Normandy - March 2010

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March 2010 - Issue 3

TWO PAGES OF EVENTSVisit festival where Knights celebrate

their favourite Black Puddings

Terms and conditions apply, see page 6

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€€20GREAT SUBSCRIBER OFFER

DEAUVILLE has launched abold plan to become the majorregional airport for Normandy,attracting up to 300,000 pas-sengers a year.

Airport director DesmondO’Flynn is negotiating withFlybe, Easyjet, Ryanair, BMIBaby and Jet2 about runningregular flights from theCalvados seaside resort to theUK and the rest of Europe.

He said starting routes toLondon, Leeds, Birminghamand Manchester was a priorityand he hoped they wouldlaunch next year.

“I’ve been tearing my hair out

for two-and-a-half years to geta route out of London,” MrO’Flynn told The Advertiser.“We’re in discussions withabsolutely everybody.”

The mayors of Le Havre andRouen – which both have theirown small airports – havebegun talks with Deauvillemanagement about workingtogether on a joint regional air-port venture. The city councilin Caen has also been invited.

Deauville airport reopens onApril 1 after 10 weeks of reno-vation work. It is expecting itsbusiest ever summer with125,000 passengers and has seta target of 300,000 by 2015.

Full interview, page 5

Aim to be keyNormandy hub

O’FLYNN: Rouen and Le Havre have shown interest in link

DEAUVILLEIN REGIONALAIRPORT BID

Talks with Easyjet,Ryanair and Jet2

GloriousNormandy

gardensTop spring days out

PAGES 6-7

By Paul McNally

300,000 passengers ayear target by 2015

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The Advertiser, Normandy March 20102 News

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The Advertiser is published by The Connexion GroupRegistered offices: 9 Orchard Gardens, Dawlish EX7 9HE.

12 rue Rossini, 06000 Nice

Editor: Sarah SmithContributors: PatriciaMansfield-Devine, Ray Clancy, MaggieWakefield, SinéadAllart, Paul McNallyDesign and layout: Wil Pace, Dave Cooper,Gemma Hill

Contact Us

Useful ContactsEMERGENCIESSamu (medical aid): 15Sapeurs-pompiers: 18Police/gendarmerie: 17Duty pharmacy: 3237

More contacts, page 14

HOSPITALSCaen: 02 31 51 51 51Cherbourg: 02 33 20 70 00Avranches: 02 33 89 40 00Flers: 02 33 62 62 00Le Havre: 02 32 73 32 32Rouen: 02 32 88 89 90Argentan: 02 33 12 33 12

YOUNG people who want todiscover more of Europe canapply for a special grant fromBasse-Normandie council.

The Bourse Jeune Europepays up to €500 per applicantto help cover travel costs,accommodation and activities.

It is for discovery trips to oneEU country or several – aloneor in a group of no more than

five – any time between Julyand mid-October this year.

Applications open in mid-March for any EU citizen aged16 to 25 who lives in the Basse-Normandie region.

The motivation for the tripcan include learning moreabout a country’s culture, sport,history, science or the environ-ment. Travellers heading

abroad to find summer workare not allowed to apply.

Forms will be made availableonline at www.crij-bn.org orfrom the Centre Régionald’Information Jeunesse inCaen and other youth centresaround the region. The formalong with a covering letterexplaining why you want tovisit your chosen destination

must be sent to the CRIJ byMay 31.

Entries are judged by a panelof youth workers who will belooking for original ideas.

Winners are contacted inmid-June and must submit awrite-up of their experiences.

More information is availableonline (in French) from the sitewww.tinyurl.com/jeune-europe

Basse region getsits own Ikea storeIKEA is to open a store inFleury-sur-Orne, south ofCaen – its first in the region.Work on the 50,000m2 devel-opment will begin in May andthe store is due to open in sum-mer 2011, employing 500. Ikeashoppers currently have totravel to Rouen or Rennes.

Act now to keepTV after March 9BASSE-NORMANDIE switch-es to digital TV on March 9between 8.00 and 14.00. Theold analogue signal will disap-pear and you might need toretune your television as somedigital channels may havemoved. If you do not alreadyhave digital TV (télévisionnumérique terrestre) you willneed to buy a set-top box now.They start at €20. A helplinein French is available on09 70 818 818, or you can visitwww.tousaunumerique.fr

No price rise forNormandy tollsMOTORWAY toll fees on theA13 and A29 have been frozenfor 2010, bucking the nationaltrend. Traffic on the networkhas risen by 1.7% in a year.

Camembert losestop cheese titleNORMANDY’S famous Cam-embert has been knocked intosecond place in the league tableof France’s most popularcheeses, beaten by Emmental.

UNIVERSITY students in LeHavre can try out a new typeof accommodation from thisautumn – living in an old,converted steel shipping con-tainer.

The city council has reno-vated 100 of the long, narrowmetal boxes and turned theminto bright, furnished studioflats with a view over thedocks and out to sea.

The 25m2 flat costs €300 amonth to rent, all chargesincluded, and includes akitchenette, bathroom, single

bed and desk. A HigherEducation Ministry spokes-woman said: “Modular hous-ing like this is a lot quickerand cheaper to build.

“We can build about 100homes in a year, comparedwith two years for more con-ventional housing.”

The €4.8m project isbelieved to be the first of itskind in France. Two otherpopular student towns,Nantes and Villetaneuse inthe Seine-Saint-Denis, areworking on similar schemes.

Students to live in cargo containers

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COMPACT: The 25m² studios cost €300 a month to rent

THIRTY primary school chil-dren had a lucky escape afterthe roof of their bus was tornoff by an underpass in Rouen.

The driver did not realisethat the bus was too tall forthe tunnel.

Nine children were slightlyinjured and one supervisor

taken to hospital with headinjuries. Children escapedwith minor grazes and bruisesin a similar crash last July.

Anne Vervish, a lawyerwhose practice is next to oneof the expressway entrances,has been leading a campaignsince 1995 to get the mairie to

put up better warning signs toprevent further accidents hap-pening.

Many of Rouen’s underpass-es and express tunnels haveheight barriers before theentrance to alert drivers of tallvehicles but this is not yet acompulsory requirement.

Pupils escape unhurtfrom ‘decapitated’ bus

CRASH: Another tunnel incident involving children on a bus last July raised safety fears

A GROUP of farmers in Calvados have won alegal battle against Basse-Normandie’s ruralplanning agency over a golf course develop-ment in the Pays d’Auge countryside.

Safer, the body that has a right of first pur-chase when a rural property goes on the mar-ket, bought a farm near Branville for €382,000.

It was then approached by a property devel-oper interested in building a golf course andholiday homes on the land. Local farmersclubbed together to put in a counter-bid to block

the development and keep the land for agricul-tural use. However they were told that the dealhad already been signed.

The appeal court in Caen ruled that Safershould not have agreed to the sale without giv-ing other interested groups a chance to bid.

It has ordered the agency to pay €30,000 indamages to the farmers.

Safer said it would be contesting the ruling inthe cour de cassation, France’s highest court. Thebody said it had tightened up its procedures.

Farmers win damages over golf sale

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Grant for young people to travel Europe

The Advertiser, Normandy March 2010 News 3

THE WEST coast of the Manche depart-ment is to be made an official marine con-servation area.

The Ecology Ministry has begun worksetting up the protected marine park zone,which is expected to run from the tip of LaHague down past the Mont-Saint-Michel

bay and into Brittany. The initiative aims toprotect the sea’s rich number of birds, fish,dolphins, seals and plants. There will bestricter rules on human activity in the seasuch as fishing and sailing and harsherpenalties for those who ignore the rulesand put wildlife in danger.

A small team of researchers will be set upin Granville in April to work with theManche préfecture. A public enquiry onthe proposals will follow. “The objective isto improve awareness of the marine envi-ronment and preserve its natural heritage,”the Ecology Ministry said in a statement.

Green light for Normandy marine conservation area

Baby rhino at Cerzazoo is a French firstA NEW-BORN Indian rhi-noceros called Manas looksset to be the star attraction atCerza zoo near Lisieux thisseason.

The 45kg baby boy is thefirst rhino of his species tobe born in France – and isloving the publicity.

Manas, named after anIndian national park thatprotects rhinos, startedwalking little more than anhour after birth and is start-ing to take in his new sur-roundings in-between napsand feeding.

He is being breast-fed byhis two-tonne motherWinona, who has carriedhim for the past 16 months.

Zoo director Thierry Jardinsaid both mother and baby

are doing well and staff arecelebrating the extremelyrare birth.

“Somewhere between oneand three Indian rhinos areborn in Europe each year,but this is the first ever birthin France,” he said.

Rhinoceroses were on thebrink of extinction in 1910when their hunting wasbanned. The species’ num-bers worldwide have sincegrown from 200 to about2,800 but they are still con-sidered endangered.

Cerza zoo reopened itsdoors for the summer seasonat the start of February. Itlooks after more than 600animals in semi-captivity.

See our pick of top springdays out on pages 6-7

DISCOVERY: Manas has been exploring his new home

Seal photographer diesin Manche plane crashA PHOTOGRAPHER and nat-uralist who was well-known fortracking the seal colony off theNormandy coast has died in aflying accident.

Gérard Gautier, who lived inSaint-Jean-le-Thomas over-looking the bay of the MontSaint Michel, had recorded andphotographed the seals in thearea for decades and couldidentify each mammal by theirskin markings.

Over the years he took thou-sands of pictures of the sealsand other wildlife. His work offthe Manche coast was consid-ered important as it is one ofonly three sites in France withseal colonies, the other twobeing the Somme and Veys. Heused his light aircraft to fly fromBreville-sur-Mer near Granville

on his surveillance expeditionsand was well known in local fly-ing circles. He had just taken offfrom the airfield on February15 to photograph sea birdswhen one of the engines failedand the plane crashed on to a

nearby golf course. One of hisneighbours told The Advertiser:“He loved nature and was pas-sionate about what he did.” MrGautier, 55, was also wellknown by animal rescue centresand he would call them if he

identified any seals in distress.A friend at the Maison de laBaie museum in Vains said: “Hewas exceptional. We had justworked all winter on a tempo-rary exhibition about the seals.”

Denis Rungette, head of thebiodiversity division of regionalenvironment body Dreal, said:“He was an excellent naturalist,a good pilot and a remarkablephotographer.

“For the last three years hehad been working with us onrecording the sea duck popula-tion along the Normandy coast.His death is a great loss.”

Mr Gautier was about to takephotographs for Dreal when theaccident happened.

A spokesman for the localgendarmerie said the rearengine of the light aircraftappeared to fail. An inquiry hasbeen launched.

By Ray Clancy

Photo: Alain Beaufils

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GREAT LOSS: Gérard Gautier was expert on local wildlife

The Advertiser, Normandy March 2010 Interview 5

Deauville gets ready for take-off

Deauville airport has beenclosed since mid-January.Why is this?We are resurfacing the runwayfrom top to bottom and theparking area for the aircraft. We are also updating the

lighting and marking to allowaircraft to land more easily. There are 80 to 100 people on

the site at the moment. We’llfinish the work in mid-Marchand we then have to carry outa series of checks to ensure itconforms to European stan-dards. We have to run a testflight and then we can get thestamp of approval.

Once the airport reopenson April 1, is that all therenovation work done?No – the next stage is to buildthe new terminal buildingthat’s planned for two years.The current terminal buildingis less than 2,000 squaremetres. It was built to handle100 passengers a day – on abusy Wednesday in summer ithandles 1,300 people. We arepast bursting point and it’sreally going to be quite busythis year – we have 500 charterflights booked this seasonincluding Edinburgh, Shannon,Agadir, Ibiza and Rhodes.

Can we expect to see someregular routes to the UKany time soon?The big hole here is regularservices. I’ve been tearing myhair out for two-and-a-halfyears to get a route out ofLondon. The airlines haveprobably had enough of measking. Because we have noroutes whatsoever I need to getsomething up and running.We’re in discussions with

absolutely everybody includingFlybe, Easyjet, Ryanair, BMIBaby and Jet2. It’s unfortunatethat Deauville has never beenon the regular service circuit.

So the big step is regular serv-ices into the UK – London,Birmingham, Manchester andLeeds. Maybe even Dublin,Barcelona and Munich in thesummer. It’s not going to happen

tomorrow but I hope we willhave something by next year.

Are the low-cost airlinesexpecting big subsidies tocome to Deauville?I’ve made it absolutely clear tothe companies I speak to thatthere are rules we must follow.We're allowed to subsidiseroutes for three years in thecontext of marketing and pro-

motion only – and the amountmust reduce each year.

What are your targets forpassenger numbers?Five years ago, this airporthad 25,000 visitors. This yearit’ll be between 120,000 and125,000. The plan is to have300,000 by 2015. We expect tohave a new terminal that willcope with 300,000 passengersa year by 2013 – with the pos-sibility of going up to 500,000.

Are the transport links toDeauville enough to caterfor more passengers?The short answer is no. I’mstarting to look very seriouslyat a bus service from Caen,through Deauville to the air-port and running its way toLe Havre.

What do Caen, Rouen andLe Havre make of yourplans to be Normandy's keyregional airport?The mayor of Le Havre hassaid he would consider a rap-prochement and Rouen hasalso joined the discussions. A working group has been

formed and a set of scenarioshave been presented. LowerNormandy president LaurentBeauvais has asked that thelocal government in Caen beincluded in the discussions –and they are invited.

EXPANSION: Deauville needs a bigger terminal building, especially if O’Flynn can get regular routes set up to the UK

Deauville airportreopens in Apriland has plans tobecome a keyNormandy hubwith regular UKand Europeanflights. DesmondO’Flynn, who hasbeen the airport’sdirector since2007, explains

“We’re in discussions with absolutelyeverybody including Flybe, Easyjet,Ryanair, BMI Baby and Jet2Desmond O’Flynn

1 The Parc Floral de Martinvast, nearCherbourg (50), is open on weekdays inMarch and offers monkey puzzle trees,water cascades and exotic evergreens.

www.chateau-martinvast.fr

2 Four-hundred tourist sites aroundBasse and Haute-Normandie offerreduced price entry in April for the annu-al festival La Normandie Se Découvre.Dozens of zoos, aquariums, parks, gar-dens, farms and equestrian centres are

participating in this year’s initiative, fromApril 3 to May 2.

www.lanormandiesedecouvre.com

3 Enjoy a nature discovery weekend inthe Parc Naturel Régional du Perche inthe Orne (61). Fifteen chalets are availableto rent in the heart of the country park,with a fishing lake and miles of cycleroutes on your doorstep. Weekend staysstart at €200. For info call 02 33 24 13 15.

parcresidentielduPerche.fr.st

4 Twenty private gardens on theCotentin peninsula (50) open up to thepublic on certain weekends from mid-March to mid-October – typically thefirst weekend in the month and the thirdweekend in the south. Entrance feesrange from €3 to €8.

www.cotentin-tourisme.com

5 The Jardin des Plantes in Rouen (76)has some unexpected treats under itsgreenhouse including coffee and bananatrees, sugar canes, orchids and huge waterlilies. The botanical gardens are alsohome to ornamental shrubs, roses andirises. Open daily, entrance is free. Call 02 32 18 21 30.

www.rouen.fr

6 The annual Franco-British plant festi-val comes to the Château de Crosville-sur-Douve (50) in the heart of theCotentinmarshes onApril 24-25.More than 80gardeners fromnurseries onboth sides ofthe Channelwill be exhibit-ing in thegrounds of thebeautiful 17thcentury privateresidence. Call02 33 41 67 25 or email [email protected]

http://chateaucrosville.rezoo.fr

7 Marvel at more than 30,000 beautifulcoloured tulips, narcissi and hyacinths inthe gardens of the Château du Vendeuvre(14). The Festival de la Tulipe is openevery day in April from 14.00 and 18.00.Entry is €9.50, call 02 31 40 93 83.

www.vendeuvre.com

The Advertiser, Normandy March 20106 Spring outings

A 12-edition annual subscription to yourFrench home costs €12* (£11.50).

To become a subscriber, complete the formhere and return with a cheque payable toThe Advertiser to:

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SUBSCRIBE TO The Advertiser– by March 31, 2010 and enjoy two Potted Rose Bushes for the price of one.Follow these two simple steps to claim your second Potted Rose Bush for FREE.1: Subscribe to the Advertiser by telephoning 04 86 68 50 40 or with the form below. 2: Make sure you include your email address and we will email you a token to take to the nursery.You can use the token any time during 2010. Subject to availability.

(You must include this to get the promotional token)

Which companiestake pets acrossthe Channel?

How to make yourgite stand out fromthe crowd - top tipsfrom author AlistairSawday

Should you re-mortgage yourFrench home toinvest in Sterling:Read what theexperts say

Find a stockist near you atwww.connexionfrance.com

or call 04 86 68 50 40

France’s English-LanguageNewspaper

NA 03/10

La Rose Anglaise is a family run nursery just outside Bayeux where Charlotte and Charles Liddell have been selling traditional Englishroses for the last four years. The nursery stocks a wide selection of bushes, climbers and ramblers which are imported directly from

David Austin Roses in the UK. The visitor is welcome to amble through the wonderful display garden in the perfect setting ofla Ferme des Coursières. A large selection of traditional English garden perennials are also available.

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OPENINGHOURS

Wednesday -Sunday (inc)

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Ferme des Coursières, Hameau de Bernières (route D33),

14250 Juaye Mondaye02 31 21 07 72

www.laroseanglaise.com

The great outdoors

VENDEUVRE: Beautiful landscaped gardens in the grounds of the chateau – and a month-long display of more than 30,000 tulips (right)

After the coldest winter since1988, it is time to celebrate springin style. Normandy has hundredsof parks and gardens – and manyare holding special events overthe coming months. We pick 15 of the best.

MARCHEDITIONOUT NOW

The Advertiser, Normandy March 2010 Spring outings 7

8 Forty plant producers and nurseryexperts put on a beautiful display in thegardens of the Château des Ravalet inTourlaville near Cherbourg (50) on May8-9 for the Presqu’île en Fleurs festival.More than 25,000 visitors are expected tocome and enjoy guided tours and a seriesof concerts. Free entry, 10.00 to 19.00.Call 02 33 87 89 19.

www.ville-cherbourg.fr

9 Learn about how farming works andhow it has changed over the centuries atLes Rendez-Vous du Verger, a series ofpractical workshops and tours at theFerme-Musée du Cotentin in Sainte-Mère-Eglise (50) starting in April. Entry €4.20,concessions €2.70. Call 02 33 95 40 20.

http://patrimoine.manche.fr/ferme-musee-cotentin.asp

10 Still on an agriculture theme, morethan 100 farmers across the region opentheir doors to the public for theBienvenue à la Ferme weekend on April17-18. Includes practical demonstrations

and taste testing. Find your nearest par-ticipating farms by calling 02 31 47 22 68.

www.rendezvous.normandiealaferme.com

11 The Haras National du Pin in theOrne (61) has been described as thePalais de Versailles of the horse world. Itis open daily from 10.00 to 18.00 fromthe beginning of April – just in time forthe Easter holidays. Guided tours areavailable in French, taking in the beauti-ful 18th century stable house, home to 40horses from 10 different races. Adults €9,concessions €7, under-10s €5.

www.haras-national-du-pin.com

12 The Bois des Moutiers atVarengeville-sur-Mer near Dieppe (76)has a garden inspired by Gertrude Jekyll,offering blue cedars, sequoias and camel-lia groves. Open from March 15. Call 02 35 85 10 02.

13 The public gardens in the centre ofHonfleur (14) are transformed into a majorgarden show on April 24-25 with produc-ers selling flowers, trees, gardenware anddecorations. Entry €3, free for under-18s.Call the tourist office on 02 31 89 23 30.

www.passionnementjardin.fr

14 Spend a spring afternoon in Claude Monet’s famous Giverny gardens(27), with its weeping willows, azaleas,wisterias and pond that provided thepainter with so much inspiration. Openfrom April, entry €6. Call 02 32 51 28 21.

www.giverny.org

15 Annual daffodil festival (Fête de laJonquille) in the centre of Clères, SeineMaritime on March 21. Tourist office: 02 35 33 38 64

Please send us photos of spring time inNormandy to share with other readers.Email [email protected]

IN MUCH of Normandy, springcomes fairly late to the country-side. Although the winter wheatand oats will be showing, manyof the region’s trees, such as oaks,sweet chestnuts and walnuts, donot leaf up until April or May.

In the garden, therefore, it paysto bring the season forward a lit-tle with bulbs, spring foliage andflowering shrubs and trees.

If your own garden is looking alittle dull right now, take note ofwhat is flowering around you inparks and gardens, so you canplant for next year.

The daffodils should be show-ing so, if they are naturalised inlong grass, make a note of theirposition, so you can divide themin the summer. However, evenleft to their own devices, theywill multiply rapidly in a mead-ow or old orchard, doubling insize every year.

One of the earliest floweringshrubs is forsythia, but it is best

planted where it can be leftunpruned so that it will flowerprofusely. If you have it near theentrance to your property, it putsa welcome face on the house. Thevariety Lionel Fortescue is widelyavailable in French nurseries andhas the advantage of offeringrichly coloured autumnal foliage.

For flowering trees, you cannotbeat the ornamental cherries. Ifyou have brick or colombagebuildings, the white and creamvarieties such as Tai Haku (theGreat White cherry) are probablythe best choice, while if you havegrey granite walls and slate roofs

you could risk pink cultivarssuch as Kanzan.

In terms of jobs, March is abusy month. Now is the lastmonth for safely planting bare-root trees, and is also the besttime for planting bare-root ever-greens, which can suffer winddrought if planted earlier.

March jobsCut back bedding roses and

late-flowering shrubs. Lift and divide snowdrops

while the bulbs are still greenTidy up the garden if you left

it shaggy over winter

March is a busy monthNow is the timeto get the gardenprepared for thesummer monthsBy Patricia Mansfield-Devine

FORSYTHIA: A bright, colourful plant that flowers profusely

Photo: Tochka/Flickr

IN BLOOM: Roses for sale atHonfleur show

The Advertiser, Nor8 Business

IT IS a dream shared by many:an idyllic hideaway inNormandy, a healthy, stress-freelifestyle away from the rat-race,and any job that brings in a liv-ing wage – or maybe setting up amodest but profitable business.

A lot of people dream thedream. Relatively few try to turnit into reality and fewer still suc-ceed. Finding the hideaway iseasy – rural Normandy is full ofchocolate-box cottages.

However, employment oppor-tunities are few and far betweenand native French jobseekerswith the requisite qualificationsobviously have a head start.

Many newcomers opt to set uptheir own business instead.

Statistics show that the busi-nesses most likely to succeed arethe ones that tap into a businesssupport network early in theirstart-up phase.

This is especially true forentrepreneurs in a countrywhere they are not familiar withthe system. Social securityarrangements and tax liabilitiesfor French businesses varyaccording to how your businesshas been set up and which taxregime you operate under.

Without a clear understandingof the system, how can youdecide on your appropriatestatut juridique or identify yourmost cost-effective tax regime?

Professionals

There is no substitute for first-hand professional businessadvice that takes into considera-tion not only the precise busi-ness model but also the entre-preneur’s personal circum-stances – because what is bestfor one is not necessarily bestfor another, even if on the faceof it the two appear similar.

Professional advice is widelyavailable across Normandy andmuch of it is free. Trying to go italone and taking importantlegal and fiscal decisions with-out fully understanding theimplications could jeopardisethe future of your business.

In France, every business must

register and receive a SIRENnumber before it starts trading.Operating an unregistered busi-ness is likely to result in seriouspenalties. Business registrationinvolves numerous bodiesincluding the tax authorities,social contributions agencies,INSEE (the national statisticsorganisation) and the appropri-ate chambre. Businesses intrade, industry and service sec-tors generally register with theChambre de Commerce etd’Industrie (CCI); artisans withthe Chambre de Métiers et del'Artisanat (CMA); certainland-based activities with theChambre d’Agriculture; and lib-eral professions with URSSAF.Creative artists and authors willin most cases register with theMaison des Artistes or AGESSA.

Although business registra-tion is a complex process, it canbe done very simply via a CFE(centre de formalités des entre-prises), which acts as a singlepoint of contact for all aspects ofthe registration process. It isalso possible to register online,but it may be wiser not to do sowithout first seeing an advisor.

For many small businesses, theautoentrepreneur status is worth

investigating. It is designed forsole traders with relatively smallturnovers and offers a simplifiedmeans of setting up a business,declaring your earnings andpaying social charges on whatyou earn. See the business sec-tion of our website, www.connexionfrance.com

Where to get help

Pôles Emploi: If you are new toFrance and intend to work orstart a business, you should reg-ister as a jobseeker with yourlocal Pôle Emploi. As well as

helping jobseekers find employ-ment, these can provide busi-ness advice and access to finan-cial support to jobseekers with abusiness idea, or refer them toan appropriate support organi-sation. Find your nearest atwww.pole-emploi.fr

Your chambre: Governed notby civil servants but by businessleaders, chambres have a vestedinterest in building a stronglocal economy. Providing sup-port to aspiring entrepreneurs isa major part of their work, andCCIs in particular run regularcourses designed to equip those

setting up in business with theknowledge and skills they need.

Entrepreneurs can approachtheir chambre for advice as soonas they have a rudimentarybusiness plan. Chambres have aregional structure, so you dealwith the office that covers thearea where your business oper-ates. See the box right for localcontact details.

Boutiques de gestion: One-stop shops for start-up advice.This is an independent, nation-wide network whose raisond’être is to help entrepreneursget their business up and run-ning. Each department has itsteam of advisors, who may holdsurgeries at various locationsthroughout that department.BGs aim to provide a highlypersonal service, with theemphasis on one-to-one advicerather than organised courses.

You will see the same advisorthroughout, who will typicallybegin by helping you assess thefeasibility of your business idea,then guide you through start-up, and if appropriate continueto provide ongoing businessadvice for up to three years, allat no cost.

Pépinières d'entreprise: Some-times also called couveuses,these are business incubationcentres, designed to nurturenew businesses. They providelow-cost serviced businessaccommodation and ongoingbusiness support.

Eligibility criteria vary fromone pépinière to another; some,for instance, are sector-specific.Prepare as clear a business planas possible beforehand. Localbusiness advisors will know ofpépinières in your vicinity.

All the above organisationscan provide advice once youhave a basic business plan. Ifyou need help in deciding what

type of business activity to pur-sue, or if you are unsurewhether you have what it takesto become an entrepreneur inFrance, organisations that spe-cialise in advising during thesevery early stages – emergence inFrench – include AFIP(www.afip.asso.fr) and theMaison d’Emploi network.

Regional or community ini-tiatives are also launched fromtime to time, to stimulateenterprise creation locally bygiving would-be entrepreneursa clearer picture of what isinvolved in running a businessand highlighting areas thatoffer greatest scope for newventures. Enquire locally, forinstance at your Boutique deGestion for information.

Part of your business advisor’sfunction is to identify loans,grants and concessions forwhich you are eligible, and help

Have you always wanted to be your own boss? There is plenty of helpavailable for new businesses setting up in the region. Maggie Wakefieldlooks at the options and where to seek funding

CCIs: www.drakkaronline.comCMAs: www.artisanat.frChambre Régionale d’Agriculture:www.cra-normandie.fr

URSSAF: www.urssaf.fr(or www.anglais.urssaf.fr)

Boutiques de Gestion:www.boutiques-de-gestion.com

Basse-Normandie:entreprendre-basse-normandie.fr

Orne business creation help:www.orne-developpement.com

Haute-Normandie:www.hn-espace-entreprises.fr

Business creation in Eure:www.initiatives27.fr

Pépinières:www.pepiniere-entreprises.com

Start-up advice:www.apce.comwww.aides-entreprises.frwww.startbusinessinfrance.com

OSEOwww.oseo.fr

Online contacts

Thinking of settingup in business? Tap into the local help

Giv

Rese

“Taking importantlegal and fiscaldecisions withoutunderstandingthe implicationscould jeopardisethe future of yourbusiness

STEVE MOBSBY set up a firm brewing and selling English-style beer in Saint Germainde Tallevende (14) and joined an online business community for English-speakers atwww.GoodBusinessinNormandy.com He says: “I’m very pleased that I attended thebusiness start-up course run by the CCI in the Orne. The course was in English and Iwas directed towards organisations that provide financial assistance to help new busi-nesses. It also advised on the correct tax regime to enter and introduced representa-tives from banks, insurance companies, accountants and government organisations.It’s vital that you start up correctly, as mistakes when setting up can be costly later.”

you apply. Eligibility dependson the nature of your business,your geographical location andpersonal circumstances.

Funding sources includebanks, regional funding part-nerships, national schemes, EUinitiatives and private equity.

Finance

Financial support packagestypically consist of a combina-tion of elements – for instance,interest-free unsecured loansfrom regional funding partner-ships may be granted to supple-ment a bank loan, and in addi-tion jobseekers could be enti-tled to claim a reduction insocial charges.

Each department withinNormandy has its own econom-ic development agenda based onlocal priorities and, from time totime, additional targeted sup-

port may become available atcommune or departmental level.Check at your mairie.

The more complex the busi-ness, the more input you are like-ly to need from banks, account-ants and notaires. If you apply fora loan, your business plan willneed to include financial projec-tions prepared by an accountant.

Depending on your businessstructure, it may be advisable toput in place formalities to protectyour own and your family’s inter-ests, for instance with regard tobusiness debts and inheritanceissues.

Once you start bringing theexperts on board, advice may nolonger come for free – but by thistime the viability of your venturewill have been established, andshrewd professional guidancethat will protect and strengthenyour business is worth investingin. Taking the trouble to build a

good relationship with your bankmanager can also prove a worth-while investment of time andeffort, since bank managers tendto be very au fait not only withavailable funding opportunities,but also with other practicalaspects of setting up and runninga business, and sometimes theywill share their wisdom withgood customers.

There is a good raft of helpavailable, free of charge, forpeople wanting to start busi-nesses in Normandy. To benefitfully from the French businesssupport framework you shouldapply early and be prepared tobe guided step by step. If you setup a business first, and thenstart looking for funding, youmay find you no longer qualify.The sooner you get into the sys-tem, the greater your chances ofbuilding a successful business.

Business 9mandy March 2010

Big idea

Revenue Success

Businessplan

ve up?

Gettingknown

Local help

FUNDING

earch

Cross-Channel earning:your questions answeredI used to be self-employed in the UK and nowlive in Normandy. Do I have to set up as a soletrader here?

You need to be registered for self-employmentwhere you have your habitual residence.Now that you live here, you pay your social

charges in France, rather than the UK. You willneed to register a French business, and join theFrench social security system, paying for yourhealthcare and making pension contributions. If the move to France is likely to be temporary

there is a special scheme that allows you to payUK self-employed National Insurance contribu-tions for a year. If the work abroad unexpectedly lasts longer

than 12 months, you may remain UK-insuredfor a further 12 months, provided that a requestis made before the first year period expires.

The income would normally be taxed inFrance. Different rules apply for those with lim-ited companies and you should seek advice froman accountant who has cross-border experience.

I moved here in the middle of a tax year. Whatdoes this mean when it comes to filling in mytax return?

Your first French tax return will normally befrom the date of your permanent arrival inFrance to the end of the calendar year. Your UKincome would normally be dealt with on yourlast self-assessment return in the UK.

The basic message that I would emphasise isthat if you live in France on a permanent basis,and want to be self-employed in France then youhave to declare those earnings in France and, formost cases, you would also need to join theFrench social security system.

Many of my clients are in the UK. Can Iinvoice them in pounds?

You can invoice in sterling but invoices must dis-play a euro equivalent price. Payment can be viaa sterling account, so long as those amounts aredeclared as part of the French business, and theFrench authorities made aware of the existenceof the foreign bank account. There are newmeasures to account for VAT on cross-bordersales, which came into effect in January.

The questions above were answered by cross-border accountant Joanna Reintjes fromAFA Expertise. Email [email protected]

Help in EnglishIN parts of Normandy wherethere is a significant English-speaking population, it maybe possible to find anEnglish-speaking advisor.

The following organisationshave recently confirmed thatthey are able to provideadvice in English: Boutiquede Gestion de l’Orne, CCIDieppe, CCI Le Havre andCCI Flers/Argentan.

The latter two have in thepast run courses in Englishand propose to repeat thiswhen they feel there is suffi-cient demand to justify it.

Keep an eye out for infor-mation. Businesses in thePays Du Bocage catchmentarea (specific communes inthe Orne) can access advice inEnglish from GIP-ADECO inDomfront.

SERIAL entrepreneur JONATHAN BOUGHEYrecently launched Aardvark Print and Designalongside his established business EnglishComputer Solutions.

“Having done our market research and real-ising there was an opportunity for an English-speaking print provider, I knew the impor-tance of setting up in the right way,” he says.

“There are lots of possible business types inFrance, and choosing the right structure canmake a big difference. We found it best to fol-low more than one avenue for information andadvice as sometimes infomation varied. But itwas very pleasing to find that getting properlyregistered was not a minefield of paperworkand bureacracy. Speaking French or having agood translator in those early days helps tomake sure you tick the right boxes and lateron to put the right figures on forms.

“We know from experience of our other fam-ily business in Normandy that new work oftencomes by way of reputation and good net-working so having all the qualifications andproper registration that people can check outis important to reassure prospective clients.”

The Advertiser, Normandy March 201010 What’s On

Until March 7 – ChallengerDCNS professional tennistournament at the ComplexeChantereyne, Plage Napoléonin Cherbourg (50). Seats rangefrom €5 to €10 depending onthe day (the closing weekendis the most expensive) or €40for the week. Concert featur-ing local bands follows thesemi-final on Saturday 6.tournoi.fft.fr/atp.cherbourg

March 7 – Motoring-themedvide-grenier in Pontsoron (50),with 250 vendors selling spareparts for cars and motorbikes.Salle Polyvalente, 7.30 to17.30. See box below for morevide-greniers in March.

March 13 – Guided tour of theGallo-Roman excavationGisacum in old Evreux (27) bya local archaeologist in French.Find out about the 2,000 yearsof history behind the formerreligious sanctuary.Comfortable walking shoes rec-ommended. Adults €4.50, chil-dren €2.50, free under six.Prior reservation essential on02 32 24 04 43. More info:www.grandevreuxtourisme.fr

March 14 – Fol’Car, rallycrosstournament at the racetrack inEssay (61). Call 02 33 81 73 73or see www.als-circuit-ducs.fr

March 14 – Free guided walk-ing tour of the Cherbourg (50)quayside, in French. Meet infront of the hôtel de ville onPlace de la République at 14.30.Tourist office: 02 33 87 88 28 orwww.ville-cherbourg.fr

March 20-22 – Mortagne auPerche (61) celebrates itsfamous annual Foire auBoudin black pudding festival.Hundreds of French andEuropean producers vie forthe judges' attention. Includescooking workshops, samplesand stands selling local pro-duce. See page 11. Touristoffice: 02 33 85 11 18 orwww.ot-mortagneauperche.fr

March 21 – “Nettoie ta Plage”:big beach-cleaning operationin Agon-Coutainville (50)ahead of the surf season. Morethan 150 volunteers expectedto help out. T-shirts, glovesand binbags are provided –and there is a free drinksreception for all afterwards.See www.festivaldelaglisse.fr

All March – Mois de laPhotographie en BocageNormand : 40 exhibitions invenues around Basse-Normandie. See the full list ofwhat is on display athttp://tinyurl.com/bocagephoto

March 1 – Last day to enjoy theSalon des Vins et de laGastronomie at the Docks Caféin Le Havre (76). Discoverwines and cuisine from all overFrance. Open 10.00 to 18.00,entry €5, under-16s free. performanceorganisation.fr

March 6-7 – Weekend forwine-lovers in Evreux (27).Some 35 selected producersinvite you to sample and buy150 different varieties of wine.Proceeds from the event go tothe La Musse hospital. Open10.00 to 20.00 on Saturday,10.00 to 17.00 on Sunday at theHalle des Expositions. Entry €5. Call 02 32 38 81 24,or email [email protected]

March 12-15 – Salon del’Habitat interior design showat the Docks Café in Le Havre(76). Almost 150 exhibitors dis-play the latest trends in build-ing, renovation, decoration,swimming pools, kitchendesign and garden landscaping.Includes special section on eco-friendly development. Entry€4, see www.normand-expo.fr

March 20-21 – The Salon desVins et de la Gastronomie (seeMarch 1 listing) comes to Caen(14) at the Parc des Expositions.Entry €5, under-16s free. performanceorganisation.fr

March 20-21 – Dessinator2010 comic strip festival inSaint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët(50). Includes presentations bycartoonists and amateur draw-ing competition. Salle desFêtes. Entry for one day €5,

weekend pass €7, free forunder-15s accompanied by anadult. See www.dessinator.fr oremail [email protected]

From March 27 – Exhibitionof Italian art from theRenaissance to the 18th centu-ry, Musée des Beaux Arts inCaen (14). Includes 80 worksfrom Botticelli, Bellini, Guardiand more. Open daily from9.30 to 18.00 except Tuesdays.Entry €5, www.mba.caen.fr

March 10-14 – Deauville cele-brates its 12th annual Asianfilm festival. Twenty of thecontinent’s best new films willbe screened. Day passes rangefrom €10-€12. The full pro-gramme is available online at www.deauvilleasia.com

March 5-8 – Bayeux interna-tional circus festival, with per-formances from more than 40artistes from all over theworld. The big top on thePlace Gauquelin Despallièreswill welcome more than13,000 visitors over the longweekend. Tickets €12-€28.See show times and reserve atwww.festivalcirquebayeux.fr

March 7 – Last chance tomake the most of the Cabourg(14) winter ice rink. Adults€5, children €3. Open 10.30-12.30 and 14.30-18.30. More

details: 02 31 06 20 00.

March 27-28 – The circuscomes to Montilly-sur-Noireau. Clowns, contortion-ists and trapeze artists fromthe former corners of theworld compete for prizes.Call 02 33 96 40 19

March 27-28 – Funfair at theFoire des Rameaux inDomfront (61). Free access.Town hall: 02 33 30 60 71

March 30-April 11 – Easterfunfair in Pont-l’Evêque (14)on Place Foch. 02 31 64 00 02.

March 1 – The streets ofLisieux (14) are taken over by the town’s annual tree andplant festival, which endstoday. Shows, conferences and 200 stalls offering an impressive range of greenery. Call 02 31 61 66 00

March 20 – Local producetasting evening in Reux (14).Starts 20.00. Info and reserva-tions from Pont-l’Evêquetourist office: 02 31 64 81 45.

Other events

Family

Cinema

Exhibitions

Out and about

What’s On Listings

Event listings are free in The AdvertiserSend details to [email protected]

Cherbourg and Rouen save carnival fun for lastGRANVILLE celebrated its famous carnival in the snow last month, butCherbourg and Rouen have saved theirsfor the (hopefully) more clement lateMarch and early April.

Rouen’s carnival takes place on theafternoon of March 31. Wicked witches,gallant knights and fairies will paradethe streets from 13.30 until 17.00 onMarch 31. Further details will be pub-lished shortly at www.rouen.frCherbourg celebrates a carnival on thetheme of comic strips at the start of nextmonth. April 2 is children’s day, and themain parade starts at 10.00 on April 3.The afternoon festivities on the secondday include a costume contest and a ballin the salle des fêtes. Call the touristoffice on 02 33 93 52 02 or see the website at www.otcherbourgcotentin.fr

ONE OF the best stageshows in France, Olivia Ruiz,heads for Caen in March,performing songs from herlast album Miss Météores.

Her individual style got heron to the TV talent showStar Academy in 2003. Shewas not middle of the roadenough to win, gettingknocked out in the semi-final – but it gave her animmediate fan followingwith albums such as J’AimePas L’Amour (2003) and LaFemme Chocolat (2005).

She will be at Le Cargo inCaen (14) on March 4.Tickets are priced from €23

to €29 from all the usualoutlets.

Also playing this month:

March 2-31 – Printemps de laChanson, with 27 concertsfrom French artists across theOrne. Includes BrigitteFontaine at La Luciole,Alençon on March 25.http://tinyurl.com/ornechantMarch 19-21 – Rock-operaact Mozart, Le Zénith, Caen(14). Tickets €39-€63.March 31 – Quebecois popfrom Coeur de Pirate at theKaliocha in Caen (14).Tickets €17-€21.

Music

CAEN SHOW: Olivia Ruiz

Phot

o: Y

ann

Orh

an

March vide-greniersTHE TABLE sale sea-son kicks off this monthwith dozens of eventsaround Normandy foranyone looking to makesome money from thebig spring cleanout.Entry is generally freefor buyers – for stallfees and contact num-bers for organisers, seewww.vide-greniers.org

March 6 – Evreux (27),Cherbourg (50)

March 7 – Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives (14), Bayeux(14), Sassey (27),Lengronne (50), Eu (76)

March 14 – Longueil,Le-Petit-Quevilly (76)

March 20 – Cabourg(14), Mortagne-au-Perche (61) books andantiques, Isneauville(76) games and chil-dren’s clothes, Le Havre(76)

March 20-21 – Elbeuf(76)

March 21 – Courcelles-sur-Seine (27), Mortain(50), Tourlaville (50),Turretot (76), Granville(50)

March 26-27 – Gasny(27) clothes

March 27 – Portbail (50)

March 27-28 – Saint-

Hilaire-du-Harcouët(50) stamps

March 28 – Beuzeville(27), Pont d’Ouilly(14), L'Hôtellerie (14),Caen (14), Saint-Lô(50), Le Havre (76),Gruchet-le-Valasse (76)

March 29-31 – Evreux(27) clothes

Regular weeklymarkets, page 14

PORTBAIL:Outdoortable sale

Christ Church CoutancesCollège St GermainRue d’Ilkley, CoutancesServices every Sunday, 11.00christchurchcountances.com

Vezins (just outside Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët)Communion service in thelocal church on the firstSunday of every month at 17.00.Call 02 33 58 86 76

Caen Anglican ChaplaincyChapelle de la Miséricorde, Rue Elie de BeaumontSundays at 17.30http://tinyurl.com/caenchurch

RouenReformed Church of RouenPlace du Pasteur MartinLuther KingContact: Quentin [email protected] 35 71 08 66

Hautot-Saint-SulpiceAnglican communionReverend Anthony Chadwick02 35 96 30 36 http://tinyurl.com/hautot

Church services

DISPLAY: Last year’s Cherbourg carnival attracted tens of thousands of visitors

The Advertiser, Normandy March 2010 What’s On / Community 11

The proof of the pudding

BLACK pudding is taken soseriously in Normandy thatan entire festival is devoted tothe traditional dish every year.

La Confrerie des Chevaliersdu Goûte Boudin (theBrotherhood of Knights ofBlack Pudding) don their cere-monial robes and pledge topromote the popularity of theboudin noir in Mortagne-au-Perche on the third weekend inMarch. Their dark, velvet capesare trimmed with white furand black velvet bonnets, signi-fying the holy trinity of thepudding – red for the blood,white for the fat and black forthe finished, cooked result.

French boudin noir is one ofFrance’s oldest charcuterie tra-ditions, with a history spread-ing back over two thousandyears, and is a dark-huedblood sausage, generallymade from pig’s blood andpork fat, spices and seasoning,sometimes with the additionof apples and/or onions. It isgenerally served with cooked

apples and mashed potatoes. Competitors from all across

Europe will travel toMortagne in the Orne fromMarch 20 to 22 in an attemptto win the much-coveted andprestigious International BestBlack Pudding prize at theannual foire. The judges, cho-sen from among the knights,look for innovation and quali-ty in both ingredients andpresentation.

For a few gourmet days,black pudding is displayed inmassive quantities in themairie. Local, specialist char-cutiers demonstrate the fineand complex art of makingthe boudin, which visitors areencouraged to sample.

Over the three-day period,five kilometres of the black

stuff are sold. There is anotheraward on offer as well – asenthusiastic gourmands wolfdown the produce and com-pete for the prize of best blackpudding eater.

There are also a series ofcook-offs between profession-al and amateur chefs, wherethe innovative use of manylocally produced ingredientsis always on the menu.

As with allcountry fairs andfestivals, a num-ber of other gas-tronomic stallsare foundthroughout thevillage too,includingtraders, arti-sans andbutchers.

For details,call Ornetourist boardon 02 33 2888 71 or seethe website athttp://foireauboudin.free.fr

Five kilometres of black puddingare expected to be consumed inMortagne-au-Perche in the Ornelater this month as the 46th annualFoire au Boudin comes to town

Free seminars on retirementTHE ADVERTISER is sup-porting a free series of semi-nars for anyone in Normandywith questions about makingthe most of their retirement.

The talks in English willlook at how to find a retire-ment home or get home help,pensions and financial plan-ning, health insurance, taxa-tion and ensuring your will isup-to-date. The sessions takeplace on March 8 from 14.15at the Restaurant du Délice inGavray and on March 12 at14.15 in Bellefontaine Parkbetween Vire and Sourdeval.A free cream tea is offered.

For full details of the pro-gramme and speakers and tosign up, see the website attinyurl.com/normseminars orcall PWT Overseas on 06 84 74 26 02.

Crafty idea forweaving groupA CRAFT group nearTinchebray in the Orne isinterested in hearing fromanyone in the area interestedin trying their hand at spin-ning and weaving.

The group – between 10 and15 people – meets once amonth at Les Landes in Saint-Jean-des-Bois to share ideasand help each other withactivities including patchwork,crochet and knitting.

“It is a very informal daywith people arriving and leav-ing when it is convenient tothem,” says founder GloriaPeek.

For more information, seewww.crafts-at-leslandes.com

Olds dolls-housesought for raffleDO you have an old, unwant-ed dolls-house lying aroundat home? A club in theManche is looking for adonation that it can renovateand give away as a prize in araffle in aid of CancerSupport France. If you canhelp, ring Juno Gingell on 02 33 51 23 65 or [email protected]

Conversationgroup in ArgentanAN ENGLISH resident in theOrne is setting up a projectbased around Argentan tocreate small mixed groups offour or five French and Britishpeople for relaxed bilingualconversations. Many Frenchpeople have joined the projectbut there are vacancies forEnglish-speakers looking toimprove their language skillsand get to know more Frenchpeople. There are no feesinvolved, and each groupdecides where, when and howoften they meet. Furtherinformation from DavidHarrison on 02 33 12 60 86 oremail [email protected]

Bridge club plansat Jug and JazzTHE OWNER of the Jug andJazz bar and restaurant inGer, between Mortain andTinchebray, would be veryinterested in hearing fromlocal bridge players whowould like to start up amonthly club there. ContactRégis on 02 33 59 38 69 oremail [email protected]

YOUR STORIESPlease send your community stories or events forpossible inclusion in our April issue to [email protected] no later than March 5

FESTIVAL: Competitors from all over Europewill come to Mortagne-au-Perche this month

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REMOVALSFREE quote, FREE

short-term storage,self-pack - save money.www.BritServ.com

FR 02 99 98 31 81UK 0208 144 3538

FISHFACE REMOVALS UK - FRANCE - UK

Full and part loads You pack, we move, you save!

0044 (0)1327 264627 UKEmail: [email protected]

www.fishfaceremovals.com

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]

Company Regn No: UK 5186435TVA / VAT No: UK 864 7217 04

D & KREMOVALS

Removals toand from France.

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

E: [email protected]

George White EuropeanTransport

Special rates to S/W France13.6m/45ft trailer - Full/Part loads

Removals/materials/vehiclesOwner driver. RHA memberTel: +44 (0)7768 867 360Fax: +44 (0)1773 570 090

Fr Mobile: +33 (0)6 23 03 85 59www.georgewhiteeuropean.co.uk

HHoolliiddaayy LLeettttiinngg &&PPrrooppeerrttyy MMaannaaggeemmeennttHoliday Booking Management, 7/7Bilingual Assistance, Changeovers,

Security Checks, Translations.Mob: +33 (0)6 30 28 13 67 Tel: +33 (0)2 50 28 60 56


Regions covered: 14, 50, 61Siret: 511 964 983 000 15

BOOTH & COGGaarrddeenn MMaaiinntteennaaiinnccee

LLaannddssccaappiinngg,,CCoonnssttrruuccttiioonn ooff DDeecckkiinngg,,

DDrriivveess,, FFeenncciinngg aanndd GGaatteessFFuullllyy IInnssuurreedd

Tel: 02 33 59 36 39email: [email protected]

Siret: 49123150200015

Fosse Septic installationsAll Groundworks

Equine ArenasDrives & ditching

Ponds & landscapingAreas 50,14,53,61,35

KG EXCAVATIONS02 33 59 91 73 / 06 50 58 94 49

www.fosseboss.com

Fitzgerald Garden Services

Regular Maintenance including:

Mowing, Strimming,Hedges and Weeding

We are happy to quote for:

Clearing overgrown plots,Tree Felling, Rotavating

and Lawn creationReferences Available

Contact Peter/Trudie at:Tel: 02 33 59 42 46

Mobile: 06 78 41 85 78Email: [email protected]

Siret 48495870700016

PJM LOCATION PLANT HIRE & SALES

Mini diggers and machinery available.For hire and sale.

Tel: +33 (0)2.33.30.89.20Email: [email protected]

Web: www.pjmtoolhire.comRegions Covered: Lower Normandy

Siret: 449247550

ChimneySweep

Wood StoveInstallationProperty

ManagementIain Davison

www.propertycarepeople.comTel: 02 33 14 09 55

Email: [email protected]: 494799968

CHARLES WILKINS (Crouttes) Garden design, construction

& advice. Patios, decking, garden buildings

RHS qualified Tel: 02 33 67 24 96

Email: [email protected] Regions Covered 14, 61

Siret 50404254000022

Reno - Peter CoppenKitchens, bathrooms,

loft conversions,electrical work,

carpentry.Complete renovations,

to minor works.

All work carried out byquality, registered tradesmen.

10 yr decennale insurance.

Tel: 06 32 02 76 33Email: [email protected]

[email protected]

Mark DupeeLANDSCAPEGARDENER

Est 1994

Mowing, Hedge Cutting,Clearance, Maintenance,Fencing, Decking, Patios,

Property Management.

Tel: 02 33 90 92 28Mobile: 06 68 74 83 41

Email: [email protected] 49509842800016

Kitchens, Bathrooms& Loft Conversions

Renovations, all aspects of buildingworks, electrical, plumbing.

Tel: 03 22 32 50 02Email: [email protected]

All Northern Regions ConsideredSiret No. 394 360 945 00015

GARDEN MAINTENANCE

Garden ClearanceGrass CuttingHedge Cutting

Strimming and Weed KillingTel: Charlie 02 33 91 78 05

Email: [email protected] Sever Area

Siret 49763502900018

Seans Garden ServicesLawns – Hedges – TreesOvergrown plots cleared.

Free quotes for one-off jobs.Call Sean 02 33 57 86 02Email: sean.melanaphy@

wanadoo.frSiret: 50139841600013

WIDE OAKFLOORING

LOW PRICES DIRECTFROM PRODUCER

www.wide-oak-flooring.comPhone Bill 02 31 63 94 36

Siret 83661000014

BENTLEY DESIGNAll restoration &renovation work.Loft conversion specialist

Bespoke staircasesBespoke JoineryCall Ken or NatalieTel: 02 33 66 22 47Siret: 508 702 974 000 17

CHIMNEYSWEEP

Expert, mess-freeservice from

a dedicated andprofessional

English Sweep.Steve Bainton-Smith at

Black Cat Services;02 33 50 84 91

email; [email protected]: 50,14,61

“Proud to be associated withThe Stove Shack for premierstove and liner installation.”

ELECTRICIAN / PLUMBERand HEATING ENGINEER

French RegisteredOver 35 years experience

David Christie02 33 51 05 91

Mobile: 06 31 97 58 15Email: [email protected]

South Manche Siret: 481 604 411 00019


THIS ADVERTISEMENT COSTS€€144HT for a year

Calll our Sales Teamfor more InformationTel : 04 83 93 60 08Email: directory@

connexionfrance.comwww.connexionfrance.com

BESPOKEKITCHENS AND FURNITURE

Designed and handmadeTo the highest standards

Visit

www.allyouneedinwood.com or contact

TOBY PLATTS02 31 66 98 04

Fully qualified cabinetmakerand designer

22 years experience

References available

Andrew Morgan

Electrician All works guaranteed and carried out

to French regulations standard.Tel: 02 31 67 34 40

Email: [email protected] Covered: 50,61,and 14

Siret: 49427469900011

English Carpenter/JoinerMichael Bambridge BSc

Very experienced in renovationand carpentry including

stairs and furnitureTel: 02 33 50 40 24


Stuart Upton CARPENTRY &

ROOFINGFull 10 year Insurance

Backed Guarantee Tel: 02 33 64 89 28 / 06 06 43 52 28Email: [email protected]

Regions Covered 61, 14, 50Siret 48036552700013

Andrew Hadfield

BUILDERAll building works undertaken.

Mini digger, Full Registered,10 year decennale insurance.

Tel: 02 33 61 72 90Email: [email protected]: Near St Hilaire

Siret: 499 532 059 00015

JOHN DAVIES RENOVATIONSAll types ofrenovation

work undertaken15 years experience in France.

tel 02 33 57 12 22mob 06 13 72 75 53

[email protected] 444.648.828.000.10

WWW.BOCAGERENOVATIONS.COM

For All YourBuilding &

Renovations WorksLarge or Small Projects

( Many can be Viewed )Backed up by 10 year Insurance

14 years working in France

Tel: 02 31 67 62 51Mob: 06 19 91 29 48


Mesnil RenovationAreas 14/50/61

Full / Part Renovations, carpentry,masonry, plastering, tiling, kitchens,

replacement windows and doors.www.buildersnormandy.com

Tel. 02 31 09 26 54Siret 48423125300010

Architect. Resident in Normandy.

Wide experience including interior

and garden designs. Tel: 02 33 49 69 26.

Regions: 14/15/50/61Siret: 50409652000011

SSPPAARREESS,, SSEERRVVIICCEE&& RREEPPAAIIRRSS

Mowers, Tractors, Generators,Mixers, Dumpers, Diggers

and More25 yrs. Experience06 83 27 04 17

[email protected]

Kilrush Cars Ltd

A large selection ofEuropean

Left Hand Drive

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

www.kilrushcars.com

Kilrush Cars Ltd

HUGESAVINGS!!!

BRANDNEW LHD

CARS NOWIN STOCK

INSIGNIA & TOURERZAFIRA

ASTRA & CORSAALL AVAILABLE

Tel: 00 44 (0) 1252 782883www.kilrushcars.com

The Advertiser, Normandy March 2010 Directory 13

ADVERTISER DIRECTORYFind services onlineSearch for English-speaking businesses on our website

All the adverts that appear in The Advertiser Directory can also befound in our online directory. Go to www.connexionfrance.com andtype what you are looking for in the search field at the top of the page.

The Advertiser, Normandy March 201014 Local information

Accueil des Villes FrançaisesFor newly arrived Normandy residentshttp://tinyurl.com/avfnorm

AirportsDinard: 08 25 08 35 09Cherbourg: 02 33 88 57 60 Caen: 02 31 71 20 10Le Havre: 02 35 54 65 00Deauville: 02 31 65 65 65

Alcoholics Anonymouswww.aabassenormandie.comBilingual meeting every Friday in theCentre Socio-Culturel Prieuré,Picauville (50)Call Alan on 02 78 08 41 23

Alliance Anglo-NormandeA helping hand to integrate throughFrench lessons, meetings and a socialcalendar, with members of manynationalities. Based between Livarotand Vimoutiers.secretary.normande@orange.frwww.alliance-anglo-normande.info

Amicale Culturelle EuropéenneOffers cultural events and welcomesall nationaltieswww.amicale-culturelle.eu02 33 50 38 16

Anglo-French Club, The PercheEcole de Français Du Perche (61)Regular events including convivial les-sons, monthly events and walksDanielle Houzé or Maureen Phillips: 02 33 25 25 [email protected]

Anglophone Association,CoutancesA social and cultural association forEnglish-speakers of any nationality.Liz Armstrong: 02 33 72 25 [email protected]

Association Française des Soloswww.asso-des-solos.frCaen: 06 08 37 06 11St-Lô: 06.34.47.47.64Cherbourg: 06 45 50 57 69Dieppe: 06 61 16 68 84Rouen: 06 60 18 54 91

Association Franco-Britanniquede Buais (50)French tuition, all levels welcomeJuliet Sharp: 02 33 69 36 [email protected]

Association Franco-Britannique,Barneville Carteret (50)An informal group of French andBritish residents who meet for socialevents on the Cotentin peninsula Claude Bastian: 02 33 93 10 70http://francobrit50.wordpress.com

Assurance MaladieHelp in English: 08 11 36 36 46CPAM Manche: 08 20 904 212

Bocage GardenersFor gardening enthusiasts in the theBocage, offering advice, meetings andoutingsVivienne Baker: 02 33 90 41 45

British consultate in Lille03 20 12 82 72

British embassy in Paris01 44 51 31 00

Calvados Polo ClubPolo matches and events in Lisieuxarea (14). Open to non-members.Mme Garmond: 02 31 31 19 [email protected]

Cancer Support Basse NormandieJenny Luck: 02 33 60 27 [email protected]

Classic Car and Bike Club ofDésertines (53)Meets last Thursday of every month atthe Red Lion Pub, DésertinesAlan Soutter: 02 33 69 55 [email protected]

Club de ConversationAnglais/Français de Gacé (61)Weekly conversation exchangebetween local French and English atthe mairie in GacéPeter Strugnell: 02 14 18 40 [email protected]

EDF (Electricité de France)05 62 16 49 08

Epona TrustCharity helping sick and mistreatedhorses and poniesAnn: 02 33 61 88 41www.eponatrust.org

Ferry operatorsBrittany Ferries: 08 25 828 828 Celtic Link: +44 844 576 8834Condor Ferries: 02 33 88 44 88 Irish Ferries: 02 33 23 44 44LD Lines: 02 35 19 78 77Transmanche: 02 32 14 52 03

Ferry portsCherbourg: 02 33 43 23 87Le Havre: 02 32 74 73 31Dieppe: 08 20 00 35 55Caen-Ouistreham: 02 31 35 63 00

The 50 Photo ClubMeets on the first Thursday of themonth at 14.00. Venue Laforge Pub inLe Petit-Celland (50) Jackie: 02 33 48 89 [email protected]

France Telecom/OrangeEnglish helpline: 09 69 36 39 00

Gay NormandieWebsite with gay and lesbian newswww.gaynormandie.com

Groupe Ornithologique NormandRegular bird-watching outings02 31 43 52 56www.gonm.org

Mayenne and Orne Writers Relaxed, friendly creative writinggroup which meets on third Tuesdayof every month at the bar in PassaisKitty Stephens: 02 33 64 12 [email protected]

Météo FranceManche: 08 92 68 02 50Calvados: 08 92 68 02 14Orne: 08 92 68 02 61Eure: 08 92 68 02 27Seine-Maritime: 08 92 68 02 76

Orne LinkAnglo-French network for the Ornehttp://ornelink.orne.frScarlet or Véronique: 02 33 81 62 97

PréfecturesCalvados: 02 31 30 64 00Eure: 02 32 78 27 27Manche: 02 33 06 50 50Orne: 02 33 80 61 61Seine-Maritime: 02 32 76 50 00

Royal British LegionNormandy/Calvados district branchhttp://rblnormandy.wordpress.comGoona Naidu: 02 31 78 36 40Ron Matthews: [email protected]

Royal Naval AssociationFrance Nord branchNigel Fox: [email protected]

Société Protectrice des AnimauxCherbourg: 02 33 20 49 74Cabourg: 02 31 28 09 71Etalondes: 02 35 86 88 51

SOS HelpTrained listeners provide confidential,anonymous counselling service inEnglish to English-speakers living inFrance. 01 46 21 46 46 from 15.00 to 23.00daily. www.soshelpline.org

TrainsSNCF: 3635Eurostar: 08 92 35 35 39

UK passport advice+44 208 082 4729Cost of an international call plus69p/minute on your credit card

“Ville-Beau-Son” ChoirAnglo-French choir based inVillebaudon (50). Welcomes enthusiastic singers of all

abilities. Meets every Wednesay at20.30 at the Salle Culturelle.Sylvia Miles: 02 33 59 21 [email protected]

For our list of hospitals and emergencycontact numbers, see page 2

Useful Normandy contacts

If you would like your club or association listed here,please email: [email protected]

Did you know?ACROSS1 A lot of French supermarkets

no longer give these out forfree (fr) (4)

3 Born Edith Giovanna Gassion,this French singer lived withher grandmother (who ran abrothel in Normandy) forsome of her childhood. Shenever regretted anything (4)

5 Domicile or maison for a bird(fr) (3)

8 19th century painter fromHonfleur, named King of theSkies; type of French sausage(6)

9 Every village has a town hall(fr) (6)

11 Wide-ranging, extensive, vast(fr) (5)

13 Renowned 17th centurydramatist Pierre, often calledthe father of French classicaltragedy, wrote Horace in 1640(9)

15 This famous British generaltook command of the AlliedGround forces in the Battle ofNormandy during the SecondWorld War (10)

17 This type of building is afamiliar sight in Normandy,providing a welcome shelter toour feathered friends (eng) (8)

19 A place to go to say yourprayers (fr) (6)

21 Oeil (eng) (3)22 Your taste for music will not

be satiated when you hear thisfamous composer’s works,including Socrates (5)

24 Sortie; quitter la scène (eng)(4)

25 Windmills (fr) (7)26 Fencing sword (fr/eng) (4)

DOWN2 A shortened courtyard is just

what this is (fr) (4)4 There may have been some

flaws in Gustave’s writingsabout 19th century bourgeois

life in Madame Bovary (8)5 William, Duke of Normandy,

became king of England inthis famous 1066 coup (6,8)

6 One of the Iles Anglo-Normandes (Channel Islands)under British sovereignty (6)

7 A Normandy beach with thiscolour flag means that it haspolluted water (6)

8 Sword, Juno and Gold are allone of these; codenames usedby the Americans in theSecond World War (5)

10 Theft; flight; pillage (fr) (3)12 During the First World War,

English troops entrusted some10,000 messages to thesefeathered friends (6)

14 Outdoor tourist attraction inJurques, Champrepus andCerza; animalerie (fr/eng) (3)

15 Every aspiring top chef strivesto have their restaurant men-tioned in this guide (8)

16 Plural of 21 down (fr) (4)17 Raoul, born at Le Havre, was a

French Fauvist painter (4)18 Lightweight, fine fabric used

in veils and gowns (fr/eng) (5)20 Arrêt; halt sign (eng) (4)23 Soir; Adam’s wife? (eng) (3)

Some answers are in English, some are in French. All accents should be ignored. Answers in the April issue

Normandy bilingual crossword

LAST MONTH’S ANSWERS

Across: 1 Beau, 3 Mois, 5 Age, 7 Poche, 10 Guernsey, 11 Rouen, 12 Bayeux, 14Etat, 15 Maupassant, 18 Blé, 20 Picardy, 23 Deauville, 24 Kiss, 26 Lighthouses

Down: 1 Be, 2 Up, 3 Mode, 4 Sous, 6 Gasoil, 8 Horses, 9 The Hague, 12 Bread, 13Calvados, 15 Millet, 16 Apple, 17 Tic, 19 Salut, 21 Ask, 22 Quai, 25 Son

WHEREVER you look inNormandy, you will see theregion’s flag – as window-stickers on cars and camper-vans, fluttering outside pub-lic buildings alongside theTricolore and the EU flag,and possibly on the packag-ing of a certain brand ofCamembert cheese.

So here’s a little test: shutyour eyes and see how accu-rately you can describe it. The answer is not asstraightforward as youmight think. The first pointto clarify is that those beastsyou might be picturing inyour mind’s eye are not lionsbut leopards. The two sym-bols are often confused:leopards typically have threepaws on the ground and afourth raised while lions areon their hind legs.

Most people would say theNormandy flag is two goldenleopards on a red back-ground. Your leopards maysprout dark blue claws andtongues, or not, according totaste. Sometimes thoughthere are three leopards –Richard Coeur de Lion isunderstood to have pre-ferred there being three.

Suffice it to say that theproper number of cats onthe Norman flag has beenthe subject of much debate.The Mouvement Normand isadamant that this devicebelongs on a coat-of-arms,not on a flag. They claim the

true flag is an Olaf cross,reflecting the Scandinavianorigins of the Normans orNorsemen: a gold-borderedred cross on a red back-ground, and preferably noleopards in sight.

As a concession the mouve-ment accepts the Olaf crossflag with two (or three)diminutive leopards in thetop left-hand segment.

Normandy’s flagstirs local debate

By Maggie Wakefield

WHICH ONE?: The Mouvement Normand says the Olaf cross (top right) is our real flag

MONDAY14: Cabourg, Pont l’Evêque, SaintPierre sur Dives. 27: Bourg Achard, Gisors, PontAudemer, Thiberville.50: Bricquebec, Carentan, Gouvillesur Mer, Saint James, Torigini surVire. 61: Briouze, Remalard, Vimoutiers. 76: Bolbec, Buchy, Cany Barville

TUESDAY14: Blonville sur Mer, Cabourg,Courseulles sur Mer, Deauville, Divessur Mer, Thury Harcourt, Villers surMer. 27: Beaumont le Roger, Beuzeville,Damville, Fleury sur Andelle, Gaillon,Montreuil l’Argille. 50: Agon Coutainville, Brehal,Cherbourg Octeville, Ducey,Jullouville, Portbail, Quettehou,Sourdeval, Villedieu les Poeles. 61: L’Aigle, Alençon, Argentan,Bagnoles de l’Orne, Vitrai sous l’Aigle. 76: Duclair, Goderville, Gournay anBray, Le Grand Quevilly, Le Havre,Rouen, Sotteville les Rouoen, LeTréport

WEDNESDAY14: Cabourg, Caen, Herouville SaintClair, Isigny sur Mer, Orbec,Ouistreham, Trouville sur Mer, VillersBocage. 27: La Barre en Ouche, Bernay,Breteuil sur Iton, Evreux, LeNeubourg, Nonancourt, Routot,Vernon. 50: Granville, La Haye du Puits, LaHaye Pesnel, Marigny, Pontorson,Saint Hilaire du Harcouët, SaintPierre Eglise. 61: Bagnoles de l’Orne, Flers, Longnyau Percfhe, Le Mele sur Sarthe, Tessela Madeleine, Le Theil. 76: Bihorel, Bosc le Hard, Gonnevillela Mallet, Lillebonne, Mont SaintAignan, Saint Etienne du Rouvray,Veules les Roses, Yvetot

THURSDAY14: Cabourg, Caen, Condé surNoireau, Douvres la Delivrande, LeMolay Littry, Mondeville,Ouistreham, Saint Aubin sur Mer. 27:Brionne, Conches en Ouche, Ezy surEure, Pacy sur Eure. 50: Barneville Carteret, Carolles,

Cherbourg Octeville, Coutances,Saint Pair sur Mer, Sainte Mère Eglise.61: Alençon, La Ferté Macé, Trun.76: Creil sur Mer, Etretat, Forges lesEaux, Le Havre, Montivilliers, Pavilly,Le Petit Quevilly, Sotteville les Rouen

FRIDAY14: Blonville sur Mer, Cabourg, Caen,Courseulles sur Mer, Deauville,Ouistreham, Villers sur Mer, Vire. 27: Beaumont le Roger, Cormeilles,Evreux, Gisors, Pont Audemer, SaintAndré de l’Eure. 50: Brecey, Gouville sur Mer,Jullouville, Les Pieux, Saint-Lô,Valognes. 61: Argentan, Bagnoles de l’Orne,Tesse la Madeleine, Tourouvre. 76: Auffay, Bihorel, Bonsecours, Eu,Gournay en Bray, Grand Couronne,Le Grand Quevilly, Le Havre, Rouen,Saint Valéry en Caux

SATURDAY14: Aunay sur Odon, Bayeux,Cabourg, Deauville, Falaise, Honfleur,Isigny sur Mer, Lisieux, Ouistreham,Troarn. 27: Les Andélys, Bernay, Evreux, Ivryla Bataille, Louviers, Verneuil surAvre, Vernon. 50: Agon Coutainville, Avranches,Barneville Carteret, Coutances,Gavray, Granville, Periers, Saint-Lô,Saint Vaast la Hougue. 61: Alençon, Bagnoles de l’Orne,Flers, Mortagne au Perche, Sees. 76: Aumale, Umale, Barentin, Bihorel,Canteleu, Doudeville, Elbeuf,Fécamp, Le Havre, Monvtille,Neufchâtel en Bray, Le Petit Quevilly,Rouen, Saint Romain de Colbosc,Sotteville les Rouen, Le Tréport,Yvetot

SUNDAY14: Cabourg, Caen, GrandcampMaisy, Mezidon Canon, Ouistreham,Tilly sur Seulles, Trouville sur Mer.27: Brionne, Evreux, Ezy sur Eure, LaFerrière sur Risle, Pont de l’Arche.50: Brehal, Cherbourg Octeville.61: Alençon, Montilly sur Noireau. 76: Blangy sur Bresle, Caudebec lesElbeud, Darnetal, Forges les Eaux,Harfleur, Luneray, Le Petit Quevilly,Rouen, Saint Valéry en Caux,Sotteville les Rouen

Weekly markets

The Advertiser, Normandy March 2010 Property 15

Chaulieu3 bedroom detached stone cottage set in 12 acres of landincludes lounge/dining room,kitchen and bathroom. A secondstone cottage on location needsrenovating.REF: JL2396

€€119,600

REF: JL2115

€€267,000

Montivilliers6 bedroom detached house comprises of entrance hall, salon, dining room, kitchen,bath/shower rooms, 2 WCs, 2 attics, office, garage and largebrick built outbuilding.REF: DOM982

€€346,500

Rouen4 bedroom country house comprises of galleried hall, living/dining room, 2nd livingroom, Kitchen, shower, bathroom and cellar/wine store.

REF: DOM1131

€€241,500

Rouen4 bedroom detached houseincludes living room, newkitchen, 3 bathrooms, utilityroom and office. Permission hasbeen granted to build a small 2bedroom house in the garden.REF: DOM1124

€€378,000Athis de L'orne2 bedroom house compriseskitchen, dining room, sittingroom with fireplace, WC, attic toconvert with new staircase, cellar,garden and 2 stone outbuildings.

REF: 128010

€€286,200

Buying or selling a property in or around Normandy?We can help. Our website www.connexionfrance.com carries details

of more than 14,000 homes for sale across France. We also feature properties for sale in this dedicated

section of The Advertiser every month. Use the codeunder each property to find out more on the website. For sellers, the adverts are also displayed across a

range of popular English-speaking websites whichensures they are seen by thousands of potential buyers

EVERY day. Prices start at €119TTC for a year’s onlineadvertising. Online advertisers can also place advertsin The Advertiser for an extra €60TTC for one month,€150TTC for three and €275TTC for six. Contact us on 04 83 93 60 08 or email [email protected]

REF: 130720

€€242,000Seine-Maritime4 bedroom house includesentrance hall, fitted kitchen, largeliving room with fireplace, study,bathroom and large garden.

REF: 19258

€€122,000 Vire3 bedroom house comprises living room with a cornerkitchen, shower, garden, cellarand a mezzanine to convert

More details on all these properties - and how to contact the seller directly - can be found in the property for salesection of www.connexionfrance.com. Simply enter the code under each home to find out more

Houses for sale in and around Normandy

Saint-Lô4 bedroom mill includes lounge,fitted kitchen, bathroom, shower-room, office, double garage,workshop, cellar and smalldetached house on the grounds.

REF: M31805

€€275,600

Rouen, Between Neufchatel and Aumale6 bedroom detached house,divided into two separatedwellings also includes garden,greenhouse and potting shed.

REF: IFPC19149

€€160,000

REF: 130716

€€220,000Seine-Maritime4 bedroom house with entrancehall, living room with beautifulfireplace, bathroom and enclosedgarden.

Seine-Maritime3 bedroom house includesentrance hall, fitted kitchen,double living room with fireplace, 2 bathrooms, basementwith garage and large garden.

REF: 130717

€€220,000

The adverts above cost from just €179TTC for a whole year of web advertising and one edition of advertising in The Advertiser.10,000 copies of The Advertiser are distributed at key points across departments 50, 14, 61, 27 and 76 as well as onboard ferriesbetween the UK and France and at Dinard airport. Let our distribution get you a sale. Contact our sales team on 04 83 93 60 08

More details of all the homes shown here - and 14,000 other properties for sale across France - can be seen at www.connexionfrance.com Enter the code listed with the property to take you to the details

Perrier en Beauficel4 bedroom detached house com-prises of lounge, dining area,fully fitted kitchen, 3 bathrooms,stone wood shed, old bread ovenhouse and plenty of land and 2fields 2 acres.

Interested instocking TheAdvertiser?Email us usingthe contactdetails shownon page 2

14 – CalvadosAquavire, VireBarclays Bank, CaenBar de la Poste, La GraverieBar Patio, LisieuxLes Bons VoisinsBricomarché, VireCafé at Intermarché, VireCarrefour Market, Falaise, Honfleur, VillersBocageAu Cochon de Lait, FalaiseLe Comptoir Irlandais, Caen, DeauvilleFlying Fish, La Graverie, St Manvieu BocageFrançois Labadie Estate Agents, VireGedimat, La GraverieIntermarché, Condé sur NoireauLeclerc, VireMarc Trouverie Estate Agents, VireMarché U, BayeuxNormandie Wine Warehouse, OuistrehamLe Patio, LisieuxLe Petit Chambourin, Champ du BoultSteve’s Fish and Chips, Champ du Boult

Subway, CaenSuper U, Thury HarcouëtShopi, St Sever, VassyTourist Bar, OrbecTourist board, Ouistreham terminal

27 – EureHippofaim, Cormeilles

35 – Ille-et-VilaineDinard Airport

50 – MancheAssociation Franco-Britannique, BuaisA Propos du Jardin, Ste CécileAuberge du Lac, VezinsAxa Lecluze, St HilaireBellefontaine ParkLes Bons VoisinsBricomarché, Avranches, Carentan, Coutances,Parigny, Saint-Lô, TourlavilleCarrefour Market, Barneville Carteret, Ducey,Haye du Puits, Mortain, PontorsonChâteau de Tallis, St André de BohonCeltic Link, Cherbourg portChez Madeleine, St Maur de BoisChrist Church CoutancesLa Clé des Temps, CoutancesComptoir Irlandais, Cherbourg, GranvilleThe Country Kitchen, SourdevalEpicerie BarentonEpi-service, Chaulieu

Flying Fish, MoyonLa Forge, Le Petit CellandGimazane Immobilier, Barfleur, Cherbourg, LaHaye du Puits, Les Pieux, ValognesGedimat, Gavray, Mortain, Périers, St Hilaire, St JamesIntermarché, Avranches, Saint-Pair, VilledieuJug & Jazz, GerLeclerc, St HilaireMajestic Wine, CherbourgMarché U, Gavray, SourdevalNormandie Wine Warehouse, CherbourgOdyssey Cafe, Leclerc, Saint-LôLe Relais de St Jean, St Jean de DayeSteve’s Fish and Chips, Mortain, Le Petit CellandThe Stove Shack, LessaySubway, Cherbourg, Saint-LôSuper U, St Sauveur le Vicomte, Sainte MèreEglise, Brécey, Saint JamesLe Tie Break, Le LuotMarc Trouverie Estate Agents, Mortain and VilledieuVive La Différence, MontpinchonTerminal Building, Cherbourg port

53 – MayenneLe Bon Choix Dépôt Vente, La Baroche GondinLe Famous Knight Public House, CouptrainGedimat, GorronThe Red Lion, DesertinesSteve’s Fish and Chips, Couesmes-VaucéSuper U, Pré en Pail

61 – OrneAngloFrench Club of the PercheBar au Relais, St FraimbaultBar du Pêcheur, l'Epinay le ComteBistrot du Coin, Passais-la-ConceptionBricomarché, La Ferté Mace, FlersCarrefour Contact, TrunCarrefour Market, Domfront, TinchebrayCatena, Argentan, VimoutiersClub Anglais/Français de GacéCinema le Normandy, TinchebrayHairchic, La Ferté MacéJardileclerc, ArçonnayLe Brewery, Joué-du-BoisLe Coin Secret, La Ferté MacéLeclerc, Argentan, FlersLes Favorites, DomfrontLe Réveillon Jazz Café, near Mortagne au PercheLe Secret Knight Public House, ChampsecretMonsieur Bricolage, AlençonRugby Tavern, TailleboisShopi, Athis de l’OrneSteve’s Fish and Chips, TailleboisSuperU, Bagnoles de l'OrneWoodstove Studio, Trun

76 – Seine-MaritimeSubway, Le Havre, RouenLD Lines, Dieppe, Le Havre

Jersey: Maison de la Normandie

Where to find your copy of The Advertiser

The Advertiser, Normandy March 201016 News

UNEXPLODED World WarTwo bombs will continue to befound in Normandy for at leastanother 30 or 40 years, the headof the region’s mine disposalcentre in Caen has warned.

Some 20,000 people wereevacuated from their homes onValentine’s Day so that a 500kgAmerican bomb – the biggestever found in Normandy –could be safely disposed of afterit was found by workmenbuilding a new languages centreat the city’s university.

It was the third bomb to befound in the region so far thisyear. An English bomb in a fieldat nearby Giberville was dealtwith on the same day as theCaen city centre bomb andanother was made safe inJanuary at Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives.

Experts

Jean Marzolini, who leads ateam of mine disposal expertsthat covers five departments,reckons that 40% of the bombsdropped in the war did notexplode.

“We find around 20 a year inlower Normandy,” he said.

In 2009 the team dealt with 19wartime bombs of which fourwere in cities.

When they are found in a city,the planning procedure is trick-

ier. Last month it not onlyinvolved evacuating 15% of thecity’s population but alsodiverting buses, closing shopsand dealing with people whosteadfastly refuse to move –they are asked to sign a dis-claimer and can remain in theirhomes.

“These kinds of bombs usual-ly landed at an angle of 30 to 45degrees. The one in Caen wasprobably dropped at a low alti-tude and landed in limestonewhich is hard and at an angle offive degrees,” said MrMarzolini. “This would havebeen a considerable shock for

the bomb as its base plate wasembedded so it had to beunscrewed by hand.”

Once the plate was removedhe was able to get at the fuse.

“It was not particularly diffi-cult. It was a classic situation.

“We have had harder onessuch as the one at Saint-Pierresur-Dives in January,” he said.

The second bomb dealt withon February 14 near Gibervillewas also straightforward butMr Marzolini admitted thatthe team do not always knowwhat to expect until they startwork. “Each operationdemands an adaptation. These

bombs were designed to do alot of damage,” he said.

“We must take it slowly. Twobombs dropped on the samemission may need to be dealtwith differently.”

Once the bombs are defusedthey are safe to move and storedin a secret location before beingtaken to one of two specialistmilitary camps, one near Reimsand another near Saumurwhere they are destroyed.

They are put in a large holeand blown up.

Allied forces dropped thou-sands of tons of bombs onGerman-occupied Normandy

in 1944 – not just immediatelyafter D-Day but in the follow-ing weeks.

“People tend to forget that thebattle for Normandy wentbeyond the initial landings,”said Professor Jean Quellien ofCaen University.

“The fighting continued forthree months and many bombswere dropped in the process ofliberation not just on cities butin the countryside as well inorder to destroy German posi-tions and hamper their passagewhen they started to retreat.”

Mr Quellien thinks the Caenbomb was probably dropped onJune 6 during a massive offen-sive by the Americans trying todestroy all the bridges over theRiver Orne and would havelanded in the early afternoonsurprising citizens sitting downfor their lunch.

The advice from MrMarzolini to anyone who findsa Second World War bomb isstraight-forward.

“Do not to touch it. Youshould contact your localmairie and they will get the gen-darmes to come and take pic-tures that they will send to usfor analysis,” he said.

Depending on where thebomb is located a plan will bedrawn up and the team willdeal with it. If it is in a popu-lated area then an evacuationplan is drawn up by the localpréfecture.

Bombs could take 40 years to clear Anger over EPRconstruction noiseRESIDENTS in Flamanville(50) are threatening to block-ade the entrance to the buildingsite for the new EPR nuclearreactor in protest over trafficnoise from lorries. They saytheir village has been ruined bythe construction work on thenext-generation reactor, whichis running more than a yearbehind schedule and will notenter service until at least 2013.

Miss France atyour post officeMISS France Malika Ménardis to feature on a limited edi-tion pre-paid envelopelaunched by La Poste to cele-brate her Normandy roots.Some 10,000 copies of theprêt-à-poster will be availablein Calvados post officesthroughout March.

Travel meeting hitby cancelled trainA MEETING of politicians todiscuss local travel problemsahead of the regional electionshad to be rescheduled after 40attendees were delayed by acancelled train. RodolpheThomas and Gabriel Daube,who are heading up the list ofMoDem party candidates inCalvados and the Manche,were among the group travel-ling to Argentan when theirtrain broke down in Caen sta-tion. The regional elections willbe held on March 14 and 21.

By Ray Clancy

PAINSTAKING: Bruno Renouf, Stéphane Ollivier and Jean Marzolini treat the 500kg bomb

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Normandy - March 2010

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