N4 Normandy Magazine

Also in this issue:Mont Saint Michel The D-Day StoryManoir de Bellauney Computers and the InternetForecign Currency exchange De Fil en AiguilleArts in the GardenSee more at:http://magazine.nfornormandy.com

The Anglo Magazine for Normandy September 2010

N4Normandy

This month... KAS updateUltra Secure InternetChicken &

Mushroom Pie

2 • www.n4normandy.com • September 2010

September Contents

Mont Saint Michel 10Part 4The Old Houses

The D-Day Story 16Part 8Ste. Come du Mont

Property Management in Normandy 20by Rich Ealing

Computers and the Internet 23Reliable and Ultra Secure Internet Connectionsby Steven Dukni

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

De Fil en Aiguille 30by Wendy Wise

www.n4normandy.com • September 2010 • 3

KAS 35Sweetheart to the Forces

Guest Châteaux of Normandy 39by Diane Ohanian

Business Section 43Fiscal advantages for families in the French Systemby Stephanie & Jeremy Godwin

What’s on in September 47

Pet’s Corner 48The various type of Horse and Blankets and Sheetsby Theresa Truscott

Food and Drink 50Chicken and Mushroom PieBy Lindsey Sermon

Table d‘hote with a difference 58by Brian Ashbee

Contact Us:The Editor:[email protected]

Production:[email protected]

Sales & Advertising:[email protected]

Whats on Guide:[email protected]

Marketing:[email protected]

Subscription mailing list:[email protected]

Website enquiries:[email protected]

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


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QUE SERRA SERRA

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SING SING SING

IF I LOVED YOU

A TISKET A TASKET


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QUE SERRA SERRA

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We Fix Apple MacsMac Service & Board Repair Ltd

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The town houses of Mont-St-Michel with originally all constructedof timber- frames, but during the late 19th century and the BelleEpoch era most were torn down and replaced by much morecomfortable dwelling places, although the original land divisionswere adhered to. A beautiful stone and timbered building cling-

ing to the town ramparts andconstructed on corbels, facingthe Kings Gate is known as thehouse of the Arches. In timesgone by this lovely buildingonce housed a part of the town’s garrison.

Not far from the house of arches is an un-usual building faced in wooded shingles.This is the house of the Artichoke, itsname deriving from the floret of itsdormer windows and bridge across themain street. The Inn of the Unicorn oppo-site the modern but very sympatheticallydesigned hotel Saint-Pierre, is now a sou-venir shop, but is one of the last exam-ples of buildings which oncecharacterised an earlier Mont-St-Michel

Mont Saint MichelPart 4The Old Houses


town. The house of Guesclin and his wife Tiphaine is although much restored a textbook example of old stone houses of the typical of the town. The shop of the Mou-ton Blanc or White Ram was once the establishment of the town’s old bakery, andstand directly across from a hotel of the same name.

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Special Offer

The audio-visual guide includes detailed maps and narration that willtake you round the town, ramparts and Saint Peter’s church as well as aguided tour of the Abbey with stunning photos and atmospheric music.

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The audio-visual guide includes detailed maps and narration that willtake you round the town, ramparts and Saint Peter’s church as well as aguided tour of the Abbey with stunning photos and atmospheric music.www.nfornormandy.com/audio-visual-guides-4/mont-saint-michel-audio-visual-guide/

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“Dead Man's Corner” is on the intersection joining St Come du Montand St Marie du Mont from Utah Beach. The house, (now a museumcalled “Dead Man’s Corner) faces directly down the road towardsCarentan. The stark name derives from a desperate hard fought battle between troops of the 506th parachute regiment and 101st airborne Division against the renowned "Green Devils."

Despite being heavily outnumbered the Americans fought so fiercely that the Germans were convinced they were up against a much larger force. The allies wereassisted by a lone American Stuart tank until it was disabled by shell fire. The tankCommander, Lt. Anderson, managed to open the tank hatch but was fatally woundedand lay collapsed across the tanks turret. The commander’s body was left for several days and the area given the alias “the corner with the dead guy in the tank”,later abridged to “Dead man’s corner”

The museum has several displays and in-depth information about the continued advance on Carentan.

At the town of Cassino, Italy; the German Fallschirmjager would make their pres-ence felt. Fighting as infantry, they would stop the Allied advance, keeping themtied down for months. During this operation the Allied soldiers started to call them"Green Devils". The German Fallschirmjager became noted for their bravery anddetermination throughout the war

Map and more info can be found here:http://www.nfornormandy.com/top-attractions/d-day-landing-beaches-2/dead-mans-corner-museum/

The D-DayStory

Part 8Ste. Come Du Mont


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There is a Wifi connection available which works in all of the rooms.

The Bed and Breakfast is built into the old Perimeter wall of the medieval town, solocated just one minutes walk from the heart of the medieval village of Domfront with its castle ruins, Norman churches, cobbled streets and half timbered houses.

More details seehttp://n4normandy.com/listing/76/numerocinq-septm



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An important yet seldom discussed benefit of using mo-bile broadband and a dongle to connect to the internet issecurity. Dongles running on a 3G network have builtin encryption from the signal source to your laptop'sdongle and of course in reverse for uploads. This meansthat should your wireless signal containing private orsensitive data be spliced into in midair the built in en-cryption makes deciphering that data extraordinarily dif-ficult. And don’t think a cable connection is more securethan internet without a phone line. Thieves have hookedup keystroke readers both directly in the home and outto the street cabinet so as to steal financial information.This is especially true when businesses are involved.When using a dongle connected to either your laptop ordesktop computer the actual signal is encrypted in sucha way that the midair hacker cannot even find your sig-nal let alone tap into it. Most all Wi-Fi broadcasts on thesame frequency making it simple to scoopup all the databeing passed though the air. Of course your at home Wi-Fi connection as furnished by your personal router issomewhat protected by the password and WPA or WEPencryption that allows, but usually indentity and infor-mation theft experts have tapped into your data long be-fore it reaches your wireless router.

Why is this important? Think of all the common on-line functions you might like to do. Do you pay bills ormake purchases with a credit card online? Do youcheck your bank balance or transfer funds? All of theseactions represent a substantial risk of your private per-sonal financial information being stolen. When using

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The problem is actually more common than you think.Crooks that specialize in this type of credit card orbanking theft position themselves outside internetcafes and public Wi-Fi hotspots patiently waiting togather financial data of this kind.

Your 3G connection as received on a simple pay as yougo dongle offers a high degree of security. Your datacan only be deciphered, for lack of a better term by thedongle that is attached to it.

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The author invites you to visit:www.online-broadband.co.uk

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What would you name as the number one advantage of a 3G wireless mobile broadband connection of Wi-Fi? Obviously it would not be cost.Very often a WiFi connection can be foundthat is free. And Wi-Fi allows more than one user to tap into the network at a time. Such as when you have your landline based broadband sent into a wireless router at your home.Dongles for laptops allow one computer to operate at a time.

Computers and the Internet

Reliable And Ultra Secure Internet Connectionsby: Steven Dukni


NEW

Mont St Michel Audio-Visual Guide

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

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monument be built on the island in the bay.

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

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NEWdio-Visual Guide / Podcast

The growth of electronic website use for businesshas also had a profound detrimental effect on tra-ditional printed media - several publications havedisappeared as advertising revenue falls. Monthlypublications (especially glossy magazines) havelong lead times, meaning advertising and articleshave to be input up to 2 months in advance, mak-ing it difficult to be too specific, so as to ensureyour article is current, or the properties you adver-tise are still for sale! Most switched on publica-tions are fighting back and now also have a webpresence that operates in parallel to their printedpublications.

By contrast, online media - (such as N4Nor-mandy, of course) can gather all their materialright up to the last gasp before publication, sothe content is fresh and up to date. There areseveral e-zines specific to France or to a partic-ular French region. Investing time googlingthem and getting your company listed is timewell spent. Even better if you can offer an

advertorial or informative article...

As I write this, First Rate FX is spending the UKBank Holiday weekend moving offices! We arestill on the 33rd floor at 25 Canada Square, CanaryWharf, but the increase in staff to cope with thesoaring levels of business over the last 12 monthsmeant that we had outgrown our old office space.We were able to take on some fabulous officespace with a view across London to die for (thoughnot if you are afraid of heights!).

Many other changes are afoot this autumn. Thenew website is just about ready for an autumnlaunch - this will bring exciting new features,which have necessitated an extended period oftesting to ensure that all the technical nuts andbolts fit together and work just as they should. We are also launching a holiday money cash delivery service (for UK based clients only atthis stage), saving clients £££s against buyingtheir holiday money from banks or bureaux de


Foreign CurrencyExchange

by Judy Mansfield First Rate FX

Bonjour! A quick article this time, as I have been on study leave for much of the last month. I'm doing a Marketing diploma with the Open University, and as it has been some years since I did anythingacademic, it has taken up a great deal of my time. Much of this time has been researching thegrowth of social media and its impact on business generally. Briefly, the impact is huge - Twitter,FaceBook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Ecademy and so on. It is now virtually essential that your businessis registered on all these sites.


change. Those of you with UK visitors to yourGites and Chambres d'Hotes might like to con-tact us to see how you can offer this additionalservice to your rental customers - people like tobe offered a solution!

If you know of anyone who would like to increasetheir earnings in France by recommending FirstRate FX, please get in touch to find out more, either to me, or to Chris Canning at First Rate FXin London...

Finally, it has been good to see that sterling hadbeen holding its own against the euro during thelast half of August, staying just above the £1 =1.20 euro mark. A bit different from Septemberlast year, when £1 would buy only 1.07 euros at

Interbank rate. Let's hope this rally stays with us!If you would like further information on markettrends for any currency, do contact our traders [email protected]

Next month, I'll be well into exam revision, butwill be writing about why it is vital to use an FXcompany if you trade overseas, or you source ma-terials or customers outside your own currency.

Judy Mansfieldfor First Rate FX

Contact details:Judy Mansfield: [email protected] orChris Canning: [email protected]

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

See our website at

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or call on +44 (0)207 038 8075

Roger and Sue Tomlinson, Nottingham, UK and Camembert, France

“We kept to our budget, thanks to First Rate FX”

Roger and Sue (and the famousNormandy Cow!), with the keys to their new home in

Camembert

“We had used First Rate FX before, with our first purchase in France anddecided to contact them again – we are so glad we did.”

“We could afford to buy this farmhouse in 5 acres, thanks to the wonderful exchange rate we got with First Rate FX!”.

Quote from Roger: I’m a businessman, so I look for a professional and efficient service that isgoing to save me money. That’s exactly what I got with this company.”

Quote from Sue: “Our personal dealer actually rang us to say the exchange rate had gone up andhe advised us to buy our euros right away. We are so glad we did – we saved nearly £5,000.”

First Rate FX: “We were delighted to be of help to Roger and Sue once again. We watched the currency rate for them and rang them immediately to advise them

when to buy their euros. We will continue to obtain the best rate possible as they send regular amounts into their French bank account”

David FosterCurrency Specialist, First Rate FX28 • www.n4normandy.com • September 2010

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We’ll start at St Jean des Bois, in the Orne justa few kilometers from Granville and Bayeux atthe home of Gloria Peek. Back in the UK Glo-ria worked in IT, but since retiring to Normandyshe can at last devote herself to her real passionwhich is teaching fibre crafts. She has her ownsheep which provide some of the wool for theyarn and being crafty in both senses of the word,

has a deal with the mayor of St Jean: she gets hissheep shorn in exchange for a few extra fleeces.Gloria will show you how to select a fleece andprepare it for spinning, then how to spin using aspinning wheel or a drop spindle. More experi-enced spinners can try out other fibres, like al-paca, silk or bamboo and learn different methodsof plying and how to make felt. She grows dyeplants in her garden, so you can learn naturaldyeing and try acid or food dyes too. If there’ssomething you’re dying to know how to do shewill be happy to show you. Once you’ve gotyour yarn you might like to have a go at weav-ing, there are looms for you to use (Gloria does-n’t teach weaving) or you can refresh your knit-ting or crochet skills.

Her classes are open to locals and to guests ather B and B and range from regular half dayworkshops to seven day house parties forgroups of friends. She can arrange for you to

De Fil en Aiguille

by Wendy WiseFacilitutors

If like me you’ve seen the phrase “ De fil en aiguille” and justthought it’s something to do with needles and thread but neverquite got round to looking it up, let me enlighten you, it means:one thing, eventually leads to another. So we’ll start with the “fil”or thread and see where it takes us.


try watercolour painting, pyrography andwood-turning too.

Now, for our next course we’ll follow thethread down to Luçon in the Vendée to thehome of Val Holmes. Val teaches embroideryand textile art to beginners and experiencedembroiderers alike, she exhibits widely andhas written several books on the subject. Youcan choose from a range of themed courses,such as machine embroidery, embroidered gar-dens or silk and lace or your own bespokecourse. She will take you out and about insearch of inspiration for your creations, stopping for lunch along the way.

Val offers you high quality accommodationwith wonderful food, either in her Chambred’hôte or self-catering gîte with heated pool andthere’s plenty of things for non-embroideringpartners to do, like golf or horse-riding and thebeautiful Vendée coast to explore.

Next we’ll be cutting cloth and learning patch-work in the Pyrénées with Penny Roberts at leJardin du Cure. She’s been teaching patch-work since 1979 and since moving to Franceoffers classes for locals and holiday courses forgroups of friends who stay in her well

equipped, comfortable gîtes with pool and fab-ulous gardens. You can learn the basics ofpatchwork and how to get the most from yoursewing machine or learn more advanced tech-niques and patterns, Penny will design a courseto your requirements. She says “Even a begin-ner can make a quilt in a day!” Plus you canexplore Toulouse, “La Ville Rose”, Albi, birth-place of Toulouse Lautrec or take a tour of thehaunting ruins of cathar castles.

Lastly, our thread turns green as we recycle or“re-invent” French textiles at the fabulous 18thcentury Château Dumas in Tarn et Garonne.If you’ve got boxes or drawers full of vintagefabric and lace, old pearl buttons and silk rib-bons but have never got round to doing any-thing with them, this course is for you. Your tu-tor is top stylist and textile designer RosBadger. She’s designed knitwear for BettyJackson and Margaret Howell and has just pub-lished “Homemade” (featured in BritishVogue). You’ll be guided through a series ofplanned projects including fabric bags andcushions and you’ll be encouraged to use yourown ideas. As well as five days with Ros, the course includes a day of woad dying with


expert Denise Lambert from Bleu de Lectoure,visits to local flea markets to hunt for more fab-ric finds. The château is set in 22 acres and hasa large pool and offers you hotel style pamper-ing and superb cuisine. Château Dumas alsoruns courses on silver jewellery making andhat-making with Princess Diana’s hat designer.

If you’ve been inspired to get stitching you’llfind all these courses and more onFacilitutors.com. Oh and if you never knowwhat to say when you’re asked what you’d likefor your birthday or for Christmas, I hope I’vegiven you a few ideas!

Contact details: - Gloria Peekhttp://www.crafts-at-leslandes.com/Tel 02 33 96 09 04

Val Holmeshttp://gitesvendee.com/embroideryinfrance.htmTel 02 51 27 43 39

Penny Robertshttp://www.lejardinducure.com/Tel 05 63 34 83 69

Château Dumashttp://www.chateaudumas.net/Tel 00 44 79 447917 80690517 806905

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[email protected] 05 46 33 09 89


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KAS - Sweetheart to the Forces

August’s Updatesby KAS

Hello,Kas here, last month for me hasbeen again fairly hectic. I havebeen singing at Whitstable seafront, I was lucky it stoppedraining!! It was a wonderfulview though. It was the first timethey held this event, Classic carand next year the castle renova-tions at Whitstable should becompleted? and it will be therewith military vehicles as well.

I then travelled to Shuttleworth Aircraft Museumfor my 3rd Hanger dance with Paul Roberts andthe Swingers, each year it gets better and is greatfun. I started singing Nightingale sang in BerkleySquare this time it was 4 songs. I love singing witha live band.

The next day we went onto The Flying machineShow at Upminster. The event has grown and hadsome super attractions and seeing the Sally B backin the air was just awesome. I spent a lot of my


time chatting and having a cuddle with our WW2veterans and listening to an amazing story fromone of the Forgotten Vet's from Korea.

Military Mayhem – I got to this year and per-formed, unlike last year when I came down with abad bout of chicken Pox!! not nice. This is their3rd year and they have relocated to Wrotham hill.It has grown and is one of the shows not to miss inthe future. we had a great evening and having amarquee full of swaying people singing to Sailing,was just brilliant. Sunday unfortunately it rainedbut did not dampen the spirits. As I was not singing

I decided to raise funds for Help For Heroes , Iwore a little black outfit and a mac, anyone put-ting in notes got a flash and a big note, I removedthe coat.... I was standing on a Panzer 3 TigerTank, it was all decent and good fun, attractingquite a few amateur and professional photogra-phers whilst raising a few hundred pounds for avery worthy cause. I will be there again in 2011.Finally, I had a wet but super break in bastognewith my good friends Marco an Marion. Marcoruns the store Militaria Bastogne and Battle Tours,this year with Han's are opening a museum, justoff the square in Bastogne. If you can make it for

the NUTS weekend in december 11th and 12th,you should get to see some of the Easy Companyveterans and actors who appeared in the band ofBrothers serious, hopefully there will be veteransfrom the Uk and Europe too. They have Kindly as-sisted me with my Angel's album and I am dedicat-ing the track In The Arms of an Angels to The101st Airborne Museum Le Mess. Bastogne.

Love Xx Kas xX

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

Photos Courtesy Andy Spencer



We adore the Cotentin Peninsulaof Normandy – la Manche – forits friendly people, lovely coun-try roads and inspiring coastalvillages. There's a deep sense ofcalm here - a feeling that youhave discovered a place othertourists have not - well, at leastnot many American tourists. TheBritish can - and do - hop acrossthe Channel through the Port deCherbourg quite easily and

often. History oozes from thepores of every hamlet and in stories from the local folk youmeet. It is a marvelous dest-ination, not just special in Normandy but in France.

We were not prepared for what we wereabout to find as we drove through the openiron gates flanked by sentinel-like granitecolumns at the sign ‘Manoir de Bellauney’.Inside those imposing gates was a prettyhome with lovely front gardens, meanderingpaths, and a vine-covered façade that accu-rately predicts the warmth and charm youwill find inside. Dramatic and historic, themanoir beckons you to come and stay awhile.A warm welcome from Madame Allix-Des-fauteaux is the icing on the cake. She is amost pleasant and elegant lady who truly en-joys her guests. Take time after you've set-tled in to walk around to the back of thebuilding to really appreciate the magnitudeof this outstanding Norman structure - thestrong architectural elements and characterwill leave a lasting impression.

The historic Manoir de Bellauney

Guest Châteaux of Normandy

By Diane Ohanianau Château


Manoir de Bellauney has been in the samefamily for over one hundred years. The cur-rent members of that family have ensured thatall the modern comforts are available to theirguests, while being faithful to the history oftheir home. Built in the 15th and 16th cen-turies on the site of a monastery destroyed byEdward III - son of Edward II and Isabella ofFrance and father of Edward the Black Prince- the manoir's authenticity is a big part of itscharm. The history of this King and his familyintrigues are fascinating. Today, Monsieur andMadame Allix-Desfauteaux call it home, andenjoy welcoming guests between April 1st andNovember 1st.

The entire château has been sensitively restoredby the family, and the guest rooms in their ownwing of the manoir are decorated in period styles- Medieval, Louis XV and Norman. Whicheverof the three rooms you occupy, you will truly be

Medieval Chambre. Copyright 2006-2010 Cold Spring Press. All rights reserved.


aware of the history of this five hundred year-oldresidence. Each room is inviting and comfort-able with great beds, long windows to let in thesunlight, and en suite bathrooms that are simplebut modern. Guests will experience an authen-tic historic charm peppered with fine 21st cen-tury amenities. One guest room, the MedievalChambre shown in this drawing, has its own sit-ting room and a magnificent fireplace in the bed-room to provide a relaxing atmosphere after along day of being a tourist. This room was oursfor a few nights, and we found the period fur-nishings, rich fabrics and ambiance very cozyand enchanting. It was a step back in time, andwe remember every detail to this day.

Guests of the château will enjoy a generousbreakfast each morning to give them a good startto their day. On the grounds, they can stroll themany footpaths through the property, or they cantake part in a friendly game of pétanque or tabletennis. Guests are welcome to borrow somecross-country bicycles to explore the region aswell. Parking spaces are provided on the estate.

Although dinner is not available at the Manoir,your hosts will gladly make reservations atnearby excellent restaurants, as well as provideadvice as to the important local sites, includ-ing driving directions. We enjoyed several ex-ceptional lunches and dinners as we exploredthe coastal villages. Normandy is famous theworld over for its dairy cows, scrumptiouscheeses and abundant fruit orchards. SampleCalvados, that classic apple brandy, or kir Nor-mand made by combining local apple cider,crème de cassis and Calvados. Don't miss outon any wonderful cheeses or butter that comeyour way, or you will be missing a lot!

You may find yourself in the nearby town ofValognes, referred to as the Little Norman Ver-sailles - a pretty and enjoyable village and amere 3.5 kilometers from Manoir de Bellauney- an easy walk if you are so inclined. Here youwill find everything from artisanal shops to a

swimming pool.Valognes boasts2000 years ofhistory from theoriginal Gallics e t t l e m e n tknown asAlauna and thearrival of theRomans in thefirst century.Ruins of thethermal spa andthe site of theRoman theatreare evidentthere today. Abandoned in the third century,most likely after the invasion of the Barbarians,it was resurrected by the Vikings (Normans) inthe 9th and 10th centuries, and they rebuilt thetown and castle. The young Norman Duke,William the Conqueror, spent part of his youthin Valognes. After the annexation of Nor-mandy by Philippe Auguste in 1204, the city isintegrated into the domain of the Capétienkings (987 - 1328).

Visitors to the Cotentin Peninsula will find itan easy drive from Manoir de Bellauney toUtah Beach and its memorial museum, amere 33 kilometers away, as well as otherWorld War II sites such as Sainte Mère Eglisethat is even closer. Sainte Mère Eglise is, ofcourse, famous as the first town to be liberatedby the Americans during the D-Day landings.It was here that paratrooper John Stele's para-chute caught on the church steeple on June 6,1944, and he hung there all night in silence sohe would not be discovered by occupyingtroops. This event is still commemorated todayby his likeness hanging from the spire. And,you might want to visit Cherbourg-Octeville(simply Cherbourg prior to the year 2000) andits Chantereyne Marina, only one feature ofthis exciting port city on the English Channel.


The port of Cherbourg has been in existencesince the Vikings first conquered the region inthe sixth century.

But, there is more! Monsieur and MadameAllix-Desfauteaux also offer two enchantingself-catering cottages a short distance fromtheir château. The first is Gîte Margency aboutten minutes from the shore and can accommo-date up to eight people in absolute comfort.The second, Gîte Marinoy, is across from oneof the best beaches on the peninsula and accommodates up to four people. Both housesare rented by the week for those who want tospend as much time as possible in this wonderful part of Normandy.

Gîte Marinoy

Gîte Margency

Those who include the département of theManche on a visit to Normandy will be amplyrewarded by the sights, tastes and history ofthis most appealing region of Basse Nor-mandie. And, remember Manoir de Bellauneyoffers easy access to the English Channel andthe historic beaches that played so great a rolein the Normandy Invasion 66 years ago. Wewill return in future issues of N4Normandywith a glimpse into other guest châteaux inNormandy and on the Cotentin. Until then, dovisit Manoir de Bellauney on the au Châteauweb site.

[Photos of Manoir sign, Ste-Mère Eglise and Drawing of Medieval Chambrecopyright Cold Spring Press 2006-2010. Photos of Manoir de Bellauneyand Gîtes copyright M/M Allix-Desfauteaux 2010. All rights reserved.]

©2000-2010 Cold Spring Press. All Rights Reserved.

Links:Manoir de Bellauneyhttp://www.au-chateau.com/Bellauney.htm

au Châteauhttp://www.au-chateau.com/


However, it may be advantageous to be part of the sys-tem because there are a great many benefits that onecan claim, but only if one is paying into the system. Asfor the basic child benefit this can only be claimed ifyou are registered as a bona fide resident in France.You need to go to the Mairie of your commune within3 months of arrival and register. This may be formalwith an interview and forms to fill out or just a tokenacknowedgement, depending on the size of your com-mune and the predisposition of your Maire. Even ifyou are not working in some form or another you willneed to prove income to a basic level and show thatyou have provided yourself with healthcare.

There is now considerable disagreement over childbenefit between the UK and France. If you are stillworking in the UK and paying NI stamps then you are

technically entitled to receive child benefit from there.However, we have met several families who have beenrefused child benefit because they live in France. Toclaim child benefit in France you must have a letterfrom Newcastle stating that you are no longer a recip-ient of child benefit from the UK and then you mustwait at least 6 months in one full année civile (Jan toDec) before being entitled to receive it from France. Ifyou only have one child then you are not entitled to itat all but after this the monthly rates are (roughly) 124€for 2, 283€ for 3, 442€ for 4 & then a 159€ for eachsupplementary child.

But it doesn't stop there - the French are very commit-ted to keeping kids in education until they are (hopefully) responsible adults and as long as this hap-pens then there are several types of help in the form of

Business Section

Fiscal advantages for families in the French systemby Stephanie & Jeremy GodwinTransmanche Accountancy Services

It is widely publicised now that there are certain conditions thatEU residents must fulfill before they can take up full-time,permanent residence in France. Above all these are meant tomake sure that the French state is not burdened by immigrantsavoiding paying into the system. The temptation can be to stayunder the radar (or off the grid as the saying goes) as by regis-tering to legally stay in France one becomes subject to taxationand social charges that are certainly a great deal higher than inthe UK and without doubt it is a big shock to newcomers.


benefits and bourses (grants). There are supplementarybenefits for children between 11 & 18 and even oneoff payments for students between 18 & 20. These areknown as allocations familiales and are available toeveryone who is legally resident in France and has 2 ormore children. And finally bus travel to school is sub-sidised - don't forget to apply for it in the JUNE beforeyour kids go to school in the September at your conseilgénéral. (Sometimes you won't get a pass for choosinga catholic school if it is not in your catchment area).

If you are working (either salaried or for yourself) thenthere is a great deal more to be had. Generally youneed to have been paying into the system for at least 6months and have put in at least one tax return thoughbe aware that grants for education go on the tax returnof 2 years previous so you need to have at least 2 taxreturns submitted and checked. The ARS (allocationrentrée scolaire) is awarded automatically on your taxreturn from the year before last and is linked to howmany children you have and how much you earn. Youdo need to apply for it for the first time though andthen it should happen automatically. The amount isfixed - 280€ for 6-10, 296€ 11-14 & 306€ for 16-18with a threshold starting at 22946€ for one child andgoing up to 33 536€ for 3. (5 295 for each supplemen-tary child). This is money that goes directly into yourbank account at the end of August so you can buy allthe material that your child requires for the rentrée -including all those expensive trainers and rucksacks!There is also the complément familial (top up childbenefit of 161,29€) which you are eligible for if youhave 3 or more children and earn less than 35 457€.

Grants come in several forms and again depend on theressources from your tax return of the year before last.If you have 3 children at the same school and are on alow income one of them will get a free school mealand a free bus pass. If your kids are at a catholic col-lège then you may get help with the fees. It is obliga-tory for a child to stay in education until they are 17and there are no full time jobs available until they are18. It is indeed expected that they are in education orapprenticeships until at least then. But there is consid-erable help - they can qualify for grants at lycée and

university (if it is a state institution) as well as aide delogements (housing grant) and subsidised lodgings inuniversity residences. A typical example would be800€ a year towards internat (boarding) and tuitionfees at lycée level and up to 460€ a month at university.Aides de logement are on application and subject toressources and position in life but my daughter'sboyfriend got a 150€ a month towards his flat when hewas at lycée as he was over 18 and living seperatelyfrom his parents. A basic room at university costs a146€ monthly and meals are subsidised - 2€80 for atypical 4 course meal! Some departments offer subsidised transport and loans to students are oftenavailable at a low cost.

If you are working then you are eligible for maternitybenefit, a grant to adopt a child, and a payment of177,94€ a month up until the baby is 3 and these are allmeans tested. Otherwise there are aids for child min-ders and help if you give up work to look after a childup to 3 years old. Payments for child minders and nurs-eries are also tax deductible. There are other benefitsavailable to families though you may find it a struggleto get them if you have been here less than 5 years.After 5 years residence in France you have the samerights as a French citizen and if you fall on hard timesthen there are aides de logement, the RSA (revenu desolidarité active which is available to those on low in-come, or looking for work or single parents) and ofcourse HLM (habitation à loyer modéré or councilhousing) which everyone has a right to if they losetheir house.

If you avoid transferring yourself and your family intothe French system then you may find that the UKjudges that you are guilty of benefit fraud and the au-thorities will pursue you to reimburse them. Besidesthis, once your children have finished collège you willfind it difficult to get them into lycée if you don't haveat least a social security number as this is always akedfor on the apllication forms. And finally, I have heardof students, whose parents are not contributing to theFrench system, not being allowed to take French qual-ifications (the state brevet is not a qualification, just aSAT) unless they pay the fees.


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

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

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

www.transmanche-accountancyservices.eu

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

or email us [email protected]


Have you got an event in Normandy

that you want us to advertise for you?

Send an email to

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

for you for free


September – Music Festival, OrneThe month of September sees the annual musicfestival, in the Normandy region of Orne. Anevent that covers the whole region and everymusical genre is a must for music lovers every-where. For up to date details visit

www.septembre-musical.com

3rd to 12th September – Deauville American Film Festival,Deauville, Calvados

An event that oozes glitz and Hollywood glam-our, Deauville plays host to the annual Ameri-can Film Festival. Screening of the best of theyears American film releases, as well as focus-ing predominantly on independent film makers,awards being bestowed to the best in the vari-ous categories. The event is well attended bythe stars and social high flyers of big screen, sopitch a spot and perhaps see your favourite star.

www.festival-deauville.com

10th to 12th September – International Kite Festival,Dieppe, Seine-Maritime

A grand display of kite flying, with participantsfrom more than 30 countries over the globe.Team flying, acrobatics flyers, creative and in-novative design plus beautiful, traditional kitessoar through the sky over the lovely town ofDieppe. Why not visit the kite flying work-shops which include introductions to kitebuilding and flyingwww.dieppe-cerf-volant.org

11th to 12th September – L'automne Gormand,Bagnoles de L'Orne

Set in the classy spa town of Bagnoles deL'Orne, with its sweeping boulevards and ele-gant houses, reflected in clear lakes, the gas-tronomic products from area are on offer tothe discerning pallets. So perhaps stock up onthe best Orne produces.

www.bagnolesdelorne.com

24th to 26th September – Festival Coquillages et Crustaces, Granville, Manche

An annual event to celebrate Granvilles pre-dominance as Frances top shellfish port. Theevent welcomes over 35,0000 visitors throughits gates every year, no doubt keen to taste andbuy the bounty of the sea on offer in the town.

www.granville-tourisme.fr

What’s on in September


Pet’s Corner The Various Types of Horse and Blankets and Sheetsby: Theresa Truscott

If you look in any horse catalog or browsethrough the blanket section of any tackstore you will immediately notice thatthere is a wide selection of several differ-ent types of blankets. To the uninitiatedthe exact use for each of these blanketscan be confusing..

Turn-out rugs are exactly what they soundlike. Turn-out rugs are blankets that are sturdyenough to handle the wear and tear of life out-side. They are designed to hold up to theroughest of play. They are also designed to ripif the horse gets caught on something in theirfield.

There are two types of turn-out rugs. Theheavy variety are designed to be used duringthe cold winter months while the lighter blan-kets (the lighter variety of blankets are typi-cally called sheets while the heavier type arecalled rugs).

Quarter sheets are strange looking things.Held next to the full size sheets and rugs theylook like somebody forgot to attach the fromhalf of the blanket. Blanket designers haven'tforgotten a thing. Quarter sheets are designed

to hook to the saddle and cover the horseshaunches. These blankets are typically used tokeep a horses muscles warm while the rider

waits to go into the show ring after a rider hasfinished their pre-class schooling session.Some riders decide to save money and insteadof purchasing a quarter sheet they simply usetheir stable sheet folded in half to cover theirhorse.

Stable sheets are light weight sheets that aretoo thin to be used outside of the stabling area.They are generally used to cover the horseafter its been groomed and bathed. They havethe very specific purpose of keeping the horseclean. Some riders use stable sheets to cover ahorse while it is being transported. Many largestables have their stable sheets

custom done in their stables colors. Some cat-alogs and tack shops refer to stable sheets asdress sheets.

Coolers are another type of blanket that areself-explanatory. Coolers are placed on a hothorse to help slow the cooling process. Theycover the entire horse, ear to tail. The open


design of coolers allows the air to flowthrough them. Coolers are typically customdesigned in a stables colors and can be mono-grammed. Several shows give away coolers,instead of trophies and ribbons, as an rewardfor high point championships.

Fly sheets are blankets that are designed tohelp keep flies from pestering their horses.Horse owners can choose between a close knitfly sheet or one that has a large weave pattern.

Blanket liners are typically designed from thinsmooth material that is designed to slidesmoothly across the horses muscles withoutrubbing off the hair or chaffing the skin. Typ-ically blanket liners cover only the horseschest and shoulders where blankets typicallywear at the horses hair.

No matter what type of blanket you decide touse it is important to make sure that the blan-ket properly fits your horse.

About The Author

Theresa Truscott has loved horses since earlychildhood and enjoys sharing her passion forhorses with other horse lovers. She finds use-ful information and products and circulates iton http://www.horseridingblankets.com abouthorses and horse riding blankets.

For a free report on "How to Improve YourRiding" see Theresa's Horse Aficianado blogat http://www.horseridingblankets.com/blog

www.horseridingblankets.com


Food and DrinkChicken and Mushroom Pie– simple supper dish for two

By Lindsey Sermon

2 Free-range chicken breastsmushrooms1 medium onion1 pint of waterchopped parseley1 bayleafchicken stock potcornflowerbuttervegetable oilone egg for glazingsalt and pepper to your tastepre-made short crust pastry


Place pint of water, stock andbayleaf in a saucepan, thenbring to the boil

Roughly chop onion and placein saucepan with stock andbayleaf


Once stock has boiled, turnthe heat down low and gentlyplace your chicken breastsinto the stock

Cover saucepan and gentlypoach for 15 mins

In a second saucepan, melt25g of butter with a drizzleof vegetable oil and addroughly chopped mushrooms


Remove from heat once themushrooms are golden brownand place into a dish for later

After 15 minutes, check ifchicken is cooked, then remove chicken and onionsfrom the stock. Remove thebayleaf and keep the stock toone side.

Turn on the oven and pre-heatto 200°C


In your mushroom saucepan,add another 25g of butter andmelt, then add 2 tablespoonsof cornflour and mix to makea roux and cook out theflour for 2-3 minutes.

Gently add the stock to theroux in small amounts ensuring you stir continuously to avoid lumps

When all the stock has beenused, and the sauce is a nicethick consistency, removefrom heat and stir in thechopped parsely. Check theseasoning is to your taste.


In your pie dish, layer half ofthe onions and shred one ofthe chicken breasts into bitesized pieces, scatter half themushrooms on top and spoonhalf of the sauce on top. Repeat the above to finish.

Roll out your pastry, wet theedge of your pie dish to get aseal, and place the pastry onthe top – press the edgesdown and cut off excesspastry

Using a fork you can flutethe edges. Create 2 slits inthe top of the pastry toallow steam to eascape – egg-wash your pastry andwith any pastry leftover youcan decorate your pie(remembering to egg-washthese too)

Place into the oven for 30minutes – and enjoy!

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Eating at Arts in the Garden:‘Table d’hote’ with a difference

By Brian AshbeeCo-owner - Arts int he Garden

Rather like a hotel whose restaurant is open to non-residents,some B and B’s in Normandy offer ‘Table d’hote’– literally,a ‘guesttable’ where you can enjoy the food and convivial atmospherewithout actually spending the night! An excellent place to start,if you’ve never tried this, is Arts in the Garden, the Bed and Breakfast near Vire and Villedieu in Basse Normandie, right onthe border between Manche and Calvados.


As the name suggests, this is a B&B distinguishedby its lovely gardens (including a superb collec-tion of Japanese maples) and the art objects scat-tered around outside and in – including lots of paintings and prints by co-owner, artist BrianAshbee. But if Brian is responsible for the art and the garden, it’s Krishna who is the genius inthe kitchen, and who is drawing increasing numbers of guests, both French and English, to thetable d’hôte.

Indian food of exceptional qualityKrishna is a skilled an inventive cook, with a widerange of international dishes on her menus, but herspeciality, for which the table d’hôte is becomingso well-known, is Indian food – both vegetarianfood from the Gujjrat province of India, from

which her family originally came, and many In-dian regional meat and fish dishes dishes, plusthose of her own devising.

Krishna’s menus usually include a generous rangeof starters (bhajies pakoras and samosas with a va-riety of home made chutneys and sauces) followedby meat and fish dishes, and accompanied byfreshly made breads, naan and papadoms. There isalways plenty for the more timorous diner to enjoy(many of the French guests are eating Indian for thefirst time, and are often a little nervous of hot food)as many dishes are rich and complex in their blendof spices, without being very hot; but for the moreexperienced English palette, there is also at least onedish that reaches ‘medium hot’ on the UK scale!

Bookings, both lunchtime and evening, are takenfor between 4 and 16 guests, but individuals orcouples are also welcome to join the dinner tablewith B and B guests, (or if they prefer, to occupya separate table.)

PLEASE NOTE: SEVERAL DAYS ADVANCE WARNING IS REQUIRED: INDIAN FOOD TAKES A LOT OF TIME TO PREPARE!


NEW YEAR SPECIAL CELEBRATION INDIAN MEAL:

December 31st 2010:Welcome the New Year in with an unforgettable Indian meal in congenial company.

50 euros per person.An aperitif is offered on arrival, but please bring your own wine/beer/cider etc.

Book now to avoid disappointment: only 6 places remaining.

FLAVOURS OF INDIA AT ARTS IN THE GARDEN :KRISHNA’S COURSES IN INDIAN CUISINE

Set off on a culinary adventure holiday with-out leaving Normandy : learn the secrets ofauthentic Indian cuisine with Krishna as yourguide!

In each session of three three hours, you will discover how to create a complete Indianmenu, including starters, chutneys, curries,Indian breads and desserts, using only authentic herbs and spices and fresh ingredients.

The course concludes with lunch, siting down to enjoy the dishes you have prepared, and to whichfriends and partners can be invited (lunch tarif for those not participating in the course : 20 euros.)

Course fees :3 hrs (10h à 13 h) + lunch : € 65 euros per personBring a friend or partner to the course and benefit from a 10 euro reduction :Fee for two people : 110 euros.

Arts in the GardenBrian and Krishna AshbeeLe Trochu50410 MorignyFranceTel 00 33 2 33 90 12 82mobile 06 03 67 67 42www.artsinthegarden.net


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

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

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

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

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

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