Normandy Advertiser - October 2011

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Normandy lotterywinner nets €162m

- but who is it?

SEEPAGE 5

ProfileMayor with visionfor vineyard p16

Tax blowSecond homeowners hit p2-3

FREEGRATUITpublishers of

October 2011 - Issue 22www.normandyadvertiser.com

NORMANDYADVERTISER

FoodLowdown onorganic food p8-9

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By AMY McCORMACK

BRITISH residents in Normandy haveexpressed dismay over changes to capital gainstax on second homes.

Prime Minister François Fillon proposed themeasure as part of the government’s austerityplan: a drive to meet a €11bn deficit in thebudget. Professionals now believe there maybe a rush to sell homes before changes kick in.

Previously, upon the sale of their property,second homeowners got a 10 per cent reduction in capital gains tax if they hadowned it for more than five years.

This led to complete exemption from

2 News Normandy Advertiser October 2011www.normandyadvertiser.com

charges after 15 years. An initialannouncement stated that this scheme wouldbe scrapped and the tax would be payable infull, but based on differences in prices andwith allowances for inflation.

However, following public outcry anddemands from lobbyists, including nationalestate agent representatives FNAIM, the gov-ernment debated a compromise: the changeswill come into effect in February and reduc-tions will be staggered.

Complete exemption will only happen after30 years.

Many believe this concession is pointless.Linda Norton, who owns a property inManche-Centre, said: “It’s ludicrous to make itcapital gains-free after 30 years. The typicalperson buying a second home is retired and isprobably not going to live 30 years.

“If they change this now, what else will theychange further down the line? It does not giveany feeling of stability.”

Pension fund

The announcement has worried investors,particularly those who bought properties someyears ago and intended to use them as a pen-sion fund.

Paul Akers from Le Loroux, on the Mancheborder, said he has friends in this situation.

“They are horrified as, together with a verydepressed French property market, all theirwell worked-out calculations, taking a veryrealistic valuation on their portfolio, have leftthem in a very poor state indeed, with all ofthese new regulations coming into force.

“It doesn’t really matter where you think youhave safely invested or deposited your hard-earned savings, nothing is safe.”

A local estate agent, who preferred not to benamed, bought a second home as a “nest egg”and will now wait for laws to change beforeshe sells it on.

She is leaving the country because she is sodisillusioned with life in France.

She said: “France has changed dramaticallyover the past five years, and not for the goodof the ordinary citizen. We are taxed out of allproportion.”

Pierre Lemée, a solicitor in Pont-l'Évêque,said: “When the announcement was to take

ESTATE agents are confident that thechanges in tax will not deter people frombuying their dream home in France.

Effie Iorsch lives in Perche National Park,and sells houses for estate agents Leggett. Shehas been selling properties in the region forsome years and has noted trends in behaviour that she does not believe willchange overnight.

She said: “People don’t come here to make aquick buck. That is not the way France works.

“We don’t have investors, we have peoplewho want to enjoy Normandy. People want tolive here, and that is their life change. Theywon’t be put off by the tax changes.”

Mrs Iorsch said that people would just planmore carefully: “You have just got to swallowchanges such as these. It’s swings and

Dismay assecond hometax changes are finalised

Quality of life ‘is

Changes tocapital gainstax meanshomeownersmay facepenaltywhen itcomes toselling theirhome inthe region

Estate agents claim the changes in capital

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What is capital gains tax?Known as impôts sur lesplus-values in France, capitalgains tax is payable on prof-its from sales of assetsowned by an individual,excluding primary resi-dences. It therefore appliesto second homes, land to bebuilt upon, and buy-to-letproperties.If you own a second home

and paid €100,000 for it in1990, and sell it in 2010 for€150,000 you will haverealised a profit, or capitalgain, of €50,000. Because it is not your pri-

mary residence you areliable to pay tax on the gain(formerly at 31.3% in com-bined tax and social charges,now 32.5%).Under existing French laws,

the taxable capital gain isreduced by 10% per year'sownership after five yearsand disappears altogetherafter 15 years. How will the law change?From next February, the

reduction will be as follows: 2% after six years' owner-

ship and up to 17 years;4% between 18 and 24

years;8% between 25 and 30

years.There will therefore be no

relief at all for up to five

years' ownership. There willbe a 60% discount after 25years and the gain will onlybecome tax free after a totalof 30 years.

News 3Normandy Advertiser October 2011 www.normandyadvertiser.com

immediate effect, people started taking theirhouses off the market straight away. We hadlots of telephone calls that morning and estateagents said they did too.

“We think that we’ll see a few less sales whenit comes into effect.

“Until then we think we’ll see people tryingto sell quickly to escape the tax. After that,people will try and wait two or three years forthe crisis to pass, rather than pay the full tax.

“When taxes go up on capital gains like that,they always go back down again.”

worth the risk’roundabouts. We have a lot of people whowant to bring up their families in the countryside, have the lovely garden, have thelovely house. That tax won’t stop them doingthat.”

Chris Slade, who runs A House inNormandy, added: “We hear the odd moanabout new rules, regulations, dips here andtroughs there, but you don’t hear a lot aboutgiving up on a long-term ambition. It’s postponed, but not abandoned.”

He added that property prices were dropping as a result of the uncertainty andsaid that local and property taxes are oftenmuch lower than council taxes in the UK.

“You have to look at both sides of the coin.It’s not all bad. The quality of life is worth itin the end.”

gains tax will not stop British people chasing their dream of a home in Normandy

Capital gains tax:The new regime

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Left, Prime Minister François Fillon is introducing thechanges as part of a package to cut the budget deficit,and above estate agents may see a sales downturn

Chris Slade, of A House in Normandy

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: [email protected]

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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A COURT has been asked todecide whether a ruling totake down a portrait of WorldWar II Nazi collaboratorPétain in a town hall shouldbe overturned.

The mayor of Gonneville-sur-Mer (Calvados) wasordered to remove the pictureof Vichy regime leaderPhilippe Pétain by CaenTribunal. Bernard Hoye hadreceived complaints about thepicture in a gallery of formerpresidents in the municipalmeeting room. TheAssociation in Defence of theMemory of Maréchal Pétain(ADMP) lodged an appeal-saying they were unable to

voice their concerns at thehearing at Caen Tribunal lastmonth. At the time of goingto press, the verdict was yet

to be announced. A lawyerfor the International Leagueagainst Racism and Anti-Semitism, LICRA, Daniel-Charles Badache said: “Thisepisode has brought to lightthe persistence of people inFrance who worship thememory of a person whohanded over more Jews toNazi Germany than theyactually asked for.”

ADMP’s lawyer, JacquesTremolet De Villers, argued:“The ruling was absurd.

“You can’t just erase fouryears of France’s history andthe existence of a head ofstate. You can criticise it, butyou can’t erase it.”

4 News Normandy Advertiser October 2011www.normandyadvertiser.com

Pétain ruling questioned

Marshall Philippe Pétain

HOSPITALS in the regioncould face a severe staffingcrisis as new laws force non-European medical staff totake an exam and competefor jobs.

Doctors from Africa whocame to the region before2010 are being asked to com-pete with up to 200 othercandidates in the same situa-tion for one of just five or 10potential posts.

If they do not pass the examthey will not be allowed topractise their profession, andwill be asked to leave thecountry, despite holding sen-

ior positions within the hos-pital. Argentan hospital riskslosing eight key doctors andmedical staff.

Its director, Michel Renaut,said that these employeeswere filling posts that cannotbe filled by French doctors.He said: “French or Europeandoctors don’t come here. It’snot an attractive region forthem. Doctors in this countryare allowed to choose wherethey settle, and it is not here.

“We need these employeesto run this hospital properly.If we can’t employ them, wecan’t treat people.”

Non-European staff wereonce able to get a work per-mit from the regional healthagency, but recent govern-ment policies are pushing fornon-European staff to returnto their country of origin andfor all doctors to be signed upto the General MedicalCouncil.

Mr Renault said the situa-tion is repeated across theregion. In AlenconPsychiatric Hospital, nine outof 32 employees are at risk.Jobs at risk in Argentaninclude radiologists, paedia-tricians, and anaesthetists.

Non-EU doctors face axe

Cash helpfor farmersTHE Seine-Maritime hasbeen declared an agriculturaldisaster area following thisyear’s droughts.

The department was one of17 to be accorded the statusby the national agriculturalinsurance committee, CNAAin its latest round. This willenable farmers in the area togain compensation. The Euredepartment was also awardedthe status earlier this summer.

The level of compensationavailable will be based uponan evaluation of the lossesincurred by the end of theyear. Farmers with cattle havebeen the worst hit, due to ashortage of straw in theregion.

THE FILM of Americanparatroopers’ three-day battleto hold off the German armyat Sainte-Mère-Eglise looksset to be filmed in Hungary.

No Better Place to Die willtell the story of the battle forthe La Fière Bridge duringthe D-Day invasions. Filmindustry website IMDb listsactors, James Madio, MaxMartini and Lochlyn Munroamong the cast. It is due forrelease later this year.

War film setin Hungary

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Police shootman, 75, incasino raid

Fires sparksafety talks

Arab Springprize focus

More peopleout of work

RESIDENTS are lobbying forimprovements to be made totheir blocks of flats afterthree children died in twoseparate fires in the space of ayear.

A new tenants’ associationhas been created to talk aboutsafety issues with the Verre etAcier buildings, designed byaward-winning architectMichel Lods, in Grand-Mare,Rouen.

The fatal fires took place inMarch and July.

THE focus will be on theunrest in the Middle East atthe 18th Bayeux war corre-spondents’ awards.

The Prix Bayeux, fromOctober 3-9, is an annualevent recognising theachievements of journalists inwar zones. Film nights andpublic debates will be takingplace throughout the week.

Lower Normandy schoolchildren will also be involvedin selecting one of the winners.

For full information seewww.prixbayeux.org

UNEMPLOYMENT in LowerNormandy has gone up by 4per cent since last summer.

According to the nationalemployment centre, Pôle-Emploi, there were 57,889people unemployed in theregion in July this year.

INSPECTIONS have unearthed problems with the concretebeing used to build the nuclear reactor at Flamanville.

EDF is fixing the construction issues, which were pointed outin a series of letters from nuclear watchdog ASN.

Anti-nuclear protester, Didier Anger, said such problems wereunacceptable, and questioned communication between subcontractors at the factory.

An EDF spokesperson said the faults were quite common onconstruction sites. She added that the site is inspected once afortnight and that there is a very thorough recruitment process.

Nuclear reactor flaws revealed

A 75-YEAR-OLD man wasshot dead by police afterholding up a casino, shootinga security guard and twopolice officers, and taking aman hostage.

It is believed that ManuelDe Sa Canedo, from Gacé(Orne), may have been suf-fering from depression or theonset of Alzheimer’s.

Pascal Bougy, who isCommunications Magistrateat Caen Court, said: “Thisman waited until the age of75 to launch into this adventure.”

On Thursday, August 25,the pensioner walked intoTrouville Casino, played onthe slot machines, thenwalked over to the till wherehe produced a revolver anddemanded money.

He ran off with €7,200,shooting first at a securityguard and then a police officer, hitting his shoulder.

The man drove off and was

stopped two hours later bypolice in Dives sur Mer, some20kms away.

Mr Bougy explained:“When they asked for hispapers he got his gun outagain.”

He was then chased by twopolice cars, lost control of hiscar on a bend and was cornered in a ditch. But againhe managed to escape, makeoff through a bush to a nearby housing estate andsteal a 42-year-old man’s car,taking him hostage.

“The hostage managed tostop the car by pulling thehandbrake on and ran away,”said Mr Bougy.

The police were finally ableto force De Sa Canedo off theroad and shot him once inthe arm and once in theshoulder.

A post mortem said that thewounds would not havekilled a younger man.

The beach at Grandcamp Maisy is cleared of seaweed

Dying mother’splea to Sarkozy

News 5Normandy Advertiser October 2011 www.normandyadvertiser.com

Algae spreads toregion’s beachesBEACHES in Normandyare now being threatenedby the green algae that hasbeen killing animals andclosing down Brittany’sbeaches.

The seaside town ofGrandcamp-Maisy hasreported record quantitiesof green algae this year, andhas spent more than€45,000 in a clean-up oper-ation to prevent the closureof the beach.

The seaweed, whichreleases toxic gases when itconverts to hydrogen sulphide, smells ‘nauseating’ and can bedangerous when inhaled. Itis thought to be caused byenvironmental factors,including waste from extensive farming running from the rivers tothe sea.

Councillor Louis Lelongcalled upon the whole community to take responsibility for the problem, and urgedfarmers in the region torethink their methods. Hesaid that in the long termthe council would employ

researchers to find outmore about the algae andits causes.

Mayor Serge Bigot saidthat up to half the seaweedon the beach is of the toxicvariety, and that there isnearly five times more thanthere was 10 years ago.

He said: “We can pick itup, but we can’t stop thesmell of it. Tests have beendone. There is no danger.The workers who pick it upeach day don’t wear masks.People are still fishing forshellfish. There are crabs,and I have eaten ourprawns and lived to tell thetale.”

The clean-up operation,which takes place every 48hours, is funded by thetown council andCalvados’s general council.

The mayor was keen tostress that the problem wasnot as severe as in Brittany,where more than 30 wildboar have died, but said hewas concerned about theimpact on tourism.

“It does worry us, but wedon’t see people cancellingbookings.”

THE mother of a quadriple-gic man wrote a posthumousletter to the president askinghim to change the laws oneuthanasia and free her sonfrom suffering.

Eddy de Somer, 33, was leftin a vegetative state after aroad accident 10 years ago.His mother, Michèle deSomer, was his sole carerafter his father died from aheart attack.

When Mrs de Somer foundout she had terminal cancer,she asked her lawyer to post aletter to the president uponher death. After reading it,Nicolas Sarkozy called ameeting with Mrs de Somer’sother two children, Laura andSébastien.

The family’s lawyer, FabienPicchiottino, who attendedthe meeting, said: “Eddy canonly communicate by blinking now, but he oncetold his mother that if he wasever to become a vegetablehe’d want somebody to endhis life. She wanted to freeher son.”

Mrs de Somer, who died inJune, had written to bothPresident Chirac andPresident Sarkozy in her lifetime. Neither consented toher request to end Eddy’s life.

In her posthumous letter,made public by the radiochannel RTL, she asked thepresident to “look after herson as if he were on his own.”

Mr Sarkozy promised theDe Somer family he wouldcreate 45,000 places in spe-cialised hospitals for peoplelike Eddy. He also said hewould visit Eddy when hewas next in the area, but he

said he could not change thelaw on euthanasia.

Following Mrs de Somer’sdeath, the president intervened to find a place forEddy at a specialist hospitalin Saint-André-de-l’Eure.

Michèle de Somer, pictured with her son Eddy

every 48 hours

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A NORMANDY resident iscelebrating the largest lotterywin in French history - abumper €162 million -buttheir identity is being keptquiet.The winner came

forward a few daysafter winning thehuge total in theEuroMillionsrollover draw inSeptember. Theamount is enough toplace them among the 250richest people in France.No information has been

released about their identity“for reasons of privacy andthe protection of winnersreceiving large amounts,” saida spokesperson from theFrench organiser Françaisedes Jeux. FdJ would not com-ment on whether it is anEnglish-speaker living in theregion.

Journalists, TV and radiocrews have been scouring thedepartment for possible leadsafter Française des Jeuxrevealed that the winningticket was bought inNormandy - Calvados - but-did not give a more exactlocation since a €35millionscam in 2007.

One amusing moment camewhen a TV crew stopped inPont-l'Evêque to film andsparked immediate rumoursthat the winner was from the

town. This was much to theamusement of the owner ofthe Muratti bar-tabac whotold a Ouest France reporterhe did not know who hadstarted the rumour that thewinning ticket had beenbought in the town.

Later, the TV crew - fromBFM - said they had beenintending to film in Caen buthad stopped in Pont-l'Evêqueas they were running out oftime.

The winner will instantlybecome the 246th richestperson in France with thewin of €162,256,622 puttingthem just in front of the own-ers of Château Smith HautLafitte vineyard, Daniel andFlorence Cathiard, who are

worth €160m.Although a French record,

the win is less than the€185m (£161m) won by theWeir family from Coatbridge,

Scotland, thisJuly. France’s pre-vious largest win-ner was a groupof 15 friendsfrom Venelle,Bouches-du-Rhone who won€100m two years

ago. Famous past big winnersin Britain include "Spend,spend Viv" who collected£152,300 on the pools in1961, and shot to fameovernight when she told thePress she planned to blow thelot. Following her good for-tune, Vivian Nicholson isreported to have found ithard to cope with the psycho-logical effects of her win-nings.

Beware emails coming froma group known asEuroMillions International asthey are part of a widespreadinternet scam.

The messages claim to benotifying of a big win - donot reply to such messagesand do not give bank or otherpersonal details.

Normandy lotterywinner claims €162m

6 What’s On Normandy Advertiser October 2011www.normandyadvertiser.com

notice board

THE BRITISH sense of get-up-and-go is what inspired a former minister to set up an English language network for people in hisneighbourhood.

Alain Lambert, the president ofOrne Council, kicked OrneLink offin 2009 with a garden party. Twoyears later, there are 1,700 members,ranging in age from schoolchildrento pensioners.

Mr Lambert said: “I had the idea ofcreating a network of English-speaking inhabitants because I feltthey have a great deal to offer thecommunity. I appreciate the Britishsense of enterprise, their get-up-andgo, and their cultural differences.”

The group’s website acts as a virtual meeting place for networkmembers to arrange get-togethersand coordinate language clubs.

This has inspired a range of sideprojects, including a French-English

book club that meets in Alençon.Members are not just English –

people from all over the world aregetting involved.

Mr Lambert said: “OrneLink hasdrawn such interest from the expatcommunity, who are really enthusiastic about the possibilitiesthe Orne offers, but also from nativeOrnais. I am very pleased thatOrneLink can be part of theiradventure.”

OrneLink is open to English-speaking residents in or near theOrne, as well as to those planning onmoving to the area. It is also open toFrench people who are interested inlinguistic or cultural exchange, people who organise town twinning,language teachers, business peoplewho are interested in operatingabroad and students.

If you would like to find out more,go to www.ornelink.org

British spirit sparksfriends link network

October 1-3 Fête Brévière – Thefunfair opens on Friday evening,when there’s a torchlit procession.Get your free lantern from the theatre at 20.30. On Saturday, all thelocal shops have sales, there’s aboules tournament, and then theelection of Miss Forges in theevening. On Sunday the flea marketopens at 07.00, and from 15.00 it’scarnival time, followed by a battle offlowers at 17.00. Monday is the lastday of the funfair, with FREE ridesfor children.Almost everything isFREE.Call 02 35 90 52 10

Forges-les-Eaux Seine-MaritimePhoto: © Kempenfest - flickr.comFESTIVAL

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October 30 Transat Jacques Vabre - 10ème édition –From October 21 the Bassin Paul Vatine will be full ofocean-going yachts for this annual transatlantic race,which follows the route of the coffee boats betweenNormandy and Costa Rica, where they are expected toarrive on about November 13. Several classes of yachttake part, all with two-man crews.The race starts at13.02 on October 30, but the boats will leave theirmoorings from 11.00.When they’ve gone, take theopportunity to look round the centre of Le Havre, nowa UNESCO World Heritage site.Call 02 32 74 04 04

Le Havre

Manche Granville

October 1-2 Festival Coquillages Et Crustacés– Granville is the most important shellfishport in France.This festival welcomes 30,000visitors every year, who come to sample thecockles, whelks, mussels, oysters, clams, crabs,lobsters and other seafood.There are cookery demonstrations, tasting sessions andall manner of stalls and entertainment on thepicturesque quaysides.Call 02 33 91 33 91

October 19-23 Mange Ta Soupe! – Soup is thetraditional nourishment of the Norman countryside, but it’s also eco-friendly, using local,often organic produce.These four days celebrateecology, bio-diversity and conviviality.This year’sfestival, for Normandy’s 1100th birthday, has aViking theme; they, too, lived on soup, and it doesn’t seem to have done them any harm! Onthe last day, there’s a soup-making competitionand a Norman evening to round off the proceedings.Call 02 33 54 24 [email protected]

MancheFOODCarentan

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October 16-17 Fête Du Ventre Et De La GastronomieNormande 09.00-19.00 – Music, games, and above all(as you’d expect at a Belly Festival), food! All theproduce of the region, stallholders in Norman dress,apples, cider, watercress, foie gras, honey, snails, cowsand calves, street theatre in the Place du VieuxMarché and Rue Rollon. FREE, but expect to payfor your dinner!Call 02 35 98 18 36

FOOD

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Promote your community event, send details to [email protected]

Members of OrneLink enjoy regular get-togethers throughout the year,and below, the language club at Alençon has members of all ages

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What’s On 7Normandy Advertiser October 2011 www.normandyadvertiser.com

October

Calvados Deauville

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays Le Petit Musée de laTorture – This little museum is open in the Tour Grise untilthe end of October. Performances by Maître Tiretripes(Master Gutpuller) the laughing executioner and his Turnkeyat 14.30, 15.30, 16.30 and 17.30. Learn all about justice in1380, with rack, nails and Iron Maiden.Essentially a light-hearted performance; bring the kids –they’ll love it!Adults €2, under-12s FREE. No reservations.Call 02 32 32 17 17

WORTH VISITING

FAMILY

OrneFAMILYAlençon

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October 2 Chocolat et Confitures en Fête – Everything to dowith

chocolate: demonstrations, tasting, entertainment; eat choco-late, paint with it, drink it, write your name with it, cover

sweets with chocolate, try it in pastry, sauces, preserves, orlollipops. Buy some to take home, and add jam, jelly, chutney,flower and fruit preserves. Definitely a day for those with a

sweet tooth.Adults €4, under-16s FREE.Call 02 35 77 54 44 [email protected]

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October 9 - Faire-Play Fête Franco-Britannique – This year’sFranco-British Fair takes place at Vire racecourse.There willbe a car boot sale, exhibitions of local crafts and skills,working farm machinery, and traditional French and Britishvillage games, including the wellie-throwing competition.Fabulous English teas, food specialities from both sides ofthe Channel, and this year, to celebrate Normandy’s 1100thbirthday, the main attraction of the day is a medieval jousting tournament.Call 02 31 66 28 50

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WORTH VISITING

October 28-November 3 45th Rallye Paris-Deauville –Like the London to Brighton run, this is the grandest annualouting for veteran and vintage cars. Not all set out fromthe Place Vendôme in Paris, but all end up at the Deauvilleracecourse and cruising the streets of the town. Expect1,000 old cars from all over Europe, and on Sunday from14.30 watch the Concours d'Élégance, beautiful cars andbeautiful people on parade.

October 8-9 Parc Expo - Ferme En Fête – The biggestfarm in any Norman town! Meet the animals and their handlers; a hundred farmers will be bringing their stockfor one of the biggest competitions of the year – seecow milking, sheep-shearing, and chicks hatching! One ofthis year’s special features is a gathering of magnificentPercheron carthorses, and there’s an exhibition of fruiton a national scale. Many different breeds of cattle willbe on show too, 10 breeds of sheep, and every kind ofpoultry.There will be pony rides for the children,carthorse rides for the parents, and an amazing machinethat chews up trees and turns them into domestic fuel.Entrance €3.50, under-14s FREE.Call 02 33 31 49 25

October 26 Guided Tour in English 15.00 – A walk around the 12th-century medieval city ofDomfront with a guide who knows its history. The 11th-century castle, high on its hilltop,was for centuries one of the strongest keeps in France. Meet at the Office de Tourisme, 12Place de la Roirie.Adult €2.50, under-12s FREE. Reservations and information Call 02 33 38 53 [email protected]

Orne CULTUREDomfront

Orne SPORTEssay

October 28-30 Grand Prix Open Karting National Finals – At the Circuit International duGrand Ouest, near Aulnay-les-Bois, two days of racing to decide who will be the KartingChampion of France in three different classes (KF2, KF3 and KZ2). Exciting racing to watch.On other days, there are karts for hire, and adults and children can try their hand at thisexciting sport from only €11 for a 13-minute burst.Call 02 33 27 65 [email protected]

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Eure Saint-Ouen-de-Pontcheuil

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8 Organic Normandy Advertiwww.normandyadvertiser.com

FRANCE is leading Europe in the productionof organic food, as more and more farmersdiversify into ‘bio’ growing methods.

Recent government measures to increase thissector aim for 20% organic food in state catering by 2012, and although it is unclearwhether this target will be reached, the trendis definitely on the rise.

Unsurprisingly, there are big regional differences in the percentage of organic producers. Top is Languedoc-Roussillon, with35% two years ago, followed by Île de Francewith 33% and PACA hot on their heels at 30%.

Outside France, only the USA and Australiahave this sort of growth. The scene in the UKis rather different, with emphasis currentlybeing placed on locally-produced food, ratherthan organic. Indeed, according to the SoilAssociation, the number of organic food producers in the UK fell last year by 4.2%, andsales were down by 5.9%.

I caught up with two expats inLanguedoc-Roussillon who havemade the move to organic. Bothsaid that although they have to workextremely hard, it is worth it andmeans they really feel fulfilled bywhat they are doing.

Catherine Wallace spent 15 yearsin the wine trade in the UK, knowsit inside-out and has plenty of contacts there. For two years sheand her partner searchedLanguedoc-Roussillon for a work-ing vineyard with potential fordevelopment. The right locationin terms of terrain andclimate isvery impor-tant.

Six years

ago they bought Château deCombebelle, in the StChinian AOC, from a fel-low Brit.

“It was a very steeplearning curve,” Catherinetold me. “The best way tolearn is to be very hands-on.”

Although the vineyardalready produced thetraditional red wines ofthe region, Catherinehad a vision: to expandthe range of wineproduced. Her firstrosé was produced in2007 and she has plansto plant some white

varieties soon. This is anexpensive business; to

plant a hectare of newvines costs €30,000, even

with subsidies. “You need to know what you

are aiming for and be realisticabout how much it will cost,” she

advised.Why organic? “We both have total

respect for the environment. We are not onlyorganic, but bio-dynamic and I couldn’t do itany other way. It sums up our whole philoso-phy.”

Sales are going well, and Château deCombebelle’s wine is represented in severalUK outlets, including the Co-op. Promotion isvia wine fairs, but also very much through personal contact, gained through Catherine’sprevious experience.

Sarah and Jim Pearce own and run pick-your-own farm Top Fruits (www.top-fruits.com), an unusual enterprise in France.Running alongside is a pig farm and the original vineyard.

Although they are not totally organic, thePearces are extremely environmentally aware.They bought the property, a fruit farm withsome vines, in 2005. They used an English-

speaking agent in the region,which they knew to beright for their needs. Jimhad been a farm manager in the UK forsome years and already

had a great deal of relevant expertise. It wasthis experience that helped them avert disasterwhen, after their first year in the property, thejam factory to which they sent their peacheswent under.

They had relied on this income to supportthe development of their vineyard, so theyswitched to PYO and have expanded that partof the business over the years.

They brought in pigs to use up the windfallpeaches, and the rest of the farm, including sixbeehives, developed from there. Sarah pointsout that bees need an environment free fromchemicals, so this in itself is a good reason toadopt organic methods.

Sarah explained that one of the main obstacles to becoming completely organic isthe weeds.

“The public don’t like wandering aroundfields and orchards full of weeds, so they simply have to be kept down – the weeds thatis! However, we have to be very careful indeedabout treating the fruit, after all we have customers picking every day.”

The 33-hectare property between Béziersand Narbonne grows a huge variety of produce, from stoned and soft fruits to tablegrapes and vegetables.

They also sell their pork as half-carcasses forthe freezer, and of course there is the wine,which is, however, not organic.

Sarah told me that 95% of the farm’s customers are French, adding that French people haven’t lost the skills of preserving.

“They pick by the bucketful, and as for thepork, they don’t waste a scrap. They are, infact, perfect customers.”

Visiting Brits apparently prefer to pick uppunnets of soft fruit and neat joints of pork,whereas Turkish customers go for the tablegrapes in a big way.

While food producers across thecountry are feeling the effects ofthe stormy economic climate,organic growers are buckingthe trend. In 2008, AgenceBio, the French organicagency, saw more than 300producers sign up to the stateorganic scheme each month,and organic food products represented 1.7% of total foodproduction. By 2010, the number of organic producers hadrisen by a further 23%. While this isstill only a small proportion, it is risingyear on year. JOAN BUNTING reports.

Organic wine producer Catherine Wallacewouldn’t want to farm any other way

Photo: © Joan B

unting

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Available in English from The Connexion, priced €7.50 or £7 (plus postage and packaging)

Written by the Notaires de France and published by Conseils des Notaires.

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Going Bi inFrance

Organic 9www.normandyadvertiser.comiser October 2011

I also spoke to two young French producers,Julien Laurens and Stéphan, known as theCheese Man, who are taking the cautiousroute to organic production.

Julien is a neighbour. A horticulturist bytraining, he inherited land and wanted to dosomething a bit different. Passionate about theorganic movement, he hit upon the idea ofgrowing saffron and last year harvested a trialcrop. But instead of selling it, he took samplesto some of the best chefs in the region andasked for their honest opinions.

They were extremely enthusiastic about itshigh quality and said they would buy as muchas he could produce. He has now extended hisplanting and is looking to add organic herbsnext year.

Julien says he was looking for a niche, something regional but with few producers.The hard work for him comes after harvestingwhen, to get a kilo of saffron, the stamens of150,000 flowers have to be removed – time torecruit the family!

Stéphan produces organic goat’s cheeses highon the plateau and sells quite simply door-to-door, visiting the local, often remote hameauxonce a week, with a refrigerated container inthe back of his vehicle. His cheese is so goodand well priced, at €1.20 per cheese, that injust a few months he has developed a largecustomer base.

His other outlet would be farmers’ markets,but he says the cost of getting to them wouldeat into his profits and keep him away fromhis goats. While he is never going to make afortune, he clearly loves his life: a goodenough reason for any enterprise.

www.agencebio.org

www.soilassociation.org

www.bio-dynamie.org

Useful Websites

Goat’s cheese, pick-you-own produce andpigfarming, below, are just some examples

of the rising organic market in France

Normandy contacts for buying organic

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IF you like your vegetables fresh and your cookery creative, you might like to get a weekly vegetable boxdelivered.

AMAP supports organic farming by linking growersand customers all over the country. The idea is simple.Customers pay up front for their produce and by doingso they are able to fund the process.

At the start of each season customers put in requestsfor fruit, vegetables, eggs and meat, which are then produced according to demand. Each week AMAP provides a basket full of fresh produce. The contentsvary according to what is ready.

A spokesperson for AMAP said: “Many of our customers have admitted that it is quite nice not to haveto think about what they are buying each week.”

By getting involved with AMAP, which is a not-for-profit organisation, customers embrace its philosophy.Fair trade is central to the initiative and prices are set sothat farmers’ production costs are covered and they earna decent wage. Customers find the prices competitivebecause there is little packaging. There is also less waste,because produce is not expected to be a standardisedsize or shape.

“AMAP customers tend to understand the linkbetween food and well-being, want to feel connected tonature, and learn from it, children in particular. Theyalso want to feel part of a group and see the farm as asecond home. They accept the scheme’s constraints,”said the spokesman.

AMAP collection points vary in each town. It could bea farm, a community centre, a shop or a courtyard. Seewww.reseau-amap.org for AMAP groups in Normandy.

If you would rather choose what goes into your shop-ping basket, you can also source fresh, seasonal veg-etables at any one of the region's organic cooperatives.

Look out for Biocoops, a national network of morethan 300 organic vegetable shops. The aim is to developorganic farming but also to promote fair trade and tosupport farmers.

The cooperatives work directly with growers. Produceis local and seasonal and transport has been limited tominimise the impact on the environment.Environmentally-friendly cleaning products and cosmetics are also available.

There are 13 branches across Normandy. For moreinformation see www.biocoop.fr .

Sunday, 9th October 201110am to 6 pm

8th FREE PARKING AND ENTRANCE

ON-SITE CATERING

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Pages 12 - 13

DIRECTORYPAGES

Find registered tradespeoplequickly and easily

10 Food Normandy Advertiser October 2011www.normandyadvertiser.com

A collection of restaurants in Normandy

Advertising Feature

To advertise your restaurant with us call 0800 91 77 56

ONE OF my prized possessions is a breadboard given to my mother for Christmas 1940.It still has the faint inscription: “Waste Not”.

In May 2011 a report to the United Nationsfood and agriculture organisation stated thatthe world’s richest countries waste nearly asmuch food as the entire net food productionof Sub-Saharan Africa.

Globally, one third of food produced forhuman consumption is wasted.

These are shocking facts in times of famine,rising food prices and falling incomes. Let mejust say that in developing countries, food losscaused through production, harvest and processing is the major problem. In developedcountries the big problem is waste. Retailersand consumers throw away perfectly ediblefood in terrifying amounts.

France Nature Environmental reported in2010 that every citizen throws away 20kg offood, 7kg still in its packaging. In the UK eachyear £420 (€475) of food per household iswasted unnecessarily. In North America thefigure is $620 (€430).

I waste food; don’t we all? I am trying hardto reduce it, and believe that living in Francemakes this easier. For example, fruit and vegetables, the most wasted items in the UK,are much easier to buy loose here.

I suspect that people in France struggle withtwo areas of potential waste: bread and cheese.Depending on the size of your household, andyour capacity for both, I think many readerswould agree. That half baguette hangingaround or the leftover pieces of cheese, lurkingin the back of the fridge ? Why not put themto good use!

Suggestions for bread:Cut it into slices, put into a plastic bag, add

a little oil and shake, then spread on a bakingtray and bake when cooking something else.Then cool and store in a tin for canapés, or tofloat on soup with cheese.

Bake without oil, then crush and store in anairtight container for crumb coating.

If fairly fresh, crumb in the blender/proces-sor and then bag and freeze, making dishes asbelow.

For cheese:Grate and bag in the freezer for all sorts of

dishes.Soft cheeses can be turned into quiches and

tarts, especially good with red onions.A Provençal recipe blends soft goat and blue

cheese with a little marc or brandy for thecheese board, or as an apéritif with toasts.

For many other suggestions go to www.lovefoodhatewaste.com

Here is one of our family recipes that usesboth bread and cheese.

Eat it, don’t bin itAfter she was chosen asfirst BBC Masterchef in1990 JOAN BUNTING wassoon writing a foodcolumn and doing BBClocal radio. Now the former advisory teacherhas retired and movedpermanently to her homein France, but is still keento tell readers aboutgood food.

Caline Montfort, of Julien de Savignac wine merchants (www.julien-de-savignac.com), says:Caravansérail 2007 of Domaine Chemins d’Orient. €9.80. Pecharmant. Red wine withcharacter. It is soft, fruity with a spicy note, thanks to the excellent soils of Pecharmant,allowing Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Malbec to express themselves fully. This wine will stand up to the mustard and cheese, but still marrygently with the bread, milk and butter as it remains very soft in tanins.

Which wine should I drink with this?

Fluffy Cheese Pudding - serves 4

EASY: Don’t waste leftover cheese and bread – turn it into a delicious family meal

Heat the milk with the butter, then addthe onion and crumbs and leave to soak forat least half an hour or overnight.

Beat the mustard, salt and pepper intothe egg yolks and add these and thecheese to the crumb mixture.

Whisk the egg whites until firm, fold in.

Pour into a litre buttered dish and cook at200°C (400°F) for 40 minutes, lowering theheat if the top begins to brown too much.When the pudding is firm to the touchserve at once with a green salad and bakedtomato halves.

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INGREDIENTS

500 ml milk50 g butter

100g fresh/frozen breadcrumbs 1tbsp grated or finely chopped onion

1tsp mustard Salt and pepper 2 eggs, separated 150g grated cheese

METHOD

Tried and tested by usA Normandy Advertiser team member has put this recipeto the test, hoping to pass on some handy hints whenyou try the recipe at home: “Georges my eight-year-old son helped me make this easy tea-time treat. Theonly drawback was the infusion time needed for thebread and milk mix (one night). A good tip to cutdown on washing up is to put the bread slices in themilk with the onion then put in the microwave forone minute. It is then easy to mash. Whisking theegg white did give the dish a nice soufflé texture. If Imade it again I would add some lardons for extraflavour. We served with a rocket and tomato salad.”

Business 11Normandy Advertiser October 2011 www.normandyadvertiser.com

FINANCE

THANKS for your question – I appreciate that the exchangerate movements have been difficult to budget for, especiallyfor people with a fixed income.

Setting up as an auto entrepreneur for commercial activities is quite straightforward, and the cheapest optionfor any social charges that you would pay on the sales ofgreeting cards. I assume that you already have medical coverwith your EU exemption certificate for pensioners, so thelevel of income that you would need to generate from yournew business does not have to be sufficient to justify yoursocial cover. You only pay social charges on the sales thatyou make – pay as you go!

The auto entrepreneur has a special tax and social regimewhich is called the micro social simplifié. Your social contributions are calculated on sales, either on a quarterlyor monthly basis. The amount you would pay on the sale ofgreetings cards would be 12% of your sales.

You can register your business on line on the governmentsite: http://www.lautoentrepreneur.fr/.

If you intend to sell your greetings cards at markets, thenyou will also need a carte ambulante from the prefecture.

As an auto entrepreneur you also have the advantage ofhaving a siret number which will allow you to advertise andpromote your new business.

VDI (vendeur à domicile indépendant) is a system wherebyyou sell directly to clients, without cold calling - “party plan”such as Tupperware in the UK. How you need to be registered for this type of business depends on whether youhave a contract of employment with the company that youare going to sell to, or whether you are an independentagent, who earns commission only on products sold.

If you are only planning to make occasional sales thenthere is a special statut, vendeur à domicile occasionnel,which means that you are not registered with the chambrede commerce, nor the special register for agentscommerciaux, nor are you an employee.

You must, however, be covered by a contract of representation under article 1984 of the Civil Code.

You must register your business if: You complete three complete years of trading.If, for each of these three years, you earn more than 50%

of annual social security plafond.Whether to be registered as an autopreneur or not will

depend upon the commercial contracts that you enter into,and although you might think that taking the advice of anaccountant might be expensive, it’s well worth it for anybusiness creation to make sure that you make the rightchoices for your circumstances.

Good luck with your new business!

My husband and I retired to the Sourdeval area sixyears ago and, since the drop in the exchange rate,are finding it increasingly difficult to make endsmeet comfortably. I have been looking into sellinggreetings cards part-ttime to boost our income, andunderstand the best way to do this is as an autoentrepreneur. I have also read about the system ofVDI, vente à domicile independent. Could youadvise me how to proceed and would I need anaccountant to set me up or more long term as I amobviously trying to watch my costs?

Photo:© Elenathew

ise - Fotolia.com

Judy can be contacted through The Advertiser or by email: [email protected] She is also on Twitter at @NormandyBizGp

JUDY MANSFIELD has lived and worked in Calvados fornearly nine years. She is an agent commercial, andworked at an estate agency in Lisieux for several yearsbefore branching out into business development,primarily for currency specialists First Rate FX andlatterly for small businesses in Normandy.

How credible are you? Meeting expectations and keeping your promises are vital if you want to keepyour clients satisfied.RECENTLY, I was listening to an interesting talk by Dinah Liversidge, arenowned business coach and speaker,who was talking about the importance ofcredibility. She referred to the“Credibility Curve” – about how difficulta journey it is to climb up the curve toestablish your credibility, but also justhow easily you can slide down the curveand destroy your credibility.

For me, the prime example of destroying credibility is Gerald Ratner –remember him? His family had set up achain of high street jewellers selling“affordable” pieces and Mr Ratner was making an after-dinner speech. Maybehe had partaken too freely of the wine,but inexplicably, he cheerfully admittedto the roomful of business people thathis company sold “crap”.

Sales plummeted – which of us wouldadmit to owning, or buying, crap?Shortly afterwards, the company folded,and all down to an off-the-cuff comment.

Building up your credibility takes time.I asked various people what they felt wasnecessary to establish credibility, and thereplies were interestingly similar:

Do what you say you are going to do.Call people when you say you will.Stick to delivery dates.Demonstrate your credibility by

showing what you can do.Gather testimonials from satisfied

clients.Ensure you deal with complaints

promptly and honestly.In short, managing client expectations

is key to establishing and maintainingyour credibility. Do not over-promiseand under-deliver, especially when youare part of the expat community, wherenews, good or bad, spreads very quickly.

A key to deciding whether you aredoing all you can is to recognise whatirritates you about suppliers and businesses. What would put you offusing another company? Are you guiltyof the same traits?

Joint VenturesKeep your friends close, and your enemies closer (Sun-tzu. Chinese generaland military strategist 400BC) .

I have the entrepreneur, businessauthor and speaker Daniel Priestley tothank for introducing me to the conceptof joint ventures.

Sometimes we get asked to take on ajob that we cannot accept, either becausewe are already booked up, or because itis a bit too big, especially for those of usworking as a solo business. Maybe youhave the opportunity to advertise in thepress, or take a stand at an exhibition,but it is just outside your budget.

This is where a joint venture can comein useful. Rather than turning workdown, or letting your potential clientfind someone else, pass the work to acompetitor! That’s right – stop looking atthose in the same industry as the enemy,and start seeing them as potential JVpartners.

Talk to them, decide if they are credible, and add them to your networkcontacts (you are actively networking,right?) Who in your network could youshare the work or opportunity with? Itmay be passing a job their way, or telling

them of an opportunity you cannotmake use of. If you do this with goodheart, you will find it reciprocated.

People in complementary businessesare very useful JV partners. Estate agentsand surveyors, electricians and carpenters, builders and landscape gardeners, caretakers and insurancecompanies ... the possibilities are endless.Look at who you could team up with,whether in your industry or a complementary industry. Suddenly youhave a whole new world of work possibilities opening up.

This is not just theory – it is alreadyhappening in the Normandy BusinessGroup. People are beginning to find outwho they can confidently pass work to;who they can work alongside and whodelivers. There are many examples ofsuccessful joint venture working. Comealong to a Meet-Up and find out!

Finally, congratulations to SabinaLorkin for her business tip from lastmonth’s competition. Sabina’s tip wasabout time management when workingfrom a home office. She says that theinternet and email is a great tool, but canbe a great distraction. Set a time of dayto manage your emails. She suggests halfan hour is sufficient. Do this first thingin the morning, and again in the afternoon. Read your emails, delete asnecessary and only respond to the urgentones there and then, prioritise the others for reply. A copy of JudyHeminsley’s book “Working from Home”is on its way to Sabina. I will be printingother tips over the winter in this column.

Normandy Business Group is FREE tojoin, very welcoming and supportive andthere are lots of events. Go towww.meetup.com/normandy-business-group We can arrange events throughout Normandy.

Customer service is key to credibility

Photo:© treenabeena - Fotolia.com

Join forces and raise credibility

Dinah Liversidge - Potential Un-limitedwww.dinahliversidge.comDaniel Priestley - Becoming a KeyPerson of Influencewww.danielpriestley.wordpress.com/daniel-priestley

12 Directory Normandy Advertiser October 2011www.normandyadvertiser.com

ANIMALS & PETS

BUILDERS & RENOVATION

BUSINESS & WEBSITES

CARPENTERS

EDUCATION & LANGUAGE

ELECTRICIANS

ESTATE AGENTS

FINANCE & INSURANCE

FOOD & CATERING

Le Chateau deCrosville sur Douve

Welcomes you to our newrestaurant

Varied menu each weekOpen Thurs, Fri & Sat evenings

Sunday lunchtimesTel: 02 33 41 67 25 / 06 98 76 60 60

Photos onwww.chateaucrosville.com

email:[email protected]

LE BREWERY10 years of brewing in Normandy

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Chenil du Val KennelsSmall, friendly, professional kennel

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World Wide PetTransporter / Relocator

Ministry approvedNo. 61195004 – 61195001Offices CDG Airport Paris

Offices and Kennels NormandyTel: 01 48 62 87 25 CDG ParisTel: 02 33 38 41 32 Normandy

www.goldenwaypets.comSiret: 397549551

Acorn Kennels & Cattery

Qualified and professional careof your pet while you are away

www.AcornKennelsandCattery.comTel: 02 33 49 63 22

Siret: 479 825 168 00012

ANIMAL COURIERSExperienced couriers specialisingin pet travel between France / UK /

Spain or within France. Pet passport advice.

Tel: 0044 (0) 1483200123Email: [email protected]

Web: www.animalcouriers.com

NORMANDY KENNELSSmall, caring and qualified

English run kennels and catteryContact Jon or Sue Tel 02 31 67 93 48

Near Vire Dept 14www.normandykennels.com

[email protected] 48914001200019

Chenil Les Mille Calins

English Run5 Star accommodation

for Dogs/CatsComprising of underfloor

heated kennels Qualified staff

Top Quality food and exerciseOnly 45 minutes south of Caen

Convenient Ferry AccessSAFETY COMFORT AND CARE FOR

YOUR PET, PEACE OF MIND FOR YOUwww.goldenwaypets.comTelephone 02 33 37 49 19Emergency 02 33 38 41 32

Fax 02 33 38 44 16

NORMANDYADVERTISER

Advertise here ALL YEAR from just €165HT

Call free on 0800 91 77 56

or email: [email protected]

NORMANDY DIRECTORY

Directory 13Normandy Advertiser October 2011 www.normandyadvertiser.com

GARDENS & POOLS

GENERAL

MOTORING

PROPERTY SERVICES

REMOVALS & TRANSPORT

RETAIL & COMMERCE

CLASSIFIEDS

For rent 850�/month: beautiful 250M2independent appartment over 3 floors inNormandy Manor, private grounds.Suitable artists/meditation/hideaway.Consider sale of whole manor: 650000� [email protected]

WOODBURNERSAsh Grove Stoves

Supplier ofHunter - Villager

- Clean Burn - Fire Visible - Boiler versions available- Deliveries all over France- Prices on our website

Lowest Prices Guaranteed

Tel: 00 44 (0) 1392 861579www.ashgrovestoves.com

[email protected]

WOOD STOVE STUDIOWood burning stoves and Cuisinieres from

Cashin Camina CleanburnEsse Hunter Parkray

Stovaxon display at our dept 61 showroom

Selkirk chimneyand flexible liner

Full installation servicewww.woodstovestudio.com [email protected]

Tel 02 33 12 57 26Siret 498 597 632 00013

LE BON CHOIXDEPOT - VENTE

Tel: 02 43 03 37 72www.lebonchoixdepotvente.com

DIRECT LOISIRSN°1 in all of France for direct

sale of mobile homes andchalets. Looking for a plot by

the sea?

DIRECT LOISIRS can offer sitesto rent or buy in small

residential parks.

Visit our permanent display in Gavray.ZA Route de Coutances

50450 Gavraytel: 02 33 91 16 80

www.directloisirs.com

BERTIN COUVERTURE15 Years experience in roofing and zinc

New and restauration / Chimney Sweep02 33 38 28 86

With 10 years insurance - Siret: 50792761400010

WOODBURNERSBY THE STOVE SHACK

ESSE - HUNTER - WOODWARM- Full lining and installation

of all Stoves - Free Survey and Advice

in Depts 14,50,61- Stoves eligible for

Credit d'impots- 20 yrs experience - HETAS and NVQ Qualified

Tel 02 33 17 25 [email protected]

www.thestoveshack.euSiret No 510 070 535 00016

MOVINGTO OR FROM

FRANCE?Weekly services to

& from FranceFull or part loads, 4wks free storage,

25 Yearsexperience

Contact:Anglo French RemovalsTel: +44 (0) 1622 690 653

Email: [email protected]

REFLEX MOODYS LTDSALISBURY

REMOVALSUK - FRANCE - UK

• Weekly Service • Full & Part Loads• Container Storage

• BAR Members• On-line Quotation

• Internet Shopping Deliveries00 44 1722 414350

[email protected] Regn No: UK 5186435TVA / VAT No: UK 864 7217 04

D & KREMOVALSLight Removals to and from

France. Best prices, best service.T: + 44 (0) 079705 30723

E: [email protected]

INVICTA INTERNATIONALLIGHT HAULAGE SERVICESStore Collections, General Removals,

Motorcycle Recovery.France, UK, Europe.Tel: 02 33 64 99 31

Email: [email protected] Number 51407345.1-0001.5

FISHFACE REMOVALS UK - FRANCE - UK Full and part loads You pack,

we move, you save! 0044 (0)1327 264627 UK

Email: [email protected] www.fishfaceremovals.com

SELF STORAGE FACILITY 61SECURE SITE

NEW STORAGE CONTAINERSCOMPETITIVE PRICES

Tel: 02 33 30 89 20Email: [email protected]

Web: www.pjmselfstorage.comSiret: 41153948300020 - Regions: All of France

Chimney SweepWood StoveInstallationProperty

ManagementIain Davison

www.propertycarepeople.comTel: 02 33 14 09 55

Email: [email protected]: 494799968

ROOFING SPECIALISTCCoommpplleettee wwoorrkkss//rreeppaaiirrss uunnddeerrttaakkeenn

BBaasseedd iinn tthhee SSoommmmee aarreeaaAAllll NNoorrtthheerrnn rreeggiioonnss CCoonnssiiddeerreeddContact Chris or Barbara Wood

Tel: 03 22 32 59 [email protected]

Siret: 502368103

CHIMNEY SWEEPBlack Cat Services

Expert English Sweep, Mess FreeRegistered, Insured.

Certificate de Ramonage IssuedTel : 02 33 50 84 91

Email: [email protected]

Chris HuttENGLISH TV INSTALLER

TV & Internet - all works guaranteed

www.ashnormandie.comTel: 02 33 91 69 29

Email: [email protected]: 491 624 367

TEMPLIERS SECURITEPROTECTION PRIVEEALL ASPECTS OF PERSONAL &

PROPERTY SECURITYEVENT SECURITY MANAGEMENT

STUD FARMS

152 Ave de Flandre75019 Paris

Tel: 09 81 72 17 02Mobile : 06 61 32 77 91

Email : templierblanc@hotmail.frwww.templierssecuriteprotectionprivee.com

SARL QUESNEE

HOME & PROPERTYSECURITY SOLUTIONS

COMPLETE RANGE OF ALARMSGATES- GARAGE DOORS -CCTV

FREE ADVICE & QUOTES

VIRE - 02 31 68 95 00CAEN - 02 31 85 27 62

POWER & LIGHT SERVICESELECTRICAL & PLUMBING

SERVICESALL WORK FULLY INSURED.

Tel: 02 33 70 88 24Email: [email protected] Covered: 50,14,61,22

Siret: 515 210 847 00015

ELECTRICIAN / PLUMBERand HEATING ENGINEERFrench Registered - Over 35 years experience

David Christie - 02 33 51 05 91Mobile: 06 31 97 58 15

Email: [email protected] Manche Siret: 481 604 411 00019

Dr GroundworksGroundworks including gravel drives, septic tanks,

drainage, footings, concrete bases and landscaping. Based near Carentan (50)

Tel: 09 54 61 28 51 / 06 71 28 00 66www.dr-groundworks.com

[email protected]

CHIMNEY SWEEPPROPERTY MANAGEMENT

DEPT 50Stephen Ramsbottom - 0233172361

e-mail: [email protected]

siret: 51114827200012

Kilrush Cars Ltd

A large selection ofEuropean

Left Hand Drive

CarsOne owner - FSH - C.O.CTel: 00 44 (0) 1252 782883

www.kilrushcars.com

ENGLISHLANGUAGEFUNERALS

Your needs, your wishes09 65 35 17 56

www.englishlanguagefunerals.fr

Seans Garden ServicesLawns – Hedges – TreesOvergrown plots cleared.

Free quotes for one-off jobs.Call Sean 02 31 09 27 00

Email: [email protected]: 50139841600013

GARDEN MAINTENANCEGarden Clearance - Grass Cutting

Hedge Cutting - Strimming and WeedKilling

Tel: Charlie 02 33 91 78 05Email: [email protected]

St Sever Area Siret 49763502900018

Mark Dupee LANDSCAPE GARDENER

Est 1994Tel: 02 33 90 92 28

Mobile: 06 68 74 83 41Email: [email protected]

Siret 49509842800016

ADVERTISING FEATURE

NEARLY three years ago Dutchentrepreneur Richard Kroon cameup with a new way to sell Frenchproperty that was better, faster andcheaper than the methods in use atthat time. His company, Houses onInternet, was born a few monthslater and today four people workfull-time and nearly 70 local repre-sentatives work part-time to sell hisclients’ French properties.

The 50-year old marketing andinternet pioneer was one of the firstto recognise the power of the inter-net in 1998 and offered online solu-tions to European businesses thatwanted to attract new markets.

The concept behind Houses onInternet is exactly the same as theone Richard developed for thoseEuropean companies - except nowhe uses today’s modern techniques.

“It is basically the same thing: asan owner (seller) you are looking for

clients (potential property buyers).In the old days this buyer used topass by an estate agent’s window, seea photo he or she liked, and walk in,but unfortunately those days areover,” said Richard.

With economies struggling, manypotential buyers are uncertain ofhow much they can spend on ahouse, which in a lot of casesincreases the average time a proper-ty is on the market.

With non-stop Google advertising,along with putting each house onother leading property websites, theHouses on Internet website reachesover 100,000 visitors per monthfrom over 25 different countriesworldwide.

“After the traditionally slow sum-mer period, sales really have beengoing up again since earlySeptember. The only difference isthat the buyers are not the same as

those we were seeing one or twoyears ago, when the majority wereFrench, British, Belgian or Dutch,”said Richard.

“This majority is shrinking rapidlyand we have been selling propertiesnow to people from countries likethe USA, Canada, Africa, Asia,Russia, Finland, Australia and NewZealand. Our policy to think globaland advertise worldwide definitelyseems to pay off.”

Putting your property on the mar-ket with Houses on Internet is easy.Just visit the website www.hous-esoninternet.com and go to the page“selling a property”. Here you willfind all the information you needand at the bottom of the page is aform you can fill in to sign up.

Richard personally calls everyonethat submits the form. “Some peoplemight still have questions or justwant to share their experiences with

me, so I believe it is important tohave that initial talk,” he said.

From then on, the company’s well-oiled machine starts working for theclient. A local representative calls tomake an appoint-ment and take alarge selection ofphotos.

Following this aquestionnaire, inthe customer’sown language, issent to gatherinformationabout the house;texts are writtenand translated,and the photosare edited.

The end resultis presented on awebsite that hasbeen speciallymade to sell theproperty, whichwill then be

viewed by potential buyers all overthe world.

www.housesoninternet.comTel. 05 55 65 12 19

If you are looking to sell your French home, Richard Kroon’s company, Houses onInternet, will ensure it gains exposure to buyers in over 25 countries worldwide

Target the international property market

Richard Kroon’s website for Houses on Internetreaches over 100,000 visitors each month

14 Property Normandy Advertiser October 2011www.normandyadvertiser.com

DIY tips

TOLLEVAST02.33.88.54.54

QUERQUEVILLE02.33.01.88.00

www.mr-bricolage.fr

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How to restore oldwooden furniture

BUYING old wooden furniture in an auction or secondhand shop can be an economical way of furnishing yourhome, especially if you are prepared to go for the piecesthat need some work. However make sure the wood isgood quality and that there are no serious faults, or restora-tion will have to be carried out by a professional.

First step in the restoration process is to strip back anyold paint and varnish. If there are several layers, paintstripper is the quickest and most effective solution. Becareful not to leave it on for too long and to wash down thewood with warm water and a cloth afterwards. Once thewood has dried, sand down the surfaces to remove anyremaining paint or varnish.

Next carry out any repairs that need doing. Wood filler isbest for cracks and holes. It is available in different colours,but choose carefully as when dry they can sometimes lookdarker than the wood. Start by cleaning out the cracks orholes and then firmly press in the filler, leaving a smallamount above the surface of the wood. Once it is set,smooth the patch down to the level of the wood with finegrade sandpaper. Continue sanding the rest of the piece offurniture down.

If you would like a natural finish to the wood, gently rubin a light wood stain, following the instructions on the tinand apply furniture wax when dry. To varnish, proceedaccording to instructions on the box and again wax to pro-tect as a final step.

Sometimes the piece of furniture is in good condition bara few superficial stains. In this case, work can be carriedout on those small areas alone. Below are a couple of com-mon problems and solutions.

White SpotsLightly wipe the area with a small amount of methylatedspirits. It is important not to use too much as it can dam-age the finish. If this doesn’t work, use a very fine abrasivein paste form – several applications may be necessary. Assoon as the stain has disappeared, wipe the wood with asoft cloth and apply several layers of hard furniture wax.

BlushingThis is when a white haze appears over the surface of apiece of furniture and is a common problem with old fin-ishes. Blushing is caused by moisture. Firstly, try the sametechniques as for removing white spots. If this doesn’twork, take some No. 0000 steel wool dipped in linseed oiland lightly buff the surface, working with the grain of thewood. Once finished, wipe down with a cloth and applyhard furniture wax.

A small amount of work can transform old wood

Photo:© tiero - Fotolia.com

If you want to reduce yourcarbon footprint and heating bills, there are several popular renewableenergy options to choosefrom: solar, biomass orwood-fired, aerothermal and geothermal. FRANCES COOKfinds out more about whateach system involves.

Going solarUSING the inexhaustible nat-ural energy from the sun byinstalling solar thermal panels– either evacuated tube or flatplate – is an effective, pollu-tion-free alternative to fossilfuels.

“A solar thermal system canreduce bills for domesticwater heating by up to 70%,”said Michael Swan, ofDordogne-based Swan Solar.

A stand-alone solar thermalhot water system using evacu-ated tubes is considered oneof the best ways to heat water.“The vacuum inside eachtube provides perfect insula-tion and protects the systemfrom cold and windy weather,so even in these conditions, aslong as it is light it will work,”said Paul Elliott, who runs

Ecopower. It can generatemore than 90% of hot waterneeds.

A 45% crédit d’impôt(money off income tax) isavailable calculated on thecost of materials for a solarthermal system, which takesup to two days to install. A22% tax credit is available forsolar photovoltaic panels,which generate electricity.

To qualify for credits it isvital to use materials of theright specifications, so it isimportant to use a well-estab-lished firm. Detailed factures(bills) should be kept asproof.

Biomass or wood-fired systemsWith almost 17 millionhectares of tree coverage in

France, using a biomass orwood-fired system is a popu-lar choice. There are twotypes of stove: a wood stove,which heats the room it is in,and wood boiler stoves.

The latter can fall into twocategories: a stove which has awrap-around boiler, or woodgasification, wood pellet and

Reduce heating costs andcut your carbon footprint

Installing a solar system attracts moneyoff income tax. Below:

pellets for a biomass boiler

other biomass boilers, whichare normally housed in a sep-arate room from a tank wherethe heat is stored. Tax creditsof up to 36% are offered.

Doubling up onsolar and woodThe combined approach ofinstalling a solar thermal hotwater system and a woodgasification boiler can be aneffective way to heat yourhome. “We save €3,000 peryear on energy bills - basedon a 300m2 house once heat-ed by oil and electricity andnow heated by the sun andwood,” said Mr Swan.

He added that the gasifica-tion boiler and solar panelscomplement each other byworking at different times ofthe year and also heat theswimming pool.

Aerothermal and geothermalAir source heat pumps takefreely available energy fromthe air around your home,and much of the installationwork happens outside, sothere is minimal disruption ormess. “Even though air tem-peratures vary at differenttimes of year, there is always avast amount of thermal ener-gy available,” said Mr Elliott.He added some air sourceheat pumps will operate evenwhen the outside temperatureis -15°C.

Ground source heat pumpstake the heat out of theground, the temperature ofwhich is more stable andhigher than that of the air.

Although extensive diggingup can be disruptive and cost-ly, this type of system is cost-effective for renovations ornew builds where the groundworks are combined withother works.

Tax credits of up to 36% areavailable for heat pumps.

Phot

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Property 15Normandy Advertiser October 2011 www.normandyadvertiser.com

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by STAFF REPORTER

Matt GilksLandscape Gardening ServiceLandscaping Service Garden Products

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Pruning: Trim back to encourage new spring growth

A fiery farewellto summer foliageAUTUMN is here and it is time to enjoy cooler weather andberries and fruit in the garden. Virginia Creeper, Acerpalmatum, Pyracantha and Rubeckia will add vivid colour toyour garden in October. The main tasks this month are toclear any remaining summer bedding plants, plant springbulbs and prepare less hardy plants for colder weather orfrosts. Clean dead leaves from ponds and cover with netting.

In the flower garden, October is the best month to plantbulbs (daffodils, tulips, crocus) and biannually floweringplants such as daisies, wallflowers (stock) and forget-me-nots. Between these you can sow spring flowers. Lavenderand climbing roses can be pruned to encourage new growthand dahlia tubers should be dug up before the first frosts.Geraniums, fuschias and begonias should be brought in to adry, frost-free winter storage area. October is an ideal monthto hoe weeds, mow and repair lawns, lay turf and make rosecuttings. A tip for a long-lasting splash of colour in thespring, is to plant different bulb varieties in layers in one pot.The display should go on for weeks.

In the fruit garden, it is time to prune fruit canes and orderseeds for next year. Pick ripe apples, pears and grapes andstore those unblemished. It is the season to prune trees andplant new apricot, nectarine and peach trees before the soilcools down over winter. Once you have harvested blackber-ries and raspberries, trim down the stems to make room fornext year's growth. Raise and separate rhubarb crowns andprevent strawberry runners running wild. Take wood cut-tings from grape vines, fig trees and gooseberries, and pro-tect young fig trees with netting filled with straw. Beat thesquirrels to your garden hazelnuts and sweet chestnuts oncethey are an orange/brown colour.

In the vegetable patch pick beans, plant cabbages, trimback asparagus leaves and make the beds ready for springplanting. Cut back tomato leaves, exposing fruit to ripen andharvest pumpkins and squashes, putting them first in thesun so their skins harden, then storing in a cool, dry, unlitarea. You can reap your onion crop and fold over the leavesof any remaining to stop them seeding. Potatoes, carrots andbeetroot should be dug up and herbs picked and stored, sav-ing seeds if possible. Dig unused plots , adding manure.

Finally, in the greenhouse, monitor the temperature andservice any heating equipment. Check your potted plants donot become pot bound, and support fruiting tomato plants.

French October weather proverbs : Brouillards d'octobre et pluvieux novembre, font bon

décembre (October fog and November rain means fairDecember weather). A la saint-Denis, l'hiver fait son lit (On Saint Denis' Day

- October 9 - winter sets its course).

PROPERTIES AROUND FRANCE

REF: 13439sdd

€€133,500

ENERGY RATING = F & B

Périers, MancheLiving room with fireplace andbeamed ceiling, fitted kitchen,lounge, 3 bedrooms andbathroom, converted attic,exposed beams. Attached garageand cellar.

REF: DOM1306

€€159,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Vimoutiers, OrneThis house comprises 3 bedrooms, bathroom, WC, living room with fireplace,kitchen, utility room. Land areaof 3000m2, garden shed andspace for parking.

REF: 22

€€685,000

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Trelly, MancheFully equipped kitchen, diningroom, large lounge, office, toilet.3 large bedrooms with each aprivate ensuite bathroom, largeconvertible attic, garage, terracewith BBQ, southfacing gardenand large outbuildings.

REF: DOM1347

€€577,500

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Bolbec, Seine-MaritimeCharming ‘colombage’ housebuilt approx 1629. Very goodcondition. Workshop and barn.Double garage. 5 bedrooms,230m2 habitable space. Set in5600m2 (1.38acres) of grounds.

PROPERTIES IN NORMANDY

Buying or selling a property in oraround Normandy? We can help.Our website www.connexionfrance.comcarries details of more than 14,000homes for sale across France.

We also feature properties for sale in thisdedicated section of the paper eachmonth. To find out more about any par-ticular property, go to www.connexion-france.com and enter the ref: codeshown under the property.

For sellers, the adverts are also dis-played across a range of popularEnglish-language websites and are seenby thousands of potential buyers EVERYday. Our 3+3 package costs just€200TTC and gives you three months

online advertising as well as a printadvert in three editions of TheAdvertiser. Our 6+6 package is bestvalue at €330TTC and provides thesame, but for six months via each channel.

Contact us on 0800 91 77 56 (freephone in France) or email [email protected]

More details on all these properties - and how to contact the seller directly - can be found in the property for sale section of

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

New Consumption and Emission Chart- e.g. Energy rating C & F refers to C for Consumption and F for Emissions

Houses for sale in and around Normandy

Saintes, Charente-MaritimeLarge sitting/dining room,kitchen, entrance hall, pantry, 3bedrooms/study, bathroom,recreation room(formerly anoffice and now a music room),garage. Large cellar.

REF: IFPC21202

€€186,500

ENERGY RATING = D & E REF: 12241

€€355,100

ENERGY RATING = Not given

Allemans, DordogneThis house comprises 4 goodsized bedrooms, 2 fullyequipped and modern kitchens,large lounge with fireplace, patio door, dining room, office and tower.

www.mayenne53.comTel 02 43 13 06 56 [email protected]

Matt GilksLandscape Gardening Service

16 Profile Normandy Advertiser October 2011www.normandyadvertiser.com

From backyard to vineyard

YOU would not have thought that wine andspace technology would mix particularly well,but according to retired rocket engineer,Francis Obé, the two are not worlds apart.

When the now mayor of Arnières-sur-Itonretired from a career in space technology fiveyears ago, he needed something to fill his days.

The 63-year-old amateur wine-grower andhis wife Yvonne have been makingChardonnay in their back garden since 1991.In return for a few hours a week checking thesoil and pruning the 50 vines, they can produce up to 30 litres of “palatable” wine ayear, weather permitting.

Over the years, Mr Obé’s ambition hasstretched beyond the grapes in his backgarden. It has taken him to the classroom,where he gained a professional qualification inwine growing. This, in turn, inspired a ratherwonderful vision: he wants to see a vineyardplanted on the hill that overlooks Evreux.

He said: “Normandy is the apple region now,but there were vineyards on those hills as farback as the Middle Ages. If the vineyard wasplanted again, people would be able to see itfrom the cinema right in the town centre.”

This is not a pie-in-the-sky idea, but a project which has been thoroughly researched,well thought through and written up into a 24-page report – and the town council is considering turning this dream into a reality.

Evreux is slightly further south than Reims,

the famous Champagne capital, and the climate is similar.

Mr Obé said: “It wouldn’t be particularlynice-tasting or expensive, but it would probably be sold by an association to keep theproject running.”

He admits that if he had his time again, hewould buy a property on a vineyard, perhapsin the Loire Valley, and make wine for a living.

“At my age it is too late, but if I could, Iwould take it up as a career, because it is complete. You go from the soil, to the grape,then you make a product, you taste it, you

drink it, you sell it. You do everything. But youneed to be young. There’s a lot of work.”

A life working the soil is quite far removedfrom the years spent working on the guidanceand control of rocket launchers, but Mr Obéinsists that there are more similarities thanyou might think.

“Space technology is like anything else, youbreak it down into smaller pieces and everybody does their bit.

“Vineyards work on the same principle. Themechanics of fermentation are similar. Itrevolves around chemical reactions and it is

extremely complex. In fact, it reaches suchcomplexity that it’s comparable to astrophysics.”

The wine grower feels passionately about thescience behind wine: “It’s not just a romanticnotion, it is a reality. Researchers are trying toidentify all the products and molecules inwine. It’s an extremely complex product withmore than 500 molecules. For instance when awine smells of roses, you study the moleculesand you find that there is the same moleculein the wine as there is in the flower.”

This autumn will be a quiet one back at theObé vineyard. The grapes have not ripened.There will be no wine. But accepting thatsome years are better than others is part andparcel of making wine. There is always nextyear.

Francis Obé can produce up to 30 litres of wine from his garden vines in a good year

It’s not rocket science, but producingwine is just as complex, says one grower. AMY McCORMACK meetsthe mayor with a vision for a vineyard. “As a career it is complete.

You go from the soil, to thegrape, then you make aproduct, you taste it, youdrink it, you sell it. You doeverything

Francis Obé

Photo: Eure Infos