour and integrity at the
spelt or rye. Beautifully photographed by Massimo Pessina, heart of every Maison Kayser loaf.

LEVAIN (STARTER) LIQUID

I have always used liquid levain (or liquid sourdough starter) for my breads and pastries. This natural leavener, made of
flour and water and regularly refreshed, is inherently tied to our history of breadmaking and fundamental to the earliest
practices. Sadly, baking with natural leaveners such as liquid levain was largely eschewed by modern bakers in the twentieth
century who preferred to use yeast, which was ‘easier’ to control and enabled them to produce leavened breads in a very
short amount of time. However, these breads have less flavour and a shorter shelf life than those made with levain.
If you want to replace a liquid levain with a dehydrated sourdough starter, you will need about 75g dehydrated starter
for every 150g liquid levain.
Makes about 700g with a cloth and leave to ferment for 12 hours at room
temperature. The liquid levain is ready to be used.
DAY 1: In a bowl, whisk 50g warm water with 50g organic
stoneground wholemeal (whole wheat) flour (T150). Generally, the levain will remain active for two days after Method
Cover with a cloth and leave to ferment for 24 hours at it’s been refreshed or fed. You will have to feed it every two 1. Combine all the ingredients, except the pumpkin
room temperature (20–25°C/68–77°F). days by adding 50 per cent of its weight in water and flour. seeds and olive oil, in a stand mixer fitted with a
For example, if you have 300g levain, add 75g flour and 75g dough hook. Mix and knead for 5 minutes on
DAY 2: water. low speed and then on high speed until the dough
In a bowl, whisk together 100g warm water with 100g or- Levain can be stored in an airtight container in the refrig- is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the
ganic white bread flour (T65) and 20g honey. Mix this into erator for up to eight days. It must be fed a day before use. bowl. Add the pumpkin seeds (set aside a handful
the previous day’s mixture. Cover with a cloth and leave to for decoration) and knead for 1 minute on low
ferment for 24 hours at room temperature. YEAST speed. Cover the mixer bowl with a cloth and leave
At the right amount, fresh yeast can complement the levain the dough to rise for 11⁄2 hours at room tempera-
DAY 3: in most of the recipes in this book. ture, folding after 1 hour.
In a bowl, whisk 200g organic white bread flour (T65) with It enhances the fermentation process and sometimes offsets 2. On a floured work counter, divide the dough into
200g warm water. Mix this into day 2’s preparation. Cover the marked sourness of certain levains. three pieces of equal weight (about 370 g/13 oz
each) and loosely shape into balls. Cover with a
cloth and rest for 20 minutes at room temperature.
SWEET POTATO FLOUR BREAD 3. Shape the dough pieces into pavé loaves (see left).
Brush the tops of the loaves with a little water to
MAKES 3 loaves 10g Guérande sea salt moisten and sprinkle with the reserved pumpkin
PREPARATION TIME 20 min 3g fresh yeast, crumbled seeds. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with baking
RESTING TIME 3 h 30 min–4 h 40 min 80g pumpkin seeds (parchment) paper. Cover with a cloth and prove
BAKING TIME 35 min (proof) for 1.5 to 2 hours at room temperature.
Shaping the dough into a pavé loaf The dough should double in volume.
Ingredients 1. Carefully flatten the dough piece. Extract from The Bread 4. Place a baking pan on the lowest oven rack and
150g sweet potato flour 2. Fold over a third of the dough and press with your Book by Éric Kayser preheat the oven to 240°C (465°F). Once the
500 g white bread flour (T65) + extra for finishing fingers. Turn the dough piece 180 degrees, then fold over with photography by oven is hot, pour 50ml water into the hot baking
300g water at 16°C (60°F) another third, like a letter, and press. Massimo Pessina. pan. Put the loaves and pan of water into the
32g Liquid Levain (see above) 3. Fold it in half lengthways and seal the seam with the heel Published by Phaidon oven and bake for about 20 minutes.
23g olive oil + extra for brushing of your hand. Press, November 2022, 5. Remove the loaves from the oven, brush with
22g honey 4. Roll the ends lightly with your hands to seal. Hardback £29.95 olive oil and cool on a wire rack.
I November 2022 connexionfrance.com Food notes 13

ker

Main photo: Paul Nadar (Wikimedia, public domain); inset: Auchan

baguette

Don't let these French milk

statistics go past your eyes
In our series chronicling lesser-known foodie tales,
we have a niggling expat gripe about a massive industry
of goat's milk collected in France in 2020
(mostly in Nouvelle Aquitaine), or
Food notes

MAKES 3 baguettes
PREPARATION TIME 15 min
RESTING TIME 4 h 40 min
BAKING TIME 20 min
EQUIPMENT * Baker’s cloth
Ingredients
500g all-purpose (plain) flour (T55)
325g water at 20°C (68°F)
100g Liquid Levain (see left)
3g fresh yeast, crumbled
10g Guérande sea salt
T
o assume that the subject of
this month's Food Notes was
selected merely to allow its
Benny Hill-derived headline to
exist would be unfair. Your
Food Noter has had the urge to
air a (very minor) gripe about
French milk for some time.
Yet upon researching the
subject, said gripe was
momentarily replaced by
awe at the sheer scope of
France's dairy industry.
Buckle in for some im-
pressive stats: according to
the government's Agriculture
and Territories website, milk is
produced in 90% of French depart-
ments. Three regions – Brittany, Normandy
and Pays de la Loire – produce 52% of the
country's annual cow's milk: a whopping
23billion litres. 2.1% is organic and also,
26% of dairy farm managers are women.
We must not forget the 660million litres
the 294m litres of ewe's milk the same year.
The man who started all this – by figuring
out that by heating milk slowly you can
stop bacterial contamination and extend
its shelf life – was, of course, Louis Pasteur
(1822-1895, pictured). What might he have
made of an industry now worth €8.7
billion – 13% of the country's total
agricultural output? [Not all
milk is pasteurised and there
are any number of amazing
raw milk cheeses – Brie,
Camembert, Roquefort...].
Back to the gripe. The
standard one litre plastic
bottle in which French
milk is sold has a glaring
technical fault – for any expat
'builder's tea' drinker, at least.
The pouring lip is simply not fit for
the purpose of splashing a nuage into a
morning cuppa – it drips and dribbles all
over the bottle (quel horreur!)
If the French were a nation of bona fide
tea drinkers, this problem wouldn't exist.
Agree? editor@connexionfrance.com.

Method
1. Put the flour and water into a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and mix for
4 minutes on low speed. Cover the mixer bowl with a damp cloth and rest for 1
Gadget inspector Now available
hour, then add the levain, yeast and salt. Knead for 4 minutes on low speed, then
for 7 minutes on high speed. The dough should be smooth and pull away from
the sides of the bowl. Gather the dough into a ball, cover with a damp cloth and
leave to rest for 1.5 hours at room temperature. The dough will have increased in
volume by the end of the resting time.
2. On a floured work counter, divide the dough into three equal pieces. Fold each
piece over on itself, pulling gently to stretch into a longish log. Cover with a damp
cloth and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
3. Working with one piece of dough at a time, use the palm of your hand to flatten
it gently. With the long side facing you, fold in a third towards the middle and
press along the edge with your fingertips. Swivel the dough 180 degrees.
Fold in the other long edge so that it overlaps in the centre and press with the
heel of your hand. Fold one half on top of the other and seal the edges together
with the heel of your hand. Black diamond cutter is the A daily dose of savoury
4. With lightly floured hands, roll the baguette out to 55 cm (21 inches) long, then
pinch each end into a point. Repeat with the other 2 baguettes.
perfect seasonal gadget deliciousness for December
5. Carefully lift the baguettes onto a lightly floured baker’s cloth, seams underneath. In 1930, the Provence company Plantin The advent calender (calendrier de l'avent)
Separate them by making folds in the cloth. Cover with a damp cloth and prove was formed and began supplying top market in France expands its offerings year
(proof) for 1 hour 40 minutes at room temperature, by which time the baguettes restaurants with fresh truffles. on year, with more and more specialist
will have increased in volume. Today, not only does the company still food and drink producers tempting adults
6. Place a baking pan on the lowest rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 230°C provide the prestigious "black diamond" with a child-like daily treat for December.
(450°F). Gently place the baguettes, seam down, on a baking sheet lined with to chefs around the world, plus gourmet For those who enjoy a savoury indulgence,
baking (parchment) paper. Dust with flour and make 4 evenly spaced oblique gift sets, but it also produces a range of Comtesse du Barry's multiple mini-pots
slashes along the length of each baguette. Once the oven is hot, pour 50ml high quality truffle-related gadgets and provide the opportunity to taste duck
water into the hot baking pan. Put the baguettes and pan of water into the oven accessories. With an ultra-sharp blade, this terrine with green pepper, vegetable ril-
and bake for 20 minutes. stainless steel adjustable mandolin makes lettes with seaweed or guinea fowl terrine.
7. Remove the loaves from the oven, then cool on a wire rack. perfect slices of truffles from 0.2mm to Price €89.90, with a sweet calendar also
3mm. €29 from www.truffe-plantin.com available (€32.90). www.comtessedubarry.com
14 Aligot
Aligot, simply delicious Aubrac speciality
Aligot is a traditional
rural specialty from
the Aubrac. Originally,
it was the survival dish
for pilgrims on their
way to Santiago de
Compostela, writes
Patrice Bertrand
T
o make aligot, you just need
the right ingredients. “And
there are only four: potatoes,
salt, a little crème fraîche and
fresh Aubrac Tome,” says
Jean-Baptiste Bouloc of the Jeune
Montagne dairy cooperative in Laguiole
(pronounced Lah-yole).
“It’s a recipe that anyone can make.
Here, we’ve been using the same recipe
for centuries, except that now, our
production is of course mechanised.”
Here, it’s the high plateau of Aubrac, a
region in the Massif Central straddling
the departments of Aveyron, Cantal and
Lozère, known for its harsh winters but
also for its cheeses and its famous
Laguiole knives. It is in this picturesque
landscape, whose meadows and low stone
walls recall Ireland, that Jeune Montagne,
the main producer of aligot (pronounced
“ah-lee-go”) in France, makes a thousand
tons of it annually according to an ances-
tral recipe.
This dish, a cross between creamy
mashed potatoes and cheese fondue, has
a unique characteristic: its elastic struc-
ture. If the aligot is made successfully, the
“
result is visually spectacular: when pulled
The astonishing
simplicity – and
rusticity – of
aligot is due to
its modest origins
and stretched with a spoon, it should
form long, ribbon-like strands. This
property, known as “filant” (stringiness),
comes from a key ingredient: the famous
fresh Aubrac Tome (“Tome fraiche
d’Aubrac” in French), an unsalted semi-
soft cheese obtained after curdling raw
milk, which is also the basis for
Laguiole cheese.
The recipe is simple, but
requires a special touch. “It
is obtained by stirring the
mixture with a spatula or
wooden spoon, preferably
always in the same direc-
tion,” says Mr Bouloc.
“Then you incorporate air
by raising the spatula until
the mixture takes on a nice
smooth, stringy texture. To avoid
breaking the stringy structure, it’s imper-
ative not to heat it too long.” He adds:
“To make a good aligot, you also have to
respect the proportions. For example, for
connexionfrance.com
four people, you need 400 grams of fresh
Aubrac Tome, one kilo of potatoes and
250 grams of crème fraîche – that’s all.
You make a purée with the potatoes
and add the crème fraîche and a little
salt. When it’s very hot, add the fresh
tome cheese cut into thin strips and
stir well for about fifteen minutes over
medium heat.
“Then the mixture is pulled and
stretched and the aligot is ready. Of
course, it can be personalised. Some
people, for example, add a little garlic.”
The astonishing simplicity – and rustic-
ity – of aligot is due to its modest origins,
which are very old. Legend has it they go
back to the 12th century, in the remote
village of Aubrac, on one of the pilgrim-
age routes to Santiago de Compostela. A
count from Flanders after surviving brig-
ands and snowstorms while on pilgrim-
age, had a monastery built there to pro-
tect and welcome pilgrims.
The monastery’s buildings, the
Dômerie, still exist. When pilgrims
arrived, they asked for something to eat
or “aliquid” (“something” in Latin, and
perhaps the origin of the term aligot).
The monks served them a sort of soup
prepared with broth, pieces of bread and
fresh Aubrac Tome.
After the French Revolution, when the
monastery monks were expelled, wealthy
landowners in the Aubrac mountains
continued making fresh tome cheese
in their “burons” (cheese farms).
Their employees, buronniers,
were not allowed to con-
sume the produce but
would discreetly take
some fresh tome cheese to
make aligot. Following a
poor wheat harvest, they
replaced bread with
mashed potatoes, recently
introduced from the Americas,
and aligot became the mainstay of
the Aubrac region. Popularised later in
other French regions, its production
declined sharply following the rural exo-
dus. In the mid-20th century, it was close
French Living I November 2022
annually from 76 farms in Aubrac. In
Photos: Jeune Montagne; Maxime Authier-ODG Laguiole
addition to aligot, it produces over 700
tonnes of Laguiole PDO, of which it’s
also the main producer.
Unlike Laguiole, aligot is not protected
by any label or official quality sign.
“However, ‘aligot de l’Aubrac’ is a regis-
tered trademark of Jeune Montagne,”
says Mr Bouloc. “We want to scrupulous-
ly respect the traditional recipe passed
down by the buronniers, and we obey
very strict specifications. The milk is col-
lected for the Laguiole cheese produc-
tion. It’s processed, curdled and pressed
several times, then matured for about
twenty hours to obtain fresh Aubrac
curd. The quality of milk determines
the quality of the fresh tome and, above
all, the taste and texture of aligot.
“There’s therefore a very strong
partnership between farmers and
cheese-makers to guarantee this quality.
The cows must be of the Simmental and
Aubrac breeds, particularly well-suited to
making fresh tome. It’s made only with
whole raw milk and there’s no pasteuri-
sation in the production process. The
cows are fed exclusively on the pastures
of the Aubrac.”
Once a simple subsistence dish, aligot
has made its way to the finest tables. It
features prominently at Michel Bras’s
Michelin two-star restaurant in Laguiole,
which adds black truffles. “But it’s above
all a dish of conviviality, of sharing,” says
Above, a giant Aligot to disappearing because the production Mr Bouloc. “It’s festive. People get
served at the Fête du of Laguiole cheese, for which Aubrac together with friends or family around
Laguiole AOP; below tome was made, had progressively aligot. While it can be made year-round,
right, key ingredient, declined: from 700 tonnes at the end it’s particularly appreciated in winter
tome fraiche; below, of the 19th century, to 25 tonnes by because it’s a dish that is warming and
Lionel Viguier, a the late 1950s. provides a certain comfort.
milk producer for “It was really on the verge of dying “It can be eaten on its own, as in the
the AOP cheese because many people left the Aubrac old days in the burons, or, as we do here
for big cities to escape difficult working today, with an Aubrac farm beef-steak or
conditions in the burons,” says Mr Bouloc. grilled sausages, but also with vegetables
“Fortunately, in 1960, some young farmers or fish. Its taste is really well adapted to
who didn’t want to leave the Aubrac and the most diverse culinary associations.
wanted to preserve the traditions decided Aligot, with its smooth and milky side,
to found the Jeune Montagne cooperative. will never overpower the taste of other
Against all odds, they continued to make accompaniments.”
fresh Aubrac Tome, Laguiole and aligot.” Located a quarter of an hour’s drive
The operation became a success. In
1982, Jeune Montagne was the first dairy
from the Dômerie, the historic birthplace
of aligot, the cooperative is open year-
to produce aligot for the general public.
Since it freezes well, they created a frozen
round and can be visited. It even offers,
on request, workshops or courses to
aligot in 1982 in collaboration with chef
Michel Bras, the emblematic restaurateur
learn how to prepare aligot. Lastly, for
several years now, the cooperative has
of the Aubrac. Sold in specialty fro-
zen-food stores, it revived aligot’s popu-
been organising giant aligot parties
throughout France, capable of feeding
larity. Subsequently, refrigerated packag-
ing in tubs allowed sales throughout
50, 100 or even more people. This is
notably the case for the annual “marché
France in cheese shops and supermar- des pays de l’Aveyron”, in Paris, where
kets. Better still, the success of Jeune more than 10,000 portions of aligot,
Montagne had a snowball effect: other made in giant pots, are served.
manufacturers began to make aligot, It’s an opportunity to see dramatic
which is now found in restaurants and ribbons of aligot, which can be more
burons-restaurants of Aubrac. than a metre and a half long!
Today, the cooperative has 90 employ-
ees and collects 15 million litres of milk www.jeune-montagne-aubrac.fr
November 2022 I French Living connexionfrance.com Wine and Cheese 15

Photos courtesy of Distillerie Aravis

Tannin notions: giving wine complexity
Vigneron Jonathan Hesford examines the basics of understanding tannins in red wine

Images: Jonathan Hesford

Wine being pumped over
A year in the vineyard

H
grape skins to extract tannins
during fermentation
aving discussed sweetness
and acidity in wine, this
month I’m going to talk
about the most confusing
and misunderstood fla-
vour or characteristic of wine, tannins.
White wines and rosés generally don’t
have any tannin so this article is about
red wine.
Cheese of Tannins is a catch-all word for a range
of organic molecules found in wine
Meet the producers the month:

T
he Distillerie Aravis in La
Clusaz (Haute-Savoie) high in
the French Alps, has been
called polyphenols. They come primarily
from the skins of grapes but also from
Brie de Nangis pips, oak barrels, stems and, in some
wines, the additions of oak chips or
tannin powder.
Photo: thesupermat/Wikimedia

making ‘Liqueur des Aravis’ Polyphenols are present in many plants

since 1878, when the drink
was devised by a local monk. Distiller
François Thévenet loved the tipple so
much that in 1954 he bought the secret
recipe and set up the Distillerie Aravis
in La Clusaz. The business remained in
the same family for three generations
until in 2020 it was bought by siblings
Sarah and Romain Gauthier, also from
a family of distillers.
“We grew up in Ardèche where our par-
ents are distillers, using a variety of fruits,
which is the tradition we bring to the dis-
tillery,” says Sarah Gauthier. “Because of
Covid we couldn’t open the boutique
until late 2020 but since then, it’s been
doing well.”
They planted their own génépi in 2021,
and have already distilled their first bot-
tles of the famous green Alpine drink.
They are also continuing to make Liqueur
des Aravis, from génépi, gentians, hyssop
and Armagnac. Sapinette is made from
pine buds gathered in the springtime.
They also make liqueur from gentians,
and eau de vie. Romain has created blue-
berry génépi, a new liqueur.
“My favourite is Génépi Sec which con-
tains the least sugar. But I also love Poire
William.” The siblings make everything
themselves using aromatic mountain
plants, pears, plums, blueberries, chest-
nuts, and raspberries. The process
involves a 40-day maceration of plants
and fruits followed by the distillation
process which takes a day. Then there is
assemblage, bottling, labelling and pack-
ing. All in all, it takes around two months
to make a bottle of liqueur.
They wholesales their products to other
boutiques in the area as well as selling
direct in their own boutique in La Clusaz.
as well as grapes, for example in tea,
cocoa, wood and fruits. In wine they
perform two important tasks. Firstly
they act as preservatives. They react with
oxygen in the wine, which prevents the
wine oxidising and turning brown, los-
While the Bries from ing its freshness or developing Sherry
Meaux and Mélun are aromas. They also inhibit aerobic bacte-
better known and possess ria from growing, notably the acetobac-
the prized AOP (appel- ter which produce vinegar.
lation d’origine protégée) Secondly, they contribute to the fla-
label, there is another vour, body and texture of wines in a
Brie from Seine-et-Marne complex and often divisive way. The
worth seeking out. main reason for the complexity is that
Although it is named tannins evolve over time. They are not
Brie de Nangis, it is no alive but their chemical reactions with
longer produced in that oxygen and other molecules in wine are
village. Since the 1980s, very slow, sometimes taking years to
specialist cheesemaker achieve. The whole concept of ageing
Fromagerie Rouzaire has red wine is about the evolution of
been making it, half an the tannins.
hour away in Tournan- Young tannins tend to have an astrin-
en-Brie, yet still the heart gent character. The drying sensation on
of Pays de la Brie. our gums and tongue. Astringency
The soft cow’s milk should not be confused with acidity,
cheese is pale yellow and although it often is because acidity caus-
gorgeously runny when es a similar puckering sensation. The
served at the correct way to differentiate is to think of wheth-
temperature – remove er the sensation is similar to sucking a
from the fridge an hour lemon (acidity) or drinking unsweet-
before eating – and has a ened green tea (astringency).
“bloomy” rind. As wine ages, those astringent young
Local speciality: tannins will transform into bigger but
smoother-feeling tannins. Mature tan-
Choucroute nins still have a presence and texture
in beer but not the mouth-drying effect of
young ones.
As they evolve into larger molecules
they lose their solubility, precipitate and
form a sediment in the bottle, making
the wine feel softer and smoother.
However, it is important not to stir up
Photo: Maison Robert
which also has the effect of softening
astringency if done an hour or two
before serving.
Tannins also release complex and
interesting aromas and flavours as they
age and transform. The appeal of a per-
fectly aged bottle of fine red wine is not
simply that it is smooth.
The aromas of perfumed woods, herbs,
spices and dried fruits all come from the
transformation of tannins over time and
are quite different to those found in
young wines.
Winemakers can alter the type and
amount of tannin they extract from the
grape skins by various means. As grapes
ripen, their skins become less astrin-
gent and more flavoursome.
Therefore picking grapes that
are “phenolically” ripe will
produce rounder wines.
The length of time the
skins are left in the fer-
menting wine will also
affect how much tannin is
extracted.
Finally, ageing wines in oak
Younger people and those with little
experience of serious red wines often
find any amount of tannin distracting
and unpleasant.
One can think of tannin as an acquired
taste, similar to the bitterness of hops in
beer and chillies in spicy food. In order
to attract new and younger customers,
wine producers have employed a num-
ber of techniques to try to produce
ripe-flavoured, full-bodied wines that
don’t have the characteristic of tannins.
For centuries winemakers have known
that adding proteins to barrels in the
form of milk or egg whites has the effect
of smoothing out the rougher tannins.
Proteins are electro-statically
attracted to tannin molecules
so when they are stirred
into wine they will form a
sediment which can be
discarded by racking or
filtration. The process is
known as fining.
Today, many of the
world’s biggest selling
brands of red wine are

“Obviously the ski season is very busy, the sediment or pour the dregs into your barrels transforms the tannins softened by adding gelatine,
and we’re open seven days a week all win- glass. That is one of the reasons for by allowing them to combine with which is a very quick and effec-
ter. But summer is also reasonably busy decanting older wines into a carafe. The oak tannins and with tiny amounts of tive fining agent. A little sugar added to
with mountain bikers and hikers. Out of other reason being to aerate the wine, oxygen, due to the porosity of the bar- the wine also hides the bitterness of tan-

season we close on Sundays.”
For the future, they plan to develop new
products, and set up a small museum of
mountain plants and the history of géné-
pi that the public can visit. “People love
to see how our drinks are made, and
where they come from.” The pair offer
free visits to the distillery which have
to be booked in advance either through
the website (distilleriearavis.fr) or by
phone (06 26 64 85 28).
“
As winter approaches we rels. This has the effect of creating a nin. Paul Masson, a Californian wine
begin reaching for warm- wine that can not only be kept for a company, marketed its soft, early-drink-
ing comfort dishes, and longer period of time but is ready to ing wines in the late 1970s with a
north-eastern France – drink earlier. famous advert featuring Orson Wells
no stranger to brisk hiver Wines which have the potential to reciting the tagline “We sell no wine
temperatures – has lots of improve with age have more value that before its time”.
delicious seasonal recipes
up her culinary sleeve. Ageing wines in oak short-lived wines. This led to the con-
ception that any wine that smelled of
However, removing tannins is not the
same as allowing them to mature over
Beer is a popular in-
gredient for slow-cooked barrels transforms the toasted oak and had a deep colour was a
high-quality wine.
time. Red wine with no tannin will not
age well. It will go downhill from the
stews but one surprising
example of its use is in tannins by allowing The wine industry is particularly good
at fooling customers. In the 1990s toast-
day it is bottled and it will never develop
the characteristics of a properly aged,
the pork, potato and cab-
bage classic, choucroute. them to combine ed oak chips became very popular, espe-
cially in countries like America and
traditionally-made bottle of red wine.

Vosges firm Maison

Robert uses ale from with oak tannins and Australia. They allowed wineries to pro-
duce oaky wines much more quickly
Jonathan Hesford has a Postgraduate
Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology from
local artisan brewery La
Madelon to give an extra with tiny amounts and cheaply than by storing the wine in
costly barrels for a year or two.
Lincoln University, New Zealand and is
the owner, vigneron and winemaker of
layer of warmth (€9.90).
www.maison-robert.fr of oxygen People vary widely in their tolerance
and enjoyment of tannin in wine.
Domaine Treloar in the Roussillon.
www.domainetreloar.com
16 Interiors connexionfrance.com French Living I November 2022

The art of showcasing sunny homes

In a new book about

Photos: Roland Beaufre

celebrated interiors by
photographer Roland
Beaufre, Laura Sartori
Rimini and Roberto
Peregalli examine his
style and influence and
present three of the
featured dream homes

I
n French photographer Roland
Beaufre’s monograph, Under
The Sun: Around The World In
21 Houses, dreamy tropical estates
by renowned interior designers
and tastemakers come alive in a vibrant
collection of images brimming with
sumptuous style.
Beaufre, a French interiors photogra-
pher who regularly contributes to The
World of Interiors, Vogue, and many other
publications, studied at the Ecole des
Beaux-Arts in Paris and has published
several books on great houses
and interiors.
His new book offers a glimpse into the
private retreats of style icons, designers,
and creatives who found solace in special,
sun-washed places. Readers are invited to
explore stunning homes not just in France
– including Henri Garelli’s Provençal-
style abode in Corsica (pictured right),
a chateau in French Basque Country and and propelled him into high society. His Above: Located them. They made
a cabin in Le Corbusier’s prefabricated pared-back yet chic style, in harmonies of between the sea and the place into a display
hut in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin – but beige and white, serves as a showcase for mountains on the of their passion, paper-
around the world. Explore the villa of the sleek furniture of Jean-Michel Frank, shore of the Strait of ing all the bedrooms
Bernard-Henri Lévy and Arielle Dom- André Arbus, Jacques Adnet, Jacques- Bonifacio, looking with the various wall-
basle in Tangier, American photographer Émile Ruhlmann, and Marc du Plantier; out toward Sardinia, papers they found
Deborah Turbeville’s home in San Miguel the draftsmanship of Picasso’s ceramics; this sand-coloured, and reproduced.
de Allende, Mexico as well as exotic the paintings of Pierre Alechinsky; and classic Provençal Driven by this
palaces in India and Thailand. the sculptures of Ossip Zadkine here. architecture is typi- quasi-divine interven-
Beaufre’s evocative photography The words simplicity and sophistication cal of the architect tion, they set about
beautifully captures the vibrancy of summarize this villa. Decoration as puri- and interior designer researching panoramic
these lush locales. fication: nothing but the best. Henri Garelli; Left: and other wallpapers of
The stunning dining the same period. In so
A MEDITERRANEAN GEM, CORSICA THE CHATEAU AND ITS TREASURES, room at Françoise doing, they amassed an
Located between the sea and mountains Saint-Pandelon and Jacques Subes’ outstanding catalogue
on the shore of the Strait of Bonifacio, Françoise and Jacques Subes were high Normandy chateau; of rare, high-quality
looking out toward Sardinia, this sand- school teachers in Rouen, Normandy, Right: Detail from decorative elements,
coloured house melts into the landscape. when, during a walk while on vacation in the Roman sculture all made by their own
Its grounds – designed by Paolo Tonini the French Basque country, they chanced collection showcased hands. They conquered
and composed of olive trees, palm trees, upon this bishops’ chateau. Having fallen at Zou Kebaili’s home the world of interior
lavender, and agapanthus – create a con- for the ancient building’s charms, they in Sidi Bou Saïd, decoration, and the re-
nection between the Corsican scrublands proceeded to restore it. Tunisia stored chateau became
and the building’s refined nature. The walls, which had been untouched their manifesto.
The classic Provençal architecture is since the eighteenth century, presented
typical of the architect and interior these lovers of decorative arts with a THE MODULOR FOR
designer Henri Garelli. A native of the wonderful gift: fragments of the wallpaper A CABIN, Roque-
village of Saint-Tropez and close friend that the monks who lived here during brune-Cap-Martin
of the painter Bernard Buffet, his the Age of Enlightenment had used. They Le Corbusier came
hometown was a magnet for the jet set copied these rare documents to reuse across this site, halfway
between Monaco and
Menton, when he was
going to see his friend
Eileen Gray. She built
her manifesto villa,
“E-1027: House by the Sea,” here in 1926. one mirrored). The sleeper-cabin wall
In 1952, on a nearby locale overlooking lamps are lacquered in his colours:
the Mediterranean, Le Corbusier installed cartwright blue, green, red, and white. A
a prefabricated hut using his “Modulor” pair of whisky casks serve as stools, paint-
Under the Sun: Around dimensions: 3.66 by 3.66 meters (12 by ed by him and signed with his initials.
the World in 21 Houses 12 feet). As is the large mural around the door
© 2022 Roland Beaufre, Made of rough timber panels, it is an leading to the open-air café right next
Photographs and Texts. example of the Brutalism that the archi- to his chalet, where he would have lunch
Foreword by Rupert tect so loved. It is designed and fitted out every day. He would swim three times
Thomas; Introduction by entirely like a ship’s cabin: mast pedestal a day and shower on his return using
Laura Sartori Rimini & table, boat bed, sliding cubic storage the hose under the carob tree. A
Roberto Peregalli chest. The hospital washbasin abuts a Robinson Crusoe lost in the middle
Rizzoli New York, 2022 window with two casements (one glazed, of the French Riviera.
November 2022 I French Living
Fantastic beasts and where to find them
Medieval art historian Dr Julia Faiers
discovers scenes of medieval mayhem
on a painted ceiling in the old
archbishops’ palace in Narbonne
F
rom the outside, the east wing
of the old archbishops’ palace
in Narbonne looks like any other
imposing monumental medieval
edifice. Go inside, however, and
a spellbinding medieval world of monsters
and battles awaits. On the first floor, a
painted ceiling made in the second half of
the 1210s, transports you to a place popu-
lated by real and imaginary creatures,
monsters, soldiers and fair maidens.
The ceiling was painted when a certain
Arnaud Amalric was archbishop of
Narbonne, a man more famous for the
role he played in the bloody Albigensian
Crusade against the Cathars in the Midi
than for the beauty of the buildings he
commissioned. It was this archbishop
who ordered the infamous massacre at
Béziers, and which, he admitted in a letter
to Pope Innocent III in 1209, resulted in
the slaughter of nearly 20,000 people.
Yet Amalric was clearly just as fired up
by making a palace fit for a prince (of the
Church) as he was by overseeing the exter-
mination of heretics in the name of God.
The ceiling tops a large room called an
aula, which served as the archbishop’s
principal room. This is where Amalric
conducted business, received visitors and
hosted lavish dinners. Visitors entering the
room were greeted not only by spectacular
painted scenes above them but, in all
probability, around them, too. The wall
paintings have long since disappeared,
but the ceiling, miraculously, still retains
its medieval decoration.
What the visitor looks at now represents
a precious flashback to the people who
talked, ate and walked in this room nearly
a thousand years ago; a chilling prospect
when you consider that these delightful
paintings were ordered and paid for by a
man responsible for so many thousands
of deaths.
Amalric’s painted ceiling is made up
of 33 wooden beams laid out between
the east and west walls. Between the
brackets and the beams, around the top
of the walls on both sides, are 126 closoirs,
small wooden panels bearing an array of
fantastical beasts, birds, heroes and hero-
ines. The painted beams and the joists,
visible from anywhere in the room, are
bedecked with graceful vegetal and floral
connexionfrance.com Hidden histories 17
1
motifs. Nothing to raise the blood pressure
here. But tucked away in the shadows are
scenes of derring-do and chivalry guaran-
teed to tantalise and inspire.
Unfortunately, not all the individual
panels retain their original images. In the
1950s, restorers from a Parisian workshop
saw fit to touch up 56 out of the 126 pan-
els in their own distinct style, which paint-
ed medieval ceiling specialists Georges
Photo 1: Georges Puchal
Puchal and Julien Foltran describe as
maladroite. There are no religious figures
or bible stories on display, despite the
patron’s lofty ecclesiastical status and
the ceiling’s location in the archbishops’
palace. These paintings were, on the con-
trary, designed to convey the delights of
the profane rather than the sacred world.
Birds, animals and a mix-and-match
combination of the two, chew the scenery
2 3
with man-and-beast hybrids, and even
an elephant carrying a tower on its back.
In one narrative of particularly graphic
violence, one soldier slices off another’s leg
at the knee with his sword. Elsewhere, a
knight tumbles to his death from the castle
battlements. The images’ immediacy tran-
scends the centuries that separate the
artists from the modern viewer.
No matter how enchanting we find these
snapshots of medieval life today, ceilings
painted with lively, colourful narratives
fell out of fashion in the sixteenth century.
Many were covered over with bucolic and
mythological scenes in muted colours, or
simply whitewashed over. In the old arch-
bishops’ palace in Narbonne, for example,
the medieval painted panels were redis-
covered at the end of WW2 beneath a false
ceiling when the Musée archéologique was
being installed in the building. Before the 4
museum claimed the space, this part of the
old palace had served as a prison in the
nineteenth century, and as a school after
that, their inhabitants unaware of the
painted treasures concealed above them.
And these marvels of medieval artistry
are still being found. Last winter, an archi-
tect working on a renovation project in
Montpellier uncovered remnants of a
painted medieval ceiling in someone’s
house, in which an angel appears to burst
forth from the top of a chimney. You just
never know what’s hiding beneath those
layers of whitewash.
Photos 2-5: Catherine Lauthelin, Ville de Narbonne
1. The medieval wooden ceiling in the aula of Narbonne’s old archbishops’ palace, painted between
1215 and 1220
2. A section of the ceiling showing the closoirs covered with images of fantastical creatures
3. Pushed or thrown? We know it doesn’t end well for this unfortunate knight
4. An ‘elephant’ carrying a tower in one of the ceiling’s lively battle scenes
5. A gloriously inaccurate lion, one of several depicted in the aula
18 Puzzles connexionfrance.com French Living I November 2022

Bilingual cryptic crossword by Parolles

Answers are in French and English
Across
1 Following change newspaper boss was
hesitant (8)
5 Reportedly sells parts from bicycles (6)
9 Energy shown by new recruit evident in
Antoine’s writing (8)
10 Priest touring city in the south of France
mostly gets to speak French (6)
11 Ceased employing Rex after five one Friday
in Toulouse (8)
12 Doctor on island coming from an Italian
family who once ruled Florence (6)
14 A singer for example retracted article on
Renaud’s debut completely (10)
18 Copies of last recipe destroyed (10)
22 Look at housing dog in stable (6)
23 No longer available for men on Ecstasy in
the wings (8)
24 Frightened by attack on American fellow (6)
25 Napoleon’s rarely finding excellent soldiers
having a hint of tetchiness (8)
26 Baptiste’s to spell the name of a famous
footballer living in the middle of Auvergne (6)
27 Time to regret getting depressed for staunch
Conservative (4-4)
Down
1 Surprisingly eventful after conservationists
depart by river in France (6)
2 Part of the windpipe of a cat captured by
aspiring artist? Just the opposite (6)
3 Last of cake and tea fantastic at Railway
Cafe (6)
4 Droll roue strangely admitting source of
African and US money deposited in German
bank (4,6)
6 Duc d’Orleans’ to exaggerate earliest of
attachments described by old German
queen (8)
7 What members of the Conservative Party
are, is OK (3,5)
8 Well that’s after Roman Catholic soldiers
discover a witch in Nîmes (8)
13 Be fond of song about a couple of females in
a romantic relationship (4,6)
15 Supports small time brewing in Nantes (8)
16 Weird keeping a photo of Marcel’s grocery
shop (8)
17 French bookseller finds story about British
person’s distinctive manner (8)
19 Floundering sweeper losing weight provides
hope for Deschamps (6)
20 Pearl somehow obtains one similar for
Thiery (6)
21 Take up residence somewhere in Lancashire (6)

French-themed crossword by John Foley

Note all answers are words or names associated with France
Across Down
1 Napoleon’s horse, named after a battle 1 Consumptive heroine of Puccini’s opera
against Austrian forces in Piedmont, Italy, La bohème (4)
in June 1800 (7)
2 Bref message écrit (4)
3 Femelle du cerf (5)
3 Michelin’s chubby – though now not so
6 Water lilies painter born in Paris this month chubby – mascot (8)
in 1840 (5)
7 Weapon especially useful for opening 4 Too many of these spoil the broth (5)
champagne bottles (5) 5 Muffle or stifle (8)
8 Colloquially, barmy (3) 7 Cardio workout exercise involving a raised
9 Maison provençale (3) platform (4)
11 Bretagne city at the confluence of the Ille 10 Wine classification abbreviation (1,1,1)
and Vilaine rivers known in Breton as
Roazhon (6) 12 Woodwind instrument (8)

14 To be taken in moderation (6) 13 Nom de plume of writer François-Marie

15 Rue très étroite (6)
18 Leaf gathering implement (6)
19 Bird shelter (3)
20 Organic (3)
23 Handy pointer (5)
24 Scrooge was one (5)
25 Series of thoughts and images during sleep (5)
26 Avant-garde playwright of works such as
La Cantatrice chauve and Rhinocéros, born
in Romania this month in 1909 (7)
Arouet born in Paris this month in 1694 (8)
16 ‘La démocratie, ce n’est pas la ___ de la
majorité, mais la protection de la minorité’ –
Albert Camus (3)
17 Ripe or composé (4)
18 Considered the founder of modern
sculpture, Auguste _____ was born
and died this month, in 1840 and 1917
respectively (5)
21 Boulanger’s mainstay (4)
22 Essential vehicle for the Tour de France (4)

Fun French facts Like our quiz?

Buy our quiz books
2 Sauce of 3 Knead to know
Harrieta171 /Wikiemedia

1 Hamming it up inspiration online at

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November 2022 I French Living connexionfrance.com Puzzles 19
Toughnut No. No.7
Toughnut 2 – Scribo Crossmots
- Scribo Crossmots Five French Facts: French Exiles
These dual-language puzzles called ‘Toughnuts’ require you to translate the clue (English to French
These dual-language
or vice-versa) and puzzles called ‘Toughnuts’
then decide require you
where the answer fits to
intranslate
the grid.theTo
clue andyou
help thenthe
decide
firstwhere
letter of the
in Britain
the answer When the going gets tough politically in your own country, what else can you do but flee over
answer is fits in the grid.
provided. YouTocan
help the first
then findletter of the cathedral
a French answer is provided.
city fromBonne chance!
the blue squares. Bonne chance!
the nearest border and seek asylum with the nearest friendly regime? French exiles who have
For more dual-language puzzles see www.crossmots.com fallen foul of the authorities have always had the easy option of going across a land border
to Belgium or Switzerland; but many of them felt safer putting a narrow strip of sea – the
A Cheville English Channel (aka La Manche) – between them and their persecutors. Britain, with its
A With tradition of stability, civic freedom and toleration, has accommodated a number of fleeing
C Pouvez Frenchmen and women over the years, not all of them anglophiles. Here’s a selection of five
C Run of them, with the dates they spent abroad. By Nick Inman
C Coucou
D Papa 1 Gabriel I de Lorges, count of Montgomery 1560-1562. In 1559,
E Plus tôt the hapless Montgomery killed his friend king Henry II in a tragic jousting

Photo: Public domaine

E Facile accident. Although it wasn’t his fault, he was branded as the “regicide” (the
E Water inspiration for the Kingslayer in Game of Thrones?) and hounded out of
E Errors Paris. He fled to the England of Elizabeth I to escape his shame. The
E Essai Reformation was in full swing and he converted to Protestantism. He
I Glace returned in the thick of the Wars of Religion to lead a Huguenot army but
I Idées was captured, tortured and executed for treason in 1574.
I Italy
J Twin 2 Voltaire (Francois-Marie Arouet) 1726–1728 Imprisoned in the Bastille

Photo: Marzolino_
M Maintained for insulting an aristocrat and fighting a duel, the great Enlightenment wit

shutterstock
M Majeur and author of Candide asked to be exiled in England instead of rotting in jail.
M Mass His request was accepted and he was escorted to Calais. He lived for two and
M Agresser half years in Covent Garden, wrote a couple of essays in English and moved
N Nécessairement in high society – he may even have attended Isaac Newton’s funeral.

Photo: Stocksnapper_
N En filet 3 Victor Hugo 1855-1870. After Napoleon III had seized power in an
O En plein air anti-parliamentary coup d’état in 1851 Hugo fled to the Channel Islands and

shutterstock
O Hibou stayed there until the empire fell and the Third Republic was inaugurated.
P Mettre Much of Les Misérables was written in his home, Hauteville House, on
R Ramp Guernsey.
R Concerner

Photo: Morphart Creation_

R Street 4 Napoleon III 1871-1873. Having been taken prisoner at the humiliating
S Voir defeat of the Battle of Sedan (1870), the emperor no longer with an empire
S Elle was initially held captive in Germany. On his release, going back to France in

shutterstock
S Sleep ignominy wasn’t an option and he decided to go into exile in England instead.
T Taraudé He lived at Chislehurst in Kent where he died two years later, aged 64.
T Thé
T Your
5 De Gaulle 1940-1944. When General de Gaulle flew (possibly reluctant-

Photo: Darq_shutterstock
ly) from Bordeaux to Britain on 17 June 1940 he knew he was disobeying the
T Roof
army and committing treason. For the next four years he had a fractious rela-
T Tonne
tionship with his hosts, whom he referred to as “the Anglo-Saxons”, while he
T Clochard
oversaw a government-in-waiting. He returned home shortly after D-Day in
V Varnished
time to take part in the Liberation of Paris.

Test your knowledge of France

For all answers with our Connexion quiz
please turn to
Guess the region... French Living 1 Who served as President of France from 13 Which hotel in
France has 13 regions. Every issue we pick a spot, page 24 1981 to 1995? Nice is famous
for its pink dome?
all you need to do is work out which region it is in... 2 What is name of the village druid in the

Photo: baloncici_shutterstock
Asterix comics series?
Clue: Musical mausoleum 3 Which French heroine fought in The
Hundred Years War?

4 Who was born

in Ajaccio in 1769? 14 What are ‘flûte’, ‘bâtard’ and the ‘ficelle’
Photo: sebastien hovaguimian_shutterstock

varieties of?
5 What is the
equivalent English 15 A ‘giroflée’ is a wallflower but what flower is
idiom to ‘on ne a souci’?
peut faire d’une
buse un épervier’ 16 Which French actress was married to
(literally, you can’t English photographer David Bailey?
turn a buzzard into
a sparrowhawk)? 17 Who founded the Kingdom of France?

6 What war was fought by France between 18 Which luxury goods firm has a logo with a
the years of 1870 and 1871? ‘Duc carriage with horse’?
Photo: Adisa_shutterstock

7 With what do you associate Bayeux 19 Which Parisian

in Normandy? train station serves
southbound TGV
8 In which battle, fought on Senlac Hill, trains directly
was King Harold II defeated by the to Marseille?
Norman forces?
20 What did the Romans call Sinus
9 Who composed the Symphonie Fantastique? Cantabrorum as well as Mare Gallaecum?

10 In what line of business is Sigfox?

Profile
11 Which French duo is known for the songs Quiz by Adam Jacot de Boinod who was a
‘Around the World’ and ‘Get Lucky’? researcher for the first BBC series QI and is an
author of three books including ‘The Meaning
12 Who was Coco Chanel’s principal rival? of Tingo’.
20 Reviews
French films
A critical eye on ciné
releases and classics
The Connection
Dir: Cédric Jimenez
No, this is not a film about your favourite
newspaper, but a 1970s-set Marseille
gangster thriller, released in 2015, starring
two of France's best known leading men –
Jean Dujardin and Gilles Lellouche.
Certain film critics were a little sniffy
about this French take on the cop and
drug dealer, cat-and-mouse danger games,
which they saw as a pastiche of William
Friedkin's genre-busting masterpiece,
1971's The French Connection – in which
Gene Hackman was the US flic in pursuit
of a French heroin smuggler whose prod-
uct was flooding the streets of New York.
Certainly, director Cédric Jimenez took
inspiration from events portrayed in the
aforementioned classic, but he adds layers
of characterisation, smooth plotting and
impeccable period detail (including spot-
on musical soundtrack selections), which
elevate this beyond a mere copycat. And
although there are some very dramatic,
and, it must be said, brutal, showdown
and gunfight set pieces, it is not simply
an action thriller.
Dujardin plays Pierre Michel, a magis-
trate transferred into an organised crime
unit from the juvenile court, tasked with
shutting down a brutal gang headed by
Gaëtan "Tany" Zampa (Lellouche).
Initially, the ever-suave Dujardin might
appear a little miscast, but he is superb
here – slowly getting frazzled as he
becomes increasingly obsessed with his
prey, his marriage begins to crumble.
Exposure to youngsters trapped by hero-
ine addiction gives him the compulsion
to nail Zampa once and for all, and so he
will... Stream on Amazon Prime.
Cinema: Novembre
Jimenez and Dujardin reunite in a powerful
drama about the police's role during and
after the 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris.
Blah, blah, blah... chatterboxes in the drinks aisle
Language notes
Y
our Language Noter often
finds linguistic inspiration,
conundrums to investigate
or French behaviour to marvel
at whilst out doing the weekly
supermarket shop. All humankind can
be found in my local Leclerc (other
leading brands are available for similar
sociology purposes).
Recently, having just arrived, I headed
into the rayon boissons (drinks aisle) where
a couple were chatting to an acquaintance,
catching up and exchanging jokes, swap-
ping snippets of news and generally
rabbiting about nothing in particular.
I wasn't exactly eavesdropping (the
French would call this écouter aux portes)
but merely curiously enjoying their badi-
nage (banter or, equally, badinage in
English). I grabbed some jus de pomme
connexionfrance.com
Music
Cali Ces jours qu’on a presque oubliés, volume 1
In October of this year,
56-year-old, Perpignan-
born chanson/rock singer
Cali (full name Bruno
Caliciuri – he has heritage
from Calabria in Italy)
released his 11th studio
album. Its title translates as
"Those days we almost for-
got" and he recorded it at
his Rivesaltes (Pyrénées-
Books - The 20 minute review
We read recent releases with a link to France. To be fair, each gets 20 minutes’ reading time
The Two Spoons Cookbook - More Than 100
French Inspired Vegan Recipes
Hannah Sunderani, Penguin Canada
€24.87, ISBN:
978-0735241282
French cuisine is still deliciously
anchored to a carnivorous tradition,
but vegetarian, flexitarian and even
vegan diets are increasing in popu-
larity. The advantages include being
more health conscious as well as
watching the family budget.
But how to enjoy those advantages
without sacrificing the indulgence
of French cuisine? This
cookbook goes a long way to
finding the answer.
The title refers to the author's preference for food that has to be
served with two spoons because it's made for sharing. Her recipes
cover croissants, cashew cream cheese, turmeric latte, “freak-
shakes”, mushroom bourguignon, rainbow
ratatouille, and “fauxmages”. “Fauxmages”?
Vegan cheeses.
Editor’s
The recipes cover everything from
snacks to a formal dinner and are
choice
designed to be simple to make. The
recipes are organised from breakfast
onwards and the author promises dishes
that are delicious, decadent and beauti-
fully presented. It offers an easy introduc-
tion to anyone wanting to explore plant-based recipes, whether
exclusively or as part of a varied, balanced diet.
The book grew out of a blog called Two Spoons which the
author started when she was living in Lille. She says it's not for
advanced cooks, but for home-makers looking to expand their
repertoires, and includes some dishes with their roots in North
Africa. She includes oat and almond milk in case you can't find it
in the supermarket.
The design is clear and bright with beautiful illustrations which
make you want to crack out the scales and get going on recipes for
banana pancakes and dairy free hot chocolate. Truly scrumptious.
(apple juice) and headed off to remplir
mon chariot (fill up my trolley).
Almost half an hour later I was making
my way to the till (la caisse) and –
lo-and-behold – the chatterbox threesome
was still there waffling away, entre amis
(amongst friends) seemingly in no hurry
“
to faire les courses (do the shopping) or
head home for lunch.
A charming, easy-on-the-ear French
word to describe their relaxed exchange
of apparent insignificances is papoter. It
does have a slightly pejorative nuance as
The chatter- it implies frivolity. Someone who indulges
in it is called un papoteur (masculin) or
box three- une papoteuse (feminine).
Other words to describe the act of
some was chatting away are the more mainstream
bavarder (one might bavarder de tout
still there, et de rien – talk about everything and
nothing), while someone, especially a
waffling child, who natters away endlessly is
affectionately called a "moulin à paroles"
away (windmill of words).
French Living I November 2022
Orientales) home. Lead single, the dramatic
Lâche Pas (Don't Let Go) has plenty of the
more folky musical flourishes (violin,
acoustic guitar) that belie his first punk
rock-influences. It also feature trademark
"engaged" lyrics – Cali is also a passionate
advocate of charitable associations.
The singer says he owes a lot to a love for
Ireland and to Irish band U2 for his musical
inspiration – he briefly met singer Bono
after a concert in Toulouse in 1984 – as well
Dressing Up -The Women Who
Influenced French Fashion
Elizabeth L Block, MIT Press,
€24.84, ISBN: 978-0262045841
There Is an awful lot of
guff printed about French
fashion; replace your bag
with a raffia shopping tote
and your heels with balle-
rina flats, etc. But this
book is different. It's a
scholarly study by a real
historian of the influence
wielded by wealthy
American women in the
Parisian fashion houses during the 19th century.
Far from being simple consumers of French
chic, their financial clout and fresh approach to
the serious business of fashion made them part-
ners in the creative process.
The author notes how plenty of customers
were accomplished needlewomen themselves,
with a good understanding and appreciation of
the techniques of cutting and making, as well as
the characteristics and qualities of various fab-
rics and finishings. They absorbed French ideas
and took them back to the States, just as the
French were influenced by their creative ideas.
The author also looks at the links between
French couture and coiffure at the time, as well
as shopping habits. Unlike their European coun-
terparts, rich American women were perfectly
happy to patronise department stores as well as
designers like Charles Frederick Worth, Doucet
and Félix. She also looks at how the middle
classes copied fashions worn by the rich.
The book is illustrated with plenty of full col-
our plates and it's particularly interesting to see
pictures of the gowns on dummies and then as
styled and worn by the social leaders and
trend-setters of the era. Just add a mink...
Curb your enthusiasm for faint praise
The French you don’t
learn at school
S
ince 2015 there has been a phrase
of Swiss origin in the Larousse
French dictionary to express
one's sense of pleasant surprise –
the idea that one was expecting
the worst but somehow avoided an awful
experience.
"Déçu en bien" when translated directly,
means, rather confusingly "disappointed
in good". One might use it when expect-
ing a bad meal or a terrible film having
previously read a review, only to be pleas-
antly surprised in the end.
It is, of course, an example of speaking
ironically – in the same way as one might
say "being economical with the truth"
(s'arranger avec la vérité) when referring
to a liar. It is also a good example of
expressing understated, incomplete or not
as other Celtic groups such as The
Waterboys (whose member Steve Wickham
plays violin and mandolin on the latest
album) and Simple Minds.
This teenage passion for music superseded
a previous love for rugby, which he played
to a high standard locally, and it triggered a
long career in the music business which has
been rewarded with several awards at the
Victoires de la Musique.
On tour throughout November.
Summer At the
French Café
Sue Moorcroft, Avon, €0.99
on Kindle ISBN:
B09JBL9X3L
Released earlier
this year, to the
delight of Sue
Moorcroft's fans,
Summer at the
French Café is
a romance set
in Alsace.
The heroine, Kat
Jenson, starts off
with a perfect life. She has a wonderful
boyfriend, works in a book café, has a
cute pooch, and lives in a fab part of
France. The problems loom when she
discovers her man has unsuspected feet
of clay, things go wrong at work and her
family run into heartache.
But then she meets Noah and it starts
to seem like the storm clouds might
have a silver lining. Except for just a tiny
glitch. Noah has problems of his own,
and he's only in Alsace for the summer.
He plans to return to Dordogne, and
what will Kat do then?
Of course, this is a romance so it has a
wonderful happy ending and it's set in
France during the summer, so there are
plenty of evocative descriptions to carry
the reader into a sun-drenched world.
But it has its darker moments which
keep you gripped to the pages.
The perfect escapist read, this is a
book to enjoy in one big gulp.
You can find more literary inspiration
at the Facebook group 'Novels set
in France'.
wholly sincere praise – just as we would
"damn someone with faint praise". The
French here might refer to the speaker as
"faux-cul" (literally "fake arse"), meaning a
hypocrite.
At the root of "déçu en bien" is the verb
décevoir (to disappoint). The noun la
déception (disappointment) is one of the
most notably tricksy examples of what are
known as 'false friends' (faux amis) to
English speakers learning French – words
that look or sound like English ones but
which have a completely different mean-
ing in French.
Deception (English), meaning fraudu-
lence, dishonesty or misleading words or
behaviour is actually called la tromperie
in French, and is commonly employed to
describe the acts of cheating on one's
partner, husband or wife.
Interestingly, the ancient origin of
tromper is from jouer de la trompe (play-
ing the trumpet) which, over the centu-
ries, evolved to mean "playing someone".
November 2022 I French Living connexionfrance.com Shopping/Did you know? 21
QUOI DE NEUF?

Photos: Kiev Victor and gumbao, both Shutterstock

New products, designs and ideas from around France
Best foot forward
children’s clothing designer Rachel Riley
hit the style headlines when Prince George
wore a pair of her dungarees to his first
official engagement in 2014, with her later
being dubbed “The Duchess of Design”.
However, there is a true French connection
to this UK royal story – Rachel’s leather shoes
are all handmade in the Loire Valley, where
she has a home with her husband, French
photographer, Daniel Jouanneau.
Back in 1997, she bought some machinery The casino at Enghien-les-Bains was
from a local workshop and began making an exception to a law restricting their
baby shoes and kids’ leather slippers. She construction within a 100km radius of Paris
then had her team of machinists trained in
the techniques of crafting classic styles, with
Aix-les-Bains casino in Savoie
shoe lasts originating from the 1930s.
The elegant, smart and timeless footwear is
still made in the traditional way, stitched on
the outside, hand-turned and heated on child-
sized shoe forms. These
range from layette size 16
which fits a baby of one
month to size 40 for a
toddler’s special occasion.
Button strap models
pictured, from €55.
Explore the range at:
www.rachelriley.co.uk

Poster boy brings beauty home Timeless timekeeper

illustrated affiches (posters) lend a beautiful touch of ret-
ro-feel graphic art to your interior. Leading firm Marcel Travel
Posters, founded by Julien Véril, in the surfing hotspot of
Hossegor (Landes), hand-produce a wide range of inspiring wall
decorations. Subjects are eclectic, ranging from classic location
images (all French regions, from sea to mountains, are covered)
to sports, food and more. All designs are original.
100% Made in France using high quality 350g/m2 matt coated
paper and available in two sizes – 30 x 40 and 50 x 70 cm, their
posters are packaged with the greatest care in a protective card-
board box. Prices from €19. marcel-travelposters.com/fr
MAGNIFICENT in its simplicity, robust
and reliable, this “Austerlitz” horloge murale
(wall clock) in oak is made in the Jura and
sold by Toulouse-based design studio Reine
Mére. Not only is it a pan-European objet –
with the clock mechanism coming from
Easing of red tape led to
Germany – but also a great value gift for
Christmas, priced just €69.
reinemere.com/gb
casino industry boom
as in Biarritz (Pyrénées-Atlantiques,
1858) with the Bellevue Casino or
Deauville and Trouville-sur-Mer
Did you know?

Sac for your back
SINCE 2008, the Sac du Berger leather work-
shop in Latour-sur-Sorgue, Aveyron has
proudly held the Entreprise du Patrimoine
Vivant (EPV) label, in recognition of its
French artisanal know-how. They keep things
local, too: all of the company’s leather goods,
boots and wool clothing, meet the same strict
requirements: peak beauty and quality. The
different manufacturing stages, from the ori-
gin of the skins to the finished object, includ-
ing tanning, are carried out
within a radius of 120 kilo-
metres from the workshop.
Whilst they produce a great
range of handbags, shoes
and accessories, it is these
splendid backpacks (sac à dos)
that will appeal to outdoors
types keen on packing a pic-
nic for a French country hike.
Model shown, Larzac, is in
leather and wool, available in
two colours, price €350.
www.lesacduberger.com
F
rench casinos are required to
be built around balneario,
spa town or health resort.
The requirement comes
from a 1806 law enacted by
Napoleon who legalised casinos in
thermal and balneario complexes
in an attempt to curb illegal gaming
and attract French people toward
other regions of France.
The decree has seen many amend-
ments, exceptions and additions over
the last 200 years to include casinos
in areas that do not meet the initial
requirements.
But it has left a lasting impact on
French people, many of whom still
associate casinos with being near
watery areas by law.
“Napoleon understood that gambling
existed in areas where people liked to
meet-and-greet but, especially, to be
seen – such as in health resorts,” said
Marie-Reine Jazé Charvolin, a real
estate expert and author of a study
on spa resorts.
Indeed, Aix-Les-Bains’ municipality
had decided to build an area dedicated
to ‘games’, a broad denomination aimed
at diluting gambling activities, next to
its spa centre in 1797. Napoleon’s deci-
sion would both serve an economic
and touristic purpose.
The law motivated many cities along
the coast or known for being spa
resorts to build casinos in an effort
to attract tourists’ money. Casinos
mushroomed around France, such
(Normandie, 1912), the latter generat-
ing enough attraction and money to
develop as a fully-fledged city.
But the law has changed over time to
ease most of the restrictions. In 1907,
health resorts were included in the list
of cities allowed to open a casino, while
in 1919, a law was ordered to forbid the
construction of any casino around a
100 kilometre-radius around Paris –
only to include an exception in 1931
for Enghien-Les-Bains (Val d’Oise),
a spa resort 20 kilometres north
of Paris.
Roulette, black-jack and craps, three
popular gambling games in the United
States, were authorised through a
decree in 1969 while slot machines
were forbidden until 1987.
The abundance of laws and regula-
tions around the casino hampered the
industry, with the amount of casinos
declining year-on-year, and motivated
the government to soften the rules
around gambling activities.
An amendment in 1988 authorised
casinos to be built in cities of more
than 500,000 inhabitants with a 40%
participation in established cultural
activities such as operas or theatre
centres.
Lyon (Rhône-Alpes) and Bordeaux
(Gironde) were then able to open
casinos while not being considered
spa resorts or balneario cities.
Municipalities can debit up to 15%
of the amount of cash generated by
the casino. 202 casinos were officially
recognised by the government in
2021.
22 History connexionfrance.com French Living I November 2022

Socialist of the skies: the

daredevil pilot Jean Mermoz
Crashes and injuries rarely stopped one of the previous century’s most charismatic aviators, Jean Mermoz.
Samantha David takes a look at the highs and lows of a life lived to the full, in the air and on solid ground

J ean Mermoz (1901-1936) was a pio- car washer, and a scribe addressing enve-

neering French aviator who also
co-founded the French Socialist
Party. Born in Aubenton (Aisne), he
spent much of his childhood with
his grandparents. When WW1 broke out,
they fled south to Aurillac (Cantal), taking
the boy with them. Mermoz didn’t see his
mother (stuck in the occupied zone) until
1917, when she escaped via Switzerland.
She then took him to Paris and enrolled
him in the Lycée Voltaire. In 1920, at the
age of 19, he enrolled in the army and
ticked the box marked ‘aviation’ on the
advice of a friend of his mother’s. Mermoz
learned to fly at the Istres Military School
although his talent was not immediately
apparent. He was disgusted how recruits
were abused, to deter them from flying,
and when the engine of his plane stalled
on take-off, and he crashed into a tree,
breaking his leg and his jaw. Another
attempt resulted in a crash landing.
He finally passed his test in 1921 and
acquired the rank of corporal.
Assigned to the 7th squadron of the 11th
bombing regiment of Metz-Frescaty, he
was sent to Syria and Beirut and earned a
reputation for volunteering for the most
perilous missions.
The Franco-Syrian War of 1920 was
fought between France and the Hashemite
rulers of the newly established Arab
Kingdom of Syria. The struggle was part
of the division of territory that had been
the Ottoman Empire, and the French won.
They ruled Syria until 1941. The last
French soldier left Syria on 17 April 1946,
and the date is still commemorated annu-
ally with Evacuation Day celebrations.
In 1920, the machines flown by military
pilots were badly maintained and unrelia-
ble. The technology was in its infancy and
even aerodynamics was a nascent field of
study. Engine problems meant that Jean
Mermoz broke down repeatedly
in the desert. On one occa-
sion, he and a mechanic
spent several days
walking after a crash,
and were only res-
cued at the 11th
hour, dehydrated
and on the verge
of collapse. By 1922,
he had logged 600
flying hours in just
18 months.
Photos: left, Musée Jean-Mermoz, Aubenton, below and inset, Wikimedia Commons
lopes for mass mailouts. He did a day’s
work as a stunt pilot for a film, but apart
from that, he did not fly at all.
He was saved from his situation in
September 1924 by a proposition from
Didier Daurat, the director of Lignes
Latécoère, a brand new airmail service
between Toulouse and France’s overseas
territories. He started work for them as a
mechanic, and then flew a check ride in
order to work as a pilot, but was severely
reprimanded for flying aerobatics instead
of the circuits demanded. “I don’t need
circus artists, but bus drivers,” said Daurat.
Nevertheless he got the job and began
flying over the Pyrenees between Toulouse
and Barcelona, a challenging route for the
planes of the period. In 1925, he began
flying the Toulouse-Malaga route. Passing
through Paris one day, he ran into an old
pilot friend, Henri Guillaumet, and per-
suaded him to apply for a job at Latécoère,
too. In 1926, he began flying Casablanca
(Morocco)-Dakar (Senegal), and after an
engine failure, made a forced landing in
the desert. He and his interpreter, taking
the water from the radiator with them,
attempted to walk to Cap Juby in a sand-
storm, but were eventually captured by
locals who ransomed them back to France.
Signed off sick from the effects of this
misadventure, with severe sinusitis, an ear
infection and a stomach ulcer, he was ter-
rified he might go deaf and be permanent-
ly grounded, but in the event he was back
at work two months later, when almost the
same thing happened again. Forced by
engine failure to land in the desert, this
time, however, he was rescued by a fellow
Latécoère pilot, Eloi Ville.
In October 1926, he met Antoine de
Saint-Exupéry, who had just become the
director at Cap Juby, and in an ironic twist
of fate, he rescued Eloi Ville from the
desert after a forced landing. The fol-
lowing year, 1927, he and three
other pilots went on
an expedition to rescue a Top, One of the then bouncing the plane off two other,
hydroplane piloted by the rooms celebrating lower plateaus. They managed, but a
Larre-Borges brothers. the aviator’s life at radiator hose then came loose and so they
In 1927, Jean Mermoz the Musée Jean- had to glide the plane down to Copiapo.
and another pilot called Mermoz in Aubenton; Needless to say, the tall, handsome,
Elisée Négrin achieved a above, metro station devil-may-care aviator was a ladies’
non-stop flight from Mermoz in Toulouse, favourite. He partied as hard as he flew,
Toulouse to Saint-Louis in one of many places and broke many hearts along the way.
Senegal, on the same day in France that bear In 1929, in Buenos Aries, he met Gilberte
that another crew managed his name; inset, Chazottes, and within a few months he

By the time he returned
to France in 1923, he had
been awarded the Croix de Guerre
and the Levant Medal – and contracted
malaria. He was off sick for many months
before he was fit enough to join a new unit
in June. He was finally demobilised in
1924, having made lifelong friends with
many of the other pilots. He remained in
reserve, however, and in 1930, he was sent
to Toulouse as a reservist officer.
His exploits in the Middle East had
already earned him a name as a hero and
as a top pilot, but outside the armed forces
there were no jobs for pilots. He worked as
a sweeper, a night guardian, a labourer, a
to reach Dakar in 23 hours and
30 minutes.
By 1927, Latécoère had become the
Compagnie Générale Aéropostale (often
just called l’Aéropostale, and Jean Mermoz
was sent to Rio de Janeiro to develop new
airmail lines in South America. They
developed the night flights made so
famous by Saint-Exupéry, and faced the
challenge of flying over the Andes.
The usual mechanical problems were
exacerbated by the difficulties of moun-
tain flying, and at one point he was
obliged to spend three days repairing his
crashed aircraft before attempting a peril-
ous venture that involved taking off and
“
Jean Mermoz had proposed to her. In 1930, when he
returned to Paris, Gilberte and her family
followed in order to prepare for a June
wedding in Paris. Jean Mermoz, mean-
while was busy proving that hydroplanes
could service an airmail line between
Europe and South America. In July 1930,
He flew over the he crashed into the South Atlantic, from
which both he and the airmail had to
Atlantic 23 times be rescued.
He finally married Gilberte in August
in his short career, 1930, and a few weeks later had yet anoth-
er spectacular accident. A plane he was
on a diverse range test-flying went into an uncontrollable
spin. When he attempted to bail out, he
of different planes realised the hatch was too small for his
November 2022 I French Living
shoulders. It was only because the
machine disintegrated around him
that he was finally able to free himself
to release his parachute.
He continued testing planes, searching
for an aircraft capable of flying from
Paris to Santiago in Chile. He flew the
Marseille-Algiers line himself, beating the
world’s distance record, and in 1933, flew
from Paris direct to Buenos Aires.
The French government insisted that
only hydroplanes could be used to cross
the oceans, but he lobbied for lighter,
faster ground planes to be used. Coming
into conflict with the new Minister
for Transport, he became interested in
politics and co-founded the French
Socialist Party.
Having flown across the Atlantic and
back with aviator Maryse Bastié, in 1935,
he supported her flying school Maryse
Bastié Aviation in Orly. He flew the
Atlantic 23 times in his short career,
on a diverse range of different planes.
He disappeared in December 1936,
along with his co-pilot, navigator, radio
operator and mechanic during a flight
back from Dakar in a hydroplane. He
had already abandoned the flight once
because of a problem with the propeller,
but only waited for cursory repairs to
be made before taking off again.
Over the radio the crew sent the mes-
sage “have cut right engine” and the
coordinates. Nothing more. Rescue
parties rushed to the spot but the wreck
has never been found.
The accident was a tragedy, and
his loss was mourned nationally.
Even people who had never seen a plane
were devastated. After 8,200 flying hours,
Jean Mermoz had disappeared forever.
But Mermoz had established commer-
cial trans-Atlantic aviation, and the world
has never looked back.
You can learn more about Jean Mermoz
at the Musée Jean-Mermoz in Aubenton
(www.tourisme-thierache.fr, entry from
€3), and the superbly presented Envol
des Pionniers museum in Toulouse
(www.lenvol-des-pionniers.com/en,
entry from €8).
connexionfrance.com Local history 23
Photo: Thomon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Seeing red in the first
of the Plus Beaux Villages
Theo Larcher discovers the story of Collonges-la-Rouge in the
Corrèze, from medieval pilgrim hub through depopulation to
tourism that threatens to overwhelm the village’s heart and soul
Secret history of villages
C
ollonges-la-Rouge, a village
of 491 inhabitants in the
Corrèze department, is
impossible to disassociate
from the reddish-purple-
coloured hue of its buildings. The village
has grown its nationwide fame through
its colourful name, labels, and nickname,
all earned from the sandstone houses that
line its quaint little streets.
The tiny village is a happy jumble of
churches and small houses in narrow-
streets that take their intense red colour
from sand grains of the nearby Massif
Central - particularly those of Meyssac
and Brive.
But the mastermind behind the village’s
national reputation is Charles Ceyrac,
former mayor and a local figure whose
buzzy ideas helped Collonges-la-
Rouge attain higher recogni-
tion and conquer new
markets. He achieved
this first by changing
the village’s name
from Collonges to
Collonges-la-
Rouge in 1969, to
distance the village
from six homo-
Above, bust of Jean nyms, the addition
Mermoz, in the boule- of the colour to its
vard named after him name clearly sign-
in Neuilly-sur-Seine posting this village’s
unique character.
Second, by creating Plus
Beaux Villages de France in 1982,
after being inspired by an article pub-
lished in Reader’s Digest. Ceyrac ran Plus
Beaux Villages de France, an independent
association for the promotion of small
rural villages, until his death in 1996.
Collonges-la-Rouge was the first village
labelled by the association, and more
than 170 villages have since gone on to
earn the prestigious accolade.
“I think Collonges-la-Rouge got lucky
by being situated away from busy roads
and motorways. Its pristine atmosphere
has been maintained by being preserved
from modernity,” said Agnès Brahim-
Giry, a historian who conducted a herit-
age inventory there from 2007 to 2009.
Collonges was built in 782, around an
8th-century priory inhabited by monks
who had conserved a fragment of the
Photos: left, rights free; inset, E. Gerbois, Vallée de la Dordogne
Holy Cross. The village was included
within the viscount of Turenne’s territory,
attracting a population of agricultural
farmers, craftsmen and shop owners.
The 16th century is considered to be
“the great century of Collonges”, when
the village was at the pinnacle of its influ-
ence with the powerful neighbouring
Turenne (Corrèze).
It is nicknamed the “village with the 25
towers” from the time during which the
Viscount of Turenne built most of what
Collonges-la-Rouge is now known for.
Tourists come, for example, to see the
Black Penitents’ chapel, Saint-Pierre’s
church or Vassinhac castle. The result is
that Collonges-la-Rouge has no fewer
than 26 buildings that are listed as
Monument historique, a designation given
to France’s national heritage sites.
The village has been a stopover for
pilgrims on the Saint-Jacques-de-
Compostelle trail since the 9th century.
But when Charles Godefroy de la
Tour ceded Collonges to
France in 1738, which was
then run under French
jurisdiction, the village
entered a downward
spiral, with the pop-
ulation declining
after the phylloxera
plague that killed
the crops, and fol-
lowing WWI battles.
After this slow and
steady fall in popula-
tion, which could have
left the village’s pretty, his-
torically significant buildings
to deteriorate beyond repair, help
came from a few important figures. After
more than two hundred years of inertia,
the Amis de Collonges association and
Charles Ceyrac collectively worked to
stop the rot in the 20th century, and to
bring the village back to its former glory.
But now Collonges-la-Rouge faces a
new danger from tourism, in which the
heart of the town centre is losing its resi-
dents as more and more houses are
turned into shops.
“I wonder how M. Ceyrac would react,
and what he would do against the phe-
nomenon,” said Michel Charlot, the
village’s new mayor, who agrees that
he must support the heritage of Ceyrac.
He is looking to ban buyers from turn-
ing houses into shops by introducing a
plan local d’urbanisme.
24 The big picture connexionfrance.com French Living I November 2022

25 years of nature in focus

T TOITURE, T TON, T TRAMP, V VERNI.
S SHE, S SOMMEIL, T TAPPED, T TEA, T TES,
P PUT, R RAMPE, R REGARD, R RUE, S SEE,
N NETTED, O OU, O OUTDOORS, O OWL,
M MAJOR, M MASSE, M MUG, N NECESSARILY,
I IDEAS, I ITALIE, J JUMEAU, M MAINTENU,
E EASY, E EAU, E ERREURS, E ESSAY, I ICE,
C COURU, C CUCKOO, D DADDY, E EARLIER,

Love photography?

Alexandes Bes
A ANKLE, A AVEC, C CAN, C CENTIMETRES,

Love nature? If so, a

visit to the Montier
Photo Festival is
recommended, says
Samantha David

T
he Montier Photo Festival of
wild animal photography, the
largest in Europe, is celebrat-
ing its 25th anniversary this Solution No.7 (RENNES)
November. Held in and around
Montier-en-Der (Haute-Marne) an hour Toughnuts
north-east of Troyes by car, it is expected to
attract more than 45,000 visitors this year.
The festival was inspired by the BBC
Wildlife Photographer of the Year compe-
– it is a type of lettuce.
3 You will not find frisée for sale in a boulangerie
tition. “Twenty-five years ago, a bunch of d’Espelette stew, 2 Sauce beurre maître d’hôtel,
mates held a wildlife photography compe- 1 Piperade is a red pepper and Piment
tition here and it attracted 4,000 visitors Fun French facts
over two days. We were amazed and that is 22 vélo.
when the annual festival was founded. It is 13 Voltaire, 16 loi, 17 fait, 18 Rodin, 21 pain,
held for four days over the third weekend 5 étouffer, 7 step, 10 AOC, 12 hautbois,
of November,” says festival director Chris- strongly over the weekend of the festival.

Sylvain JOLIBOIS - COSEC

tophe Pereira.
The festival is held in 16 different venues
all around Montier, each one hosting
exhibitions by up to 35 different photogra-
phers, depending on the size and location
of the venue. In total 2,500 images, repre-
senting the work of a hundred photogra-
phers, are on display for the four days of
the festival.
The festival also includes a competition,
for which it receives around 20,000 entries
each year from all around the world. The
jury then whittles these down to 80 or so of
the best shots, and 15 prizes are awarded;
the grand prix and prizes in various cate-
gories, are provided by various sponsors.
“One of big features of the festival is that
the public can meet and talk with the pho-
tographers. Everyone whose work is exhib-
ited is physically present at the festival. It’s
a very social networking event,” says Mr
Pereira. “We work very hard to make sure
everyone feels welcome, and that there are
attractions for everyone.”
As well as exhibitions, there are also talks,
round-tables, projections, workshops, and
demonstrations. People can get advice, try
equipment out and also buy equipment.
There are also photo walks, and a dawn
outing to photograph the cranes taking off
across the lake as the sun rises.”
It’s a family event he says, with lots of
games and children’s attractions. “There
are many beautiful wildlife photos on
display, in categories including wild birds,
wild mammals, other wild animals, wild
plants, graphics - form and matter of
nature, and still image sequences.
“The festival also touches on more
sombre topics like the destruction of
the planet, diminishing biodiversity,
global warming, waste disposal, and the
results of human actions on nature. We
choose photos which treat these subjects
very intensely.”
The Tourist Office helps organise
accommodation for all the visitors, in
hotels, gites, B&Bs, and camping cars. “As
Down: 1 Mimì, 2 note, 3 Bibendum, 4 chefs,
25 songe, 26 Ionesco.
18 râteau, 19 nid, 20 bio, 23 doigt, 24 avare,
8 fou, 9 mas, 11 Rennes, 14 alcool, 15 ruelle,
Across: 1 Marengo, 3 biche, 6 Monet, 7 sabre,
French-themed crossword
20 Pareil, 21 Settle.
15 Brassage, 16 Epicerie, 17 Libraire, 19 Espère,
6 Exagerer, 7 All right, 8 Sorcière, 13 Love affair,
Down: 1 Fleuve, 2 Larynx, 3 Eatery, 4 Euro dollar,
25 Rarement, 26 Epeler, 27 True-blue.
18 Replicates, 22 Secure, 23 Offstage, 24 Afraid,
11 Vendredi, 12 Medici, 14 Altogether,
Across: 1 Faltered, 5 Pedals, 9 Ecriture, 10 Parler,
Bilingual cryptic crossword
19 Gare de Lyon, 20 The Bay of Biscay.
16 Catherine Deneuve, 17 Clovis, 18 Hermes,
Top, from the wild which is very beautiful, very green and nat- 13 Hotel Le Negresco, 14 Bread, 15 A marigold,
birds category at last ural with a huge variety of flora and fauna networks, 11 Daft Punk, 12 Elsa Schiaparelli,
year’s competition, to photograph.” Battle of Hastings, 9 Hector Berlioz, 10 Wireless
Maître de la This year the festival honours American 6 The Franco-Prussian War, 7 Tapestry, 8 The
banquise (Master photojournalist Steve McCurry, famous for cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,
of the ice floe) by his image of an Afghan girl with piercing Getafix), 3 Jeanne d’Arc, 4 Napoleon, 5 You
Alexandes Bès; green eyes. 1 François Mitterrand, 2 Panoramix (a.k.a.
above: visitors The Festival Photo Montier takes place Quiz

He says that over the years, many the festival has grown, so has its economic enjoying an from Thursday November 17th to Sunday (frescos dating from 1412). Photo: Pixabay
friendships and working partnerships have value to the region. It is estimated that it exhibition November 20th 2022 and tickets are availa- Cathedral, Normandy with its 18 angel musicians
been formed at the festival, the organisa- brings around 5 million euros into the ble on the website, www.photo-montier.org. The Romanesque crypt at Bayeux’s Notre Dame
tion of which relies on the contribution of area every year in terms of spending on The competition is open to all photogra- Guess the region

around 400 volunteers. “The identity of the accommodation, eating out, shopping and phers. Entries for next year should be Answers from page 19
festival is conviviality. You feel that very sightseeing. It also showcases the area, submitted in March/April 2023.

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 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com Practical 21

Insure against bed bug misery for €2 App recognises landmarks

Artificial intelligence is your curiosity, and take a

“
A start-up is offering as throwing away furniture. being used to help identify photo to learn what it is called

Photos: Badbugs.fr / Inset: shutterstock_Tomasz Klejdysz

Mr Roux de Bézieux said this landmarks for visitors. and other basic information.
insurance against the is excessive. A standard chemi- Whatizis allows users to Short texts and audio guides
insects and advice on cal treatment should generally ‘Shazam’ buildings, statues, of 30 seconds to a minute and
cost between €400 and €500, a street art and other landmarks a half, created by local tour
how to avoid scams ‘natural’ insecticide from €550 – a reference to the app which guides, provide the history
Scams are to €650, and a steam or cryon- identifies music that is playing. and anecdotes surrounding
Each year, bed bugs invade ite treatment from €1,000 to The free app was launched in the landmark.
more and more French homes. more or less €1,300. A heat treatment will Rennes in June in partnership Once downloaded, the app
Almost five million people the norm cost upwards of €3,000. with the local tourist office and does not need an internet
were affected between 2016 “People often think the now also covers Paris and the connection to work.
and 2021, according to one Nicolas Roux €3,000 option works better, but Ile-de-France region. Founder Olivier d’Avesnes
survey. On September 23, de Bézieux, it’s not that. It’s just less hassle It can recognise more than 50 has said the start-up is working
the insects forced a boarding Fumigation is one method as it works the same day and monuments in Rennes and 450 on a version in English which
school in Lorient to close its used to get rid of bed bugs Badbugs.fr founder you don’t have to treat your in Paris. Simply open the app, should be ready next summer.
dorms for two weeks. people in contact with verified things to do in parallel, they clothes or bed sheets.” point your smartphone at a It could also be launched in
After more or less disappear- professionals – it verifies certi- must take the time to explain. Using an insecticide, on the monument which has piqued other cities in the future.
ing by the 1950s, bed bugs fications, examines techniques, “People who are poorly guid- other hand, means two treat-
have been on the rise again and gathers feedback from ed spend 60% more. Often ments, a fortnight apart, each MONEY-SAVER

Recycling ink cartridges

since the 1990s, linked to clients and specialists – and they require more treatments time waiting two weeks so the
international travel and has guides for dealing with because they don’t take the bugs will be enticed to bite you
resistance to insecticides. the insects. necessary steps in parallel, or and step through the chemicals.
With bed bugs come unfore-
seen bills for hundreds of
euros. Now one firm, Badbugs.
If such a service is necessary,
it is in part because scams
are “more or less the norm”,
they throw away furniture they
didn’t need to.”
An investigation by TV chan-
The survey also found people
who tried to get rid of pests
themselves before turning to a
could earn you money
fr, has teamed up with IMA Mr Roux de Bézieux said. nel M6 in September revealed professional spent 29% more. Recycling old ink cart-

Photo: Proxima Studio_shutterstock

Assurances to offer a French An Ipsos study ordered by certain companies charge There is no national scheme ridges is not only good for
first: bed bug insurance. the website, conducted in hundreds of euros to fumigate to help cover the costs. Some the environment, but also for
For €2 per month, it covers August, found that 73% of using sprays which are avail- towns offer help, but often only your bank balance.
treatment worth up to €500, a people who had bed bugs, or able online for less than €20. to those who are the least well- Empty ink cartridges should
night in a hotel, advice, and other pests such as rats or M6 used a hidden camera off. Paris town hall, for exam- never be thrown away with
sessions with a psychotherapist. cockroaches, were dissatisfied to expose two companies that ple, will intervene only at the the rest of your household
Bed bugs are not known to with the companies they hired. proposed fumigating a house request of a social worker. waste, as they are not bio-
spread disease but the bites “A serious professional will that had no bed bugs. The state does, however, have degradable and contain Cartridges which are still
can be itchy and lead to stress, tell you things you don’t want Badbugs.fr has guides on how a website offering guidance components which are toxic usable are reconditioned,
anxiety and loss of sleep. to hear: that it could last several to identify bed bugs, and when (tinyurl.com/bedbugsite) and for the environment. filled with ink, and put back
Nicolas Roux de weeks, and you’ll have to turn to a professional. a helpline at 0 806 706 806. Most shops selling ink cart- on sale, while the rest are
Bézieux, who created to treat your clothes They say home remedies are It also works with trade asso- ridges will have dedicated recycled.
Badbugs.fr in 2019 after and bed linen. unlikely to work beyond the ciation CS3D on its directory bins where they can be recyc- Other businesses allow you
struggling with his own “The risk is that you first six to eight weeks. “A bed of trained professionals, here: led, and certain déchetteries to send in old cartridges.
infestation, wants to call three companies bug lays five eggs a day, which cs3d-expertise-punaises.fr. will also accept them. Cynkle, for example, offers
help people through the who say that, and take two weeks to hatch,” Above all, “the best way to There are some companies free delivery once you have
psychological trauma of another says they have Mr Roux de Bézieux said. get rid of bed bugs is for them that will recycle them and accumulated €20-worth of
bed bugs. a miracle solution, and “After six weeks, they become not to enter in the first place”, give you money for doing so cartridges, and has an online
He said his company tried, you want to believe them.” adults and lay eggs themselves. Mr Roux de Bézieux said. – usually between €0.50 and simulator to estimate their
unsuccessfully, to convince A common complaint is a Often, when you start to see the If you are returning from a €4 apiece. value. You should receive
insurance firms to integrate lack of guidance. bugs, that means it’s too late.” hotel you think may be infest- Stationery supplier Bureau payment within 24 to 48
bed bug cover into assurance “It’s not like an electrician On average, people spend ed, he says, put your clothes Vallée, for example, offers up hours of the parcel arriving.
habitation contracts, hence the who will come, do the job, and €958 getting rid of bed bugs, and contents of your luggage to €2 for empty cartridges France Cartouches has
idea for a specific assurance leave. There needs to be a coll- according to the Ipsos survey, into bin bags, and leave them when you bring them into exactly the same offer, though
punaises de lit. Badbugs.fr puts aboration, there are always which includes all costs, such in the freezer for five days. one of its shops. it promises payment after
A table on the company’s sorting through the cart-

Couple angry over wedding photo change

website shows the prices for ridges, which could take up
different models – cartridges to a week.
produced by Canon or HP To find more companies
are worth more than those offering this service, search
A BRITISH couple have complained to name, had complained about the quality of which are simply compatible “rachat cartouches d’encre
French authorities after a wedding photo- his work. They do not know if he has now with these brands’ printers. vides”.
grapher texted at 1:00 on the day of their been paid.

Childminder payments
wedding to say she was ill – and sent a Mr Roy said the couple had accepted that
replacement she had hired for €2,750 less they would not see their money again, but
almost a week before. felt that it was necessary to take action and
Instead of having their wedding covered
by photographer Katy Webb and a two-
person video crew, Iain Roy and Sarah Pywell,
to publicise what had happened to try to
prevent others suffering the same fate.
“We chose Katy Webb after the make-up
made easier for parents
both reconstructive surgeons working for the artist for my wife recommended her. When A new mobile app promises switch easily between their
NHS, had one French videographer cover we contacted her, she seemed professional. to make life easier for parents various contracts.
their wedding with a movie camera. “Our big mistake was to pay upfront, but who employ a childminder. The service applies only to
“He did a good job, considering, and has she said it was the way she did business and Urssaf, which collects social assistantes maternelles (child-
sent us all the raw [video still] photos and we took it at face value. We do not think she security contributions, launched minders) employed on a
video clips he took,” said Mr Roy. can just get away with how she treated us.” the Mon Pajemploi au quotidien permanent CDI contract, who
“We will probably have to pay for some- Ms Webb spoke to The Connexion after app in September. usually work the same hours
one to edit them and put into the sort of Mr Roy told her by email that he would be It allows employers or each week.
albums we had signed the contract for. talking to us. She said she would not give employees to add details of An assistante maternelle looks
Photo: Iain Roy

“But what really shook us up was when he her side of the story about her “lovely overtime hours, paid holiday after the child in their own
said he had been booked by Katy Webb a clients” but that her lawyer would. This has and other absences to a calen- home and must be certified by
week before and she had not told us she Iain Roy and Sarah Pywell enjoyed their not happened to date. dar which can be consulted by the departmental council.
would not be able to do the work we had wedding despite issues with the photos Company information shows that either party. With a garde d’enfants à
paid her in advance to do. Ms Webb registered as a photographer in Relevant declarations and domicile system, not covered
“My wife was stressed to get the message asked about the nature of her illness. The France with sole trader status in 2019. salary information are then by the app, the employee
in the early hours of our wedding day. We couple had signed a contract with Ms Despite the complication over the photo- calculated automatically based comes to the family’s home to
don’t feel we have had our money’s-worth.” Webb, based in the Tarn department, and graphs, the couple said they had a wonder- on this information, meaning look after the child and does
The couple have made a complaint to the paid her €3,750 in two instalments. ful wedding in Camps-sur-l’Agly, near at the end of each month all not need to be certified.
DGCCRF anti-consumer fraud agency and On the day, her replacement told them he Perpignan, where Ms Pywell’s mother lives. you need to do is double-check The free app can be used to
are considering legal action. had been contracted for €1,000 at the start “We were married in the mairie and had everything is correct and then manage contracts signed from
Ms Webb did not supply a doctor’s certif- of the week. the reception in the village square, with confirm the declaration. June this year.
icate for her absence at their wedding, He later told them that when he asked to wonderful caterers and everyone taking The app also allows those It also generates the docu-
which was on a Saturday at the end of July. be paid, he was told to wait because Mr Roy part and creating a wonderful atmosphere,” who look after several children ments necessary to bring a
The couple say she did not reply when they and Ms Pywell, who is keeping her sur- said Mr Roy. from different families to contract to an end.
Business Directory
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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

Assurance Vie opens door to flexible loan borrowing in France

French expats with an
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“In France one private bank offers a
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“The French version offers a much more
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There are areas of the borrowing process
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Daniel explains, “The loan has to be
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One hurdle that applicants may need to
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 The Connexion November 2022
Sud-Ouest Assurances offer financial peace of mind
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ALL OF FRANCE www.connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
their premises – meaning there is no need visit the area (easyJet and Ryanair fly into also provides a car sourcing service –
to worry about translation and paperwork nearby airports), Gary can come to collect meaning if they do not have the vehicle
issues. Gary will issue your new carte you from the airport or train station, as you want in stock, they will find it for you.
grise directly from his well as arrange For further recommendation, here are
office and can even reservations or some previous customer comments:
arrange your French advise on local “Gary Automobiles made the whole
motor insurance and Lyonnais hotels. process as painless as possible.”
transfer your no Another part Colin Edwards
claims bonus. of the service “I have used Gary Automobiles to source
“I remember how hard offered by Gary and deliver a new car in France. Since I
it was to understand the Automobiles is don’t speak French it was a delight to deal
French paperwork and that they do not with Gary himself.” Tom Wall
red tape when I made the put people under “Gary’s personal and English-speaking
move over to France in pressure to make service has been really helpful and taken
2001. I am happy to assist a purchase. They the hassle out of buying and keeping a car
fellow expats and take understand the in France.” James Greig
that burden away,” says Gary. logistics of moving abroad, so if they have
Reassuringly, they are fully French a suitable vehicle in stock they we will keep Gary Automobiles EURL
registered company with Siret / Siren / and it until you are ready to collect – with no Telephone: 0033 4 74 43 89 51
TVA numbers and only supply vehicles with time limitations. Mobile: 0033 6 84 85 04 61
European specifications. Part exchange with your right hand drive Email: gary.automobiles@wanadoo.fr Gary at his office near Lyon
For customers wishing to stay over and vehicle is also available, while the company www.gary-automobiles.com
Stop cleaning For Daily SELF STORAGE
your pool DOVER
yourself updates visit Convenient, Flexible, Secure
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Tel: 0780493243 J ust K itchens doverinfo@aandsselfstorage.co.uk
A complete service from www.doverstorage.co.uk
or call 0565 319623 Cars, motorhomes planning to installation All France
and vans wanted Suppliers of German
Both LHD and RHD. kitchens by Häcker
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Please email, text or telephone furniture by Neptune Greetings Cards
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Holiday Villa or Tel +33 (0) 6 88 07 20 36 Visit our website:
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enquiries@englishcardsinfrance.net
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Or call for a chat:
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re-register the vehicle in your CRANBURYS Delivery throughout France.
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France, buying/selling,
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or 0033 (0)6 84 85 04 61
etc... gary.automobiles@wanadoo.fr
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Contact me now for your free consultation. www.cranburys.co.uk
Rachel THOMAS-BONNET LLB Hons
+33 (0)6 62 78 39 77
perfidealbion@bbox.fr
Visit me at
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to or
from
Work from home France?
Flexible hours Weekly services to &
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82120 Marsac
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 The Connexion November 2022
British Corner Shop team up with M&S to offer a true taste of home this Christmas
In August 2021 British
Corner Shop - an online
international supermarket
selling 1000s of British
grocery brands to the EU,
officially partnered with
Marks & Spencer, adding
over 600 top quality M&S
products to British Corner
Shop’s already impressive
range of British groceries.
In 2021 a range of M&S festive lines were
available to those in France through the
British Corner Shop website, but due to
supply issues and Brexit complications the
range was relatively small and in
short supply.
English TV in your
French Home
Professional installations in
Brittany & Normandy
Mail-order throughout France
Free, friendly, helpful advice
TVBrittany
02 97 27 58 50
www.tvbrittany.com
Axa AngloAgence
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
AUDE & HERAULT
Pool Specialist
Weekly maintenance, repairs,
equipment replacement.
Contact Anthony Main 06 62 76 20 93
Email: anthonymain.fr@gmail.com
Siret 48468735500038
www.connexionfrance.com
However, fast-forward 12 months and
thanks to their collaborative partnership
and significantly improved service to the
EU, the 2022 range is bursting with classic
British treats such as mince pies, Christmas
puddings, table crackers, advent calendars
and stocking fillers.
Some of the most sought after products
in the range this year are M&S’s selection
of light up tins. Designed to not only house
delicious treats such as M&S’s famous all-
butter shortbread, indulgent Swiss truffles
or luxury gold tea, but also to provide a
beautiful keepsake tin which lights up using
a small LED tea light.
The most innovative product in the range
has to be their Starry Night Shortbread
Projection Tin. Filled with all-butter and
chocolate chunk shortbread, the tin not
only projects a beautiful starry night above,
but also rotates while it plays a festive tune!
British Corner Shop are extremely excited
Registered Carpenter
Painter / Decorator
Kitchen fitter
20+ years experience
Contact Martin
martin.dodson79@gmail.com
07 85 13 93 04 / 06 07 45 62 63
Region: GARD/30
Sky In France
Sky, Freesat
& French TV
Supplied & Fully Installed
Office: 05 63 59 85 16
www.skyinfrance.co.uk
Please see our main
advert in the Connexion
Building restoration
City & Guilds qualified builder
Masonary, plastering, tiling,
Painting and decorating
Areas: 24, 46
Tel: 06 48 56 22 83
Email: pabroadley@yahoo.co.uk
ELECTRICIAN
Experienced & French Registered.
Available for all types of electrical work.
Insured and guaranteed.
Areas: 16,17,24,47
Tel: 05 46 86 07 61
Email: trevor.miell@btopenworld.com
Siret No. 49376573200015
ALL OF FRANCE Directory 25
COMMERCIAL FEATURE
to be able to bring these desirable and truly
British Christmas products to the doorsteps
of customers in France, but it’s not just these
unique lines Brits will be pleased to see.
In 2021, the short supply of more
classic Christmas favourites such as M&S
Christmas cakes, puddings and crackers,
was a huge disappointment to those who
were used to (pre-Brexit) being able to
enjoy a British Christmas despite living
in France.
So, the substantial product range British
Corner Shop have on offer this year, plus
the fact they guarantee customers in the EU
won’t be stung by any additional VAT/Duty
charges (thanks to their new warehouse
in The Netherlands), will make Christmas
Photo: Marks&Spencer
2022 the best one yet for customers.
See the full Christmas range at
www.BritishCornerShop.co.uk/
Christmas
Les Amis Des Chats HEALTH AND COUNSELLING
promotes sterilisation to improve
the well-being of stray and pet cats
in the rural villages of SW France.
DEMPSEY TREE SURGERY
CONTRACTORS WE NEED VOLUNTEERS
British trained & qualified tree surgeon to help run our
All tree work undertaken. charity shops and events.
Tel: 05 45 65 96 86 Mob: 06 61 90 04 92
Donations are also gratefully received at
enquiries@dempseytreesurgery.com
www.dempseytreesurgery.com Les amis des chats, 82150 Roquecor.
Working in dept: 16, 17, 24, 87 See how you can support us by visiting
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DORDOGNE SERVICES
Registered charity no: W821000447
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Depts - 24,46,47
Tel: Bob & Tracy 06 42 82 44 96
Email: bob.groundwork@gmail.com
French-themed
siret : 48293447800017
gift ideas
see our shop at
shop.connexionfrance.com
euroinstallations.com
• Rural Broadband
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Tel 06 80 55 06 09 SW France
mail@euroinstallations.com
VEHICLE
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 26 Directory FEATURES www.connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022
COMMERCIAL FEATURES

English-speaking insurance agency reviews French healthcare options

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.
Each case is unique, and each client
receives our full attention in conducting
a thorough investigation to offer the
optimum solution.
In France the Sécurité Sociale (CPAM)
will only pay for a portion of your medical
bills. SwissLife health insurance will top
up the rest for you.
Our experience and professionalism
constitute the foundation for our leading
position in the market. Over 2 million
customers place their trust in our products
and services.
We will guide you through the French
healthcare system allowing you to benefit
from services such as the tiers-payant and
assistance in English.
We receive frequent demands for
precise information on the ever-changing
regulations on how to affiliate into the
French healthcare system. The procedures
to follow can be both confusing for people
of all ages and distressing for those who do
not know where to turn for advice in times
of need. We take this into consideration
and offer guidance based on our current
knowledge on a case by case basis.
Healthcare research should be top of
your list because, to reside permanently in
France, you are legally required to
have health insurance, either from the State
or if this is not possible, then private health
insurance. The French social security code
states that persons who have their principal
residence in France are considered resident.
People are considered to have their
principal residence in France if living
here for more than 6 months of the
calendar year.
We offer a selection of flexible, easy to
understand health policies for permanent
residents, once the formalities have been
completed and they have obtained affiliation
into the French healthcare system, and they,
in return, have received a confirmation of
their French social security number.
If you are in the process of being
integrated into the French Healthcare
system and do not yet have a social
security number, SwissLife can provide
cover until you obtain registration.
This specific coverage meets the French
government’s visa requirements for travel
health insurance.
Next month, in The Connexion, we review
the different types of health contracts
available and explain how the SwissLife
customer service can be of assistance.
In the meantime, do not hesitate to contact
Marie either by:
Phone +33 (0)5 56 28 94 64 or by
Email: bordeaux.theatre@agence-
swisslife.fr
Website: www.swisslife-health-
insurance.fr (in English)

Specialist private property sales web site focuses on finding their sellers serious buyers
ARB French Property is a
specialist web site,
specialising in private for sale
properties, where buyers and
sellers deal direct, saving
thousands in estate agent
commissions. It is run by
Adrian and Jacqui Bunn.
To help sellers find UK and International
buyers, ARB French Property employ an
array of proactive methods. As well as a
presence on the ARB site, their marketing
strategy makes sure every property is
seen on leading UK web sites non-stop,
including Rightmove, Huisenaanbod for
Dutch and Belgian buyers, Franimo for
French and German buyers plus lots
of others.
Adrian explains: “At ARB it has been our
philosophy right from the start to offer the
same high standard of marketing for all
properties, all year round. This is why all
homes for sale on our site benefit from up
to 30 photos, an extensive description and
free floor plan.
“What’s more, our aim is to help sellers
make the most of their advertisement with
us. This means that we use our extensive
marketing experience to actively help
them in the selection of their photos and
the wording of their text.”
Jacqui continues: “We want all our
clients’ homes to look as good as they
can and attract as much interest as
possible from the potential buyers out
there. This is why we are always pleased
when we get such positive feedback.” A
recent advertiser commented “I found
my buyer with your site, great job, I have
recommended you to all my friends.”
ARB are UK based and specialise in
finding their sellers serious, qualified,
ready to proceed buyers helping them to
deal direct and sell privately. “The idea
of a private sale is one the French have
long taken advantage of, knowing how
much money it can save both parties,”
concludes Adrian. “What we strive to do
is not only make this cost saving possible
for our clients, but to do so without
compromising on the quantity and quality
of the marketing of their home.”
If you want to save thousands in
commission and maximise the value of
your home, now is the time join us. Join
now to get the extensive marketing and Call or email +44 (0)1803 469367
coverage your home deserves, plus sound Adrian and Jacqui at info@arbfrenchproperty.com
advice on how best to present it. ARB French Property today. www.arbfrenchproperty.com

Stunning presentation lets your gite maximise its letting potential

Gite owners can ensure their
property stands out from
the crowd with professional
photography and videos.
Mark and Cath at Holiday
Villa Marketing specialise
in creating stunning videos
and photography for holiday
home owners.
With so many homes available on
the plethora of booking and social
media platforms, the ones that get
noticed first are those with clear and
bright photography. There may also be
a video to help potential holidaymakers
choose their ideal holiday home.
Over the last couple of years Holiday Villa
Marketing have worked with clients who
own a range of different properties to offer
holidaymakers. Their feedback proves that
HVM’s winning formula works with clients
seeing increased bookings not only in the
main holiday seasons but also during the
low seasons which are, traditionally, more
difficult to sell. Clients willing to invest
in great media content very quickly see a
significant return on their investment.
Following initial discussions with
clients about what they want to achieve,
HVM creates a media plan and a filming/
photography preparation guideline sheet
to help owners prepare for the shoot. This
includes information on what staging items
work well such as food, flowers and plants.
Cath is always available to answer questions
before and during the shoot, supporting
owners through the process so they can be
fully prepared, ensuring the day is a relaxed
and fun experience.
HVM also creates websites, another previous clients.
essential tool in a well co-ordinated We’re happy to chat via ‘phone, zoom or
marketing strategy. in person to discuss in more detail what we
Working in partnership with a web can offer, how we work and prices.
designer, clients can choose from a range If you have any questions, feel free to
of website templates and then add their contact us and we’ll help you identify the
own professional photographs, videos and best options to put your property head and
written content resulting in a high-end, low shoulders above the rest in the competitive
cost website. This allows potential guests holiday home market.
to find and book directly from the owners’s
website without the additional costs
incurred when using booking platforms.
The added benefit for the property owner
is that direct bookings mean they avoid
the commission costs charged by booking
platform. It’s a win-win for both owners and
potential guests.
HVM has a track record of creating
stunning visual media content. Don’t
just take our word for it! Have a look at To view all the options we offer along
our website where you will find examples with testimonials visit www.
of our work and also feedback from holidayvillamarketing.com

Family owned removals company goes from strength to strength

Watson European are a
family owned company
specialising in international
home removals, storage, and
vehicle transportation. Owner
Andrea Watson reviews the
last year post Brexit.
“Our fundamental customer service ethos
has not changed despite the additional
paperwork created by the UK leaving the
EU,” says Andrea. “If anything our teams both
office based and out on the road provide an
even more personal service than before.
“We offer advice on every aspect of the
customs formalities whether you are
moving personal effects to a second home
or relocating your primary residence to
or from France.
“Over the past year we have developed
excellent relations with both our UK and
French based customs agents. This allows
us to access expert knowledge to assist with
every aspect of a client’s unique circumstance.
Our friendly office team pride themselves in
understanding all individual needs and as a
result our services are far more comprehensive
than those of a traditional removal company.”
Andrea explains that over the last few years
the company has listened to the challenges
faced by people moving their possessions
internationally and says as a company Watson
European has invested in staff and equipment
allowing them to become the one stop shop
for international home removals.
“Our latest investment is in a vehicle
transporter purpose built for use in Europe.
This innovative transporter allows us to
carry a wide range of vehicles including,
cars, motorhomes and caravans. The trailer
incorporates winches that allow the safe
loading of not only non-running vehicles,
but also trailers, caravans etc. During the
summer period it is not uncommon for us
to repatriate UK registered vehicles for clients
whose vehicles have suffered mechanical
failure. This allows repairs to be carried
out at home dealerships and can drastically
reduce the cost and stress of trying to have
cars repaired abroad.”
Another popular service is the temporary
import of cars and motorhomes from the
UK to France for the summer months. With
customs regulations now being strictly
implemented by officials on both sides of
the channel, Watson European’s expertise
with every aspect from collection to delivery our facility in Lincoln we are better equipped Whatever your removal requirements
can be essential. than ever to provide long term solutions if call Andrea and her team at
Andrea concludes, “Our 60 day free UK unexpected delays occur. Watson European.
based storage offer is proving as popular as “It has been a demanding couple of years
ever, allowing clients to travel at a pace to however we are pleased to remain anindustry www.watsoneuropean.co.uk
suit them safe in the knowledge their leader utilising the latest technology whilst Tel: Office 0044 (0) 1522 686 764
belongings are being professionally stored. maintaining customer focused old fashioned Andy 0044 (0) 7876 504 547
Having invested heavily in the expansion of values.” Email: enquiry@watsoneuropean.co.uk
 The Connexion November 2022 www.connexionfrance.com features Directory 27
COMMERCIAL FEATURES

Who can use a currency company and why you should

Pippa Maile from foreign
exchange specialists
Elys FX explains.
“The short answer to this question has to
be - everyone! Currency companies have
been set up to help anyone who needs to
move money from one currency to another
to do it easily, quickly and get the best
rate at the same time. They are used by
individuals and businesses instead of a high
street bank, to maximise the amount they
receive when converting money from one
currency to another.
“It is surprising how many people still
use their high street bank to exchange
money, or pay using a bank card. Both
these methods can incur unnecessary costs
and charges, and offer a less competitive
exchange rate to their customers. They
are also slower, which can cause issues for
people who need funds quickly to close a
sale, or pay their mortgage.”
Elys FX have helped people change money
for a multitude of reasons from buying a
car or refurbishing a home, paying utility
bills, or supporting a child studying abroad.
Businesses also use currency companies to
pay salaries abroad or when importing or
exporting goods.
Pippa continues, “Some people feel that
it’s only worth doing if it’s a big sum of
money, for example a property purchase.
But it works really well for paying a
mortgage each month on a second property,
transferring your salary to a different
country each month, or converting your
pension income.”
Expats living in France, with investments,
properties or salaries coming from other
countries, or family members living or
studying abroad, can rely on a currency
company to help move their funds securely
and quickly, ensuring they always get the
best rate.
Using an online platform, you can
trade currencies 24/7 and have access
to one of the quickest and most secure
international payment systems in the
world. It only takes minutes to open an
account and with Elys FX you will have
the latest technology as well as a bespoke,
personalised service.
Pippa concludes, “Our helpful team of
experienced FX professionals will support
and guide you through the process, if and
when you need it, and put all the tools at
your disposal to make the currency transfers
you need easily and quickly. We exceed all
financial and regulatory requirements to
ensure maximum security for your money.”
Elys FX are here to answer your www.elysfx.com
questions about everything to do with
currency exchange, get in touch via info@elysfx.com
their website. +33 (0)6 37 15 54 04

Property marketing company reduces agency fee

Houses on Internet the Richard Kroon, founder and director
of the company explains: “From the start,
international property now almost 14 years ago, it has been our
marketing company, has philosophy to present each property the
helped people sell their way a buyer would like to see it, with
many photos of all rooms, the house from
French houses to buyers all angles, the garden, the views, and all
worldwide since 2009. necessary information in one clear online
advert in three languages, visible worldwide.
“In addition we do not charge higher
agency fees on a property sale than is
necessary to keep the business healthy.”
The approach of looking at the French
property market from an international
marketing point of view has paid off.
Houses on Internet continues to perform
extremely well in selling to buyers from
most European countries.
Richard continues: “When the number
of sales is good enough to keep the business
going, the commission can be low. This is
better for the buyer, the seller and therefore
the entire market. We started in 2009
with a sales fee of 2.5% and are now able
to reduce that figure to 2% for all our
new clients.”
In the first half of this year, Houses on
Internet sold French property to people
from 12 different countries including
France, Belgium, Holland, United Kingdom,
Switzerland, Germany and Sweden.
Each property is advertised through
its own dedicated website in English,
French and Dutch with as many photos as
necessary. The text does not just describe
the house, garden and outbuildings;
information about schools, airports, leisure
shopping is given too.
“When the website for the property is
online, we first connect it to our main
Houses on Internet websites which attract
over 135,000 visitors from 30+ countries
each month,” says Richard. “Most of
these people find us through Google and
additional Google advertising. Then to
reach an even larger audience, a summary
of the presentation of the house is also
placed on several other leading global
property websites.
“In addition to advertising we also
support first time foreign buyers in France
to help them understand how the market
works, what they need to do and what they
can expect. If necessary, translating between
buyer and seller is also included in our
service, without any extra charges.
For more information on Houses on
Internet or to market your property
through them, visit their website.
Houses on Internet
0031 (0)6 41 20 73 69
www.housesoninternet.com

W E A R E R EC R U I T I N G !
Start a new career as a property sales agent

The perfect
opportunity to
combine a
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STORY ON
YOUTUBE

If you would like the freedom to grow a successful

business supported by an award winning team, please
contact our recruitment department:
+33 (0)5 53 60 82 77
recruitment@leggett.fr www.leggettfrance.com
Private health insurance for individuals,
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ASTTRAL is your one-stop-shop for
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Christopher ABBA, Asttral Health &
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 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com Health 29

Worm blood transplant go-ahead Five things they don’t tell you...
about attitudes to healthcare in France
A product developed from worm Dr Franck Zal, left, by Samantha David
blood has been approved for medical use initially had the idea

Photo: Billion Pics_shutterstock

– and all because of a thought that struck a when looking out What would you add
marine biologist as he gazed out at a beach. on the beach at
HEMO2life extends the useful life of Roscoff, wondering
to the list?
donor kidneys and other organs. how lugworms could Tell us at news@
Clinical trials over four years showed survive for so long
outside water
connexionfrance.com
patients who had new kidneys which used
the product had a 12% better chance of the 1. Le problème and which pills will aid
transplant being completely successful. Bragging about ongoing your fragile digestion with-
Franck Zal, who discovered the extra- 13-hectare farm has the potential to produce minor health issues, such as out keeping you awake at
ordinary properties of marine worm blood, 30 tonnes of worms a year, although at a fragile nose, heavy legs, or night, even if you only buy
Photos: Mathieu Le Gall

told The Connexion: “It was one of those present it is producing just five tonnes. a tendency to feel dizzy when aspirin in the end. Vous avez
moments which happen in science – I was The worms are killed by freezing them, hungry, gets you more kudos bien fait!
in my laboratory at Roscoff, looking out at which also helps separate out the haemo- than stoically suffering in
the beach and the sea and seeing, as usual, globin. This is then purified, sterilised and silence. Get extra Brownie 4. Le kiné
people digging for worms, and I suddenly packaged in a three-week process. points if your doctors have If nothing else is work-
thought ‘How do they survive so long out become a marine biologist after meeting At the end of this, a vial of HEMO2life, warned you not to sneeze too ing, you could end up at mon
of water?’. famous French ocean explorer Jacques suitable for one kidney, will contain the hard in case you break your kiné, who may tape you up
“Most humans can only hold their breath Cousteau, was at the time working as a equivalent of the blood of 10 worms. coccyx (someone really did with multicoloured sticking
for at most two or three minutes, and yet post-doctorate researcher for CNRS, the It is mixed with a litre of organ preserv- tell me this!). Je te jure! plaster, cup or magnetise you,
these little animals, which have been on state-funded research body. ing solution and 200ml is injected into the or hook you up for a mild
the earth for 450 million years, can last six He was taken on the research ship kidney to flush out the human blood. The 2. Le docteur electrical buzz. But you score
hours. It is incredible.” Nautilus, which sent submarines 4,500m kidney is then put into a bag with the Medical bragging extends gold points for being taken
He set out to find how some marine under the sea so he could study giant remaining 800ml of mixed solution. to implying you have an entire by ambulance to an all-day
worms, especially the arénicole (lugworm) 3m-long marine worms that live there. A big advantage of lugworm blood-based team of medics at your kiné with exercise machines
which has gills, can survive for six hours His discovery of the make-up of lugworm products is that they are compatible with disposal. You never go to and lunch. T’imagines?
without oxygen when the tide goes out. blood and potential uses for it led CNRS all human blood types. ‘the doctor’, you consult mon
Lugworms are dug at low tide because and Sorbonne University, to which his Other lugworm products nearly ready to médecin or généraliste or mon 5. Le rétablissement
they make excellent bait for fishermen. laboratory was attached, to agree to him be commercialised include a treatment for toubib for colds and coughs. Eventually, you will start
Dr Zal discovered haemoglobin in their forming a spin-off company called mouth disease caused by bacteria which For everything else, it is mon feeling better and les choses
blood, not attached to red blood cells, is 250 Hemarina in 2007. thrive in low-oxygen environments, and spécialiste or, in extremis, will rentre dans l’ordre, but
times smaller than haemoglobin in human In 2013, it bought a fish farm on the plasters to help heal skin ulcers, especially mon chirurgien. Ma chère! only if you stay off work for
blood and can carry 40 times more oxygen. island of Noirmoutier, off the Vendée coast, in diabetic patients. long enough. During this
HEMO2life allows hospitals to plan to breed worms in the strict conditions The worm blood products can also be 3. Le pharmacie period you may well need
transplant operations ahead of time. necessary for pharmaceutical products. used to enhance athletes’ performance, but Talk to mon pharmacien clear soup, but no flowers
“You no longer need transplant teams “In the lab we can breed the worms two Dr Zal has passed on the chemical make-up about which tisane will help because of the aforemen-
working at 3.00 in the morning because or three times a year, whereas they only of them to the world anti-doping agency. you lose weight from your tioned danger of sneezing
the kidney will now be as fresh at 9.00 as breed once in nature, and we harvest them They now show up on blood tests and stomach but not your face, too hard. Il faut être prudent!
at 3.00.” Dr Zal, who was inspired to after three months,” Dr Zal said. The feature on its banned substance list.
 30 Heritage connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Hunt for lost French cloisters leads to the US

The early 20th Cloisters in Jardin Massey, Tarbes
Where to see French cloisters up close
century saw the Abbaye de Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne)
sale of many church The Romanesque cloister par excellence, dating from 1100, which
has 46 sculpted capitals (abbayemoissac.com).
sculptures to the Abbaye de Saint-Michel de Cuxa (Pyrénées-Orientales)
US. Nick Inman The sale of a large part of this cloister in the early 20th century
forced the French government to change the law on the export of
tracks down lost art treasures. It has since been reconstructed (abbaye-cuxa.com).
cloisters from his Jardin Massey, Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Elements of three cloisters are assembled together here in a free-
own village standing structure in a public park (tarbes-tourisme.fr).
Photos: Nick Inman

Cathédrale Saint-Trophime d’Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône)

I knew there was a church in
the village where we bought our
house in 2002. It was rather big
and austere but otherwise did
not seem to have anything
special about it. I could not
have told you its age or style.
Over the next few years, I
discovered Eglise Abbatiale de
Larreule (Hautes-Pyrénées) was
a Romanesque abbey church
founded in 1067 – all that was
left of a once-great monastery
that had been demolished after
the Revolution.
As my French improved, I
learned that at the height of the
abbey’s prosperity in the 15th
century, a two-storey cloister
(cloître) had been built against
the north wall of the church.
There was virtually nothing
left of this structure and it was
difficult to imagine it had ever
been there. Of the 30 or 40
carved marble capitals (the dec-
orative top section of a column)
and their corresponding bases,
there was only one of each left in
the village. Where, I wondered,
had the rest of them gone?
Larreule capital details: Jerusalem scene showing Larreule church tower, left, and Adam and Eve
was an essential visit but it took
organisation and determination
to search through the mass of
inconsequential detail to find
what I wanted to know.
Over the 17th and 18th
centuries, our abbey declined.
Historians have always blamed
the Wars of Religion for this
but I believe it was more to do
with enrolment. As the rural
population accumulated mod-
est wealth – you can see it in
the houses of the village –
more hands were needed in the
We have a drawing from 1846
showing the remains of the
cloister still in place, but the
rest of it had fallen down.
The locals helped themselves
to building materials and anti-
quarians took the best carved
stones into protective custody.
The capitals and bases of the
cloister were dispersed. Some
were probably used to mark
the corners of fields where they
were eroded by weather.
At the end of the 19th centu-
ry, something fortunate hap-
estimated the cost of materials
and he looked around for
sources of income.
He noted that France, especial-
ly the South West, had a surplus
of medieval sculpture. It was
everywhere and unapp-
reciated. Meanwhile, in the US,
European cultural artefacts were
in demand and millionaires were
happy to pay the prices that
village mayors wanted to charge.
Barnard moved entire clois-
ters across the Atlantic before
the French state realised what
A 12th to 14th century combination of Romanesque and Gothic
sculpture (patrimoine.ville-arles.fr).
Abbaye de Fontenay (Côte-d’Or)
An intact 12th-century Cistercian cloister (abbayedefontenay.com).
The Met Cloisters (New York)
Ironically, this is the best exhibition of French cloisters and their
sculpture (metmuseum.org).
that I had asked created an may be able to recover it.
obligation for the curator. Another three bases are in a
With a friend, I was able to chateau in the Landes and can
get into the storage facility and only be seen by special request.
see the four magnificent capi- American buyers did not
tals that were kept upside- want them because they are
down in wooden crates. risqué: one shows concupis-
To photograph them, I lay on cence (a polite word for sexual
the floor and used Photoshop lust) and on another a monkey
later to delete the woodwork. moons the viewer.
The task now is not only to Sadly, we have to assume that
locate as many capitals and some stones have been lost
bases as we can, but also to altogether, but who knows?
photograph all four sides and Not all the capitals described
interpret the images. Most in that 19th century book have
show episodes from the Bible been located.
but there are enigmatic carv- In my dreams, one is found
ings too, such as one of a face neglected in a barn, or is given
looking left, right and straight to our association by someone’s
ahead at the same time. heir, or else is unearthed acci-
‘Barnard’s capitals’ were equal- dentally by a farmer’s plough.
ly easy to find. Some are in I am sure there are discover-

“
Curious by nature, and armed pened. A local history buff was happening and brought New York’s Met Cloisters muse- ies still to be made and that
with the necessary research decided to write a book in a law to prevent the further um and others on the patio of motivates me to keep search-
skills, I found myself engaged describing all the capitals he sale of antiquities, which was the Explorers Club. The club’s ing. Some may even be under
in a historical detective story could locate and had them passed in December 1913. president and archivist were our noses.
tracking them down. illustrated by an engraver. This By that time, it was too late. delighted to receive an English Looking closely at the walls
I was not alone. Research into document provides indisputa- The stones of our cloister had email from France. They have of the church one day, I found
local history is always a collabo-
rative, cumulative effort. I am
European cultural ble proof of the stones that
originated from our village.
disappeared. All that was left
was to track them down.
promised to provide the photo-
graphs we have requested.
a fragment of one capital bur-
ied in the lime mortar.
part of a local heritage associa- artefacts were much The next date in our cloister’s Our heritage association Other capitals made their way Meanwhile, technology keeps
tion and two historians had story is January 1, 1907, when decided to make an inventory to Cleveland museum. I am in developing and a tantalising
done good work cataloguing in demand and the mayor signed a council and also, if possible, create two minds about museums new prospect is opening up. It
our missing village treasures. millionaires were resolution permitting the sale of an exhibition of large-format owning imported antiquities. is now possible to scan a piece
I brought something new to five capitals to an antique dealer. photographs of everything that Part of me thinks things of sculpture and ‘print out’ a
the party: I spoke English, and happy to pay the The stones, he declared, “are had been lost. To that end, an should be returned to where 3D replica. This is an expen-
that would become vital for
complete success in our quest.
prices that village useless to our village”. This
innocent-looking declaration
English speaker was needed.
We began the hunt close to
they belong and displayed in
context, but another part knows
sive process but could be a
solution for the future.
The first step was to find out mayors wanted forms part of a larger story home. I walked into our depart- that the capitals conserved in Our ultimate aim is to
what was already known. I was that gradually revealed itself. mental museum in Tarbes and the US would probably not oth- recreate as much of the cloister
fortunate because, while I was fields and fewer young men Five years previously, in 1902, rather bluntly (you get away erwise have survived from 1906. as we can in the village where
researching, the internet came wanted to be monks. American sculptor George Grey with these things if you are a Slowly, we are finding the it belongs, even if it is an imita-
of age. It was a vital tool to The abbey deteriorated and Barnard received a large com- foreigner) asked whether they other stones. Some of them tion. I doubt I will still be here
complement the local history was abandoned long before the mission that he decided to com- had any of our capitals that I never left France. One base to see it, but at least I will have
books in my nearest library. Revolution came and declared plete in Paris. Soon, however, could see. No, they said, they is hidden behind a door in contributed to the process of
The archives départementales its buildings public property. he realised he had under- were all in storage, but the fact another church. In time, we bringing it about.

Evidence of earliest milk use in prehistoric Europe found in France

milk was used by the first farmers introduction of new foodstuffs in used just for their meat or for Proceedings of the National Academy
from central Europe in the early prehistoric times. secondary products too. It’s the first of Sciences (PNAS) journal this
Neolithic era around 7,400 years Lead author Emmanuelle time we have been able to directly autumn and are part of the
ago, a study partly conducted in Casanova, who conducted the date these traces of food.” European NeoMilk project, which
France has shown. research while completing her PhD The Linearbandkeramik culture, analysed pottery from 70 sites
The international project, led by in archaeological chemistry, told as the settlers are known, emerged across Europe. Most sites (65%)
Photos: Emmanuelle Casanova

researchers at the University of
Bristol, used an innovative tech-
nique to date dairy fat traces
preserved in the walls of pottery
vessels from the 54th Century BC.
The method targets fatty acids
from animal fat residues, making it
uniquely suited to pinpointing the
The Connexion: “We can see that, in
central Europe, the first farming
societies were using the milk from
their domestic animals as soon as
they settled.
“There were always questions over
whether, when animals were
domesticated, they were initially
around Hungary before spreading
north towards modern-day Poland,
and west to Austria, Germany, the
Netherlands and France.
“France, with Alsace and the Paris
Bassin, is the western limit of their
extension.”
The results were published in the
presented evidence of dairy fats,
suggesting dairy foods were wide-
spread, but not used everywhere.
The team focused on the sites,
including in Alsace and the Paris
Bassin, where evidence of dairy was
found, and saw it dated back to the Part of a decorative ceramic pot used for food
very beginning of the settlements. storage from the Ensisheim site in Alsace
 The Connexion November 2022
Poppy Lady of France finally recognised
Anna Guérin, the
Frenchwoman behind
the Poppy Appeal, is
largely unknown but
a new book aims to
redress that. Its
author Heather Johnson
explains why she was
such a trailblazer
In 2015, a Canadian woman
asked Heather Johnson: “Who
put that poppy on your lapel?”
This simple question inspired
her to delve into the history of
Frenchwoman Anna Guérin,
who Ms Johnson says has
become a hero to her.
She published the first
biography of Anna in October
– The Poppy Lady.
“Anna was born before her
time,” Ms Johnson said.
“She was an independent
woman and feminist who self-
lessly devoted part of her life to
raising funds for French widows
and orphans, combatants, not
to mention the sick and the
needy victims of the Great War,
at a crucial time in history.
“There is much more to her,
though. I wrote the book
because I want more people to
recognise this wonderful wom-
Anna Guérin and, inset, the
biography she inspired
an’s legacy and interesting life.”
Anna Alix Boulle was born
on February 3, 1878, in
Vallon-Pont-d’Arc in Ardèche.
Her protestant father was a
farmer and respected member
of the local community.
Anna’s education enabled her
to become one of the most
esteemed teachers in French
Madagascar when she and her
first husband Paul Rabanit
moved there after marriage.
When they divorced in 1907,
Anna returned to France and
remarried in 1910, becoming
Madame Guérin.
She began working for the
connexionfrance.com
Alliance Française in the
UK, giving lectures about
Madagascar and famous
historical French women.
From 1914-18 she transferred
to the US, arriving just after
World War One began.
Discreetly, she spoke of the
suffering in France and once
the US joined the war, in April
1917, she openly lectured and
raised funds for the war effort.
She was known as “the great-
est of all war speakers” and
reviews told of grown men
crying during her talks.
Following a brief return to
France, Anna was sent back to
the US after the war to form a
new charity, the American-
Franco Children’s League, pro-
viding help to French children
in need. In all the states she
visited, Anna formed commit-
tees of influential people.
She gave advice on how to
recruit fee-paying members
and, as part of this, began to
organise ‘Poppy Days’. The idea
of using a poppy as a symbol
came from John McCrae’s
poem ‘In Flanders Fields’,
which Anna particularly liked.
Her first ‘Poppy Day’ was held
in October 1919, in Baltimore.
She personally bought artificial
poppies for the event and, as
always, funds were sent to
France. A year later, she began
promoting her big idea, the
Inter-Allied Poppy Day.
Women and children in dev-
astated areas of France would
be paid to make poppies to
help families get back on their
feet. Veterans’ organisations
would order the poppies at cost
price, which included a small
amount for Anna’s children’s
league, and keep the rest for
their funds.
Anna explained this idea at
the American Legion’s
Convention in 1920 and it
committed to supporting all of
her ‘Poppy Days’, naming her
‘The Poppy Lady of France’.
In May 1921, in the US,
Anna’s league held the world’s
first national Poppy Day.
She then took her idea global,
to Canada, New Zealand and
the British Legion in London.
The Legion at the time was
hard up and Anna financed its
order of poppies and was
reimbursed after the first Poppy
Day on November 11, 1921.
The idea subsequently took
off and the poppy remains a
symbol of commemoration
and hope worldwide.
The bleuet cornflower, as
shown on our front cover with
a poppy, is also worn in France.
n For details on how to buy a
poppy or bleuet in France see
tinyurl.com/buyapoppy
Community 31
Cancer can
go jump
PARACHUTE jumps can be
“liberating” for people with
cancer, says the founder of a
French association that helps
fund and organise them.
Tia Chaumeret, right, created
Maladie en chute libre (‘Illness
in free fall’) in 2017 when she
was just 16. Since then, some
50 people with cancer have
jumped with the association.
“People say it is liberating,
that they leave all their troubles
behind and feel like they are
jumping into life,” she said.
“For them, it marks the end
of one thing and the beginning
of another: they are no longer
fighting against an illness but
fighting to live.
“That is really magic. I cry
every time.”
The association funds 90% of
the cost of a jump for people
with cancer or in remission.
The idea was inspired by Ms
Photos: Maladie en chute libre
Chaumeret’s
own love of
parachute
jumping and
a desire to
help a family
friend.
She said
the change in people who do
the jumps is huge.
“We even have people want-
ing to continue after that first
jump, to become parachutists
or to do their training.”
The ultimate aim is to open
up the scheme to people with
other illnesses or disabilities.
In the short term, however,
she is focusing on expanding
it in France.
“We currently have three
places, in Lyon and at Bouloc-
en-Quercy (north of Toulouse)
and, since early October, in
Grenoble.
“It is gradually growing.”
 32 Practical
France ‘lagging’ in age-proofing homes
PLANS to help people adapt their
properties for old age have been
welcomed by an association that aims
to amplify the voices of elderly people
who wish to continue living at home.
The MaPrimeAdapt’ grant will be
available for renovations including
fitting a stairlift or support rails,
adding ramps and swapping a
bathtub for a walk-in shower.
Starting in 2024, it will replace the
numerous existing grants aimed at
age-proofing homes, such as those
available via the Agence nationale
de l’habitat (Anah) and the Caisse
nationale d’assurance vieillesse (Cnav).
The idea is to simplify the system by
replacing these with a single scheme,
making it easier for people to under-
take renovations.
Catherine Vincent, journalist and
committee member at Vieux et Chez
soi, an association which holds
debates on topics including the “insti-
tutionalisation of elderly people often
against their wishes”, said: “France is
behind on this. Any measure which
encourages people to adapt their
homes is positive.
“If the apartment is not adapted
to a loss of autonomy, there will be
an accident.
“Geriatricians say falls must be
avoided at all costs, as after a fall the
person’s state can deteriorate quickly,
and that’s when they are forced to
leave their homes.”
Almost 10,000 people over the age
of 65 die each year following a fall,
according to a report by specialist Luc
connexionfrance.com
Photo: Shutterstock_Daisy Daisy
The MaPrimeAdapt’ grant will be
available for installing stairlifts
Broussy submitted to the government
in May 2021. In it the leader of
France’s so-called ‘silver economy’
calls for the introduction of a scheme
along the lines of MaPrimeRénov’,
which funds projects to make homes
more energy-efficient.
His report talks of a demographic
time bomb, with baby boomers soon
set to reach old age.
It claims the number of people aged
85 and over will increase by 88%
between 2030 and 2050, putting a
strain on publicly-funded residential
care homes (Ehpads).
Keeping people at home is also a
quality of life question, Ms Vincent
said. “The majority of people in
Ehpads are very dependant, and often
have serious cognitive impairment.
These places are increasingly about
care and not about living.”
While surveys show a large majority
of older people want to continue living
at home, there are often psychological
and practical, as well as financial,
barriers to adapting homes.
“Older people often think there is
no need to make changes, and it is the
children who tell them they need to
change the bathroom, for example.
They don’t anticipate.”
She explained she had lived through
the experience with her own parents.
“It required a lot of talking to
convince them to do the work before
it was too late. They said they would
do it once it was necessary.
“I said ‘When it’s necessary, that will
be a month of work, you will perhaps
be ill, and it won’t be a good time’.
“Even if you have financial help,
having the work done is complicated
when you are old and tired.”
A report published in February by
public research agency Cerema high-
lighted the psychological issue among
young retirees.
A common reason for not anticipat-
ing future needs, it concluded, is
“difficulty picturing themselves in old
age, sometimes linked to a ‘denial’ of
ageing and to its unpredictability”.
Ms Vincent believes more should be
done when building new properties to
ensure difficult renovations are not
needed down the line.
“In Germany, for 10 or 20 years,
public authorities have been building
homes which anticipate the fact that
residents are going to get older.”
Mr Broussy shares the assessment
that France lags behind its neighbours.
When the various permanent funding
schemes are combined, France spends
The Connexion November 2022
€152million a year on adapting hous-
ing, compared to €580million in the
UK, his report states.
He called for funding to rise to UK
levels to adapt 100,000 to 150,000
homes per year, compared to the
40,000 currently financed by the
Cnav and Anah state schemes.
France’s 2023 provisional budget,
presented in late September, includes
€35million for Anah to prepare for
the scheme’s 2024 launch.
MPs have 70 days to debate and vote
on the budget.
It is yet to be announced if the grant
will be means-tested but the aid is
expected to be granted on a sliding
scale according to income levels and
to be capped at a maximum of €5,600.
A dedicated website for claimants is
expected to be launched next year.
While 600,000 people live in
Ehpads, with an average age of
around 85, they are in the minority.
At the age of 85, 88% of French
people still live at home or with their
children. At age 90, this figure is 75%.
Currently, people wishing to adapt
their homes can apply for Anah’s
Habiter facile scheme.
The lowest-income applicants can
have 50% of the cost of the work paid
for, up to €10,000. Those with ‘modest
resources’ can get help for 35% of the
costs, up to €7,000.
Further help is available via Cnav’s
Habitat et cadre de vie scheme.
It is also possible to apply for a tax
credit, worth 25% of the cost of
adapting the property.
Can a business
ask you to pay
for a quote?
Before ordering any product or
service, you have the right to know
the price, which often means receiving
a devis (quote).
Usually this will be free, but there is
nothing stopping most tradespeople
charging for a quote.
You may be asked to pay, particularly
if the professional has had to travel to
your home or to undertake an in-
depth analysis of the situation.
This can include technicians who
have to take apart a machine or a
mechanic who must spend time iden-
tifying the problem with a vehicle.
In this case, the professional must
inform clients of the price of the quote
ahead of time, otherwise they have the
right to refuse to pay.
In some cases, the professional will
offer to deduct the price of the quote
from the final price of the service if
you choose to hire them.
However, this is not obligatory and
the quote price is not linked to the cost
of the service.
There are certain industries which
are not allowed to charge for quotes.
These include removal companies,
funeral homes, car hire firms, personal
care services and opticians selling
corrective lenses.
In the building trade, you might also
be asked to pay an acompte (deposit)
before the work can begin. This must
be stated in the quote.
 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com Practical: Money 33

The Connexion
Money / Tax page

Bank has closed Six-month wait for

start of UK pension
account ‘due to A BRITISH retiree reports a six-month wait to

Photo: Postmodern Studio_shutterstock

receive UK state pension payments after making
her claim on reaching the required age.

my lack of French’
THE ONLINE bank Ma French Bank has
closed my account due to my low level of
French and I have not been reimbursed.
Can you offer any advice? A.C.
A BANK will issue you with its conditions when
you open an account – however, we have never
heard that not speaking French well is used in
the list of bank conditions. In all events, the bank
should give you at least two months’ notice of
closure so you can find a replacement and is
obliged to refund your money. It must also
inform the Banque de France of the closure.
Other legal reasons for closing an account
include using it for illegal purposes, providing
incorrect information, if you no longer respect
certain conditions of residence, or if you have
repeatedly made uncivil remarks to personnel.
Exceptions to the two-month notice can apply
in the first two cases.
Otherwise, the bank is bound to inform you of
the complaints procedure with its client services
and that of the Banque de France.
Without seeing the conditions, it is hard to say
if not speaking French well could be a valid
clause. In our view, it would be incorrect to
deem this to be ‘uncivil’ behaviour.
We suggest you ask customer services for an
explanation. You could also write to the Banque
de France. Seeking help from a consumer body
such as France Conso Banque is another avenue.
Send your financial queries to
Hugh MacDonald at
money@connexionfrance.com. Please ensure you mark
your emails for the attention of Mr MacDonald
As British S1 holder, can I claim a tax credit
against social charges paid on bank interest?
I AM British, live in France and have an
S1 form for my healthcare. When I receive
interest from my French savings accounts,
social charges are automatically deducted.
Could I claim a tax credit for these when I
complete my French tax return? N.C.
THERE are no tax credits for social charges.
An S1 provides the right to the French health-
care system at no cost (something which is now
somewhat irrelevant as, since 2016, France pro-
vides free healthcare to all who are permanently
resident in France). In order to benefit from the
S1, a British resident in France usually needs to
be receiving a UK state pension.
There is an exemption (not a tax credit) from
French social charges on foreign pension
income for those in this situation but it only
Gill Halstead, 66, from Haute-Loire, applied in
March by phoning the International Pension
Centre, having had a letter confirming her rights.
However, she said she was told there were
“delays”, meaning it could be three months before
her pension was paid.
After receiving no payments by September, she
tried to call but says she could not get through.
Her pension finally started after a third party
chased up the issue with the pensions ministry,
the DWP. “I was lucky the money wasn’t essential
to me but what does somebody do if they have
no income and are waiting?” she asked.
This also prevented her receiving an S1 form
to be registered individually for healthcare, as
opposed to being her husband’s dependent.
According to UK government sources, ‘inter-
national’ claims can take longer as they can
require additional clerical checks and informa-
applies to pension income. As for the bank tion from the overseas pensions authorities.
interest, you could ask the bank if this can be
paid without the social charges deducted at
source. You need to do this the year before, so Why am I paying two
lots of taxe foncière?
now for 2023. You will, though, have to pay the
charges later when your annual avis statement
is provided in summer.
Residents of France who are linked to an EU/ A READER has asked if it is normal to be
EEA/Swiss or British healthcare system and not charged a second taxe foncière amount due
a burden on the French social security system to starting a freelance translation business
can pay social charges on property and invest- from home.
ment income at a reduced rate of 7.5% (instead The answer to this is that, no, there is no
of 17.2%) by ticking box 8SH on the annual such ‘second’ taxe foncière, though running
income declaration. a business from home does not exempt
If you think you have been paying too much, homeowners from paying the regular annual
we suggest contacting your tax office. A simple taxe foncière that is due from those owning
way to do this is by sending a direct message in property in France on January 1 of a given year.
your personal space at impots.gouv.fr. Most people running self-employment busi-
nesses are, however, liable to pay a similarly
named tax called cotisation foncière des

How does number of days spent in France affect my residency?

entreprises (businesses’ property contribution).
There are some exemptions, such as if the
annual business turnover is €5,000 or less, or
I KNOW one of the tests for neither the first nor the main test. a clear ‘home’, the law looks at le 365, as potentially significant. It if it is the first year of business, or if the worker
becoming a French tax resident The term for ‘home’ used in the lieu de séjour principal (‘the main states, however, this does not have is involved in certain exempt kinds of business,
is spending most of the year in Code général des impôts is foyer, place where you stay’), defined as to be met where other tests – the including many forms of ‘artisan’ work.
France. But does this refer to a defined as “the place where the where you are physically present. ‘home’, etc – are met instead. The tax is so-called because in many cases it
calendar year or more than six person lives normally and in a As a general rule for this, the Further tests that may be taken is partly worked out based on the value of busi-
months in any consecutive permanent way and where the Bulletin Officiel des Finances Pub­liques into account include where you run ness premises (foncière means ‘relating to prop-
period of 12 months? C.L. family is normally to be found”. – Impôts (BOFiP, the official text a business, have your main job, or erty or land’) but it is actually a business tax
This takes into account where any explaining tax rules) says this is organise your financial affairs. rather than a property tax. Some years ago, it
THE AUTHORITIES define being spouse and children live, or, in the fulfilled if you spend more than six You can also meet the séjour prin- replaced the old taxe professionnelle.
a French tax resident as having case of a single person, where your months in France during the course cipal test if you spend a given year In the case of someone running a small
one’s habitual and permanent home ‘personal life’ is ‘centred’, eg. where of a given year. The examples given in several countries but are in self-employment business from home, it will
in France. It is only if you do not you have accommodation or the in the BOFiP indicate it is referring France more than anywhere else. usually be worked out based on set minimums,
have one that spending most of the address where people write to you. to financial years, ie. January 1 to From the first day on which you rather than based on the value of the home.
year in France is relevant. Going outside France for one-off December 31. become a French fiscal resident, In this case, the minimum payable is based
Consequently, yes, the number of reasons has no impact. It also refers to spending a total of you become eligible to declare your on the turnover for the year two years before
days in France is a test but it is Where it is not possible to identify 183 days, which is just over half of worldwide income to France. (ie. 2020 income in 2022) but it varies, com-
mune by commune. For example, for a turnover
The Connexion welcomes queries and publishes a selection with answers every The information on these pages is of a general nature. You should not of up to €10,000, the tax for the year can vary
edition. However, please note that we cannot enter into correspondence on act or refrain from acting on it without taking professional advice on the
specific facts of your case. No liability is accepted in respect of these from €227 to €542, and then for turnover up to
money topics. Queries may be edited for length and style. Due to the sensitive articles. These articles are intended only as a general guide. Nothing herein €32,600 it can vary from €227 to €1,083, with
nature of topics we do not publish full names or addresses on these pages. constitutes actual financial advice. further increasing bands for higher turnovers.
 34 Practical: Money connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Think ahead – and save money on capital gains

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
Most countries apply a capital gains tax of sorts,
and France is no exception.
Before you buy an asset that is expected to in-
crease in value, understand how it will be taxed if
and when you come to sell it. Likewise, if you are
moving to France and bringing assets with you.
As the name perfectly describes, capital gains
tax (or CGT) is the tax we pay when we dispose
of an asset and a monetary gain is realised.
However, not all gains are taxed the same way.
Movable/intangible assets, such as shares and
bonds, are taxed very differently to immovable/
tangible assets, such as property.
How are investments like shares and bonds taxed?
Gains made on securities such as shares, corporate
bonds or loan stocks are not liable to ‘capital gains
tax’, as such, but are taxed as investment income
(together with bank interest and dividends).
Investment income is currently taxed at a fixed
rate of 30%, which includes both the tax element
(12.8%) and social charges (17.2%).
Lower earners can opt for investment income
to be taxed at the scale rates of income tax. In this
case, 50% of the gain is tax-free after two years,
rising to 65% for shares held over eight years.
Social charges will additionally apply at 17.2%.
If you are covered under the health system of
another EU/EEA country, or are a UK national
holding Form S1, social charges will be reduced with total exemption after 30 years. Since most though the shares have not been sold and so no
to 7.5% whether your investment income is of the relief falls in the last seven years, many gain is realised.
taxed at the scale rate or the flat tax. people have greater social charge liabilities than This tax is deferred (until the shares are sold,
capital gains tax liabilities. reimbursed, etc) when the individual moves to
Will I pay capital gains tax when selling my home? This impacts UK tax residents selling French an EU or EEA member state, or to a third
Your principal home is exempt from capital gains property, as you can offset the French tax country with a tax information and administra-
tax in France. element against your UK CGT liability but tive assistance agreement and the individual is
This is regardless of what you do with the cannot offset social charges. moving for professional reasons.
proceeds, but it must be your main home at the A deferral may be granted in other situations
time of sale. What should I do before moving to France? as well.
There is no ‘time apportionment’ for periods of It is important to review and adjust your financial You may be able to mitigate this tax by moving
occupation: if you do not sell it within one year affairs for your life in France – if you can do this the capital into an assurance-vie first, as they are
of moving out, you will pay tax on the gain since before you move, all the better. exempt from exit tax.
acquisition. The UK provides an annual capital gains tax The exit charge may be also cancelled in some
allowance, but in France the full gain since situations.
What about other properties? acquisition is liable to tax. So you will have missed
The standard capital gains tax rate when selling the opportunity to use the UK allowance and Think beyond capital gains tax
property is 19%. However, progressive surcharges potentially lower tax rates. While your primary concern may be to reduce
from 2% to 6% are added to gains over €50,000, Likewise, you may be holding assets in structures capital gains tax, think ahead to what you plan to
calculated after the application of the holding which are tax-free in the UK, but not tax-free in do with the proceeds.
deduction detailed below. France. If you will be investing the capital, consider
There can be other exemptions besides the When it comes to property, compare what your how this investment income and future gains will
main home one. CGT liability will be if you sell as a UK resident be taxed and what action you can take now to
If you receive a state pension and your wealth to what you would pay in France if you wait until reduce this tax liability.
and income are below a certain level, you may you are resident here to dispose of it. An assurance-vie, again, can provide significant
escape capital gains tax on property. Likewise, if In summary, seek cross-border professional tax advantages in years to come.
you invest the proceeds into a main home and advice before you move. All in all, whether you are buying or selling
did not own one the previous four years. an asset, and moving to or out of France, you
In any case, a taper relief system reduces capital What about leaving France? should thoroughly research all the long-term
gains tax the longer you have held the property, Note that France applies an ‘exit tax’, which is tax implications beforehand.
starting from the sixth year of ownership. essentially capital gains tax, even though you Always take advice to plan ahead to improve
After 22 years, no capital gains tax is due. are not selling the asset. your tax position.
This tax is levied when an individual who has
Do you pay social charges on property gains? been resident in France for six of the last 10 years n Tax rates, scope and reliefs may change. Any
Gains made on the sale of property are addition- leaves the country, and their total shareholdings statements concerning taxation are based upon our,
ally liable to social charges at 17.2% (reduced for are valued at more than €800,000 or they own Blevins Franks, understanding of current taxation
UK tax residents or S1 Form holders). more than a 50% share of a company. laws and practices which are subject to change. Tax
Again, a taper relief system reduces the charges The 30% tax arises the day before you depart information has been summarised; an individual is
by 1.65% from year six and by 9% from year 23, and is levied on your potential gains – even advised to seek personalised advice.

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my first hectic days... P4 – and they analyse more than just km/h ne Thou L WRON
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Summer €138 TV of the pa
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licence aliste

of drought
axed for
everyone

ahead for
ArOuND 23 million house-
holds are set to save €138 this
year after the government
announced the end of the
tV licence fee.
the fee is usually attached to
the taxe d’habitation bill, a local

all France
Restrictions already in place in a quarter of departments
by Liv Rowland
A quArter of French departments, including
several in the north, are on a drought alert, with
May’s record temperatures leading to water
restrictions for individuals and farmers.
A total of 91 local drought orders are in place –
for example, imposing limits on garden watering,
car washing and filling swimming pools. Almost
all of France is expected to be affected soon.
Climate experts confirmed man-made climate
change as a fact to The Connexion and said
‘extreme climate events’ are now inevitable here.
Heatwaves, flash floods and structural damage to
tax that has been gradually
removed for most main homes,
with none due to pay in 2023.
the tV licence remained
payable even by those who no
longer pay the taxe d’habitation
due to recent reforms, though
some people already did not
pay it, based on other factors.
It is believed that, unlike the
end of taxe d’habitation, the
end of the tV fee will also
include those who only have
the fact that new Prime Minister elisabeth Borne a second home in France.
has been given responsibility for ‘ecological plan- the measure was a re-election
ning’, whereas in the past the environment was promise of President Macron.
seen as a more junior role. La contribution pour l’audiovis­
She is supported by two ministers, Amélie de uel public (informally, la rede­
Montchalin and Agnès Pannier-runacher, vance télé) helps fund France
although several commentators claim they lack télévisions, radio France, Arte,
sufficient experience or green credentials. France 24 and rFI.
Since pre-industrial times, global temperatures A law ending it is to be put to
have now risen around 1.1C on average globally. parliament after the legislative
“In France, extreme climate events are more elections.
frequent and severe: more heavy rain, causing this will cost the state some
floods in towns where the water can’t run off; river
floods; and strong rains after drought, which INTERVIEW €3.2billion a year but the
government says there are no

homes are among the expected consequences.
However, they say we can still make a differ-
ence. Climate programme director for ecological
think tank IDDrI Lola Vallejo said: “We have to
Bowie bassist
damage houses when there are clay soils beneath plans to privatise the state tV
expanding, then contracting,” said Ms Vallejo. channels and radio, and other
She said that, to meet 1.5C we need to halve funding sources will be found.
emissions by 2030 compared to 2010, then have the licence fee is only paid by

Gail Ann Dorsey

stop the idea that ‘it’s too late’ to act. almost zero by 2050. It is positive that all coun- those with a tV and is paid
“Yes, the objective [set by the Paris climate tries have set targets since the 1990s but globally once per household, even if the
agreement] of limiting the rise to 1.5C [above emissions have still risen, apart from a blip dur- family has several homes.
pre-industrial levels] is extremely difficult, given ing the pandemic that is now over, she said.

on French life P11

Photo: Lindsey Morano

our insufficient action in the past, but the alter- they have lowered in europe but not enough. L 14574 - 236 H - F: 5,80 € - RD
native is to make all possible effort to limit it to Ms Vallejo said France helped negotiate a pack-
at least 1.6C or 1.7C, for example. every tenth of age of green laws in its eu presidency. the eu
a degree, each year, counts.” the experts all hail è Turn to Page 2

‘Nobody can live The portrait that Gîte owners’ Lucky dip
off B&B income was banned by tax shock over finds at 400 year
s
Photo: Chateau-de-Versailles

of Moliè
Photo: Michael Delahaye

in a chateau’ Marie-Antoinette
P39 P9
‘personal use’P32 brocantes
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 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com Innovation 35

E-bike mania spurs French entrepreneurs Move to limit

EV grants to
EU cars only
by Brian McCulloch around 660,000 electric bikes in total

Electric bicycles are becoming a
viable alternative to cars and scooters
in urban areas, helped by government
grants and the perception that they
are greener.
Most are made abroad, usually in
China, which undermines some of the
ecological credentials unless they are
used regularly for a number of years.
France was once a leader in the
development of electric-assisted
bicycles before many makers were
swamped by the Asian import wave.
An example is ISD, which started
making and selling its first models from
a workshop in Sireuil, Charente, in the
early 2000s, before struggling against
the flood of cheap Chinese e-bikes.
It seems to have stopped selling bikes
but for a while continued to sell spare
parts, although now the telephone has
Voltaire’s new Bellecour e-bike
model in British racing green
frames made in France, but at the
moment the prices and the volumes
mean it is not something we can do.”
The company started selling e-bikes
last summer and sold 1,000 in its first
Photos: Voltaire
were sold in France in 2021.
Means-tested grants are available for
purchase, from the government and France is to ask the European
often also from communes. Union to consider whether
Both Mr Lieurade and his co-founder only EU-made electric vehicles
Gabriel Ecalle have previously worked should be eligible for purchase
with cars – Mr Lieurade for Porsche grants.
and Mr Ecalle as a motor industry Finance minister Bruno
financial specialist in London. Le Maire said the measure
They are convinced that new trans- made sense after the United
port methods which are better for the States announced it would give
planet will continue to be developed. grants only to American-built
The company has started selling its EVs, effectively closing the
bikes through the Decathlon sports market to European cars.
chain – for €2,190 – and specialist shops. Renault invested heavily in
The growth of e-bikes has also EVs around 20 years ago and,
focused attention on the batteries with the Zoé, it was the first
by the number of bicycles on the road, they use, which often account for in Europe to offer a model
and a good proportion of them are €500 of the price. designed entirely for a fully
e-bikes. You can use them to get to Regular users can find the batteries electric drive. However, its
work and your heartbeat is the same as start losing efficiency after three years, claim to having the best-selling
if you had walked.” It is estimated that with bike shops wanting to sell them electric car in Europe has since

been disconnected.
After Covid lockdowns, the tide start-
ed to turn and now there are a handful
of electric bike companies in France.
Almost all rely on Asian parts but
design and assemble the bikes in France.
Grégoire Lieurade, co-founder
of e-bike company Voltaire, told
The Connexion: “Above all, it is the
design which is French and makes a
difference – so you can say our bicycles
are 100% French at the design stage,
and then also 100% French at the
assembly stage, but the manufacturing
of all the parts is done in Asia. We have
looked to see if it is possible to use
15 months.
This convinced investors to stump up
€5million for international expansion,
with the UK, Germany and even the
Netherlands as target markets.
“Our style is to make a simple-looking,
almost retro-style bicycle, but with all
the technology of a good quality e-bike,”
said Mr Lieurade.
He said the company’s business plan
sees the overall market for e-bikes
rising 10% a year for the next decade.
“I have seen a cultural shift in France,
and especially in Paris, over the last
decade,” he said. “After living abroad for
a while, I came back and was astounded
“
new, expensive replacements. been lost to the US’s Tesla.
French firm Doctibike specialises in Mr Le Maire said France will
renewing old batteries instead, for half continue to help buyers of
the price. electric cars costing less than
It estimates that only 15% of electric €50,000 in 2023, with €1.3bil-
bike batteries cannot be reconditioned. lion in the budget for the bonus
I have seen a The firm was founded in 2014 by écologique. However, it will be
Anne-Sophie Caistiker. cut from €6,000 to €5,000.
cultural shift in It has a factory in Lyon, and is open- The separate prime à la con-
France, especially ing in Germany and on the French version will remain at €2,500,
island of Réunion. Last year, it recond- but is €5,000 if you live more
in Paris, over the itioned some 15,000 batteries. than 30km from work. It can
last decade Earlier this year it saw one if its clients,
Green Riders, an importer of electric
be given for new or secondhand
EVs or hybrid vehicles, as long
Grégoire Lieurade, scooters, become majority shareholder as the latter can run for more
Voltaire co-founder and hopes to expand further. than 50km on batteries alone.

Solar panel sails let yachts

produce their own power Concerned about
A firm has perfected a way of incorporating The OPV Héole sail fitted

your tax position

organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells into a canvas- on a racing catamaran
like material and hopes to start selling sails with
the technology next year.
Prototypes have already been tested, and final
trials were held on racing boats in September.

in France?
Jean-Marc Kubler, deputy managing director
of Héole, based in Vannes in Morbihan, Brittany,
said: “They show that our sails produce enough
electricity to power all the onboard equipment
on the racing boats, while coping with strong
winds and seawater.
“We are already in contact with boat-makers,
and our sails will be an option for buyers from
next year.”
After the trials, some of the teams that had
been testing them decided that the 10-12 kg With expert advice, France can Talk to the people who know
extra weight of the electricity-producing sails actually be a tax-efficient place to
meant they could not yet be used in actual race live. Much depends on how you
0 805 112 163 (N0 Vert)
Photo: Héole

conditions.
“But they will work perfectly for cruising
yachts,” Mr Kubler said.
The company is also developing an airship
powered by an OPV membrane, tents that pro-
duce electricity, and shades for offices and shops.
OPV cells use a different technology from the
silicon-based ones found in most rooftop solar
panels and until recently did not produce as
much electricity.
“They have become much more efficient and
at Héole we have found a way of incorporating
them into material so they can be used in
objects such as sails,” said Mr Kubler.
“We are the leaders in finding practical uses
for this technology.
hold your investments and assets. france@blevinsfranks.com
the chemistry sense – plastic which can be Blevins Franks has in-depth www.blevinsfranks.com
sourced renewably. knowledge of the local tax regime
“OPV technology is now similar to where LED and how to use it to your advantage.
lights were 15 years ago – just starting out, and
then spectacular progress was made. Our French tax specialists can advise
“Our strength is that we know the technology you on tax planning solutions, to
and how to use it to make products which meet lower tax for yourself and your heirs.
all the standards for professional use.
“We know how to incorporate it in material,
we know how to connect the electricity from the
product so it can be used, and we have been able INTERNATIONAL TAX ADVICE • INVESTMENTS • ESTATE PLANNING • PENSIONS
to demonstrate, with sails and an airship, that it
works,” said Mr Kubler. Blevins Franks Group is represented in France by the following companies: Blevins Franks Wealth Management Limited (BFWML) and Blevins Franks France

“It is being improved all the time and I expect
it will soon be more efficient and longer-lasting
than silicon technology.”
There are around 15 manufacturers of OPV
The firm is looking for investors to accelerate
its progress, and is confident France could take
a lead in the technology.
“We have manufacturers in Europe to provide
005-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
cells in Europe. us with the cells and the know-how to make sails. Services Authority for the administration of retirement schemes. This promotion has been approved and issued by BFWML.

The cells are made out of an organic – in I am sure it will be common very soon,” he said.
 36 Work connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Insurance against cyber Left: Pierre Huvet models two

of his hats, which are largely
inspired by traditional

attacks agreed by Senate American headwear

Right: The hats are made

FIRMS hit by ransomware France has created special entirely by hand in a process
attacks might soon be allowed policing units to crack down on which can take between five
to claim back from insurers the attacks, but they are continuing. and six days

CRAFTS
money they pay to criminal In August, a hospital in the
hackers to protect their data. south Paris suburbs had to
In October, the French senate partially shut after an attack

Photo: @nicolas_pekmezian
in focus
approved proposals from the and $10million ransom de-

Economy and Home Affairs
ministries to open the road for
such claims, which are current-
ly in a legal grey area.
Photo: @soawphoto
mand from Russian-speaking
hackers Lockbit 3.0. It did not
pay and some health data was Chapelier - Hat-maker
published online, opening it up

Indiana Jones fan turns hat

No timetable has been set to to potential fraudsters.
implement the changes – the The Economy Ministry said
law has to be passed again by allowing businesses to claim
the Assemblée nationale’s lower from insurers “would protect

envy into booming business

house – but they could come
into force within a year.
Attacks see hackers take over
a firm’s computer system and
threaten to destroy or release
data unless they are paid.
Senators voted that insurers
could pay out as long as
victims make a formal
complaint to police within 24
hours of the initial ransomware
demand, and before any money
has changed hands.
The average amount paid out
in 2021 was €6,400, says the
Economy Ministry. However,
this figure is distorted by a few
demands in the millions when
large institutions were hit.
small firms who face going out
of business if they are hit”.
Insurance companies were
previously ready to include
cyber attack payouts in general
policies – similar to the way
they pay out if firms have mon-
ey stolen. However, they were
forced to backtrack after the
Agence nationale de la securité
des systèmes d’information
warned that paying ransoms
would encourage criminality.
Specific cyber attack insur-
ance is mainly taken out by
large companies in France, but
insurers might offer tailored
protection for small firms and
individuals if the law is passed.

Tighter rules on sick notes

WORKERS will no longer be able to get sick notes online except
from their nominated GP (médecin traitant) from June 2023.
Since the introduction of internet consultations (téléconsult-

Photo: Instagram / Oddchap

ations) there has been an “explosion” in the number of sick
notes (arrêts de travail) signed by doctors who are not the
médecin traitant of the person, said minister for public
accounts Gabriel Attal. He said that such sick notes cost
around €100million last year.
In France, you are entitled to sick pay after three days if you Pierre Huvet’s workshop in Chantilly, Oise, is crammed full of period details, including many of the tools of his trade
have a doctor’s note explaining the illness or injury and how long
you will be off work. It applies to sickness, injuries at work or on by Théophile Larcher they now exist only within get rid of any remaining loose less classy than a suit,” he said,
the way to work, or job-related ailments such as stress or repeti- grandparents’ memories or fibres, a technique borrowed adding that a preference for
tive strain injuries. Independent workers are now covered as long Pierre Huvet’s move into history books. from American craftsmen. sharp dressing has helped the
as they have paid social security for at least 12 months. Payouts hat-making was born of The workshop also channels Final steps include crafting hat regain a place in men’s
vary according to the amount paid into social security. necessity – he could not find France circa World War One. leather strips, sewing ribbons wardrobes.
Mr Attal said the measure was to prevent workers having “a one to wear himself. Wooden-clad and with and inner linings, and polishing France does not offer schools
series of internet consultations until they find a doctor who will During his arts course at uni- sewing machines dating back the edges. dedicated to the craft of a
sign the note”. However, the move was criticised by some MPs, versity, he longed to turn up to to 1916, it evokes a world “I have stopped counting how chapelier, but several organis-
who said the real problem to be addressed was a lack of doctors class in a hat, but each time he pre-mass production, where many hats I have destroyed,” ations, such as Onisep and the
in rural areas. An estimated 10% of French people do not have a tried one on, he found it better craftsmen were still the go-to said Mr Huvet, who perfected Institut national des métiers
médecin traitant, with some saying they have been unable to find suited to shop mannequin people for good hats. his technique on his own hats d’art (Inma), have courses
a new one after the retirement of their previous doctor. heads than his own. The only clues that France has at university before friends where the craft is linked to a
He particularly coveted an since moved on are the modern took an interest and started modiste (dressmaker/milliner).
 

Indiana Jones hat, his child- Philips irons he uses and the ordering them. According to Mr Huvet, the
 

hood hero. Having ordered 3D-printing lessons he signed “I was consumed by a sort of decline of hat-making set in
 
 


one online, however, he was up for to make hat blocks fire to be able to replicate the as cars gradually grew smaller
 





    

   

SIRET 48003796900015
disappointed to discover it was
so badly shaped when it arrived
   that it looked more like John
    Steed’s hat in The Avengers.
There was only one thing for
  it – to take an iron and sort it

 out himself.
“And that’s how I made my
   first hat,” he said.
  Little did he know that the
shop he would eventually
   open in Chantilly, Oise, days
tailored to individual head
measurements – the ‘bespoke’
element of his company name.
Other than that, Mr Huvet
works the old way, which
means that each hat takes
roughly 24 hours – spread
over five to six days – to make
by hand to the customer’s
individual specifications and
measurements.
Despite his French roots, the
hats I saw,” he said.
He finished his studies and set
up his company in late 2019,
initially selling through a web-
site and promoting his work on
Facebook and Instagram.
Prices start from €260 and
his order book is now full of
French and American clients.
His Indiana Jones hat is par-
ticularly popular as Americans
are accustomed to burnished
and John F Kennedy ended
the tradition of US presidents
wearing them, among various
other reasons.
He has high hopes for a
renaissance in the industry,
helped largely by modern
media. His own Indiana Jones-
style iconography has 21st
century counterparts in the
video game Red Dead Redemp-
tion or Paramount Network’s

before Covid hit would soon be
buzzing with orders and getting
noticed by US competitors.
Visiting Oddchap Bespoke
Hats is like stepping out of a
time machine.
Mr Huvet, in his late 20s but
dressed a century older in a
long coat, top hat, braces and
www.skyinfrance.co.uk sporting an elegant moustache,
epitomises French people as
savoir-faire and imagery in his
hat-making process owes a
debt to the United States.
He starts from a wide-brimmed
rabbit or beaver-skin hat that
he places on a block. Steam
from an iron allows him to
shape it to the client’s head.
The hat is then rubbed with
sandpaper to give it a soft touch
before Mr Huvet torches it to
hats, he said.
He has also benefited from a
shift in consumer attitudes.
Many are looking more closely
at a firm’s ecological credentials
and the longevity of the product.
Hats are expected to last long
enough to be passed down from
generation to generation.
“And I think people are
realising that sportswear is
drama Yellowstone.
“Of course I want my own
hats to be featured on screen,”
he said, insisting France is well
placed to make Spaghetti West-
ern equivalents, with its wealth
of costume professionals and
suitable filming locations.
“What are we waiting for?
Let’s make the French
Western happen!”
 The Connexion November 2022
There’s a real revolution at the
heart of France’s roundabouts
Architecture
of France...
Roundabouts By THEO
LARCHER
DRIVING in Nantes can sometimes give
the impression you are going around in
circles, rather than getting anywhere fast.
This might be because the city has the
most roundabouts (ronds-points) in France
– an estimated 1,100, or one for every 298
inhabitants. Together, they make up a third
of the Loire-Atlantique department’s total.
While Nantes might have a glut, round-
abouts have mushroomed in every road
and avenue of the territory since the 1960s.
So much so that France now has the
dubious honour of being the country
with the most roundabouts in the world.
As of the latest figures available (August
5, 2018), it had some 65,127 roundabouts –
almost twice as many as the United
Kingdom (32,599), according to data
collected by the website Beyond the
Maps, although no official government
record on the topic exists.
Roundabouts were initially conceived to
help modern cities combat congestion and
cut road accidents.
They also gained popularity with local
politicians and artists as a tool to market
their town or work. By law, any new road
must have a certain amount of its budget
allocated to artwork to adorn it, which is
why you see so many artworks by motor-
ways – and hence, roundabout art abounds.
However, in 2018, the gilets jaunes pro-
tests, which centred on roundabouts, gave
credence to theories that the structures had
come to symbolise deeper worries about
French cultural identity. Occupying them
became a form of resistance for people who
felt excluded from society.
Eric Alonzo is an architect and teacher
at the Ecole d’architecture de la ville et des
territoires, Paris, and France’s expert on all
things roundabout-related, having written
a book on the subject in 2005. “Round-
abouts in France are the story of a technical
norm that sprawled nationwide,” he said.
Modern roundabouts have their roots
in 17th-century forests and parks and
were installed by André Le Nôtre, Louis
XIV’s personal gardener, in various places
around Paris along what would become
the Champs-Elysées.
The first proper ones in France were im-
plemented at the start of the 20th century
by the architect and highly influential ur-
ban planner Eugène Hénard, who devoted
much of his life to finding solutions to
growing traffic problem in Paris.
By 1906, there were an estimated 65,543
vehicles in the capital. One of the most
congested, and most dangerous, places
to navigate, even then, was the Place de
l’Etoile, with the Arc de Triomphe in its
centre and 12 roads converging on to it,
as there were no rules for moving round,
entering or exiting the circuit.
In 1897, a British man, Holroyd Smith,
came up with the idea that there should
only be movement in one direction in a
circle. The concept was applied in 1907
by Mr Hénard at both the Place de l’Etoile
and the Place de la Nation in Paris. He
called them carrefours à girations.
His work came around the same time the
United States installed New York’s Colum-
bus Circle (1904), and the circular junction
connexionfrance.com Property 37
Property Watch
Department 37
in
Indre-et-Loire
DEPARTMENTAL CAPITAL: Tours
MAIN CITIES/towns: Joué-lès-Tours, Saint-
Cyr-sur-Loire, Saint-Pierre-des-Corps, Saint-Avertin, Chinon, Loches
Indre-et-Loire seems to want for a catchier name. The
departmental council prefers using ‘Touraine’, the pre-
Revolution name for most of the area it covers.
Tours is the main city by far. It and surrounding communes,
grouped into Tours Métropole Val de Loire, make up nearly
half the population of the department.
Tours is sometimes called the most bourgeois city in
Photo: Drone Altitude_shutterstock
France and residents claim they speak the ‘purest French’.
The Loire, the longest wild river in France without any dams
on it, is the star attraction of the department, along with the
chateaux built in its valley.
Traditionally marking the boundary between the north and
south of France, the department typically has cool to mild win-
ters but hot summers, with temperatures over 30C common.
Around Tours is a fair bit of industry, notably the large
Aerial view of one of the Loire-Atlantique’s many roundabouts, in Chéméré
railway yards and maintenance depots at Saint-Pierre-des-
Corps, but Tours tries to rise above the need to dirty one’s
Paris’s Place de l’Etoile roundabout Gilets jaunes on a roundabout
hands and instead celebrates the finer things of life.
in Pas-de-Calais in 2018
House prices in Tours tend to be high – not surprising
when Paris is less than an hour away by TGV, and looking for
property below or around the €50,000 mark might bring up
a few viager investment opportunities but little else.
In the countryside, it is another matter. For the truly cour-
ageous, there is a roofless farmhouse (but with stone walls
Photo: MG White_shutterstock
still mainly standing) and 9,000m² of land for €15,000 in a
Photo: zefart_shutterstock
commune in the far south.
Indre-et-Loire has no fewer than four motorways, as well as
the TGV line, which means transport links are good. Ryanair
usually has four flights a week to London from Tours airport
in season, and one out of season.
at Letchworth Garden City opened in the how they had also become symbols of
United Kingdom (1909), with the three
countries disputing who had come up
alienation. In his final chapter, Mr Alonzo
showed how they had moved away from
What your money buys
with the idea first. their original road safety and traffic-easing
Michel Dalloni, a journalist from purposes to take on political connotations. Under €150,000
Le Monde who wrote a six-part series on Pierre Goetschel, a French filmmaker,
roundabouts for the newspaper last year, developed this theory in a documentary
said: “It is hard to track the creator of the on roundabouts in 2009.
modern roundabout since it appeared in “I wanted to explore the things surround-
several cities confronted by the new car ing us that we never question,” he said,
congestion phenomenon.” adding that by this time roundabouts had
The US started to give up on roundabouts become a symbol of France breaking up
after World War One. So, too, did France, into separate, isolated spaces.
and the 1920s to 1960s were wilderness He said he was inspired by French writer
years, although some were built. Georges Perec, as well as anthropologist
It was not until engineer Léon de Paulou- Marc Augé, who had included roundabouts
Massat experimented with them in as part of his ‘non-places’ theory to refer to A well-located and intriguing A beautifully restored three-bed
Essonne department to lower fatal crashes at spaces of transience where human beings two-bed house with caves and stone cottage with open views, just
crossroads that they caught on once more. remain anonymous. outbuildings. Ready to move into. a short drive from La Roche-Posay.
Here again, the UK proved a source of Unbeknown to Mr Goetschel, the docu- The property is located in Ferrière- Located in the heart of the French
inspiration. Mr Paulou-Massat’s idea was mentary was 10 years ahead of its time. Larçon, which has an excellent countryside, with the benefit
restaurant, and just 40km from of being only 5 minutes from the
to shrink the size of roundabouts and use The gilets jaunes protesters occupied the TGV station at Châtellerault supermarket and all of the amenities
a British ‘give way’ system, said Mr Alonzo. roundabouts to express feelings of anger and 60km from Tours. that Yzeures-sur-Creuse has to offer.
“The French referred to them as ‘British at being relegated from society. €76,600 Ref: A12824 €149,800 Ref: A16129
roundabouts’. Some argued that the con- “Protesters took to roundabouts as the
cept was so ‘typically British’ – relying on space that personified their invisibility
fair play and trust from drivers – that it
would never work elsewhere.”
the most,” said Mr Goetschel.
No surprise that his documentary
More than €230,000
In fact, the experiment went so well that benefited from a ‘second life’ on TV in
it prompted some of his students and the aftermath of the protests.
admirers to extend the use of roundabouts The documentary also included other
to Brittany and southern France. comments from Marc Augé that have
In the 1980s, former Prime Minister found an echo in wider society in the
Jean-Marc Ayrault, then mayor of Saint- wake of the Covid pandemic.
Herblain (Loire-Atlantique), was taken Mr Augé said roundabouts exemplify
on a trip to the UK to observe the mini- how modern society gives the illusion of
roundabouts the country had started to free movement while the reality is a small
install to resolve congestion and accidents. elite are reaping the fruits of globalis-
It inspired the government to pass a ation while throngs of people are “impris- Three-bed house with one-bed flat A pretty, characterful house with
decree in 1983 adopting the give-way- oned at home” and destined to be “mere and large courtyard, in the centre outbuildings and an above-ground
on-entry rule at all roundabouts. consumers feeding the machine”. of the historic town of Richelieu. pool, in a beautiful location.
When socialist president François None of these concerns has stopped With a little landscaping, there is Perfect if you are looking for peace
Mitterrand opened France to more decen- Loire-Atlantique experimenting further plenty of space outside in the and tranquillity, this is a lovely
tralisation and allowed regions to manage with roundabouts. courtyard to create a lovely garden. property with a plot of 4,693m²,
road systems as they liked, roundabouts In January 2020, the town of Nozay Meanwhile, inside the property rooms a bread oven and a barn, located
are ready to decorate and finish. close to Bossay-sur-Claise.
exploded. Mayors saw them as relatively unveiled its so-called ‘peanut roundabout’
cheap ways to lower accidents and, by put- in the shape of an elongated circle, a new €231,000 Ref: A08124 €265,000 Ref: A15352
ting art installations in the middle, to give twist on the traditional shape, designed to Properties available through Leggett Immobilier
drivers a good impression of their town. slow vehicles down. frenchestateagents.com Tel: 05 53 56 62 54
However, Mr Alonzo in his book, as Novel shape notwithstanding, it is surely
well as a growing number of sociologists still easier to navigate than the UK’s Next month: We look at Isère
and anthropologists, started highlighting notorious ‘Magic Roundabout’ in Swindon.
38 PRACTICAL: Property

LegalNotes Getting board

connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Your questions
answered
will keep you
on your toes
Matthew Cameron, partner
with Ashtons Legal,
answers a
reader query.

Is UK will good for French/English couple?

Q: A French woman with an
adult French son in the UK from
a previous marriage is now
married to an Englishman, who
has an adult English daughter in
the UK from a previous marriage.
They reside in France, are renting
and only own a car and their
furniture with no assets in the
UK. They have English wills which
state they want everything to
go to the surviving spouse. On
the death of one spouse, does
this UK will stand? Is a French
solicitor needed?
A: If the couple rent their
property and have very little
else, there is unlikely to be
complex estate administra-
tion. However, it may still be
sensible to use a notaire.
Under the EU Succession
Regulation, the applicable
law is that of the state in
which a person lived at the
time of death.
This would mean French
law would apply.
Consequently, even
though the English wills
leave everything to the sur-
vivor, the couple would each
be bound to leave at least
half of their own share to
their natural child. However,
Tel: +44 (0)113 393 1930  www.heslop-platt.co.uk
contact@heslop-platt.co.uk
the regulation also states
that a person can select the
law of their nationality to
govern worldwide succession.
Thus, the British man
could choose English law,
but not the French woman
(unless she had dual nation-
ality in the UK).
In addition, a recent
French law potentially gives
rights to both children to
claim against their respect-
ive parent’s estate if they
were to leave everything to
the surviving spouse.
The couple should also
consider if they really want
to leave everything to their
spouse.
While there is no inherit-
ance tax on what they leave
to a surviving spouse, on
the death of the second
spouse a preferential inherit-
ance tax regime applies if he
or she leaves everything
to their natural child: an
initial tax-free amount of
€100,000, with tax being
applied at rates starting at
5%. If they leave anything to
their stepchild, the tax-free
allowance is a paltry €1,594,
with a flat rate of 60%
inheritance tax after that.
at the counter
DIY
Nick Inman
charts the ups
and downs of
renovating
an old
French
farmhouse
Before going shopping for
DIY materials, I take my meas-
urements, do my research and
make sure I know the correct
French vocabulary.
Then I find myself at the
counter of the builder’s
merchants with a queue of
impatient professional roofers
behind me and discover that
what I wanted is too expensive,
isn’t sold any more, or is only
available in sizes that force me
to recalculate everything.
I have to translate the new
information in my head and
make some swift choices.
This happens mainly when I
am buying manufactured wood
boards (panneaux bois), which
is frequently because they are
a staple of DIY.
For instance, I recently want
ed to make a piece of remov-
able flooring to fit around
the wine press at the end of
our barn. I would have liked
to have done it in solid pine
planks but settled for sturdy
chipboard to save money.
The lady at the counter ran
the figures and I could only
splutter. It was a lot more than
I had expected to pay.
“Is there an alternative?” I
asked. “Well, you could try…”
The roofers were getting
irritated by this foreigner who
didn’t know what he wanted so
I jotted down some prices and
went down to the wood yard to
see what was what.
There I flagged down a
forklift driver and asked him
to talk through the various
alternatives.
Generally, the thicker the
board, the stronger it is – but
also the more expensive.
However, things are not always
that simple. Some materials are
stronger in their thinner sizes
than other materials in their
thicker forms.
The question is, how many
millimetres of the cheapest
material are the minimum to
serve for the job in hand?
There are other decisions to
be made at the same time. Do
the boards need to join togeth-
er with tongues and grooves
OSB was the final solution
for a wine press flooring fix
(for strength), for example?
These dalles de plancher are Know your stuff
more expensive than flat edges. Hardboard (masonite to Amer-
And will the board be icans) is panneau de fibres de
exposed to damp? Chipboard bois. It is 3mm thick and not
famously goes soggy if it gets for structural purposes.
too wet and when you put your
foot through it after the roof OSB, which looks like and is
springs a leak, you will wish mashed-up wood, is a good
you had bought something else. alternative to chipboard. The
Finally, there is transport. name is the same in French
Will a pile of 2.4 metre panels but pronounced with the
fit comfortably on top of the car appropriate mouth-wiggling
or is it better to buy pre-cut? accent: oh-ese-be. Typical sizes
I dithered a long while over are 9-18mm.
what material to use for the
wine press. The forklift driver Chipboard is aggloméré (short-
spoke to me in that slow, ened to agglo) and typically
exaggerated way some people comes in sizes starting at
use for communicating with 10mm, but it needs to be
foreigners but I got the inform- 19mm at least to take the
ation and I made my choice. weight of a human being.
The cheapest option I could
get away with was 13mm OSB MDF (same name, but say the
(oriented strand board). letters in French: em day ef) is
I bought two sheets, took typically available in 3-18mm.
them home on the roof rack,
cut them to size with a circular Plywood (contreplaqué) is more
saw and fitted them around expensive than chipboard or
the press. Good enough for my OSB but you get a better trade-
purposes. off between thickness and
n Next month: strength – and it looks good.
Repairing an orchard wall

Who owns boundary wall of our property?
Q: How do we know if the divid-
ing wall on our property is ours?
A: The general principle
is that dividing walls are
shared between owners of
the two properties, and both
are responsible for main-
taining them – but there
are exceptions.
The main one is if the wall
(as with a semi-detached
house), the wall is common-
ly owned if the buildings are
of the same height. But if
one building is higher than
the other, only the part
where the two buildings
touch is commonly owned.
A wall between properties
built with the agreement
of the two neighbours is
77% of notaires advise selling rather
than buying amid slow price decline
SEVENTY-SEVEN per cent of notaires president of the notaires’ property figures
think it is a good time to sell rather than commission, Thierry Delesalle.
buy property in France. He had predicted €10,600 for the end
Among the others, 19% advised buying of this year.
and 4% said it was better to wait to see. Property website Meilleurs Agents said
The unusually high ‘sell’ figure cited by it did not expect an average of less than
Photo: shutterstock_oliverdelahaye

does not separate two prop- assumed to be shared. the Immonot website – run by a firm that €10,000 before summer 2023.
erties that are closed. For Similarly, if it is built as the works in close collaboration with the Another expert, Henry Buzy-Cazaux,
example, if the wall on the result of an act of clôture notaire profession – is linked to factors cited in Le Figaro, thought a drop in the
limits of your property has forcée by a commune (as such as rising mortgage rates, making capital of 5-10% was plausible by that
on the other side an open when plots are sub-divided). high-priced property less accessible. stage, which he called “not a haemorrhage,
field or a wood, it will belong However, one owner cannot The average interest rate is now 2.65%, but certainly a significant drop”.
only to you. Similarly, if the build a boundary wall and compared to 1.84% at the start of the year. He described it as a correction – a rebal-
wall is part of your build- then force their neighbour Almost half of notaires said they were A long slow drop in prices is thought likely ancing – after unusually high rises in the
ing, and forms part of the to accept co-ownership. expecting to see price drops in the next capital compared to other parts of France
boundary with a neighbour’s Shared ownership of a two months, while another 45% thought Fnaim, shows that prices year on year were since the start of the century, when they
garden or courtyard. boundary wall is usually they would remain stable. Just 6% thought up 6.7% on average, compared to 8.2% in were under €3,000/m².
Continuing on this theme, not in doubt and often they could still rise on average. April – thus confirming a slowing trend. The situation across the Channel has
if there is a common wall mentioned in house Despite this, Immonot is not predicting However, in Paris they were down 2.7%, potentially been looking more serious, with
between two buildings purchase documents. a property price crash and said bricks and confirming tendencies since the pandemic many banks holding back on giving new
mortar remain a good investment in the years which have seen a reversal of proper- loans, or lending less as interest rates rise.
Tel: 05 61 57 90 86  brightavocats.com main in these economically uncertain times. ty market trends between the provinces One expert, Simon French, of investment
A long, slow ‘erosion’ was more likely, and the capital as people move out. bank Panmure Gordon, predicted in an
contact@brightavocats.com along with a slowing down in the number Large estate agent groups Century 21 interview in The Tele­graph that average
If you have a legal query send it to news@connexionfrance.com of sales. and Orpi recently said that average prices in house prices would fall 14% over the next
We select questions for answer every edition October’s Fnaim-Clameur property Paris have now dipped under €10,000/m² three years, taking UK prices back to levels
‘barometer’, by estate agents’ federation – although this was contested by the last seen in early 2013.
 The Connexion November 2022 connexionfrance.com Property 39

€8,000 barge gives us an off-grid retirement

In our series looking at
Quirky homes in France
unusual homes, Kate
Dutch barge renovation
Wormald tells Gillian Harvey
how an old working boat completed a Royal Yachting Assoc-
was transformed into a iation-accredited inland waterways

Photos: Gary Hepworth / Kate Wormald

cosy floating home
When Gary Hepworth and partner
Kate Wormald, both 59, began look-
ing for retirement properties by the
sea, they initially confined their
search to Devon and Cornwall.
However, they quickly came up
against a major obstacle.
“Property prices were astronomical,”
says Kate, a former teaching assistant.
“We had not realised it would be
so expensive.”
A trip to Looe in Cornwall had a
silver lining though, by providing
inspiration for their eventual move.
“Gary saw a houseboat there and
wondered whether that might be the
solution we were looking for.”
On returning home, Gary, who previ-
ously worked in property maintenance
and restoration, began researching
Dutch barges and discovered Onrust
for sale, moored in the south of France.
“I wasn’t 100% sure,” admits Kate,
“but his enthusiasm was infectious.”
In October 2016, Gary went over to
look at the boat, alongside one or two
others he had found.
“He really fell in love with it,” says
Kate, “so we began negotiations.”
Although the couple were not yet at
retirement age, the looming prospect
of Brexit made them decide to realise
their dream a little early.
“We thought we would go for it while
we were still in the EU and while we
still had three good knees between us.
If it all went horribly wrong, we could
always go back to the UK.” The couple
course – a weekend of tuition navigat-
ing UK canals on a 25-metre boat –
in December 2016 as preparation for
their new life afloat.
Two months later, they flew out to
France to get the barge lifted out of
the water and surveyed.
Finally, in April 2017, Gary moved
to the banks of the Canal du Midi in
Aude, where Onrust was then moored.
He stayed in a campervan as the
boat needed extensive work. Kate
finished her contract and joined him
that August.
Onrust was built in the Netherlands
in 1906. The enormous 19m x 4.15m
vessel was originally used for trans-
porting coal, before later being con-
verted to a live-aboard boat.
Getting to grips with renovating
such a historic vessel proved a steep
learning curve.
“When we had the survey, Gary jet-
washed her off and there were lots of
little ‘ping pings’,” says Kate. “It turned
out the sides were full of holes.”
As a result, the couple negotiated on
the price and secured their retirement
home for just €8,000.
To make it liveable, however, took a
lot more investment.
“Having the sides replated cost
€45,000, and another €8,000 for the
underneath of the boat,” says Kate.
This was only the beginning. Gary,
an experienced builder who has
worked on countless property renova-
tions on land, then gutted and recon-
figured the entire vessel.
“The original conversion had been
carried out in the 1960s but it had not
been touched since,” says Kate. “All
the wiring needed to be redone, the
walls had become like Weetabix in
texture. It was easier to start afresh.”
Gary’s skills as a craftsman mean
almost everything in the boat has been
built by hand, including the furniture.
“He was not fazed at all,” says Kate.
“He just treated it like a different-
shaped house.”
So what is the living space like?
“We have two bedrooms, one with
our bed and a tiny en suite, the other
with a sofa bed.
“We have a family bathroom with
shower, and a lounge and kitchen,”
says Kate. “It is compact, but I really
love how cosy it is.”
For heating, the couple rely on a
woodburning stove, although they
had to replace their oversized original
one as it was giving off too much heat.
“We had to sit outside whenever we
lit it,” says Kate.
The barge is self-sufficient, meaning
the pair can live ‘off grid’.
“We installed solar panels and a
water filtration system, which means
we can use water from the canal. The
filtration system contains six carbon
Gary Hepworth and Kate Wormald,
below left, reconfigured the barge in
2017 to include two bedrooms, a
family bathroom, lounge and kitchen
filters, then a metre-length of UV
light that kills anything the filters
have not taken out,” says Kate.
“That said, we tend not to drink it,
but rather use it for the washing
machine and shower.”
The couple enjoy a relatively quiet
mooring in Colombiers, near Béziers,
still on the Canal du Midi.
“There are banks either side, so
people are not walking straight past
us,” says Kate.
“We also have special film on the
windows, which stops 80% of UV
rays coming in and means that
people cannot see in.”
Kate, who produces stained glass
artwork, now has a small studio on
land, and Gary works in property
maintenance in the area.
“We could not quite afford to retire
yet,” says Kate. “We knew we would
have to work.”
But the pair are enjoying their new
life on the water in France.
“It’s a lovely part of the world to be
in. The way of life is so much more
relaxed and we could not be happier.”

Landlord is responsible Building banned on island near Paris

for squatter’s fall in flat
A LANDLORD was liable for
an accident when a tenant fell
in their property – even though
there was an eviction order for
non-payment of rent, France’s
highest court has ruled.
The ruling deals a blow to gov-
ernment efforts to encourage
people to rent out houses by
making it easier to evict squatters.
No rent had been paid by the
couple in the Paris flat, whose
address was kept secret, for
more than two years when the
accident happened in 2012.
The woman was hospitalised
when a guard rail in front of a
window broke while she was
leaning on it, because the metal
had rusted at the point it was
fixed to the wall. She claimed
€4,000 from the owner of the
house, while Cpam claimed
€56,431 in medical fees.
The owner’s insurers refused
to pay, insisting the owner had
not had access to the flat since
the tenants moved there in 1995
and that, in any case, a court had
ordered the victim’s eviction in
2011 for unpaid rent.
The Cour de cassation ruled
in September that the owner
was still responsible for the
maintenance of the building
and so the tenant should be
awarded her money.
Théo Berthet, co-owner of
Squat Solutions, which special-
ises in buying squatted buildings
and then getting the occupants
to move on, said: “The decision
is difficult to accept for anyone
who rents out property.
“What it highlights too is the
big problem with government
attempts to make it easier to
get tenants who do not pay
rent and squatters expelled –
the courts grant orders but the
prefectures refuse to implement
them because they say squatters
need a social housing offer first.
“A huissier de justice armed
with a court order needs back-
ing from the police to enforce
an eviction, but prefects are
refusing to order that.”
Mr Berthet added that the
ruling would encourage other
people squatting illegally.
“We deal with squatters
all the time and one thing is
certain: they follow the law on
squatting very closely. I am sure
it will lead to copycat claims.”
A four-hectare residential island near
Paris where cars are banned has been
declared a protected space by the environ-
ment ministry, meaning no more housing
can be built there.
Ile Fanac, in the Marne river, is accessible
only by taking stairs or a lift from the Pont
de Joinville bridge. Most of the 20 or so
houses on the island are privately owned
and many of them were built as extrava-
gant villas in the late 19th century.
The island also has a municipal music
school and a rowing club boathouse.
The boathouse was one of the projects
selected to receive funds from the 2021
Loto du Patrimoine, held to safeguard the
built heritage, and will be used as one of
the preparation centres for rowing events
in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
Cécile Objois, an estate agent who knows
the island well, said the island’s 100 or so
residents had changed in the last 20 years.
“Before, it was mainly the families of the
people who had built the houses, many of
which are very nice properties with gardens,
from the late 19th century,” she said.
“But since then, some of the families have
sold up and the population has changed.
“There are a couple of artists and some
young couples with children.”
There is a car park on the mainland for
people who live on the island, but it is limit-
ed to one vehicle per house. A road runs
around the island, and is maintained by
the river authorities, so none of the houses
Ile Fanac in Joinville-le-Pont, where cars
are banned, already boasts 20 or so
houses dating back to the 19th century
has direct access to the water. However,
most residents have flat-bottomed boats or
canoes, and some have their own jetties.
“The steps and lift are at the end of the
island, so many people prefer to take their
boats across the river when they have
shopping to collect,” said Ms Objois.
“Living on the island is magic. There is
a great atmosphere. However, you have to
accept that it is not as convenient as living
off an island.”
Joinville-le-Point, the town around the
island, has Paris’s Bois de Vincennes as
its western boundary, just a 14-minute
walk away. There is also a railway station
in Joinville-le-Point on the RER A line, 10
minutes from the island, as well as schools
and shops. The protected status means that
Photo: olrat / Alamy
no new buildings will be allowed on the
island, although it might be possible
to build extensions to existing ones.
Ms Objois said houses on the island come
on the market occasionally and always
garner a lot of interest. Last year, a five-
bedroom house built in 1880 with a 1,162m²
garden sold for its €1.5million asking price.
During the late 19th century, Ile Fanac,
along with some other spots along the
Marne and Seine rivers, became popular
day-trip destinations for Parisians.
The guinguette – a kiosk, normally with
tables outside and sometimes a dancefloor
– Chez Julien, described by Emile Zola in
The Ladies’ Paradise as a meeting place for
artists, was thought to be based on what is
now the music school on Ile Fanac.
 The Back Page connexionfrance.com The Connexion November 2022

Magic Roundabout to return to TV screens

The cult children’s TV show it, it has lyrics in French, so they use
Florence was originally Florence and Dougal in six dates a speeded-up barrel organ version,
is getting a reboot. Martin Margote in the French version
1964: Le Manège enchanté was first broadcast which appears in an early episode.”
Greenacre hears why it is on French TV The challenge is now to find a middle
1965: English adaptation The Magic ground between both versions.
still popular with viewers Roundabout debuted on the BBC, narrated Ms Oesch said: “We want to return
by Eric Thompson. It ran until 1977 to the show’s origins but also add that
HIT children’s TV show The Magic 1972: The film Dougal and the Blue Cat, touch of English comedy Eric Thomp-
Roundabout is being brought back directed by Serge Danot, was released in the son put in place,” .
by a French production company. UK (after coming out in France in 1970) The new series will be produced in
Beloved by an entire generation 1992: The show returned to British TV as France, but with the support of British
growing up in the UK, it was originally Channel 4 broadcast a new set of episodes animators and authors.
adapted from a French stop-motion narrated by Nigel Planer They include writer Jenny Landreth,
Photo: Method Animation

animation called Le Manège enchanté. 2005: CGI film The Magic Roundabout was who worked on CBeebies series Hey
The latter was first broadcast, in released, to mixed reviews Duggee, which Ms Oesch said was “a
black-and-white, on October 5, 1964, 2024? The Magic Roundabout reboot is likely reference in terms of tone”.
a year before the English version to be released in 2024 at the earliest After a 2005 film version was made
debuted on the BBC. using CGI, the reboot could see a
Now French production company 500 episodes and was translated into France. Eric Thompson, creator and to some individuals and events were return to the series’ roots. “Factory has
Method Animation, part of Mediawan 28 languages, but it was in the UK that narrator of the UK version, would specific, they were dealt with as arche- done initial tests using stop motion,
Kids and Family, has announced it is it became a phenomenon. watch the French show with the sound types rather than as topical gags.” which we like a lot.”
working on a reboot, with a first series Writer and broadcaster Tim Worth- turned down and make up his own The original was “more of a conven- While that will be music to the ears
of 52 episodes of 11 minutes each. ington, who contributed to the Radio stories to go with the images, which tional children’s story”, Mr Worthing- of nostalgics, the show will be targeted
It will be produced by Camille Oesch, 4 documentary Let’s Go Round Again: is perhaps why many are surprised to ton said, adding that it was common at children aged three to five, with
who told The Connexion they are in The Story Of The Magic Roundabout, learn the show was a French creation. for the BBC to buy the rights to Euro- “more madness” than the original, but
discussions with Manchester-based said: “You only have to look at the “Dougal is forever threatening to pean children’s shows and rewrite the not as satirical as the BBC’s effort.
studio Factory, which specialises in amount of merchandise there was write to the Queen. There doesn’t scripts. They were cheaper than Amer- “We have kept the characters, the
stop motion, to create the animations. and how much it sold. seem to be a counterpart in the French ican shows and would otherwise have idea of this world and the roundabout,
“The interest we have had from “The thing that gets played down is, version,” Mr Worthington said. needed transcribing and translating. but the stories and formula will be up-
British channels and studios has been in the 1960s and 70s, how visually Another specificity of the British “I think it was more cost-based than dated to speak to a modern audience.”
pretty incredible,” Ms Oesch said. arresting it would have been. Other version was its ability to appeal to a radical artistic departure.” Mr Worthington said he was opti-
“That’s when we realised that in Eng- 60s children’s programmes from the parents as well as kids, with a satirical The theme tune was also born of mistic about the reboot. “It needs to
land it’s not just part of BBC history, BBC and ITV didn’t look as vivid.” humour that amused adults. pragmatic considerations. retain the ambiance, the quirkiness of
but a series which laid the foundations While the English version used “Although they didn’t do anything “The second theme used in France how the characters interact with each
for animation culture in the country. the same footage as the original, the outrageous, they were pushing in is like somebody hitting you, trying to other. I thought that was missing from
Stop motion is part of this culture, and scripts were completely different. terms of respectfulness towards wake you up in the morning, but the the more recent film version.”
Le Manège enchanté was the first, well As were the names: Dougal the dog politicians and the royal family. original one sounds like the sort of re- The series will be co-produced by
before Wallace & Gromit.” was originally Pollux and had an “For scripts full of cultural references, cords people like Serge Gainsbourg or Magic, which manages the rights on
Le Manège enchanté, created by English accent; Zebedee was Zébulon; I think they stand up very well. As it France Gall were making in the 1960s. behalf of the Danot family. It should
French animator Serge Danot, ran for and Brian the snail was Ambroise in was for children, although references “The problem is, when the BBC buy be released some time in 2024 or 2025.

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