N4 Normandy - August 2010

Also in this issue:Mont Saint Michel The D-Day StoryLiving and Settling in Normandy Making your money work harderChoosing a Gite in France Renting our propertyWhat to do with your tomatoesSee more at:http://magazine.nfornormandy.com

The Anglo Magazine for Normandy August 2010

N4Normandy

This month... We meet KAS The New Forces Sweetheart

2 • www.n4normandy.com • August 2010

August Contents

Mont Saint Michel 10Part 3The Town

The D-Day Story 16Part 7Ste. Marie du Mont

Living and Settling in Normandy 20by Sally Stone

Computers and the Internet 22Protect your child online

Foreign Currency Exchange 26Make your money work harder!by Judy Mansfield

Choosing a Gite in France 29by Averill Gibson

Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor, rich man?? 32by Wendy Wise

www.n4normandy.com • August 2010 • 3

KAS 38Sweetheart to the Forces

Guest Châteaux of Normandy 42by Diane Ohanian

Renting out Property 44Where and who to pay what!by Stephanie and Jeremy Godwin

What’s on in August 48

Pet’s Corner 49What Are the Health ConvernsFound in Older Dogs?

Food and Drink 53Fresh Tomato SauceBy Lindsey Sermon

Normandy Podcasts 61

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Whats on Guide:[email protected]

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Any other enquiries please contact:[email protected]: 01952 898 666FR: 01 70 70 79 83


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We would like to know your story about your move from the UK to Normandy, the upsand downs, how your life has changed - with photos if you have them!

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CTP Template: CD_DPS1Compact Disc Booklet: Double Page Spread

CustomerCatalogue No. KASCD1001Job Title: Angels Page Nos. 2&3

COLOURSCYANMAGENTAYELLOWBLACK

Kas has selected a mixture of happy and moving melodies from the 1940’s, with a few songs from more

CHATTANOGA CHOO CHOO

SOME ENCHANTED EVENING

BIE MIR BIST DU SCHON

PERHAPS PERHAPS PERHAPS

QUE SERRA SERRA

EIDLEWEIS

SING SING SING

IF I LOVED YOU

A TISKET A TASKET

YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE

RUM AND COCA COLA

I’LL BE SEEING YOU

TRIBUTE TRACKSBRING HIM HOME

INTO THE ARMS OF AN ANGEL









QUE SERRA SERRA

EIDLEWEIS

SING SING SING

IF I LOVED YOU

A TISKET A TASKET


RUM AND COCA COLA












QUE SERRA SERRA

EIDLEWEIS

SING SING SING

IF I LOVED YOU

A TISKET A TASKET


RUM AND COCA COLA












QUE SERRA SERRA

EIDLEWEIS

SING SING SING

IF I LOVED YOU

A TISKET A TASKET


RUM AND COCA COLA





CustomerCatalogue No. KASCD1001Job Title : ANGELS Page Nos. 4&1


CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOOSOME ENHANTED EVENINGBEI MIR BIST DU SCHONPERHAPS PERHAPS PERHAPSQUE SERA SERAEIDLEWEIESS SING SING SINGIF I LOVED YOUA TISKET A TASKETYOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONERUM AND COCA COLAI’LL BE SEEING YOU

PLUS TRIBUTE TRACKS TO OUR FORCES AND

VETERANS PASSED AND PRESENT

BRING HIM HOMEINTO THE ARMS OF AN ANGEL

SPONSORED BY MILITARIA BASTOGNE


CustomerCatalogue No. KASCD1001Job Title : ANGELS Page Nos. 4&1


CHATTANOOGA CHOO CHOOSOME ENHANTED EVENINGBEI MIR BIST DU SCHONPERHAPS PERHAPS PERHAPSQUE SERA SERAEIDLEWEIESS SING SING SINGIF I LOVED YOUA TISKET A TASKETYOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONERUM AND COCA COLAI’LL BE SEEING YOU

PLUS TRIBUTE TRACKS TO OUR FORCES AND

VETERANS PASSED AND PRESENT

BRING HIM HOMEINTO THE ARMS OF AN ANGEL

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Nestled at the base of the abbey, ensconced behind impressivewalls and towers, the town of Mont-Saint-Michel was born of theabbey, to which it is inextricably linked, and it is this whichgives it a special and unique character.

The town grew up out of the need to house and feed the numerous pilgrims, whobegan arriving to partake of the spiritual healing and sanctuary of the famous abbey,and as such Inns and hostels were constructed. These early innkeepers providedmeals and lodgings and merchants sold holy images, figures of St. Michael, andmetal badges which the pilgrims proudly displayed announcing to all that they hadmade the pilgrimage to the abbey of Mount-Saint-Michel. In essence these were theearly hotels and souvenir shops which today's visitor to the Mount can enjoy withthere great food and hospitality.

The canny vendors and innkeepers organized their buildings mainly around the mainentrance of the abbey, knowing that the passage of visitors passing their premisesensured a steady income, which it did, and still does today. Unfortunately this

arrangement led to the fire which engulfedMont-Saint-Michel in 1204, when the Bre-tons attacked and set fire to the town.

It was on the site of the Merveille, to thenorth of the side of the mount, to which thedamage was done, the main entrance to theabbey being situated here at that time facingout towards the sea with direct view acrossto the island of Tombelaine.

Mont Saint MichelPart 2The Town


With this information we can gleam that thecurrent layout of the town which dates to thebeginning of the 13th century, with the housesand shops winding upwards from the beachside along the south easterly side of themount, its main thoroughfare snaking up-wards to the monastery. An exciting labyrinthof alleyways, stairways and pretty courtyardscan also provide an interesting and seeminglysecret tour around the town, leading ever on-wards towards the abbey. From these lovelyroutes spectacular views can be had of the sur-rounding bay, stunning buildings the quaintparish church and of course the astonishingheights of the religious centre above.

The parish of Mont-Saint-Michel becameafter the French revolution an autonomouscommune, and from its lovely intimate parishchurch its mellow stone walls reflecting thelight of shimmering candles and the glow ofstained glass, this practice has continued ad-ministering to the inhabitants of the town.

In the 19th century land was reclaimed fromthe sea, which enabled the islanders to in asense become a rural township, allowing themto expand outwards from the rock gainingmore needed space.

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Back towards Utah Beach, the first town thatthe soldiers reached was Saint Marie duMont. Near here the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment landed and advanced towards Utah Beach, to clear the way for thelanding party. Other paratroopers from the501st and 506th regiments liberated the village, which greatly assisted the swift advance of troops and vehicles destined forthe next stage.

The landings at Utah Beach were a last moment deci-sion.

The main purpose of a landing wasto press forward to the heavily de-fended port of Cherbourg. The Alliesdesperately needed this Port to bringin additional fuel, vehicles andtroops and strengthen their evergrowing supply lines to their advancing Army. There are two museums at Saint Marie du Montwhich are on the way to Utah Beachmuseum.

The D-DayStory

Part 7Ste. Marie Du Mont

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Beautifully-restored ‘corps de ferme’ 18th century farmhouse and barn, in whichwe have our B+B. Once the maid’s quarters’ today the accommodation boastscomfort, calm and charme with 2 bedrooms - we can sleep 7.

Within our grounds, we have a newly-restored gite. Two-bedrooms, both ensuite, a large living area, all mod-cons, deck with views over the Normancountryside.

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Without achieving happiness as a result of yourmove to France, the knowledge of how to ex-change currency or understand how the notaireworks suddenly seems irrelevant. This is abroad subject, we are going to try to cover a lotof ground, and even if we do only scratch thesurface of that ground, I hope it will be helpfuland some will undoubtedly be thought provok-ing, which is good... and hopefully will encour-age you to dig deeper with more research.

Why don’t we start with the weather – if youthink the British talk about the weather, that’snothing to the French. Sometimes the climatein Normandy can be the first shock – will there

be sunshine every day? There are actuallyseven climates across France – and the onehere in Normandy is much more like the southof England than the south of France!

When you ARE settled here, will it feel like aholiday that lasts for ever? It can feel like thatsometimes – especially when you have neigh-bours with holiday homes and you wave themoff at the end of their stay! But - no lookingback? Don’t bank on it – keep a healthy scep-ticism as to whether it’s nirvana or not.

When you first announce the news to the fam-ily that you are planning to live in France...

We love living in the north of France and after seven sometimesturbulent years would not dream of living anywhere else – but letshave a realistic look at how this can be achieved, and at what cost– and we are not just talking money! We are going to look gener-ally at the overall subject of settling and living in Normandy hoping to provide you with a positive slant on solutions to ensurethat you can plan and effectively deal with different events… yes,surprising as it may seem, life goes on the same in France just asit did in the UK, and at some point you might have to take off thoserose tinted glasses and deal with day to day matters.

Living and Settling In Normandy

by Sally Stone

how might they react? Will they be happy tobe left behind? Or might they play follow myleader and join you in due course?

Either way...Do consider this aspect of yournew life very carefully. If you leave family be-hind, yes it’s easy to visit them – but not for afew hours. Of course you can plan weekendstogether – but I would love to sometimes havea coffee with my daughter, or an afternoon –which can’t be done. The alternative - bringing

them too – can be a terrific pressure. We knowpeople who have sung the praises of their newlife to their relatives only to be taken aback tofind they plan to join them. If this happens to an older generation, there is even more pressure since learning any more than basicFrench for an older generation may be utterlyimpossible in which case you are their ONLYwindow on the world.

It’s a price you pay for choosing to live abroad.


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If you simply take your child’s word that theywill not access various sites then you couldbe putting him or her at risk, according to asurvey by internet consumer site,Broadband-Choices.co.uk.

Despite reports of child predators and otherdubious characters perusing the internet tomeet children, the survey reveals that 84 percent of parents still base safe internet usageon a verbal agreement.

This comes in the wake of a worrying reportby media watchdog Ofcom which has foundparents are ignorant of the danger posed tomillions of children by social networkingwebsites such as Facebook, Bebo and MySpace.

Michael Phillips, product director of Broad-bandChoices.co.uk, says: “Ofcom’s studyshows children using sites such as Facebookand Bebo are at greater risk from paedophilesand bullies. Children are bypassing onlineage restrictions to put reams of intensely per-sonal detail about themselves online.”

However, not all parents surveyed rely on averbal agreement to ensure their child’ssafety. Two thirds of parents use parentalcontrol software such as McAfee and Nor-ton while 62 per cent simply restrict theamount of time their child spends online. Afurther 59 per cent of parents prefer to man-ually check their child’s internet activities.

“There are a few simple steps parents cantake to bolster protection for their childwhen online. Rather than relying on a singleapproach, they should use parental controland security software, combined with edu-cation, to stop inappropriate material – andpeople – reaching their child,” says Phillips.

The poll also asked children aged 11-16what they had actually been doing onlineduring the school holidays. The majority(48 per cent) enjoyed downloading musicand photos while 45 per cent said they likedmaking new friends in online chat roomsand 40 per cent said they used social net-working sites such as MySpace, Bebo andFacebook.

How far would you go to protect your child’s safety on the internet?Would you use a parental control system to block certain websites?Or would you simply trust them not to access such sites?

Computers and the Internet

Parents fail to protect children online

“The wide availability of the internet hasmade ‘stranger danger’ omnipresent. Par-ents need to be made more aware of thesimple checks that they could put in placeto safeguard their children who are in-creasingly using the internet to build newrelationships,” says Phillips.

If you are not sure how best to monitor your child’s internet activities BroadbandChoices.co.uk have compiled five top tipsto help you protect your child’s safety on-line.

1. Parental control software:Some ISPs like AOL and BT offerparental controls as part of their service,while other users can get them with theirantivirus and security suites. Parentalcontrols allow you to block certain sitesand keywords, apply different settings fordifferent age groups and monitor yourchild’s online activity. You can also usethe software to keep a log of conversa-tions they might be having using InstantMessenger.

2. Education: Completely banning olderchildren from the internet is unlikely to stopthem from using chat rooms and social net-

working sites. Instead, explain why theyneed to be careful on the internet and makesure they know never to give out personalinformation or meet strangers without anadult around.

3. All on one PC: Keeping the familycomputer in the living room is a great wayof ensuring that your children stay safe on-line. They’re far less likely to spend time inchat rooms or downloading illegally if theirparents are in the same room. Also, makesure that you are set as the administrator onany PC in the home, so that only you canchange the settings on your parental controlsoftware.

4. Antivirus and firewall soft-ware: Using security software to protectyour PC will also protect your child fromspam emails with inappropriate content, andphishing emails where they could give outpersonal information including bank details.

5. Monitor downloads: If you areconcerned about the affect your children’sdownloading is having on your monthlyusage allowance, use a Download Monitorto keep an eye on downloads and set alarmsto alert you when you near your limit.


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This audio-visual guide tells the story of Mont Saint Michel starting with the

visitation from the archangel Saint Michel to Saint Aubert who demanded that a

monument be built on the island in the bay.

Uniquely this guide will take you round the town and ramparts through the centuries

as well as a guided tour around the Abbey with its awe-inspiring architecture and

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It is ideal for anyone planning to visit Mont Saint Michel as an in-depth guide as well

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In addition our Special Offer includes a 34 page e-book and 3 page quick guide that

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Purchase your single copy here for £6 – 7 or $10 orbuy with the D-Day landing audio-visual guide, alsofor £6 – 7 or $10 and we will send you the two e-books worth £16 for free. Contact us below with anyquestions about downloads or payments.

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NEWdio-Visual Guide / Podcast

The banks promote this long-standing clientrelationship as loyalty and admiration fortheir service and products, but it is actuallyinertia that prevents most of us from re-searching and moving accounts: “Toomuch hassle”… “I haven’t got time” ….“I’ll do it one day”…. “They are all thesame”… “My bank looks after me”….Sound familiar?

Following the unprecedented world bank-ing crisis, people are now much more will-ing to look more closely at what their bankcharges for their services, and this includesForeign Currency exchange (FX). The re-alisation is dawning that there is no suchthing as free banking and charges will con-tinue to rise as banks endeavour to recoverfrom a turbulent couple of years. I receiveda letter from my bank (one of the “BigFour” UK banks) to say that charges for

using a sterling debit card abroad are in-creasing, and I will now have to pay 3%more – as well as a low exchange rate(which is just another way of levying bankcharges!).

To be fair, traditional High Street banksjust aren’t geared up for FX provision.You cannot book currency ahead for futurerequirements, and have to accept the ‘spotrate’ on the day. This makes it very diffi-cult to set a budget when you are forecast-ing how much it will cost you to buy thatFrench property, for example. The factthat banks have a presence on every HighSt means their overheads are much higherthan FX specialists, where investment intechnology means they only need one of-fice to provide a global service. FX com-panies are run by specialists with FXservices as their core business.


Foreign Currency Exchange –Make your money work harder!

by Judy Mansfield First Rate FX

A statistic I read recently showed that over 80% of people are stillusing the very first bank where they first opened an account.They may have added other accounts along the way with otherinstitutions, but in general, we tend to stay with that same firstbank (me included!).


If you are looking at buying euros, dollars,dirham and so on for your summer hols, thePost Office and M&S traditionally offergood deals. Beware of the Bureaux deChange in resorts, on ferries and at airportsas their exchange rates are eyewateringlyexpensive! Many FX companies offer aholiday money service, with the cash ortravellers’ cheques (at a competitive rate)delivered to your home or office. Ask FirstRate FX about their “First Cash” service(currently only available to UK addresses).

For those of you on a sterling income inFrance, whether that is a pension, salary orholiday rental receipts; you will have seenyour income fluctuate wildly over the pastfew years. Similarly, tradesmen whosource materials overseas, or who invoicein a different currency, will have noted howdifficult it is to budget accurately and adownward movement in the currency pair-ing (such as euro to sterling) can wipe outyour profit margin in an instant.

FX specialists can help you smooth out thesecurrency swings, by keeping you in touchwith trends, and suggesting when you canbook your currency at a favourable rate forup to a year ahead so that no matter wherethe rates go, you will receive the amount at apre-agreed rate. And with NO charges forthis service, you will save money and havethe security of knowing exactly how muchwill arrive in your bank account each month,via pension, rental income, salary transfersetc. These FX companies can do the samefor regular payments, such as mortgages,school fees, caretaker fees or salary transfers,or those one-off purchases like property, ren-ovations, car or boat expenditure.

First Rate FX provides these services dailyto thousands of expats worldwide. There isno charge for our service, and all transac-tions are covered by a £1M insurance-backed guarantee underwritten with Lloydsof London to give you total protection andcomplete peace of mind.

We offer all N4Normandy readers a preferential rate – register with us, and quote reference N4Normandy 11400

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David and Jackie Butcher, Calvados, Normandy

Using First Rate FX saved us £4,712“We are living our dream out here in France. And the house

cost us less than if we had accepted the exchange rate from our bank in our home town of Taunton!”

Quote from David: “The entire process was smooth and hassle-free. It’s more than paid for the new bathroom I’ve put in”

Quote from Jackie: “We would recommend First Rate FX to anyone, with no hesitation.”

Quote from First Rate FX: “Jackie and David appreciated our in-depth knowledge of the property-buying procedures and the French banking system.

And of course the money they saved by using our FX services!”

Judy MansfieldFirst Rate FX Head of Business Development (France)

Thousands of people everyyear come to France for theirholidays and choose a gite tostay in. Many have a great holi-day but sometimes things donot go to plan and the holidayturns into a nightmare.

To make your holiday in a French gite an en-joyable one here are a few simple tips that willhopefully help.

Choosing a Gite in France:A Quick Guide

Once you have decided to come to France foryour holiday you may then be looking to stayin a French Gite. Choosing a gite is probablythe most important part of your holiday as it agreat gite can make your holiday one to remem-ber while a poor gite can make it memorablefor the wrong reasons!

Gites are not the same throughoutFrance.

Firstly, there are those gites that are registeredwith French national tourism organisations and

therefore their owners have to meet certain re-quirements in regard to the standard of thegites and the terms & conditions they offer thetraveller. Whether they are registered or not there are certain formalities and details ofthe property you should consider when rentinga gite.

For instance:• Arrival time • Departure time • Payment methods • Cancellation policy• Deposit required • Cleaning fees on departure You can clean

yourself and avoid this but it must be left inthe same condition as when you arrived

• Security deposit required • Bedlinen charges • Electricity charges • Other charges (wood, gas, baby cot)• Washing Machine Charges• Lastly, directions of how to get there

The norm is that you pay for everything whichthe owner regards as not part of the bookingcost – so beware!

Do not be afraid to ask about the sizes of therooms, do you have to buy bottled water fordrinking, are the toilets & bathrooms shared,


David and Jackie Butcher, Calvados, Normandy

Using First Rate FX saved us £4,712“We are living our dream out here in France. And the house

cost us less than if we had accepted the exchange rate from our bank in our home town of Taunton!”

Quote from David: “The entire process was smooth and hassle-free. It’s more than paid for the new bathroom I’ve put in”

Quote from Jackie: “We would recommend First Rate FX to anyone, with no hesitation.”

Quote from First Rate FX: “Jackie and David appreciated our in-depth knowledge of the property-buying procedures and the French banking system.

And of course the money they saved by using our FX services!”

Judy MansfieldFirst Rate FX Head of Business Development (France)

Choosing a Gite in France

by Averill Gibson


what happens to the daily rubbish, is the prop-erty separate from others , parking facilities,animals allowed, can you have guests/visitors....These may seem trivial questions but not inFrance! Remember if you don’t ask no-onewill tell you.

You should ask for and receive a contract tosign perhaps with a date for it to be returnedwith your deposit. Make sure that you read theconditions carefully, if they are not there besure to ask for them as this not only protectsthe owner but you as well. Also, bring yourcontract with you on holiday and check thatyou have a contact name and phone number asthe owner may not live on site.

You are often asked to pay the rest of the costof the holiday including your security depositon arrival. Advice would be to pay by card or

euro cheque, if you can, so that you may havesome sort of protection.

Even though you may be tired after a long tripit is important on arrival or very shortly afterthat, to make sure that you:

• Check everything and that it works – if nottell the owner or else you may be chargedfor it

• Everything is as you agreed in your contract

• Ask for a receipt of payment which shouldcome on a proper invoice (facture).

Many gite owners, English and French, do nothave contracts and it can be a little bit morecomplicated especially if anything goes wrongor is not as you expected it; so, it is always agood idea to have something in writing.

If you are really unhappy with your accommo-dation or your stay and have very clear reasonsfor this eg your rooms did not have enoughbeds as you requested, you paid for linen anddid not get it, the place was filthy ; and all elsefails then, you can go as a last resort to the local‘gendarmie’ (police station) and make an offi-cial complaint. I have known this to happen toEnglish owners with English clients and theclients were fortunate to spend their stay in an-other gite at the original owner’s expense.

Not all gites are regulated and therefore if youdecide to book a gite that is not registered withone of France’s tourism organisations you needto be particularly careful. As always make a listof everything that you want to know and ask;even, ask for a contract or agreement/written,so that you have some proof of what wasagreed. It is too late when you are in a foreigncountry, may not be fluent in the language and

all that you get is a shrug of the shoulders anda bewildered look from the owner, no matterwhat his nationality might be. The French, par-ticularly, do not like talking about money andare even less willing to part with it.

France is a lovely place to stay on holiday. Somake you stay one to remember rather than regret and do your research and booking thoroughly.

Happy Holidays!

Author: Averill GibsonManoir Sainte CecileSainte Cécile61140 Juvigny-Sous-Andaine

www.manoirstececile.com


You may see Averill’s Gite (and many more) at:http://n4normandy.com/listing/88/manoir-sainte-cecile-augm

Let’s start in Nor-mandy, hidden awayin the tiny village ofLe Trochu is a realsurprise: “Arts in theGarden”, owned andrun by Brian and Kr-ishna Ashbee. This isa very special Cham-

bre d’Hôte, voted one of the top ten B and B’sin Normandy. Not only is the accommodationluxurious, the cuisine to die for, but also there’s

a fabulous garden toexplore and relax in,lovingly created by thecouple over eighteenyears. Before movingto France, Krishna wasowner/manager of anOptician’s on the south

coast of Englandbut since movingto France hasblossomed as achef, offeringevening mealsand Sundaylunches. Al-though the menuis internationalshe has not for-gotten her Indian roots andin winter runs“The Curry Club”which is popularwith French and British alike and of course,helps overcome the seasonal nature of runninga B and B. In addition you might like to try oneof her Flavours of India weekend courses, shar-


Tinker, tailor, soldier,sailor, rich man??

by Wendy Wise

Have you ever noticed how a lot of the expats who manage tomake a go of life in France, which as you know can be tough, havemore than one string to their professional bows? I’ve been talking to some people, who certainly fit the versatility profile, tofind out what makes them tick.


ing the secrets of Indian cuisine and puttingthem in context with music and even a Bolly-wood film. But that’s not all, Brian, the otherhalf of this creative couple, whose CV includesfilm-making, writing and teaching is now anexhibiting artist and runs courses in water-colour painting and drawing for his guests. Healso teaches English as a foreign language, of-fering intensive residential courses in businessand conversational English.

The garden includes a number of mosaics, apassion shared by Brain and Krishna and ofcourse, as you’ve probably guessed by now,they share this passion with others, offering courses in mosaic techniques.

The Ashbees are also keen walkers and wouldlove to take you on a walking tour of theirfavourite places such as Mont St Michel and theGorges of the river Vire.

They moved to France permanently to build adifferent life and to spend more time together.They wanted to do the things that they love do-ing as a couple and pursue their own separatepassions, for Brian this was painting and for Krishna it was food and cooking. They plannedvery carefully before making their move and realized that they could do all this and turn itinto a thriving business.

Next I’d like to introduce you to the lovely AnnieRogers, if you’refeeling run down orstressed, recoveringfrom an illness orsurgery you mightlike to give Annie acall and book a few

days of holistic therapy.

Like the Ashbees, Annie has several strings toher bow. After thirty years in teaching and asa Primary School headmistress she decided toretrain as a holistic therapist and start a new lifein the Lot and Garonne. From her home she of-fers reflexology, massage and Reiki to localsand as residential courses. Reiki is the Japan-ese way to stress reduction and relaxation, wecould all do with some of that sometimes andeven over the phone Annie just radiates calmand friendliness, so I can see why her coursesare so popular. She is a Reiki Master andteaches Reiki techniques to others.

Annie also teaches English as a foreign lan-guage and has recently been asked by EDF tocome and teach some of their employees, nowthat the company sells energy in the UK too.She has a lot of experience in dealing with chil-dren who have dropped out of regular schoolingbecause of illness or other problems and be-cause she is fluent in French she is still puttingthese skills to use with French children, helpingthem to catch up with their peers, overcometheir fears and settle back into education. Herlanguage skills also mean that she can offertranslation services. Annie says she’s a typicalAquarian, she loves the variety of doing differ-ent jobs, whether that’s working away in hersmart business clothes or sitting at home in herpyjamas doing a translation on her computer.

Like most people who wear several profes-sional hats, she says she has a very low boredom threshold and could never go back todoing just one job, five days a week. Her ad-vice to others who might be thinking of mov-ing to France to work, rather than to retire is tomake sure you have good language skills.Particularly if you’re hoping to find salariedwork with a French company, you need to be able to talk to both clients and customers in a meaningful way and holiday French just won’t cut the moutarde.

Last but not least, meet Sylvia Benterman whohad many years of teaching experience before coming to France. She lectured and wasalso an organizer for the Prince’s Trust. Togetherwith her daughter Selina, she works as an agentfor Usborne Books. They set up links withschools (including Bordeaux InternationalSchool) and other organizations and promote thebooks with games and activities, such as cre-ative writing and crafts. Recently they held aworkshop event where the children made theirown pop-up books and have also run sciencebased activities, it all depends what subject areathe schools would like to concentrate on. Thepair also teach English as a foreign language tochildren and young people, using games, creativewriting, puppets and computers and they teachEnglish via distance learning.

Sylvia also has another ace up her sleeve, sheworks as an estate agent in her home region:Poitou Charentes. This work takes her out andabout even more, but she loves houses andloves linking with people, so the job is ideal. Ithasn’t always been plain sailing though, shetried to get into the teaching English to peoplein the Hôtel and Catering trade but found thatin her area there was just too much competition.Ever the optimist she is now planning to openan after school club and holiday language clubsfor both French and English children. She saysthat the secret to success in France is findingyour own way; people who find decent salariedemployment are few and far between.

So what can we learn from this gallant band? Ithink they all have all done an audit of their ex-isting skills and put them to good use here inFrance but have added new skills, perhapsbased on former hobbies or to answer a per-ceived need here in France. They work withboth French and English speakers; they havesomething to keep them busy all year round, soif one area of work goes quiet, say over thewinter, they have a plan B. Like all of us, theycame to France for a complete change, in pur-suit of a dream but with their heads firmlyscrewed on - even if that head is not alwayswearing the same hat! So three cheers forBrian and Krishna, Annie, Sylvia and Selina.

Contact details: - Brian Ashbeewww.artsinthegarden.netTel 02 33 90 12 82

Annie Rogers [email protected] Tel 05 53 88 02 47

Sylvia Benterman [email protected] 05 46 32 38 99

Wendy Wise owns and runs

www.facilitutors.com which promotes courses of all sorts - for allsorts of people. So if you want to add anotherstring to your bow or find out how Facilitutorscan promote your courses contact

[email protected] 05 46 33 09 89



www.FACILITUTORS.comthe widest choice of courses in France

local and holiday courses, distance learning

arts~antiques~archery~yoga~reiki~embroidery

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patchwork~photography~flying~fly tying

marketing~wine~découpage~spinning

literacy~languages~garden design

rod building~creativity

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châteaux~farmhouses~gîtes~B&B

seaside~countryside

North~South

FaciliTutorsContact me: [email protected] ~ tel: 05 46 33 09 89

Advertise on Facilitutors – call me for a personalised quotation

www.FACILITUTORS.comthe widest choice of courses in France

local and holiday courses, distance learning

arts~antiques~archery~yoga~reiki~embroidery

cookery~crafts~ceramics~sewing~soap making

sculpture~jewellery~candle-making

patchwork~photography~flying~fly tying

marketing~wine~découpage~spinning

literacy~languages~garden design

rod building~creativity

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châteaux~farmhouses~gîtes~B&B

seaside~countryside

North~South

FaciliTutorsContact me: [email protected] ~ tel: 05 46 33 09 89

Advertise on Facilitutors – call me for a personalised quotation

YOUR ADVERT COULDBE HERE

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or call us on: 01952 898 666 or 01 70 70 79 83



KAS - Sweetheart to the Forces

With every up and coming new star there hasto be a moment in time where their dreamsbeome reality, and so the story begins...

My name is Kas, Sweetheart to theForces. I am a singer and dancer.As an entertainer, I started my busi-ness four and half years ago. I enjoydressing up in the 40’s fashions, I justlove the cloths. My mum and all my family would say, I was born in thewrong era. I would watch over andover the films, musicals and showsfrom that time. Stars like Gene Kelly,Fred Astaire, Ann Miller, Elena Powell, Glen Miller and Al Jolson, toname a few.

I originally come from London, West Ham, mov-ing to Kent with my family when I was 6 years old.Being brought up with two Grandparents whowere evacuees!! They would tell me stories ofthem being small children, when the London blitzwas raging, only living 5 miles away from this.Being evacuee’s, what it was like good and bad,some marvellous adventures they had and peoplethey met.

It’s been in my blood, at a young age I was alwaysshown and talked about this era, by my Mum, Nanand Granddad. Regularly we would go to London,the Palace and Horse Guards Parade, as a little girl.As a family we would always sit and watch the


Rememberence Service at the Royal Albert Hall,seeing the brave men march past at the Cenotaphon the Sunday, paying tribute and rememberingthose that died for our freedom. As they say “Whenyou go home, tell them of us, that we gave our tomorrow, for their today”. I think it’s always got tobe remembered for the next generations to come.

I started my business with the help of my Mum;we then approached the Princes Trust for a small loan. Along with that came support and helpand since then, the loan repaid, I have become a Young Ambassador to the Trust. Last week I,

along with 21 others from the South East and London, were chosen to meet the Prince at StJames’s Palace and later to attend a Gala Dinnerat the Royal Albert Hall. What an amazing day!!

It is my dream to sing at The Royal Albert Hall onRemembrance Saturday and my intention throughmy business as an entertainer to keep all these mar-vellous stories and memories alive.

I have just returned home from 2010 War andPeace Show at The Hop Farm Kent, I wanted togive a short report onto this year’s happenings.


It was the first where a designated Marquee wasset up solely for the veterans, by Rex Cadman, Iwas fortunate to head the entertainment alongsideNobby Clarke and Tom and Adam. After a fewteething problems all came well and the overallfeedback was super.

We had the Taxi Associations come along with 50Hackney carriages on the Saturday full of veter-ans from all WW2 conflicts and the Not ForgottenAssociation with their members plus the Normandy Association, throughout the week. Itwas so good to see all these Gentleman and Ladieswho appreciated the entertainment and the showenjoying the whole atmosphere.

The original Sweetheart herself and my in-spiration, was there on Friday looking amazing,the veterans and the public were so appreciative. Iam sure it will be and even bigger success next

year, attracting many more of our dwindling veter-ans knowing that this area is there, especially designed for them and their needs. So if you knowof any veterans association who would love to goalong in 2011, please do not hesitate to contact MrCadman.

Inviting the schools along on the Tuesday beforethe show began and allowing them to witness allthe memorabilia was a brilliant idea and they cer-tainly enjoyed themselves!!!

Xx Kas, Sweetheart to the Forces xX

Contacts:KASwww.kas-forces-sweetheart.co.uk

Mr Cadmanwww.warandpeaceshow.co.uk



Shakespeare wrote, “To sleep, perchance todream”, in his play ‘Hamlet’, but he was cer-tainly not writing of dreaming about a Frenchchâteau and realizing your dream to fall asleepin one! So, let’s change that to “To dream,perchance to sleep”, and show you how tomake it come true!

Over the next months we will be bringing Frenchchâteaux to you…wonderful historic places located in easy-to-reach Normandy, whether youare coming across La Manche or arriving by trainor car from nearby Paris. Normandy is rich withchâteaux and elegant manoirs offering travelersthe lodging experience of a lifetime.

Sumptuous suites with lavish mod-ern en suite bathrooms, fantasticgardens for wandering to yourheart’s content, and nearby historicsites to take in while a guest at a se-cluded country estate ~ all areyours for the asking.

If you think such accommodationsare beyond your reach or yourbudget, you are mistaken. The auChâteau web site lists nearly 80

sophisticated and enchanting properties thatare ideal getaways, ten of which are in Nor-mandy, and they are priced to fit any budget.

For those who would prefer to rent an entirechâteau by the week, that, too, is possible. Wewould love to entice you to stay at Manoir deBerthouville in the tranquil and convenientEure département, a short drive from Paris,where you will find stylish and comfortable in-teriors by owner Charles Spada, a renownedBoston interior designer. Or, perhaps, you arelooking for a panoramic view of Le Mont SaintMichel out your bedroom window ~ a stay at

Fall Asleep in a Normandy Château

Guest Châteaux of Normandy

By Diane Ohanianau Château

Château les Hauts will satisfy that desire withits delightful bed and breakfast accommoda-tions. Then, of course, there are always thoseseeking romance. What better place to find itthan Château de l’Isle-Marie, chosen one ofTravel and Leisure Magazine’s ‘50 Most Romantic Hideaways Worldwide’.

Join us in the next issue of N4Normandy as we begin our tour of the Guest Châteaux ofNormandy to tell you more about all these notable destinations. Do join us on our exploration of the unforgettable and alluringchâteau accommodations of Normandy. http://www.au-chateau.com


Left: Manoir de Berthouvillewww.au-chateau.com/Berthouville.htm

Above: Château les Hautswww.au-chateau.com/LesHauts.htm

Right: Château de l’Isle-Mariewww.au-chateau.com/Marie.htm

When visiting a gendarmerie once to sortout a stolen mobile phone I saw a posterwhich stated that everyone in France hasa right to a roof over their head, no mat-ter what. This means that the law is gen-erally on the side of the tenant so it is inyour best interests to be legal and aboveboard, not only with an appropriate leaseor contract but also with the correct pay-ment of taxes.

Another thing to be aware of in this tech-nological age is that it is difficult if wellnigh impossible 'to stay off the grid'.Concerns over money laundering havemeant that both the French and the UK

government have made it obligatory thatthey are informed by bank managers ofany suspect activity in peoples' accounts.Moreoever they can get access to privatebank accounts if necessary.

1.You are tax residentin the UK and have aholiday property inFrance.

If you intend to rent it out as a holidayhome then you need to declare the in-come from it in both France and the UKon your two returns. You pay income tax


Business Section

Renting out property - where and who to pay what!by Stephanie & Jeremy GodwinTransmanche Accountancy Services

There are of course cross border agreements in place betweenthe UK and France which make life complicated when it comes towhere to bank your income from your property and which sideof the Channel to pay any taxes and social charges due on it.There are various legal ways of renting out property in Franceand you need to make sure you are up to-date on them. This isbest done by contacting a notaire who will draw up the lease bestsuited to your requirements.

on the revenue in France and it will bededucted from your UK obligations.

2.You are tax residentin France and have asecond property

which you rent out as a holiday home(gite etc). This is classed as a businessnow and you have income tax to pay onthe profits and possibly social charges.This latter is dependant on the amount ofincome and on how much of a percent-age these revenues are of your total in-come. If you are not certain of how to goabout this then take professional advice.Since July 2010 you face a fine if youdon't declare your activity to the Mairieas well!

3.You are tax resident inFrance and rent aproperty out in the UK.

This is, not surprisingly, the reverse ofsituation n° 1. You fill out tax returns inboth countries and pay any taxes due inthe UK.

4.You are tax residentin France and have asecond property torent out in France ona long term basis

(a year's lease furnished or 3 years unfur-nished). If you are over state retirementage then the question of what you pay insocial charges is dependant on your ownparticular situation - you need to seekprofessional advice. The revenues fromthe let have to be declared on your tax re-turn. There are choices to be made hereaccording to what is most advantageousto your circumstances.

5. Lastly, those peoplewho return to the UK

and choose to rent out their property inFrance. They become tax resident in theUK again but nevertheless as the prop-erty is in France the tax is payable in thiscountry. You need to fill out a specialdéclaration for leaving the country aswell as a non-residants' tax return. If youare renting out your property on a longterm basis then the tenant will necessar-ily become tax resident in France. One ofthe obligations of being tax resident is toprove where your domicile is and if youare renting the property than you have tostate who the owner is!

Jeremy & Stephanie Godwin

Transmanche Accountancy

02 43 03 20 94



Transmanche Accountancy servicesTransmanche Accountancy services is based in theMayenne but thanks to 21st century communication wecan work for anyone anywhere! As well as doing business set-ups, providing advice, accounts and tax returns, Jeremy Godwin specialises in dual taxation andcross border taxation issues.

He also offers a fixed price fee service for doing company accounts based in either France or the UK

Take advantage of our special offer of a free boookleton everyday life in France & reduced fees if you sign a3 year contract.

www.transmanche-accountancyservices.eu

to find out more or ring us on 0033 (0)2 43 03 20 94

or email us [email protected]

Have you got an event in Normandy

that you want us to advertise for you?

Send an email to

[email protected] we’ll list it here and on our website

for you for freewww.n4normandy.com • August 2010 • 47


1st to 8th August –Chateau de Creve-coeur Medieval Festival,Crevecoeur-en-Auge

For one week in august be transported toages past at the wonderful Chateau deCrevecoeur medieval festival. Historianshave made sure that this extravaganza cele-brating life in the middle ages is as accurateas possible, so that visitors really do feel asis time was stopped at the chateau 600 yearsago as they wander round this recreatedworld.www.chateau-de-crevecoeur.com

10th to 14th August –Les Traversees de Tatihou, Tatihou Island,Manche

Enjoy the magical music festival on therugged little island of Tatihou, its annualconcerts with its varied music styles andgenres is a must for the sences. Walk out toTatihou from pretty St-Vaast- La-Hougueover the oyster beds exposed at low tide, to-ward the perfect island setting and wonder-ful sound experience.www.tatihou.com

What’s on in August


Pet’s Corner What Are the Health Concerns Found in Older Dogs?

Abrasions:Abrasions are often caused byscratching and biting skin surfaces thatitch. Herbal treatments include an infusion of blackberry leaves, rosemaryleaves, or elder flowers and leaves towhich a little witch hazel has been added.Apply topically to abrasions. It is recom-mended that no greasy preparations beused because they will retain moisture onthe skin surfaces and retard healing.

Abscesses: Abscesses are the body's attemptto throw off through the skin toxins from im-pure blood. Blood that is excessively toxic ischoked and is unable to carry away the wastematter of cell metabolism through its normalchannels. Thus white blood cells surround dis-ease-producing bacteria and toxic waste andcarry them out of the body through the skin inthe form of pus. If your dog is bothered bymany abscesses at one time, or by frequentgrowths, he should be fasted for several dayson distilled water and raw honey (to keep uphis energy): two to four teaspoonful a day, depending on the size of the dog.

As the dog begins to eliminate more toxins,give him several garlic cloves daily with his

food. Garlic will help him to detoxify evenmore. Hot fomentations (packs) of blackberryleaves or elderberry, may be put on the ab-scesses. You can also use chopped-up garlic oronion or both, heated in several ounces of cas-tor oil. Heat it in a pan of water till it is com-fortably hot, and then apply as hot packs.Nutrients that may be helpful in treating ab-scesses are vitamins A, C, and E, and B com-plex, red clover, cayenne pepper, goldenseal,and grated carrots or potatoes.

Anemia: Anemia is basically a lack of hemo-globin and oxygen in the blood. It is oftencaused by faulty diet, lack of exposure to sun-light, and a constipation of the entire system,including the lower bowel. The dog may be-come weak and faint, losing energy and stam-ina. His eyes may show excessive brightnessin the white portion. Internal parasites mayweaken a dog, causing severe anemia. Anemiacan be caused by too little blood or too few redcells. If you check your dog's gums, they willbe whiter than normal, upon pressure, and slowto return to a pink color.

Your dog may lack sufficient iron in his diet;toxins produced by many diseases can cause


an anemic condition. To boost the iron in hisdiet, you can give him desiccated liver andbrewers' yeast, in with his food. You can alsogive berries or fruits of the black variety in-cluding blackberry, bilberry, elderberry, orgrapes. Honey is also good, as well as eggs,kelp, and parsley. Other nutrients that may behelpful in cases of anemia are vitamins C, E,and the B complex, protein, and copper andiron. Chemical iron aggravates anemia andcause constipation.

Arthritis: Arthritis has become a common ail-ment in dogs, especially the older dog. Severalfactors contribute to this condition, includingan all-cooked-food diet, lack of exercise, poorabsorption of minerals, and lack of hydrochlo-ric acid in the stomach. It occurs as an inflam-mation in bones and joints. The onset isgradual and the owner notices the dog havingincreased difficulty in walking, getting up,lying down, running, and moving in general.

Putting an arthritic dog on distilled water ex-clusively will help to leach out some of themineral deposits that have settled in the joints.Your dog also needs a live-food diet. You mayuse a good-quality dry kibble as a base, butalong with it give your dog plenty of sprouts,grated raw vegetables, garlic, and raw fruits,all of which are alkalizing to the body. Meatsand grains are acid-forming for the most part,and an arthritic dog already has too much acidin his diet. Any meat should be raw to slightlybraised. Give chopped comfrey and parsleyleaves in with the food.

Keep the dog in a warm, dry place, and try togive him some moderate exercise in sunlight.You can feed rosemary leaves daily as an infu-sion (steep them in water).The inflamed areascan be massaged with four tablespoonful ofraw, unrefined olive oil, one tablespoonful oflinseed oil, and _ teaspoon of eucalyptus oil.Nutrients that may be beneficial in treatingarthritis are vitamins A, B complex, C, D, E,and F; calcium, iodine, lecithin, magnesium,phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and protein.

About The Author How can you tell if your dog is not feelingwell? Is he ill or just tired? What are the com-mon symptoms of a dog health problem? Youcan find the answers to hundreds of DogHealth Questions at our web site.

The author invites you to visit:

www.dogsvitalsigns.com



The 'Camelia' is situated in the quiet countryside and can offer 1 or 2 bedrooms, with 1 or 2 shower rooms/toilets, sitting room and a fully-equippedkitchen.

There is a terrasse with garden furniture and private secure parking set in largegardens. Close to all amenities and perfectly situated for sightseeing.

Quiet location in the courtyard of the Manor House Manoir ste Cecile - inwhich we offer B&B accommodation.

More details seehttp://n4normandy.com/listing/87/sainte-cecile-julm for our B&B and http://n4normandy.com/listing/88/sainte-cecile-gite-julm for our gite.

Manoir Sainte Cecile Manoir Sainte Cecile ‘Camelia’ Gite‘Camelia’ Gite


Food and DrinkFresh Tomato Sauce - for soup,chilli, pizza & bolognaise

By Lindsey Sermon

Fresh Tomato Sauce - a simple way to use your largecrop of tomatoes to make aversatile base for many meals- which is freezable

What you need: (approx!!)2lb of tomatoes3 - 4 red onions4 - 5 garlic cloves (optional)Fresh ThymeFresh Basil (3 or 4 stems)2 bayleaves1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar2 teaspoons of saltBlack PepperOlive oil

Roughly chop onions and dropinto an oven-proof dish


Crush and peel garlic - add to dish

Roghly chop tomatoes (large tomatoes remove woodycentre) and add to the dishalong with basil, thyme andbayleaves

Sprinkle over sugar & salt


Drizzle over 3 tablespoons ofolive oil and grind some freshblack pepper

Lightly mix all ingredientstogether to ensure they are coated in the oil and seasoning


Place into a preheated (200°C)oven for 20 minutes

Take out and stir - then placeback into the oven for 30minutes


After 30 minutes, removefrom heat and allow to standfor 10 minutesRemove Bayleaves

Place mixture in a liquidiser

And liquide well


Pour contents of liquidisedsauce into a sieve over aclean bowl

Gently stir and push the mixture through the sieve

You should now only be leftwith pips & skin etc whichcan be thrown away

Check seasoning is to yourtaste

Prepared by Lou(Lindsey Sermon) andphotos © Greg Hughes.


The concentrated sauce can be decanted and frozen, or kept in thefridge - use within a couple of days.To use a soup - add milk or cream to taste

DO YOU WANT MORE WEBSITE VISITORS AND ENQUIRIES?The Team at Netronix have been providing businesses in the UK and France with more visitors to their websites- with great success by using the latest up-to-date infofrom Google by finding out what people are searchingfor - and making sure those people find you.

We are offering a 50% discount on our Search Engine promotion services to all readers of N4Normandy Magazine - quote N4N-50

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