BUSINESS people in Cherbourg saythey regret Brittany Ferries’ decisionnot to bring back the Barfleur ferrythis summer.

The loss of the Poole-Cherbourgservice will mean lost tourist revenue,they say, despite the fact the firm willcontinue to run a fast summer servicein partnership with Condor Ferriesand its year-round freight service withthe Cotentin.

Brittany Ferries used to run trips allyear round with the Barfleur. It waswithdrawn in March 2010 but broughtback last year from March to October.It had been hoped it would haveresumed service this summer but thefirm has ruled it out.

The tourism and commerce organis-er for Cherbourg’s chamber of com-merce, Denis Marion, said: “We great-ly regret the departure of BrittanyFerries, or at least of the Barfleur, as itwill lessen the number of British visi-tors in Cherbourg and its surroundingarea. We know that for several yearsthe numbers were declining in ourport, and it’s had a negative effect inthe shops, hotels and restaurants.

“We estimate losing the Barfleur,plus 15% less stops by the fast summerone, will mean around 30% less Britishvisitors in 2012. The Barfleur brought77,000 passengers last year.”

The president of the shopkeepers’association for the Carrefour shoppingcentre near the port, Gianni Vellani,said: “It’s a shame for the ferry to go

out of use and for Brittany Ferries tono longer maintain its service toEngland. It kept things moving in theport, and in the town, for the shop-keepers; for everyone. It brought life tothe port. Any tourist visitors, whetherthey arrive by road or train - or ferry -are valuable to us.”

He added: “In recent years one prob-lem was that the ferries arrived toolate in the morning and left too earlyin the afternoon to make it appealingfor people to come for a day trip.Perhaps that’s why they didn’t haveenough passengers?”

Brittany Ferries’ Group PassengerCommercial DirectorMike Bevens said the deci-son followed a thoroughanalysis of potential rev-enue gain versus addition-al costs of bringing Bar-fleur back. “We left thedecision as late as possibleto gauge any improve-ment in the economic sit-uation and fuel price,” he

said. “The fact is the UK and Euro-pean economic situation in 2012 is notat all positive and against this difficulteconomic backdrop we feel that to addmore capacity would be foolhardy.”

A spokesman for the firm addedcompetition on the Channel was gen-erally tough, and even with the demiseof SeaFrance there was more supplythan demand.

An unfavourable euro to poundexchange rate did not help.

As for timetabling, he said the firmhad to weigh many factors and the daytrip market contributes little to theoverall economic viability of the route.

The fast service will run from May19 to September 30, to both Poole andPortsmouth.

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March 2012 - Issue 27www.normandyadvertiser.com

NORMANDYADVERTISER

Ferry cutback‘bad for town’

“We greatly regret the departureof the Barfleur as it will lessenthe number of British visitorsDenis MarionTourism and Commerce organiser

TIGER CUB TAKESFIRST TRIP OUT Full story

and morepictures – Page 4

by OLIVER ROWLAND

PLANS for a windfarm justoff the coast at Mont-Saint-Michel have been scrappedby President Sarkozy.

He acted after CultureMinister Frédéric Mitterrandtold him Unesco was ready totake away the site’s “WorldHeritage” label if the wind-mills were built as they couldbe seen from the land.

Now an offshore exclusionzone has been set up by theprefects of Basse-Normandieand Manche, blocking thethree Argouges windmills.

MontSt Michelwindmillsaxed

Photo: zentilia - Fotolia.com

JUST days after the Algwastrewent down with loss of lifeanother fishing boat sank insimilar circumstances – butthis time tragedy was avoided.

Fisherman Denis Gouley,skipper of the Alleluia, andtwo crewmen, survived, des-pite equipment malfunctionswhich left them waiting forrescue for 18 hours.

Mr Gouley’s nets caught andhis boat sank in less than twominutes, but the men wereable to make it to a safety raft.“It was like what happened tothe other boat,” he said. “Ithappens at an unimaginablespeed. You’ve time to donothing; but we were luckyenough to be able to jumpinto the water, and that thesafety rafts detached.”

However that was just thestart of the men’s ordeal – MrGouley set off a radio beacon,which he thought would callrescuers within an hour ortwo – but he later found outthat no signal was picked up.

He then set off a parachuteflare, which went up “aboutthree or four metres – inother words it was useless”.Another one went higher butdropped quickly. A problemalso arose with a faulty smokegenerator.

He said: “It’s a fact that wesnagged the bottom and sank– which happens sometimeswith fishing boats, it’s one ofthe risks of the job, but whatmade it worse was we thenspent 18 hours on the waterin a raft because none of thesafety equipment worked. It’sunacceptable – it was equip-

ment the authorities requireus to have. I will sue becauseall the boats in Dieppe havethe same system. We pay forit and it’s not reliable.”

In the end the men werefound by a navy helicopter,after Mr Gouley’s wife gavethe alert when he did notcome home.

“To start with she was told

‘don’t panic, there’s been nobeacon alert’,” he said.

By the time they realisedsomething was wrong, theyfeared it might be too late, hesaid. “The rescue teams toldme they thought they wouldjust find our bodies.”

The ordeal was almostworse for his wife and family,he added. “For us it was phys-

2 News Normandy Advertiser March 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

We were lucky

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THE loss of the fishing boat Algwastrewith both men aboard was a tragic acci-dent, the navy has confirmed.

Divers have now located the vessel andhave confirmed that its trawling equip-ment became hooked up on a submergedwreck dating from the Second WorldWar, causing the Algwastre to sink in lessthan a minute.

The nine metre-long trawler, built in1972 and recently fully renovated, wasfishing for scallops just a few kilometresfrom Port-en-Bessin (Calvados 14).

The crew were very experienced, it wasearly afternoon, the sea was calm and theweather was good; however suddenly thedredge (a net towed along the bottom tocollect shellfish) became attached to asubmerged wreck. Within 40 seconds,the Algwastre had sunk and the two menon board, Jacky Anquetila, 57, and his 26year-old son, also called Jacky, haddrowned. There was no time to put theirlife jackets on, radio for help, or signal

their position. The tragedy was followed on radar

screen by the Cross Jobourg (a lifeguardorganisation) who confirmed that therehad only been 40 seconds between thetime to boat stopped moving and thetime it disappeared from the radar.

Lifeboats were launched immediatelybut by the time they arrived at the scene,

there was nothing to be done.Other fishermen confirmed that old

wrecks are known to be good fishinggrounds for shellfish, although it isimpossible to say whether the crew ofthe Algwastre knew that they were soclose to such a wreck.

One crewman thought to have beenlost, was later discovered not to havebeen on board the vessel that afternoon

Sadly, this is not the first accident of itstype in the area. The Chelaris J alsobecame snagged on a sandbank in theBanc de la Schôle area just south of theIsle of Aurigny in October 2003 andsank with all hands aboard. Theowner/skipper of the vessel was fromGuernsey and the three crew memberswere French. The boat had leftCherbourg the previous evening, andwas trawling for fish. The bodies of twoof the crew were discovered in the cab-ins, indicating that the sinking had beenvery sudden and very fast.

Father and sonkilled as boatsinks in seconds

Trawling equipmentbecame hooked on awreck dating from theSecond World War, causing the Algwastre tosink in less than a minute

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The fishermen had to be winched to safety by a navy

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to surviveThe trawler, used to catch shellfish, was registered at Caen and based at Grandchamp Maisy

helicopter, as in the rescue shown here

ically very hard, but she spent18 hours crying, asking forhelp, wondering if her hus-band was alive or dead.”

If he returns to this work –of which he is no longer sure– he will pay for state-of-the-art work outfits with flotationsystem built in, he said.

“Thankfully we got out of italive, but I’m left in a mess.”

He now has significantdebts and no income, andthere is no government aid,he said.

“Sailors have right to noth-ing. They don’t give a damn.I’ve been a sailor since 15 andwas just starting to pay off myboat. The only help I have isfrom the solidarity of the fish-ing community.”

Offshore turbines‘will create jobs’NORMANDY is about to getoffshore wind turbines nearCherbourg and Saint Nazaire,Alstom has announced.

The new installations couldcreate up to 500 jobs at eachsite, the company says.

The project was presentedat the International Conven-tion of Marine RenewableEnergy in Bordeaux.

Muslims vie tobuild mosqueTWO Muslim bodies hope tobuild mosques in Evreux.

The UCME (Union Cultu-relle Musulmane d’Evreux) isfundraising for its as yet un-veiled project while the AME(Association des Musulmansd’Evreux) has publically pre-sented its plans.

The latter wants a four-storey cube (without a mi-naret) on a 5,000m² plot withfacilities including a culturalcentre, a library and a crêche.The €3.5 million cost wouldbe raised by public donations,the body says.

Asked about the UCME’splans, former AME presidentMustapha M’Bodji said: “It’sup to the community tojudge: to tell us we supportthis or that project, or wewant both to be merged.”

The AME hopes to applyfor a building permit thisyear, and to open the mosquein 2015. The plan has beenmainly welcomed by locals,with Catholics saying it willmake cooperation betweenthe faiths easier.

Electronic finesto be brought inTHE municipal police inRouen are expected to startusing “electric fines” fromJuly this year.

The technology allows offi-cers to note details of minormotoring offences (parkingbadly, not wearing a seatbeltetc) on an electronic padwhich they then plug into acomputer to transmit detailsto a centralised service.

Fine notices are then postedto people’s homes.

New Rouen toCorsica flightsDIRECT flights to Corsicaare starting this summerfrom Rouen Vallée de Seine.

Travel operator Corsica-tours is opening, from May23, a weekly service to FigariCorse du Sud. It will runeach Saturday, for 18 weeks,operated by CityJet. Returntickets are €379, or from€482 with a week’s accom-modation included.

News in brief

WE ARE delighted with theprogress that the NormandyAdvertiser has made inbecoming Normandy’sEnglish-language newspapersince its launch in 2010.

Its success means that we areable to increase its size from16 to 24 pages from nextmonth - meaning a bumper50% more to read!

As a result of the paper’spopularity it is no longer prac-tical to meet the increased de-mand for copies via the standdistribution policy run to date.

We have therefore agreedwith newsagent bodies thatfrom April 1 the NormandyAdvertiser will be on sale at anewsagent near you. The pricewill be 95 centimes. Stockistscan be found at www. findthepressinfrance.com

Publisher Sarah Smith said:“I’m delighted that our readersand advertisers have helped tomake the Advertiser the com-munity paper it now is whichallows us to increase in pages.This increase offers additionalscope to take on board evenmore local events and so wewould be pleased to hear fromreaders involved in these.”

Normandy-based sub-scribers (postcodes 14, 27, 50,61, 76 ) to The Connexion willreceive a complimentary copyof the Advertiser posted totheir home each month,scheduled to arrive a few daysafter The Connexion.

Non Connexion subscriberscan receive the NormandyAdvertiser at their Frenchhome for just €10 per year -for details see page 14.

A messageto ourreaders

4 News Normandy Advertiser March 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

NORMANDY & BRITTANY PROPERTY SHOWST HELIER, JERSEY - Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th March 2012

www.normandyandbrittanypropertyshow.comFREE ENTRY - FREE SEMINARS - SMALL ADS

FOR HOUSE SALES, GITES & SMALL BUSINESSES

Tel: 06 19 17 34 61 info@normandyandbrittanyshow.com

NATURE walks are madeeasier to understand with anew project in Dieppe thatoffers guided walks.

Qualified nature guideThierry Lambrecq, whospeaks French, English,Spanish and Dutch, plans to“offer tourists the opportu-nity to meet local people,and learn about local prod-ucts, history, and customs”.

Walkers are advised totake binoculars and camerason the walks – all onSundays – organised by hisLa Liane company. The costis €10 and Thierry has ascheme giving half-price forunder-18s and free for chil-dren under 6.

Check liane-normandie.fror call 06 30 74 51 93

A walkon thewild side

PROPOSALS to ban bicycles on Mont Saint-Michel after the new mainland car park openson April 28 are to be challenged in court bycycling groups.

As part of the huge works currently beingdone to preserve the heritage site – a dam hasbeen built upriver on the Couesnon and isopened regularly to scour away the sand thathas ruined the Mont’s island character – it wasdecided there would no longer be privateparking near the site let alone on it.

This decision has provoked angry responses,with many people pointing out the car park isnow about 2km from the Mont, and that thelinking mini-bus only covers half the distance.

This, they say, means access to the site willbe difficult for those with reduced mobility.

However, cycling groups have also attacked adecision by the mayor of Mont Saint-Michel toban bicycles from the village.

Pro-cycling pressure group Vélocité protest-ed against the decision to ban bicycles lastDecember and the Baie du Mont-Saint-Michelsteering committee in charge of the works decided to allow cycle access to the

site, although not during the busiest periods.However, the mayor – with support from the

prefect – have maintained that bicycles shouldnot be allowed on the access route to theisland. Now, the authorities have decided touphold the ban on bicycles, saying that no pri-vate transport systems would have access tothe Mont in future.

Vélocité president Jean-Michel Blanchet saysthat the region of has declared itself to be bothenvironmentally-friendly and cycle-friendlyand the decision runs contrary to its statedaims.

The ban, he says, is disproportionate andVélocité is ready to contest the decision incourt. However, it can do nothing until themayor actually posts the order banning bicy-cles – and then the group has 30 days in whichto contest the decision.

Vélocité says that the village will not sufferby continuing to allow bicycles in as there areno more than 150 there at any time during thesummer – but already protest demonstrationsare being organised which could see thou-sands of cyclists descend on the site.

Bicycle ban onMont St Michelfaces court fight

TWELVE Norman restau-rants have won Michelin’scoveted Bib Gourmand labelfor the first time.

The award is for restaurantsoffering exceptional valuewith menus at no more than€29 and is named after Bi-bendum, “the Michelin Man”.

In Calvados are: ArchiDona,Caen; L’Espérance, HérouvilleSaint-Clair; and L’Endroit andAu P’tit Mareyeur, Honfleur.

In Orne: Relais Saint-Louis,Bellême; L’Ecuyer Normand,Chandai; La Croix d’Or, Le-Pin-la-Garenne; and RiveDroit, Alençon.

Seine-Maritime: Le Belvé-dère, Saint-Jouin-Bruneval.

Eure: Le Cheval Blanc, La

Croix-St-Leufroy; La Fermede la Haute Crémonville, St-Étienne du Vauvray and LeGrand Cerf, Lyons-La-Forêt.

The chef at L’Espérance,Pascal Angenard, said: “In myfirst business, in Deauville, Ihad a Michelin star, but here Iwas aiming for a Bib. I gave ita lot of thought.

“I have a business clienteleduring the week and familiesat the weekend, and the pricescan’t be Michelin-star level,but that doesn’t stop me cook-ing food that is close to it. Wehave more tables, and a freerapproach. For example, I do a“market” menu, with whatev-er I find that morning. Mystyle is classics with a twist.”

12 Michelin Bibsfor chefs offeringvalue for money

Protestors unbolt giant pylon

NATIONAL grid bosses at power networkcompany RTE have accused protesters oppos-ing plans for giant high-voltage power pylonsin Normandy of “sabotage” after bolts holdingtogether parts of a pylon were removed.

One pylon that was being assembled on theground at Montaudin (Mayenne) was attackedand had bolts undone and a pile of nuts, boltsand washers were dumped outside the officesof the Ouest-France newspaper in Avranches.

Days later another pile of bolts and washerswere again left outside the offices, showingthat the attacks were continuing – but withoutspecifying which pylon had been attacked.

A 163km line of 423 pylons each 200ft tall isbeing built for the €350 million Cotentin-Maine project to take power from the new

€4bn Evolutionary Power Reactor being builtat Flamanville, near Cherbourg.

The line passes through 64 communes inManche, Calvados, Mayenne and Ille-et-Vilaine and the protesters say that there aredoubts about the effects on the health of peo-ple living near to power lines.

Attacks on the pylons have been going onsince last April when a “picnic” was held asgendarmes looked on near the beginning ofthe line at Périers (Manche). When the gen-darmes moved away some of the group startedto undo bolts on the sub-station.

Protesters say that delays to the EPR plant atFlamanville should have given time for RTE tocarry out a full study into the effects of high-voltage lines on health.

Protesters took to the streets to highlight health fears over the proximity of power lines

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News 5Normandy Advertiser March 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com

MORE THAN 300 attrac-tions all over Normandy willbe made available for visitorsas a special treat this Easter –with the magic word forentry being: FREE.

The special regional touristboard promotion is aimed atresidents as well as visitorsand is revealed in specialbrochures which will beavailable free next month.

It’s a way of highlighting themany local sights and attrac-tions that residents may befamiliar with... but have nevertaken time to visit.

As everyone knows, whenyou live somewhere, youoften don’t bother to do thetourist trails: now AuPrintemps, la Normandie sedécouvre aims to put thatright by putting the sights ondisplay at an attractive price.

In all, there are more than300 attractions taking part inthe promotion which runsfrom April 7 to May 6.

Discover riding centres,canoeing, cycling, quads,walking with donkeys, golf,thermal baths, parachuting,nature-walks, train-rides,sailing and paintball andeverything in between.

Elsewhere the promotionalso offers the chance to see

the region differently; as lastyear when visitors could tourGiverny in a Citroën 11B dat-ing from 1952 at a cheap rateor by taking a trip in a micro-light over Mont Saint-Michel.

Once the promotion starts,towards April 7 brochurescontaining money-off vouch-ers (Pass Découverte) for

attractions all over the regionwill be available from placessuch as boulangeries andother popular shops andtourist offices.

The brochure and voucherswill be widely available nextmonth but can also be down-loaded or printed from www.lanormandiesedecouvre.com

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Meet Dourga, zoo’snew cub on the blockTHE secret is finally out – a tiger cubwas born at the Champrépus Zoo(Manche 50) last November.

The birth was the result of a 10-yearsearch for a breeding female. “We’vehad tigers here for about 20 years andwe’ve been hoping for this happy eventfor many years,” the zoo’s co-director,Jacques Lebreton, told reporters.

The cub is a female, and has beennamed Dourga. Her mother Chandraarrived at the zoo and was introduced tothe happy father, Paco, last year.

“They mated in April and Dourga wasborn on November 6,” said Mr Lebreton.

They are Sumatran Tigers, which are acritically-endangered species, threat-ened by both habitat loss and poachers.

In Sumatra, the WWF estimates thereare fewer than 500 living in the wild.There are about 340 in zoos around theworld, with 100 in Europe. Every birth istherefore eagerly awaited and enthusi-astically celebrated.

Dourga’s birth was kept secret to letthe family settle down together in pri-vate during the winter, when the zoo isclosed to the public.

Champrépus is the third most popularattraction in La Manche (after Mont-Saint-Michel and Cherbourg Cité de laMer, with 210,000 visitors per year.

The penguins are one of the most pop-ular species, especially at feeding time(2.30pm and 4.30pm every afternoon).

For details: www.zoo-champrepus.com

HANGING on the steeplein Sainte Mère Eglise,above, is a silk parachutein memory of Americanparatrooper John Steelewhose canopy snaggedthere when his unit wasdropped on the nightbefore D-Day in 1944.

He could only look onas his fellow paratroopswere killed by Germansin the streets below.

He hung, pretending to

be dead, for two hours,before he was capturedand taken prisoner. Theincident featured in thefilm The Longest Day.

THE Barfleur lighthouseknown as the Phare deGatteville, right, is thethird tallest stone light-house in the world,standing at 74.85 metresin height. It has 52 win-dows, and 365 steps.

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Did you know?

Parachute is a grimreminder of D-Day

Regions show off theirattractions – for free

Discount vouchers from the Discover Normandy site givelots of free visits plus an Easter egg hunt

6 What’s On Normandy Advertiser March 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

noticeboard

MODEL train enthusiasts gettogether to share their enthusiasmat La Traction Coutancaise,Coutances model train club inManche.

The members meet every Fridayat 8.30pm at their workshop at2 bis Rue des Carrieres SaintMichel, 50200 Saint Pierre deCoutances, (at the back of thePatinoire and the bowling alley).

However, if you plan to comealong, be warned: once you getabsorbed in constructing the lateststation or scenery layouts, younever know what time you mightactually finish for the night.

The members are so enthusiasticabout their creations, they evenmake short videos of their trainsand their Friday night meetingsfor YouTube. A search for "LaTraction Coutancaise" will turn upall sorts of golden nuggets.

The club is celebrating its 30thbirthday thisyear, and overthe past threedecades, it hasbecome part ofa larger associa-tion, groupingtogether modelrailway fansfrom all overEurope.Eurotrack hasmember clubsin Austria,Belgium,Germany,Hungary, Italy,and theNetherlands, aswell as inFrance and theUK. Every year

the member clubs get together tobuild gigantic model railway lay-outs, covering models of almost allof Europe. There is real runningwater in the rivers, movingcarousels, fire engines, cars, lightsand noises... it is a complete worldin miniature.

Last year the meet-up was inVienna, but this year it will behosted by the French club inCoutances on October 13-14.

The president of the club, Jean-Pierre Hantute, says he welcomespeople of all nationalities.

“We don’t care whether youspeak French or English or any-thing else.

“You only need to be able tospeak ‘train’ at our club!”

To join the club, or just pay thema visit, contact Jean-Pierre Hantuteon jphltc@yahoo.fr or if you wantto speak to someone in English,Roger Price on 06 86 04 82 21.

Members on righttrack for model fun

Until March 25 Manoir du Tourp, Salon du Manoir 14.00-18.00 – An exhibition of paintings by13 local artists selected from 36 entrants, in the idyllic setting of a 17th-century manor whichis also the Maison de la Hague, the exhibition centre for this little-known extreme tip of the

Cotentin peninsula.The six rooms of the permanent exhibition reflect the landscape,culture and history of the region.The café is recommended, too!

Entrance to house, gardens and exhibitions is FREE.Call 02 33 01 85 89

Omonville-la-RogueMancheART

March 3-4 Cherbourg, Marine Hôtel - Jazz sur les Quais 17.00-19.00 – There’s a traditional jazzconcert here on the first Sunday of every month, but March 2012 is a bit special. Marc

Laferrière, one of the most respected French saxophonists, is bringing his quintet from Paris togive a dinner concert on Saturday and a concert (without dinner, but you can book one at thehotel for afterwards) on Sunday. Book in advance (by Thursday if you want dinner) and come

early to get a good seat! Tickets: Dinner Concert €20, Concert €10.Call 02 33 44 01 11 - Marine Hôtel,Allée du Président Menut, Cherbourg

Manche Cherbourg CONCERT

Feb 25 onwards Parc de Clères, daily 10.00-12.00, 13.30-18.30 – Re-opening after the winterthis 19th-century park in the ‘style Anglais’, with botanical gardens and a zoo with gibbons,wallabies, antelopes and a collection of birds from all over the world.The park is deeplyinvolved in the conservation of endangered species.Adult €6, Child €4; under-3s FREE.Annual season ticket for adults €20, children €7; buy one, get one free.Call 02 32 82 99 20

Seine-Maritime Clères FAMILY

Calvados Deauville MUSICMarch 13 Théâtre du Casino Barrière,Concert by Le Cercle de l’Harmonie 14.30 –The 35 musicians of the Cercle del’Harmonie return to Deauville with a cosmopolitan programme; works by J.C.Bach (Amadis de Gaule ballet music), Rigel(Symphony opus 21 No.2), Mozart (ViolinConcerto No.3), Haydn (Symphony 49) andHerold (Symphony 2).These are all works composed in France in the 18th centuryexcept for the last, which was written inItaly by a Frenchman.Tickets €35, under-21sand members of Amis de la Musique €26Call 02 31 14 02 14

GGeettGGeettIInnvvoollvveedd!!IInnvvoollvveedd!!

Promote your community event, send details to eventsnormandy@connexionfrance.com

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Members of the Coutances Model Train Clubat their Eurotrack meeting

Detailed displays recreate train layouts from all over Europe

What’s On 7Normandy Advertiser March 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com

March

March 19-25 From Saint-Lô to Caen - Tour de Normandie cyclerace – The Tour de Normandie covers 1,000km in eight days;On Monday, March 19, there’s a prologue in the streets ofSaint-Lô, then there are the following stages: Day 2 fromColombelles to Forges-les-Eaux, Day 3 to Gaillon, Day 4Aubevoye to Elbeuf, Day 5 to Flers, Day 6 Domfront toVillers-Bocage, Day 7 Brécey to Bagnoles-de-l’Orne, and thebig finish on Sunday, March 25 in Caen, where the competitorswill do three circuits of the town centre between 16.00 and16.30 before crossing the finish line. A detailed itinerary onthe website will tell you if the Tour will be passing near you.www.tourdenormandiecycliste.fr

Calvados Saint-Lô to Caen SPORT

Orne Alençon MUSIC OrneAlençon

CULTUREMarch 31 Candye Kane in Concert.La Luciole, 21.00 – Candye Kane hasbeen called a survivor, a superhero and the toughest girlalive.Those are also titles of hersongs, and they are apt descriptionsof the jump blues singer, songwriterand mother-of-two from East LosAngeles.Winner of 10 San DiegoMusic Awards, the star of a sell-outstage play about her life and a pancreatic cancer survivor, Kane isone tough cookie. She has performed worldwide for presidents and movie stars andnow, she’s in Normandy to performfor you.Tickets €18 in advance,€20 on the door, €15 childrenCall 02 33 26 53 72 or bookonline atwww.3emeacte.com/laluciole

March 10 Alençon,Auditorium,Nicolas Dautricourt (violin) 20.30 –One of the most brilliant Frenchviolinists of his generation playsalongside Opus 61, the regionalorchestra formed from teachers andpupils of Alençon’s École Nationalede Musique.The programme includes Vivaldi’s Four Seasons andviolin solos by Bach,Ysaïe andBoulez. Dautricourt will be playinghis 1740 Gagliano violin.Tickets €13, children €9Call 02 33 80 66 33www.amimusicalencon.free.fr

March 3-4 Wine Fair Saturday10.00-20.00, Sunday 10.00-17.00 – The Rotary Club’sannual Salon de l’Amateur duVin aims at helping local peopleto build up a decent cellar, withquality products at approachableprices. Profits go to the local hospital to provide specialised bedsfor the terminally ill. Entrance €5Call 02 32 38 81 24

Eure ÉvreuxFAIR Pick of the rest in Normandy

Seine-Maritime, Rouen, CULTUREAll March Musée National de l'Éducation, Exhibition '130Poupées' Daily except Tuesday and holidays, 10.00-12.00, 13.30-17.45, weekends 14.00-17.45 – Starting in 1978, Marie-JeanneNouvellon created this series of miniature dolls to illustratethe changing role of women in the 20th century. Based onthe central character Suzy B, these are unique and originalworks of art and a true reflection of our times.Entrance €3, under 26 FREE; bilingual audioguide to themuseum included in the price.Call 02 35 07 66 61

Manche, Saint-Vigor-des-Monts, FAMILYMarch 31 and April 1 Ferme de la Sittelle, Building with Strawand Cob; morning, afternoon or both – This organic farm isworth visiting for its own sake, but on these dates there is achance to learn about one of the eco-building methods

currently gaining in popularity. Help build walls from strawbales and cover them with mud or cob, known in Normandyas torchis.Wear warm old clothes and be prepared to workhard and bring a contribution to a pot-luck meal.Participation FREE.Call 09 51 30 28 92 Advance booking essential

Calvados, Honfleur, MARKETEvery Wednesday and Saturday Honfleur Quayside. –There’s a traditional market every Saturday morning onPlace Sainte-Catherine and Cours des Fossés, and onWednesdays on Place Sainte-Catherine you can visit theOrganic market, which is unique in the region, and attractsproducers from far and wide.And, of course, there’s the fishmarket on the quayside which takes place in the morningsfrom Thursday to Saturday.Call 02 31 89 23 30

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8 Tourist lettings Normandy Advertwww.normandyadvertiser.com

A HOLIDAY let is the letting of afurnished house or apartment totourists for a short, fixed period. Itmay be carried out by an individualowner dealing directly with clientsor via intermediaries such as travelfirms, lettings specialist companiesor estate agents. Often by the week,fortnight or month it must not be formore than three months (90 days).

Anyone planning to offer accom-modation to the public must declarethis to the mairie.

This declaration usuallycontains basic informationsuch as the number of roomsand beds offered and a provi-sional estimate of rental periods.The owner can also seek to havethe property classified by nationaltourism agency Atout France, whichinvolves an inspection and an awardof a rating of one to five stars.

A holiday let must be adequatelyfurnished and equipped for daily lifewith a minimum of a bed, wardrobe,table and chairs and cooking equip-ment such as a hob, fridge andshelves or cupboard, heating (wherenecessary) and tableware. Providinglinen and towels is optional.

The owner is free to set the price,but it is a good idea to see whatcomparable properties are available,and at what price.

If you are not competitive you willnot succeed. Be prepared for yourtenants to try to negotiate prices,especially in the low season or ifthey are staying for long periods.

Why Consider HolidayLetting?The numberof Britishpeople

owning propertyabroad has more thandoubled over the last decadeand has brought an increase inthose wanting to let out homes,whether their main residences or aholiday home, for part of the year.Letting your property while it is notin use can be a good source ofincome.

Houses or flats that are rented outfor short holiday periods (locationssaisonnières or locations de vacances)rather than the longer agreements

are called a meublé de tourisme.A small house let as a location

saisonnière can rent out for around€350 to more than €1,000 week,depending on season, amenities

and location, while a chateau maybring in several thousand a week.

Many British people have boughthomes in beautiful areas that aresought after for holiday lets. It must be remembered that letting

out your home as a holiday rentalrequires a certain amount of effortand planning.

Also, you must be available to wel-come guests, to make sure their staygoes well and to deal with their

departure. If you are unable to dothis you have the choice of eitherusing an agency or making anappropriate arrangement with afriend or a neighbour. The wholeprocedure is not to be taken lightly.

InsuranceYou should check your insurancepolicy to ensure it covers full or par-tial occupation of your home by ten-ants, and, in particular, that you are

covered for any accidental damageor injury they may suffer and forwhich you could be liable. Somepolicies do not cover the owner’s lia-bility to third parties, or include itonly as an option.

This cover (called the garantierecours du locataire contre le proprié-taire) deals with your personal legalliability as property owner to covermaterial or immaterial damagecaused to your tenants and guests.

Material damage might include,for example, injury caused by a tilefalling off the roof.

Immaterial damage could includecompensation for loss of earningsresulting from hospitalisation. Thiscover provides protection if the ten-ant sues you and should also coveryour legal costs.

Minor damage done by a tenant(smoke damage, stains, breakages,etc) is not insurable and is paid forout of the guarantee deposit.

Other obligations of the ownerThe owner must hand over theproperty in a state matching the

description provided at the time ofthe reservation and without seriousdefects or nuisances that have notbeen disclosed. Equipment must beserviceable and maintained to agood standard.

Private swimming pools must havea safety barrier, protective cover oralarm, conforming to officially pre-scribed norms. Failure on any ofthese points lays the owner open tolegal proceedings.

To ensure that everything goessmoothly and to avoid complaintsyou should pay special attention tothe following points:

Make sure the property, bothinside and outside, and everything

Make extraincome by letting outyour home to touristsFrance is the most popular tourist destination in the worldand letting your house for a few weeks in the holidays canbe an excellent way to earn extra income. Here we outlinesome of the practical issues involved and highlight oneNormandy couple’s success at renting to holiday-makers

“You should checkyour insurance toensure it covers fullor partial occupation

Cleanliness is a major consideration when gettinga house ready for letting out– a big property like LaGrange can take six hours to clean properly

ADVERTISIN

ACCORDING to those 2011 sales,Brittany, Normandy and theDordogne are the most popularregions for UK holidaymakers; withfamilies, by a ratio of 3:1, the biggestfans. And it is therefore no surpriseto learn that three per cent of breaksincluded a pet, and longer durationsof 14 nights+ accounted for 40% ofall bookings. The final statistics alsoshow that UK holidaymakers toFrance don't plan too far ahead with36 per cent of them making a book-ing within three months of arrival attheir chosen holiday property.

France has been a popular choicefor British family holidays for gener-

ations due to its accessibility, allur-ing culture, world beating wines andsublime food. And a self-cateringholiday in France still representsgreat value for holidaymakers aswell as fantastic opportunity forholiday home owners.

Simon Law, VP Property at TheHoseasons Group, commented:"Our booking figures for renownedbrands like cottages4you and FrenchCountry Cottages clearly show thatFrance continues to be one of themost popular European destina-tions, particularly with our databaseof holidaymakers which is one ofthe largest in the industry.

"For property owners, these fig-ures underline the importance ofchoosing the right partner to mar-ket your holiday home and ourowners are secure from the startknowing that they are working witha British holiday letting agency thatis fully licenced and bonded tooperate in France.

"In addition, owners have access toa full agency service from our HeadOffice on the edge of the YorkshireDales as well as support from ateam of 15 bilingual regional man-agers based across France. And ofcourse, superb marketing under-written by a group budget of

£27million is what drives the all-important bookings".

Gerald and Victoire de Malevilleare a great example of owners work-ing very successfully with theHoseasons Group. In 2010, theysecured 34 weeks of bookings andin 2011 sales were up by as much as18 per cent.

Husband and wife team Geraldand Victoire started renting out hol-iday cottages as a way to restoresome of the beautiful buildingsinherited from Gerald's parents andfor him, the properties have becomea business. In 2007 he decided totake a three year break from his jobas commercial development directorat Moet and Chandon to concen-trate on the renovation project andhas big plans for self-catering in the

Dordogne. Gerald was the architectbehind the renovations and person-ally oversaw the building work,whilst his wife Victoire, who has anexcellent eye for colour and design,took care of the decoration and fur-nishings as well as adding the finaltouches to ensure perfection.

To date, the couple have renovatedfour properties within the Sarlatarea of the Dordogne and each hasbeen beautifully restored, combin-ing classic architectural featureswith modern fittings and qualityfurnishings.

Gerald said: "The general standardof the properties has to be high fortoday's holidaymaker. They arelooking for a home from home, withthe facilities they would expect intheir own residence. We take great

Demand for French family breaks remains strongFinal 2011 sales figures from The Hoseasons Group reveal bookingsfor France finished at three times the volume they were 10 years ago.

Tourist lettings 9www.normandyadvertiser.comtiser March 2012

Essentialtips to besuccessfulat lettingMake sure your property is

attractive, correctlyequipped and furnished andin a sought-after location

Declare to your mairie thatyou intend to undertake hol-iday lettings

Ensure that your insurancepolicy and your financingarrangements with the bankwill not be infringed

Decide on a daily rental, thelevel of advance paymentand the deposit you willrequire

Decide whether you will findtenants and manage the let-tings yourself or if you willuse an agency or a friend orneighbour

If you are not using an agent,prepare a form of lettingcontract (which may be inEnglish for English-speakingtenants) and advertise forguests

Prepare an inventory (inFrench if you are letting toFrench people)

Make an initial contact withthe customer, usually byphone or email

Exchange contracts by postand take an advance pay-ment

Meet the tenants and handover the key. Take theremaining payment, havethem sign the inventory andshow them over the premis-es

After the stay, check thepremises and inventory andgive back the deposit if allis in order. Otherwise makea deduction for any damage

Declare the income in yournext income tax declaration

in it is clean, tidy and in properworking order. Lack of cleanliness isthe most common source of com-plaint. Consider having the houseprofessionally cleaned before yourfirst let. Indoors, check for anymould and make sure the fridge,washing machine, dishwasher,shower and work surfaces are spot-less. If you provide bed linen makesure it is clean. Cut the grass andcheck the pH and chlorine levels inthe swimming pool.

If you employ help to clean thehome, do the gardening, or provideother services, remember thatFrench law requires you to pay cer-tain social security costs for them.To simplify this there is a systemknown as the chèque emploi serviceuniversel (cesu). This enables you tobuy vouchers to cover this liability.(See our helpguide on Employingpeople at home).

Provide a map or directions withthe description of the premises.Print your telephone number at thetop so tenants can contact you ifthey are lost or to let you know their

estimated time of arrival. If it is amobile number, make sure it isturned on and available when theyare likely to call.

In your description, explain anynuisances or problems, for examplenearby noisy roads or junctions,farmyards, motorways, train tracksor building sites.

Pay attention to minor details.Make the property attractive andcomfortable, for example with cur-tains at the windows and paintingson the walls. A vase of fresh flowersis better than a dried bouquet and awelcoming bottle of wine alwayspleases. Consider leaving out some

books, DVDs, a games console etc. The law no longer allows owners

to ban guests’ pets. However, somepeople may be allergic to cat or doghair and you should make sure theproperty is cleaned thoroughly afterpets have stayed. Keep an eye out forfleas, ants, spiders or other verminand leave available products to dealwith them if they are around. Youare within your rights to make anextra charge and/or to increase thedeposit if guests wish to bring pets.

Unless there are mosquito nets,explain any need to close shutters inevenings to avoid mosquitoes andprovide insect-repelling equipment

if necessary.Explain domestic equipment.

Show your guests how to use theoven, the heating or air conditioningand any electrical equipment. Leavemanuals available. Explaining thingsthoroughly at the start will makeguests feel welcome and may pre-vent you having to return to theproperty during their stay.

Provide details of local tradesmenand shops. Leave notes on emer-gency services (doctors, plumbersetc) and check that they will beworking during the let period.

Provide enough storage space.Check that there are enoughwardrobes and drawers, especially inthe bedroom, kitchen and livingroom. Bedroom storage areasshould be clean and empty.

Make sure there is enough cutleryand other kitchen utensils, such as acorkscrew, a cheese grater, kitchenknives and cooking pots. You maywish to invest in some new but inex-pensive white or matching crockery.

Leave enough time to clean be-tween guests. If guests arrive beforetheir contracted arrival time andyou are not quite ready, invite themto leave their luggage in a cornerand suggest a local place of interestthey could visit until the pre-arranged time.

Make arrangements for return ofthe deposit and agree a departuretime with the guests. Make sure youare there to check the inventory andlook for any damage, and to takeback the keys and hand back thedeposit. Guests with a long journeyahead may leave the night before orvery early in the morning and thechecks might have to be made aftertheir departure. In this case makearrangements to repay the depositwhen you have made the necessarychecks. If you do not refund thewhole deposit because of a breakageor missing property, send a letterwith the details.

Bear in mind that all these pointsare especially important if you arehoping for repeat business or rec-ommendations by word of mouth.

“These points areespecially importantif you are hoping forrepeat business orrecommendations byword of mouth

“NEARBY beaches and a public swimming pool“just down the road” mean Sarah and PeterSomers did not have to wade through a massof rules and regulations and put a pool ontheir property in St Hilaire-Petitville, Manche(50) which they have been letting since 2009.

“When we bought our main house, it was justa barn standing in the grounds,” says Sarah.“But then we thought, why not?” Converting ittook time and a snow of paperwork from theauthorities. “It’s so important to get your factsstraight before you start building,” says Sarah.“Different people all told us different things!”

Their first season was a success and Sarahsaid having their own website helped attractbookings, although they use various othercompanies as well. Last year, after expenseslike advertising and electricity, they made aprofit of €6,000 before tax.

“That’s with managing it and cleaning it our-selves. Peter does the maintenance. La Grangehas five bedrooms and can sleep nine, so clean-ing is a big task. It takes six hours to do it thor-oughly and it’s really important. Standards arehigh. People want the place really clean.”

With the increase in multi-generational holi-days the wide range of disabled facilities ismuch appreciated, especially the downstairsbedroom and specially-adapted wet room.

Email should be checked daily and Sarah rec-ommends having a separate email address soyou can keep track of everything.

Guests like to have someone around, in case abulb needs changing or they want directions.

Working with the local tourist board is alsorecommended. “They can help with any prob-lems, and if you live in France all year round,at least they know you’re serious. We have athree-star classification, which is a great help.”

Furniture and furnishing have to be goodquality: “Perhaps not completely brand new,but solid and comfortable. Leather sofas aren’tcheap but are useful because they’re so easy tomaintain. China and glassware just needs to bematching and un-chipped. I buy everythingfrom IKEA because then if a mug gets broken Ican replace it with no problem. I supply a lotof crockery because you need so much of itwhen you’re catering for nine.”

In addition, guests like being in the village,where they can walk to the supermarket or goout for a meal without taking the car.

Top ideas to help youmake a first-year profit

Peter and Sarah Somers have a website

NG FEATUREpride in making sure we fit the bestquality bathrooms, kitchens anddecorate the properties to be mod-ern, comfortable and welcoming,whilst retaining the relaxing atmos-phere and traditional features ofthese wonderful buildings.

Victoire added: "The Dordognehas good summer weather andoffers holidaymakers many activi-ties. As Francophiles will know,there are lots of historical places tovisit nearby including the medievalcity of Sarlat with its famous twice-weekly market, many ancientchâteaux including Castelnaud,Beynac and the ancient town ofDomme known as the 'Acropolis ofthe Dordogne' with its quaintstreets, boutiques and restaurants.There are also lots of places forwalking and cycling but it is espe-cially good fun to hire a canoe atnearby Vitrac and drift gently downthe river stopping off at one of the

many pebble beaches to enjoy a lazypicnic or to swim in the Dordognes'clear and unpolluted waters.

"We chose French CountryCottages when they were recom-mended to us by a satisfied owner.The Dordogne is very popular withEnglish visitors, so it seemed sensi-ble to choose a company that couldmarket our properties to such awide audience and secure bookingson our behalf. We've had some greatphotography taken to show theproperties at their best both onlineand through the brochures, whichare great for getting our propertiesseen by thousands of potential cus-tomers."

Simon continued, "Like Geraldand Victoire, those who travel to thecountry regularly or who alreadyown a property there are always sopassionate about what it has to offerand we are actively encouragingFrancophiles to share their experi-

ences via the France Fan Club blog.Launching in February 2012, wehope this will provide a forum forfans of France to exchange tips andshare their fondest family holidaymemories, inspiring more familiesto enjoy all that France has to offer."

With a major property recruit-ment programme underway, the2012 portfolio is the strongest yet,carefully selected by a skilled teamof holiday letting specialists.Property owners considering lettingtheir holiday home can find moreinformation at www.rentmycot-tage.com or www.je-loue-ma-mai-son.com; if you prefer to call thendial (+ 44) (0) 1282 845541 andask for either David or James whowill be happy to chat through youroptions in either English or French!To get involved in the France FanClub, simply send your tips andmemories to blogmaster@cottages4you.co.uk

Letting out your French hometo tourists helpguideGGeett ddeettaaiilleedd aanndd eeaassyy-ttoo-uunnddeerrssttaanndd iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn -iinncclluuddiinngg aa ddrraafftt lleettttiinngg ccoonnttrraacctt iinn EEnngglliisshh aannddFFrreenncchh - iinn oouurr nneeww 22001122 LLeettttiinngg oouutt yyoouurr FFrreenncchhhhoommee ttoo ttoouurriissttss hheellppgguuiiddee.. IItt iiss oonn ssaallee nnooww,, bbyyddoowwnnllooaadd oorr pprriinntt vveerrssiioonn,, ffoorr €€55 ((++PP&&PP)) aattwwwwww..ccoonnnneexxiioonnffrraannccee..ccoomm oorr ccaallll 00880000 9911 7777 5566..

10 Food/Pets Normandy Advertiser March 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

THERE is a long Europeantradition of making specialsweet, and often elaborate,breads to celebrate Easter.

In Croatia the form of theEaster bread dolls, like a latticed tadpole, makes itobvious that yeast baking atthis time of years is a fertilitysymbol, a sign of new life andrevival. Indeed the very wordEaster comes from the nameEostre – the Anglo-Saxongoddess of fertility.

In France children are toldthat when the church bellsare silent for the three daysbefore Easter Sunday it isbecause the bells have flownto Rome to see the Pope.When they hear them ringingagain it means they haveflown back bringing Eastereggs

French Easter breads usual-ly come in a ring shape, likela couronne de Pâques, a

brioche-style dough that isplaited then formed into acircle, glazed and decoratedwith sugar eggs. In Alsace ofcourse there is always thelovely kugelhopf. Said to havebeen brought to France fromAustria by Marie Antoinetteand not strictly limited toEaster, it seems to fit the sea-son particularly well.

The first Easter we spent inour French home my motherwas quite upset that hot crossbuns were completelyunknown and insisted onmaking some. When thebaker, who had given us theyeast, arrived Mum and Itook out a plate of warmbuns and distributed them toall assembled round his van.

That was 20 years ago and Ihave kept up the traditionever since, though unfortu-nately neither Mum nor thebaker are with us now.

Time tomake yourown hotcross buns

After winning the first BBC MasterChef in1990 JOAN BUNTING was soon writing afood column and doing local radio for theBBC. Now the former teacher has retiredand moved permanently to her home inFrance but she is still keen to tell readersabout good food

Cream the yeast with a tsp of the sugaruntil it goes liquid

Sift dry ingredients into large bowl. Makea well in centre.

Pour warmed milk onto yeast, add butterand eggs. Pour into the well, cover bowl andleave in warm place until liquid is covered inbubbles.

Using your fingers, or an electric mixer,blend flour into the liquid. Once incorporat-ed mixture will still be quite soft.

Turn out on to a well-floured board andknead until the dough is smooth and elastic,adding more flour if necessary. Don't worryif it seems very sticky at first.

Return to clean, oiled bowl and cover with

plastic film. Leave in a warm place untilalmost doubled in bulk. Turn on to a flouredboard. Knead lightly, incorporating driedfruit.

Preheat the oven to 230°C. Divide thedough into 16 equal sized pieces and shapeinto buns. Put these on greased and flouredbaking sheets, cover and leave to rise untilthe buns are again doubled in bulk.

Rub butter into the flour and mix withwater. Roll out thinly and cut into thin strips.Trim to 5cm long. Press on to risen buns inthe form of a cross. Brush with the glaze thenbake in oven for 15 minutes or until wellrisen and brown. Brush again with glaze.

Tried and tested by usA member of the NormandyAdvertiser team tested outthe recipe and says: It wasdifficult to find some ingre-dients so we have changedthe list to give some Frenchequivalents. The dough was,as Joan says, extremely sticky[but very tasty!] and neededa lot of extra flour to get it“smooth and elastic”. Thefreezing weather meant wehad no real ‘warm place’ andI used a warm open oven.

Hot Cross BunsPhoto:©

hazel proudlove - Fotolia.com

METHOD

INGREDIENTS

Walnut-sized piece offresh yeast (some supermarkets stock thisin the chilled section)250ml warm milk450g strong plain flour(farine pour pain)120g caster sugar(sucre poudre)Pinch salt1 tsp mixed spice(If this is difficult tofind, add instead extracinammon and somenutmeg)1 tsp cinnamon (cannelle)2 eggs, beaten60g butter, melted60g raisins60g chopped mixedpeel (écorce du citron)Pastry for crosses; 1 tbsp softened butter2 tbsp flour1 tsp cold waterGlaze: 2 tbsp milkmixed with 1 tbsp sugarand heated until thesugar dissolves

CUT OUT & KEEP!

YOU CAN plan ahead forholiday care for your pet butthat is not the case withunexpected events such ashospital stays, family emer-gencies or funerals.

The best course is to askfriends and neighbours forrecommendations but do notforget to ask your local vet.

There is an advantage inboarding your animal with anestablishment registered withyour vet – especially if the pethas an ongoing condition.

Should they need treatmentwhile you are away, the prac-tice will already be familiarwith the animal’s needs. Ifyou opt to search online, lookfor pension chiens/chats/chevaux (boarding kennels,cattery, equine boarding) –and also remember to checkour directory pages (pages12-13) for English-speakingservices, too.

Where possible, schedule avisit to the establishment in

advance of a booking. Thereis an argument to turn upwithout notice in order to geta true sense of how the estab-lishment operates.

However, while there areadvantages in this method,there is always the risk of itbeing closed.

A reputable owner shouldbe more than happy to giveyou a tour of their premises.Do not forget to check thatthey are insured and regis-tered with a SIRET number.Ask about busy periods – eg:how far in advance do youneed to book for Christmas,or other holidays.

If you are boarding morethan one pet, can they boardtogether. Where and howoften are animals exercised?

Also look at the other ani-mals boarding – do theyseem happy, well cared for?

Do not be afraid to ask foremail updates, most ownerswill happily inform you onyour animal’s well-beingwhile they are in their care.

It is in your interest to givethe boarding establishment asmuch information as possibleabout the daily routine andhabits of your pet. Wet or dryfood? Treats? Or perhaps youfeed your animal once a day.

If your pet follows a specificdiet you might even prefer toprovide your own food. Thishelps them stay as close totheir routine as possible.

Any recent or ongoingmedical conditions or recur-ring illnesses? Be sure to pro-vide a written outline of anyprescribed medication.

Remember to indicate if ananimal is about to go, or is in,season (en chaleur). Manyestablishments will try toaccommodate your animaland house them accordingly.

Animal boarding establish-ments in France cannot bylaw accept your animal with-out a valid passport (carnetde santé) confirming yourpet’s vaccinations.

If you will be travelling on aregular basis you shouldensure that annual vaccina-tions are kept up to date. Thespecific vaccinations requiredcan vary according to whereyou live – check locally. You

may also be asked to giveyour animal a flea, tick andworming treatment up to aweek before they arrive too.

It must also be identified bya tattoo or a microchip.

Familiarise yourself withcheck-in and check-outtimes; daily tariffs also varywith each establishment.

If sending your pet off tokennels does not appeal thenthere are other options. InFrancethere isan estab-

lished profession of garded’animaux (pet sitter).

There are two options –your pet goes to live withsomeone in their home orsomeone moves in whileyou’re away and cares foryour pet in situ.

An internet searchwill provide a listof local contacts.

TTeell.. 0066 5588 0011 8822 7766WWeebb.. wwwwww..sseeuulleemmeennttnnaattuurreell..eeuuEEmmaaiill.. mmaarrcc..ssoommsseenn@@cchhaarrddeeyyrree..ccoomm

This column is sponsored by

Pet Care

Boarding a pet can be stressful for all involved, especially if it has to be doneunexpectedly. It pays to findsomeone you feel confidentwith before you need them,says SAMANTHA BRICK

PET CARE

Be prepared to avoid boarding blues

Business 11Normandy Advertiser March 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com

FINANCE

THANKS for your very interesting question! There aremany factors to consider and many ways to establish a busi-ness in France.

Under EU legislation there are no restrictions on settingup a business, as long as you hold an EU passport.

The first step would be to contact an agent commercial tomarket your product. Basically, you can set up a contractwith them to sell your product on your behalf, for a com-mission. You can define a distinct geographical area forthem to cover. Dor example, you could set up the contractfor Lower Normandy exclusively, and appoint agents for theother areas. The advantage of an agent commercial is thatthey will already have contacts with French businesses.

You could also employ someone directly – who would beworking exclusively for you. This could cost you more, asyou would have to pay a base salary, and commission wouldbe expected on top. The payroll can be set up with aURSSAF office for overseas payrolls, and your UK businesswould also be attributed a SIRET number – useful to showFrench clients that you are operating within the French sys-tem.Practical things to consider would also include:

assessing the competition;pricing in Euros;VAT in France is going up to 21.2% in October;invoicing French clients – you will need to provide trans-

lations of your invoice;delivery and storage;drafting terms and conditions that comply with French

Commercial Law;opening a French bank account;appointing an accountant with expertise in cross-border

transactions to advise on the formalities;tax planning for your French residency and arranging

your social cover.Good luck with your new venture!

Helping gardenbusiness to growI HAVE a UK business selling stone and garden productsand am looking into the possibility of setting up abusiness venture in France to sell these products. Ihope that the business could take off as it will allow meto take up residency in my second home in Brecey.What do I need to consider about running a business inFrance before I take the plunge? T.B.

JUDY MANSFIELD has lived and worked in Calvados for nearly nine years. She isan agent commercial, and worked at an estate agency in Lisieux for severalyears before branching out into business development, primarily for currencyspecialists First Rate FX and latterly for small businesses in Normandy.

DO YOU panic that youwon’t get any clients if youcharge too much?

Confusing price with valueis one of the most commonmistakes in business. Pitchingyour price correctly is noteasy, and here is a great exer-cise I came across at a recenttraining course.

Look at this painting – it isa large, original canvas.Putting aside your own taste,how much would you expectthe price tag to be if you sawthis painting for sale:

at a vide grenier;in your local Jumbo store;in John Lewis;in an upmarket art gallery

in Paris or London?I dare say that the price tag

would vary widely, dependingon where it was on sale. Thisis your perception of value.

Yes, you may be saying “myfive-year-old could do that”,but if it was in the window ofa Bond Street art gallery, theprice would be much greaterthan if you saw it in Jumbo.

Many of us have difficultypricing our value to the cus-tomer. I know artisans whohate doing quotes for workand will put it off as long asthey can. The temptation is togo in cheaply, just to ensureyou get the job.

We have all had the cus-tomer who wants our prod-uct or service, but who doesnot want to pay much for it.This is true whether you are abuilder, a website designer, anestate agent or a famousartist. How do you answersomeone who says you aretoo expensive?

Picasso was a great artist,but he was also an astutebusinessman.

A woman once spotted himdrawing in a pavement café.She asked him if he wouldsketch her for payment. Hedid so, and in minutes, thereit was: a Picasso original. Sheasked how much she owedhim, and he told her it was5,000 francs. Shocked, shetold him it had only takenhim three minutes.

“No,” Picasso replied. “Ittook all my life.” He estab-lished the value of the paint-ing, not the customer.

Now look at your charges,and remember to consideryour value when estimatingthe price. Develop a valuestrategy and consider the fol-lowing:

What do you charge? Why do you charge the

price you do? Is it a true reflection of

your value to the customer? What would happen if you

increased your price? If the answer to the last

question is that you wouldlose customers, go on to con-sider whether that is neces-sarily a bad thing. As JackieJarvis says in her book (85Inspiring Ways to Market),don’t let your own beliefsabout money get in the wayof customers who want tobuy something they value!

Last month, I mentionedthe UK’s number one market-ing expert I had come acrosscalled Robert Clay. He gener-

ously shares his strategy viahis website.

Robert says there are threeways to grow a business:

increase customers;increase the value (price)

of each transaction;increase the number of

times a customer buys fromyou – your repeat business.

Most businesses concentratetheir efforts on the firstoption – to get more cus-tomers. More advertising,

special offers, exhibitions andso on. But he goes on to showthat options 2 and 3 are moreeffective for business growthand thus for income.

Getting more customers hasits risks to your business.Sounds mad, doesn’t it? Butthink about it… advertising,if not thought out properly,can make a massive hole inyour budget. Not only that, ifyou double the number ofcustomers, are you sure youcan manage the extra work-load? Robert points out thatincreasing the number of cus-tomers will increase revenue,but it is also the hardest, mostexpensive, time-consumingand stress-inducing way ofgrowing your business.

Happily, he does go on todemonstrate how a modestincrease in your customerbase, combined with anincrease in frequency andvalue of transactions fromthose customers, will dramat-ically improve your business.

The Normandy BusinessGroup will be running moreMasterclasses throughout theyear on various business top-ics. You do not have to be acaptain of industry to be a

member – many of us haveour struggles with one aspectof our business or another.What IS certain is that youwill have support, encourage-ment, and lots of help andadvice from other businessowners.

We are also very keen tocelebrate one another’s suc-cess stories, and there havebeen many since the groupwas formed.

Our group is now one yearold, with over 100 membersof many different nationali-ties, skills and experience.

We have seen joint venturesand alliances form, a naturalreferral process, every singlemember has met someonenew that they can do businesswith, and we have all learnednew skills and had lots of fun.Do join us – it is still a freeresource.

Our website address is atwww.meetup.com/nor-mandy-business-group.

Don’t be put off by location– although many of ourmeetings are held in the Vireregion, we are keen to holdmeetings in other areas ofNormandy if the demand isthere – you only have to ask!

Price and value -know the difference

My recommended reading this month is Robert Clay’swww.marketingwizdom.com

Jackie Jarvis - 85 Inspiring Ways to Market your SmallBusiness - www.marketingcrm.co.uk

Normandy Business Group and Normandy Jelly Co-work-ing - www.meetup.com/normandy-business-group

Other Info...

How do you determine how much to charge for yourgoods or service? What it costs you – and add on abit? Do you carry out meticulous research, or is it gutinstinct? Do you just find out what your competitorcharges, then undercut him by 10%? Or maybe youoffer rock bottom prices that no-one else can match?

Judy can be contacted through The Advertiser orby email: normandybizgroup@orange.fr She is

on Twitter at @NormandyBizGp

“Don’t let yourown beliefs aboutmoney get in theway of customerswho want to buysomething theyvalue!

Picture: © laurely - Fotolia.com

12 Directory Normandy Advertiser March 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

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Chenil du Val KennelsSmall, friendly, professional kennel

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NORMANDYADVERTISER

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or email: directory@connexionfrance.com

Directory 13Normandy Advertiser March 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com

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WOODBURNERSAsh Grove Stoves

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Book now forthe April issue- copy deadlineMarch 5 - callfreephone in

France 0800 91 77 56

/ from UK0844 256 9881

(4p/min)

ADVERTISING FEATURE

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MAKE 2012 A SUCCESS, ADVERTISE WITH USCall Clare on 0800 91 77 56 or email directory@connexionfrance.com

THAT'S the message that foreignexchange firms are trying to get out toexpats who regularly transfer moneyoverseas.

"Volatility in the markets has translated

into unpredictability in all the key cur-rency pairings, with the relative value ofpounds, euros and others becomingincreasingly difficult to predict," con-firms Jeremy Cook, chief economist atforeign exchange company, World First.

"Many clients have asked why thepound has not strengthened against theeuro massively, in light of the well docu-mented crisis in the Eurozone," addsCook.

"The answer is linked to how closelyour own economy is tied to the problem.We may not be a member of the singlecurrency, but our trade is so closelylinked to it, that sterling has been suffer-ing peripheral damage throughout."

"The well documented problems across

Europe are not likely to simply go awayanytime soon - but the UK has its owneconomic problems to navigate and 2012is not likely to be a steady road for themarkets."

This on-going instability has forcedmany to rethink their approach to inter-national payments. More and more peo-ple who need to send money overseasare now looking to protect their profitsin advance by using a foreign exchangespecialist company to fix their rates inadvance.

The key is to make sure you are gettingadvice from the right kind of company;always check that you are being advisedby an FSA authorised company in astrong financial position. With the

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14 Home and Garden Normandy Advertiser March 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

DIY tips

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Replacing a toilet should not take too much time

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THE toilet is probably one of the most used fixtures in thehouse so it is no surprise it sometimes needs to bereplaced. Putting in a new one is relatively simple andshould take no more than a day to do. These instructionsare for the kind where the tank is separate to the bowl.Turn off the water, then flush the toilet until the tank isempty. Hold the trip-lever down to make sure all the waterruns out. Soak up any water in both tank and bowl – makesure both completely empty.

Using a large adjustable spanner, remove the nuts thatconnect the toilet tank to the water supply then remove thebolts holding it to the wall. It should then easily come awayfrom the wall and you can lift it clear of the bowl.To remove the toilet bowl, remove bolts that hold it to thefloor. If need be, loosen bowl by gently rocking it back andforth to break the seal with the floor, then simply lift andremove. Be careful not to tip the bowl too much in casewater is still inside. Block the sewer pipe connection withrags to stop gases getting out and debris getting in the pipe.Install new toilet: Thoroughly clean the area round the toilet, removing any old sealant on the floor. This is also agood time to check over the water and sewer pipes and todo any necessary repairs or replacements.

Once prepared, temporarily put the toilet seat unit in thedesired position on the floor over the evacuation pipe andcheck the level. If necessary, make it level by strategicallyplacing non-rusting metal washers. Then install a new pairof hold-down bolts, it is important to use purpose madebolts, make sure they are both equal distance from the wall.Installing the bowl and tank is really just a case of followingthe removal instructions in reverse. Seal the new bowl tothe sewer pipe with ready-made wax toilet ring gasket,make sure it is at room temperature and the flat face isplaced against the bowl. Make sure you remove the ragsfrom the pipe and gently lower bowl onto it. Once in placeseal around the edge of the bowl’s base with plumbers’putty. Temporarily tighten the nuts with your hands.

To install the tank, fit the rubber washer between thetank and bowl, bevel side out. Gently lower the tank ontothe back of the bowl. Place mounting bolts and fix snugly.Connect the water supply to the tank’s inlet valve. Turn onthe water and check that the tank fills correctly and thatthere are no leaks. If there are small leaks it could just be acase of tightening bolts. Once sure that all is functionaltighten the hold-down bolts on the bowl with a spanner, fitthe trim caps and smooth excess sealant. Test flush the toilet, checking for leaks on the floor this timeand if all is OK your installation is complete.

Replacing a toilet isa quick and easy job

If your gardenneeds sprucingup, simple artand decorationtechniques canwork wonders.And you don’tneed intricateitems anddesigns, as

REBECCA LAWN finds.

SOMETIMES, giving yourgarden a new look can be aseasy as the right plant in theright place.

Gary McArthur, who runsKingdom Vegetal garden cen-tre and landscaping businessin Boulogne-sur-Gesse(www.kingdomvegetal.com)suggested a monkey puzzle,saying: “They are one ofthose plants that highlightthemselves, just with someshingle around.”

Other options, especially forsouthern gardens, are a hardypalm such as a butia, an olivetree or topiary. “They can allbe a feature in their own right– one plant surrounded bysome gravel or stones can bevery striking.”

While you will need practi-cal lighting for entrancewaysand paths, you can also createa certain mood in your gar-den with decorative lighting.

One way of doing this isthrough pots which havelighting in them. “There arered pots that fade to orangeand yellow, or solar-panelledones with a black panel near-

by which gets sun duringthe day to power it at night.

“Two or three on a patiochanges the atmosphere ofthe garden.”

For a romantic look, trycandle-lit lanterns; or, forentertaining, strings ofcoloured lights can set arelaxed outdoor atmosphere.

To create a beautiful garden

with next to no fuss, there area few things you can put inplace quickly and cheaply.

“Look at getting an irriga-tion system, as that’s also bet-ter for plants. The prices havecome down a lot in the pastfew years and they’re very

Creating a focal pointkey to garden balance

Simple changes canhave a dramatic effecton the feel of your garden

easy to install,” Gary says. One of the main things to

remember is your location –choose plants that naturallygrow well in your area.

Ground cover planting canalso make gardens easier tocare for as they cover weedsand hold in water; also lookat adding herbs, mulches,gravels and bark chippings.For the ground, it is best tocombine a few differentmaterials, rather than stick-ing with just the one.

Once you have the mainfeatures in place, you canhave fun adding garden orna-ments or creating differentmoods. And there is a lot ofchoice from wooden wind-chimes to spinners placed inthe ground which turn andreflect the light.

You could also opt for windsculptures, or glass bubblesdesigned to look like soapbubbles, which can be placedin the shrubbery or rockery,hung on branches or used astea-lights. Not forgettingstone bird or animal orna-ments, freestanding weather-vanes and sun-catchers.

A favourite in many gar-dens is the water feature, withmany varieties of fountainsand waterfalls to choosefrom. If you want a sense ofunity between your homeand garden, go for similarcolours or fabrics to indoors.

When adding a piece toyour garden, the main thingto think about is the overallimpression it gives. Garysays: “Scale is very important– you can quickly destroy agarden by putting in some-thing too small or big.

“As for a feature or focalpoint, you create one for tworeasons: to draw people to itor to take people’s attentionaway from what you don’twant them to look at!”

Phot

o: ©

Pix

by

Mar

ti - F

otol

ia.c

om

Property 15Normandy Advertiser March 2012 www.normandyadvertiser.com

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€€128,300

ENERGY RATING = Not given

St-Georges-de-Rouelley, MancheThis lovely stone house is set in1.06 acres of land and comeswith old stable and outbuildings.The property comprises, livingroom with fully equippedkitchen (with chimney), diningroom, bathroom and toilet.

REF: DOM1298

€€159,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

St-Pierre-sur-Dives, CalvadosDelightful cottage at the end of alane in a pretty village near afamous market town. This lovelycolombage property would makea great bolthole. The spaciousgarden has a shed, and a smallstream running through it.

REF: 61

€€141,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Sourdeval, MancheVillage house built in 1926 withgarage and completely fencedand gated garden, double glazing, central heating. Situatedon the edge of a pretty markettown with all amenities withinwalking distance.

REF: 101

€€183,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Mortain, MancheStunning colombage propertywith spectacular mature gardens.Situated just 5 minutes fromBarenton in an elevated position,no close neighbours and far-reaching views.

REF: DOM1292

€€399,750

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Pont-Audemer, EureSpacious colombage houseunder a thatched roof in verygood condition. Landscapedgardens. Garage plus dormitorywith 7 beds. Swimming pool.Deauville and the beach 45 minutes by car.

REF: IFPC20874

€€500,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Mortain, MancheThe main house is a 5 bedroomed family home with alarge living room, dining room,kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Thereare also 3 gîtes. Great walks andcycle paths to the Bocage villagesare close by.

REF: IFPC21878

€€450,000

ENERGY RATING = D

Le Neubourg, Eure This former presbytery (firstbuilt in 1810) has lots of charm(timbered beams and old wooden interior shutters) andmodern comforts. The groundfloor has 2 living rooms withfireplaces, kitchen, hall, wc.

REF: IFPC21813

€€160,000

ENERGY RATING = F

Pontivy, MorbihanA delightful stone house setwithin the a friendly little villageand very close to the bustlingtown of Pontivy. Structurally-sound cottages like this rarelycome onto the market.

REF: IFPC21458

€€210,000

ENERGY RATING = E

BergeracNestling comfortably in a verybeautiful village between thetowns of Issigeac and Eymet,this charming house with itsgarden and well, has the addedrarity of a field with fruit trees.

REF: 28632

€€ 220,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Bram, Aude Elegant village house with grandentrance and staircase. Lounge,dining room and kitchen withmarble fireplaces. Back kitchenwith service stairs to other floors.Wine cellar, garage, pigeonnier.

REF: NOUZET6157

€€290,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

NouzetStone and tiled property, situatedin a hamlet in a peaceful setting.Septic tank. Dutch barn. 2 smallbarns. Bread oven. Spring-fedwash house. Well. Cottage to renovate.

REF: BRE56PONT4

€€483,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Pontivy, MorbihanThis immaculate 5-bedroomedmanor house dates back to 1769and has a garden with a heatedswimming-pool and a convertible barn. It is located ina quiet and friendly hamlet.

REF: FMP03102011

€€330,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Nîmes, GardVillage stone house fullyrestored with living room, 4bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, lounge,kitchen, barn (ready for conversion if required). Gardenwith swimming pool .

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Without bees your garden will scarcely bear fruit

Companionsin the gardenTHE phrase Companion Gardening has been around for awhile and we should take a look at what it can mean –from both ends of the scale. Both ends? Yes, because whilemost people recognise the benefit of growing plants thatare good for each other there is another side that is farmore lively and less obvious.....Companion Plants

African Marigold – Tagetes species, deters pests by smell.Plant at the edge of beans and tomatoes.

Pot Marigold – Calendula species, catches whitefly andflea beetles before main crop is infected.

Limnanthes – loved by lacewings, hoverflies and ladybirds which eat aphids.

Nasturtium – deters aphids, whitefly and cabbage moth.Attract blackfly from bean crops: pluck off the infestedtips.

Thyme, rosemary and peppermint – deters carrot fliesby diverting the scent of the carrots. Does not have to beplanted, just lay sprigs between crops.

Sage – repels cabbage flies and black bean aphids – as forrosemary and thyme.

Basil – the best known companion crop, repels whiteflyfrom tomatoes

Any scented Geranium – Pelargonium species, the strongscents deter pests. Ideal in the doorways of a greenhouse.

And the less visible, Companion CreaturesThe thing about companion beasties is that, unlike plants,when you are in the garden they are usually absent. Theseare the tenants of any well tended garden that help keepcrops free of pests and soil healthy and viable.

At the top of the scale are birds: these are the most visiblegarden residents and many like robins, thrushes and bluetits are not deterred by the presence of a gardener. To keepthem coming, you need to feed throughout the cold weath-er and well into spring until the insect population is up tosupporting the nestlings. In addition, they need shallowbowls of water left around. In spring they also appreciatehuman and animal hair being left around for nest building!

Lizards, slow-worms and hedgehogs are the next visitorsto keep happy. They eat slugs and larvae that overwinter inthe cracks and niches.

Lower down are the insects that you need to cultivate tokeep the pests down, like ladybirds, spiders, ground-beetles, daddy-long-legs, lacewings and solitary bees.

Non-predatory, but essential, are butterflies, bees andwasps. These are important pollinators, without which fruittrees and vegetables would have difficulty setting fruit.

These tenants will need bolt holes and habitats if they areto stay and the best way to do this is to leave one corneruntidy and unkempt. There is nothing beetles and lizardslike more than a damp rotting log with hot and cold run-ning woodlice and wall-to-wall moss. Small piles of twigs,old logs and nettles provide shelter, food and nesting possi-bilities. To tempt them further into the garden, plantclumps of borage, nasturtium, goldenrod, coneflower,milkweed and sunflowers at the edge of the vegetable plot.

16 People Normandy Advertiser March 2012www.normandyadvertiser.com

Inheritance SolutionsFrench inheritance rules may mean that your worldwide estate will not be distributed according to your wishes.

Look after those that matter.Jennie Poate, Regional ManagerTel French Head Office: 05 56 34 75 51Email: northwest.office@siddalls.net

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

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DOMINIQUE Forget is fascinatedby history - and always has been.

“I was born in Alençon and havefamily members who were in WWIIwhich means it’s always been part ofmy life. Alençon, liberated byGeneral LeClerc’s division in 1944,was the first town in France to beseized back from the Nazi occupa-tion. General LeClerc went on toliberate Paris and Strasbourg, so theliberation remains an importantpart of local culture.”

Mr Forget’s uncle was a photogra-pher. “I used to hang about his lab,”he says. “I would watch him work-ing. It was like magic, these imagesappearing as if from nowhere.”

Mr Forget got a Performing Artsdegree from Caen University in1994 but had already started makingfilms. His first documentary,Bernières-sur-Mer: A Memory of theLandings, was produced in 1992.Since then, he has produced about30 films, all dealing with localWWII history. Most are full length.

“It’s fascinating,” he says.“Researching details to fill in thegaps of our history. Piecing it alltogether like a puzzle. On my firsttrip to Washington in 1996, doing

research in the National Archivesand the Library of Congress, I dis-covered a whole new archive ofundocumented films of the libera-tion, it was so exciting!

“There are about 25 million scrapsof film there, most of them undocu-mented. They know me there now.I’m the only French person who reg-ularly does research there.”

Back in Europe, he is always onthe look-out for living witnesses of

WWII, but this is getting increas-ingly difficult. “I think there are nomore living witnesses left fromWWI,” he says. “And I haven’t gotenough resources to interview allthe people I’d like.”

Mr Forget does not receive anygrants or financial aid for his work.“I mainly raise money by selling thedvds,” he says. “That makes thingshard, to be honest. But I’m gettingthere step by step. Some old people

have fantastically clear memories ofthe war and can tell you all sorts oflittle details. And often, when peo-ple have told me they were filmed,I’ve been able to find the film!”

He says he has a list of 200 peoplewaiting to be interviewed, he justneeds the money and the time to dothe work.

“It doesn’t cost much to makethese films,” he says. You needknowledge and the love of that peri-

od in history. “It is really dangerous to forget

about the two World Wars. Peoplesay it couldn’t happen again, butlook at Yugoslavia, look at Africa.There are all sorts of very fragile,explosive situations where war isvery close.

“Without the EU there wouldwithout doubt be war in the ex-Yugoslavian countries right now.There’s so much historical resent-ment, religious and racial hatred.”

His next project is about a resist-ance worker of 17, Paul Le Care,who was deported from Bayeux andspent three years in camps beforemaking it back to France. “He’s stillalive,” says Mr Forget. “I have foundall the SS archives about him inParis and Washington, and I’msearching for a producer to helpmake the film.”

He would be glad to hear fromanyone who wants to get involved.

He has recently found photographsof the first British soldiers to betaken prisoners of the war.

“If any authors or producers or ex-prisoners have information, pleaseget in touch,” he says. “And if any-one knows anything about obtainingfunding for this work, get in touch!”

He is also looking for living wit-nesses of WWII who were betweenAvranches and Mortain, and anydocumentation of the liberation ofthe south of the département.

Mr Forget’s email address isarchivesdeguerres@wanadoo.fr

Dominique Forget talks toSAMANTHA DAVID about his passion for the history of theworld wars, and his race to get a record of this periodwhile witnesses are still alive

Historian DominiqueForget is looking for livingwitnesses to WWII

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It’s dangerous to forget war