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BIBLIOTHÈQUE ANGLO-FRANÇAISE"
JULY 2014
the English Library
newsletter
www.theenglishlibrary.net
LIBRARY NEWS
Y! are invited....
At last we are inviting all of you to join us for a "welcome to the new library" celebration on
Friday 4th July between 2.30 and 4 o'clock in the ground floor reception room entered from
the fountain court. We will be serving tea, cookies and brownies in honour of American Independence Day. We look forward to seeing you then.
OUR PICK OF WHAT’S ON IN
JULY.
MUSIC/FIREWORKS/FUN/FOOD
Join in the 14th July celebrations everywhere – Capdenac Gare has a big
Fete de la Riviere with food stalls and
music on 13th July, there’s a Giant Picnic in Figeac (Place de la Raison) on
the 14th with music and dancing and fireworks at 22.30 in the Jean Jaures gardens.
4- Tea and cakes in the Library, see above.
11 - Nigel Tuffs - Classical Guitar in L'eglise Tizac 12240 Vabre Tizac. Friday 18th July 21.00
Programme of solo classical guitar pieces from JS Bach, Matteo Carcassi, Heitor Villa-Lobos etc.
19 – Intercontinental Firework Festival at Decazeville, always spectacular and if you haven’t yet seen
it, it’s well worth the trip.
24-27th – Africajarc…a fantastic night of African music. Full programme www.africajarc.com
8, 22, 24 - Marchés Gourmands are here again…8th and 22nd in Villefranche at the Place St Jean and
the 24th in Capdenac by the bandstand in the square opposite the church.
25-29 ‘Nuits Musicales Villefranchoises’, classic, jazz, piano solo, dance, voice. In the cloisters of the
Chartreuse and the Chapelle des Penitents Noirs. For full programme see tourist office website.
THEATRE
19 July to 2 August – Figeac’s annual theatre festival, with some big names and interesting productions. For full programme see http://festivaltheatre-figeac.com.
BROCANTES AND VIDE GRENIERS
6 - Brocante/Vide Grenier at Ambeyrac
13 - Cajarc Brocante/Vide Grenier
14 - Vide Grenier Geant/Foire au Vechicules – Capdenac Gare (main street), big
brocante at Najac.
17 - Brocante in the gardens of the Mairie at Villefranche
20 – Villeneuve’s Fete Medieval, including a big vide grenier, an open air play,
dinner with spit roasted pork and fireworks.
27 - Brocante/Vide Grenier Capdenac le Haut
Lots of info on all sort of activities on www.villefranche.com
The next newsletter wi# be published in the beginning of August 2014, deadline July 22.
Please send items to Jenny Fieldgrass <[email protected]>
"
PAGE 1
BIBLIOTHÈQUE ANGLO-FRANÇAISE"
JULY 2014
THIS MONTHS RECIPE
LA SOUPE AU PISTOU (A recipe from Provence)
Soup Ingredients
4 oz fresh, frozen or tinned broad Beans
4 oz Green Beans
4 oz Runner Beans
4 oz Courgettes (diced)
1 can of white haricot beans
1 can cannellini beans
1 large onion (chopped)
3 oz Spaghetti (Broken into approx 1 inch lengths)
For the Pistou
4 tbsp good quality extra virgin olive oil (don’t use light olive oil)
3 to 4 garlic cloves
1 tomato (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Don’t use the powdered ready grated cheese)
Fresh basil leaves (Get the best and plenty of it – 2 medium sized plants) this makes or breaks the soup
METHOD
Put all the soup ingredients (except the spaghetti) into a pan, cover with water, add salt and simmer for
15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
Meanwhile, put all the pistou ingredients into a blender and blend it to a thick paste.
When the vegetables are cooked, add the pistou to the vegetables with the spaghetti and simmer until
the spaghetti is cooked.
Serve hot with fresh baguettes and plenty of parmesan sprinkled over the soup.
NOTES
Do not be put off by the boiled vegetables. The addition of the pistou, magically transforms a pan of
boiled vegetables into a delicious soup.
If a thicker soup is preferred (recommended) blend about one third of the vegetables, and put the
blended veg back into the soup.
Strictly speaking this is a ‘green’ soup. Some bastardised recipes include adding leeks, potatoes or carrots.
However, a Provencal housewife would be horrified at the idea.
The soup is also delicious cold or can be served hot or cold as a sauce with pasta, topped with parmesan.
The soup tastes even better the day after it is made and can be re-heated.
IMPORTANT
The basil makes this soup. You must use fresh basil. However, if, when finished, you think the soup
needs a little more taste, add a generous sprinkling of dried basil. Do not replace fresh basil with dried.
LT
MUSÉE SOULAGES, RODEZ
Have you visited the newly opened Musée yet?
Named in honour of Pierre Soulages, the most renowned French contempory artist who was
born in Rodez, who has donated about 500 of his earlier works including " les Outrenoires"
or, the colour black defined.
He is also the creator of the stained glass windows at Conques and a film in the gallery
shows the fascinating preparatory work for these features. The Michel Bras restaurant adjacent to the musée is another reason to visit. The cafe is open for breakfast until afternoon
tea. A fixed price lunch at 29 euros is available although there are other options and a reviving cuppa and treat around 4 o’clock after an afternoon of culture is a rare treat in French
museums.
All this and ample parking below makes it an enjoyable outing."
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PAGE 2
BIBLIOTHÈQUE ANGLO-FRANÇAISE"
JULY 2014
PARISOT LITERARY FESTIVAL
10, 11, 12 October 2014
When a small Anglo-French group of book lovers got together last year to organise a literary festival in
Parisot we wondered if we were being a bit over ambitious. A bilingual literary festival in a small, rural
village in South West France? We had no idea how it would go down. In fact it was a roaring success,
with excellent feedback from authors and visitors alike. Riding high on this success we have decided to
make it an annual affair and this year’s event looks set to be bigger and bolder in every respect.
We have a wider range of events in English and French throughout the whole weekend. As well as readings and discussions with five British authors of both fiction and non fiction, we are putting on a life
writing workshop in English, a calligraphy workshop in French, a sale of second hand books, dinner with
the authors on Saturday night and, for all those who remember 1970s TV, ‘Poldark cooks’, a demonstration and tasting with Ross Poldark himself. Well with Robin Ellis, the actor who played him, who is now
a successful food writer.
In keeping with our desire to make the festival as accessible as possible, all events are free except for the
dinner. However, if you want to support us and enable us to continue to develop the quality and scope of
the festival in future, you can become a Friend of the Festival for a minimum donation of €10. Friends
will benefit from priority booking for Saturday’s dinner with the authors which last year quickly sold out.
Every euro we receive makes a difference to our finances so we are extremely grateful to all of those supporting us through the friends scheme. For more information please email [email protected]
We will be launching a website in the summer and our blog is already up and running with news and features in English and French - http://festivallitteraire.blogspot.fr/.
We will also give updates on the programme details and focus on some of the authors and events in the
coming editions of this newsletter.
So save the date in your diaries – it’s a must for book lovers and culture vultures and is all taking place
just 20 minutes drive from Villefranche.
ES
HEALTH
Yes, we’ve written about it before but sometimes a reminder is all you need to be aware and it does
no harm to refresh one’s memory especially as one gets on in years!" Part two next month will be How to
deal with a heart attack.""
ED.
Four Things that Happen Before a Heart Attack
1. Chest Pain and Tightness
Chest pain with a sudden onset that is severe and makes you need to stop whatever you are doing could
be a possible heart attack. Some people describe the feeling of a heart attack as; an elephant on the
chest, full feeling, squeezing pressure, aching or pain/pressure in the middle of the chest. If you experience these sensations try to rest and if it does not go away or comes and goes you may be having a heart
attack.
2. Sweating
When you sweat normal amounts during exercise or on hot days, this is a natural body reaction to keep
you cool. If you break out in “cold sweats” during rest or when it is cool and your skin turns clammy, this
may be a sign of artery blockage and you should see a doctor. On the same note, if you have “night
sweats” you could have heart trouble.
3. Indigestion, Nausea and Vomiting
Prior to a heart attack, some people may experience stomach upset or indigestion. If you are older and
already have problems with digestion, it could be very easy to mistake a heart attack for normal indigestion. In those who do not suffer from digestive issues, a sudden onset of heartburn or indigestion could
be the first sign of a heart attack.
4. Pain in Other Parts of the Body
This symptom, also known as “referred pain,” could be a sign of an impending heart attack. Heart attack
pain can travel to different areas including; the left arm, shoulder, throat, jaw, teeth back and abdomen.
If you have any of the above symptoms with referred pain, you need to get emergency medical help right
away.
"
PAGE 3
BIBLIOTHÈQUE ANGLO-FRANÇAISE"
JULY 2014
OUR GARDEN IN JULY
July is a quiet month, mainly
watering and deadheading.
However, our wisteria has gone
mad. Thankfull y, it is not
threatening the roof or the gutters. We very wisely planted it
away from the house. We originally acquired this plant from a
client who was clearly fed up
with climbing up a ladder to
deal with it's thuggish behaviour. Yves had to take the pick
axe to it to get it out, and even though we just had
a stump and a few roots it decided to regrow in it's
new home. We have been delighted so we are now
training it to cover the terrace. We have managed
to keep it going in the right direction, but actual
control seems to be beyond even us. I now tie in a
new shoots going in the right direction and the rest
I just cut back. The books say to cut it back in July
to 5 or 6 buds and then again in winter to 2 or 3
buds. You really don't need to be that precise, only
respect the 2 or 3 bud rule if you want it to flower.
It seems to be a job I do all summer, but it does
flower. Anything more than this and you will get
lots of extra growth and no flowers. Wisterias need
lots of space, (10 metres, but in this climate expect
more) then you can more or less live together.
The cherry tree has again produced a bumper crop.
The tree is very tall, so it is totally impossible to
reach the best cherries. We have enough, so hope-
"
fully the birds will take the
rest, before they get overripe and attract the flies.
Every year we take the opportunity to prune the tree
and collect the ripe cherries at the same time.
However, don't prune too
hard as all the Prunus family (cherry, peach and plum)
are susceptible to pests and
diseases, which enter
through the open wounds. Don't bother with any
kind of wound paint, just make good clean cuts.
Ideally, they would all be grown on dwarfing rootstocks which would allow you to have a sensible
crop with out risking life and limb on a ladder. If
you have to prune your plum tree, wait until the
plums are ripe then you can combine the 2 jobs.
Don't prune any stone fruit during the winter
months.
A shakey start in the fruit and veg garden, but the
strawberries and raspberries have done well and the
peas and broad beans have produced bumper crops.
Weather forecasts predicting heavy showers with
hail send me into a panic, but there is not much
you can do to prevent any damage. We need the
rain but such storms are very hit and miss. Lets
hope we don't have any repeats of last years dreadful storm.
M&Y
PAGE 4
BIBLIOTHÈQUE ANGLO-FRANÇAISE"
SPRING IN SICILY
We went in search of the spring at the time that
the Aveyronaise sun was being reluctant to show
itself. We found it in Sicily large and lovely shining from a clear blue sky, the temperature was
perfect for seeing the sights and sites.
The scenery was very varied from green lush
plains full of growing crops and blossoming fruit
trees where roads sides were filled with wild flowers to arid mountains with snow capped peaks.
The history of Sicily can be traced back more
than 3000 years during which time it has been
dominated by many different rulers from the
Greeks to Romans, Byzantines and Arabs to
Normans and Spanish which has resulted in a
very diverse population.
We had a fairly hectic time trying to fit in visits
to a wide variety of places, we started in the Valley of Temples early in the day when we were the
only people at the site where the Grecian remains
of temples dedicated to Zeus,Heracles, Concord
and Hera are found in varying stages of preservation all within a comfortable walking distance, we
could have been back 3000 years.
Another day we saw the Roman Villa of Casale
which spent the best part of a thousand years
covered by a mud slide which preserved its
JULY 2014
incredible mosaics found in its 63 rooms, one corridor some 60 metres long houses a scene of
hunting around the villa which is truly breath taking.
The Greek theatre at Taormina in its spectacular
position framing the sea and Mount Etna, the
Cathedral at Monreale with its magnificent
golden walls and the figure of Christ Pantocrator
dominating the massive space were other unforgettable experiences. As was the final day spent
on the brooding slopes of Etna, an active and unstable volcano, the largest in Europe. The Italian
Government would like to see the slopes cleared
of its inhabitants and has offered 30,000 euros
per family to move away but as the lower slopes
are so fertile , almonds,olives,grapes ,citrus fruit
and vegetables are grown in profusion and business is very lucrative, there are not many takers
of the offer.
We drove through a lunar like landscape where
black and grey were the only colours in the distorted lava fields, then took the cable car (destroyed in the last eruption of 2002) to 2200 metres where we were amongst the snow and a bitter icy wind blew fiercely . Although the sky was a
benign blue the plume of smoke from the active
crater created an eerie apprehension.
Sicily is unforgettable
JN
MYSTERY SHOPPER
I wonder what proportion of our readership own a swimming pool. Note avoidance of the qualifying
phrase ‘lucky enough’ to own. We whisked the cover off our stretch of water a month back to be confronted by a mass of green algae accompanied by a smell resembling Boulogne fishing harbour. Now it
has to be said that we opened later than normal this year so I’m more used to water a delicate shade of
blue-green with a few leaves strewn about…nothing than can’t be hoovered out and cleaned up in a day
or two. This time things were a little different as the usual shock chemical treatment turned the water
grey instead of blue, necessitating partial drainage and a refill of 75000 litres of tap water (ouch!). The
result was a cloudy turquoise that only turned true blue after about a fortnight. Since I run a Gîte business and had guests staying over that time, you can imagine that things were a bit stressful.
I’m really not sure sometimes whether the whole palaver is worthwhile. In my case it’s an integral part of
what I do, but for a private owner it’s possible than pain often outweighs pleasure. As a friend of mine
expressed tartly, good or bad it costs a fortune. And is it true that the longer you own a pool the less you
use it? Nevertheless, among local British I’m sure it’s one of the most popular topics of aperitif conversation, along with the service on Ryanair of course.
Here in Villefranche (de Rouergue for you farther-flung readers) the big retailing news is the arrival of
the German food discounter Lidl. Against their arch-rivals Aldi I think it’s a case of “anything you can do
I can do better”. While not packed with customers as yet a stroll round Lidl’s aisles would suggest that
the future looks bright. LeClerc’s prime position on the edge of town is impregnable of course but as I’ve
said before, Hyper U looks empty as do its environs (one dead garden centre and a large and scruffy piece
of land that was intended as a new Weldom). The key question is: does a town of 11,000 souls really need
"
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BIBLIOTHÈQUE ANGLO-FRANÇAISE"
JULY 2014
3 large supermarkets and 3 discounters? My financial colleague says that Credit Agricole’s LeClerc branch
considers their target market to stretch from Caussade to Figeac in a radius comprising 50,000 people so
maybe that’s the answer. I have to say it all sounds very optimistic in our sleepy part of the world.
Staying with retail and on to a subject beloved of Britons. My UK spies tell me that the highlyacquisitive Kingfisher Group plc, owner of B&Q and Brico Depot, is running a slide rule over Mr Bricolage. Apparently the several hundred company-owned outlets are the easy bit but the much larger (and
typically French) franchised operation is proving a tougher nut to crack. The Villefranche branch never
seems to be busy but I’m sure the potential is there.
Back in May I alluded to an increasingly buoyant British economy in dire need of properly-trained engineers and scientists as opposed to investment bankers or lawyers. Nowhere is this more keenly felt than
in the car industry, a vital economic barometer (and yes, my old chestnut). Last week’s comments from
Mike Hawes, chief executive of industry club SMMT bear this out: “with booming production volumes
and the increasing value of UK car manufacturing, we are enjoying healthy demand from both growing
and established markets. We want this success to continue but urgently need more young people to join
our industry, working in every area from design and engineering to manufacturing and retail.” If you’re
young, well-educated and French, head north then!
A bientôt
Mystery Shopper
DISCLAIMER The English Library takes no responsibility
for articles, reviews, financial advice, advertisements etc.
published in this newsletter. The views of the reviewers are
personal and do not necessarily represent those of the Newsletter nor the Association. Readers should verify all articles
for sale, trades persons etc. before handing over money. The
Editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit any ad or
article sent for publication.
The next newsletter wi# be published in the beginning of
August 2014
YOGA COURSE
Starting Thursday 15May, 9.15 - 10.45pm
Qualified Iyengar Yoga teacher. First lesson free.
Villefranche de Rouergue, 12200
Information : Penny Mackey T: 05 65 81 74 58
Email; [email protected]
HARVEY THE HANDYMAN
Plumbing, Electricity, Metalwork: Gates, Railings,
Pergolas, Hand Rails etc Welding Repairs,
Woodwork. Brickwork.
Odd Jobs - Help with DIY Projects
Also - Stained Glass Windows, Lamps, Boxes,
Sun Catchers etc Tel: Harvey: 05 65 63 81 08
Email: [email protected]
Does your house, holiday home or Gite need finishing? All kinds of interior and exterior finishing work
undertaken. Skirting boards and wood trims. Tiling.
Painting and decorating
Fixtures and fittings etc etc
Telephone Tim Fortune on 05 65 45 48 14 or e mail
[email protected]
"
Are you looking for a special present?
Look up www.fortunedesigns.co.uk
Free fitting service within twenty km of
Villefranche de Rouergue
Telephone Tim Fortune on 05 65 45 48 14 or post
enquiries on the web site.
PAGE 6
BIBLIOTHÈQUE ANGLO-FRANÇAISE"
JULY 2014
SEWING SERVICES
Machine and Hand Sewing. Clothing Alterations
Curtains. Miscellaneous Sewing Tasks
Price from 10 euros
Contact Lesley: 05 65 63 81 08
Email:[email protected]
Alice Jones
Qualified French-to-English Translator
Native English speaker. Reasonable rates &
friendly, professional service. No job too small!
[email protected]
www.proz.com/translator/1510507
HAIRDRESSER AVAILABLE
I am a fully qualified hairdresser with 30 years
experience. From a simple cut to a complete
restyle, colouring and highlighting, I can attend
to all your hair care needs! I come to your
home, so you can relax in privacy on a one to
one basis. Tel: Jayne on 0632842384 or
[email protected]
"
PAGE 7
BIBLIOTHÈQUE ANGLO-FRANÇAISE"
JULY 2014
Je fais de la traduction de documents français-anglais pour des anglophones qui ne parlent pas le
français. Ils peuvent me contacter:
Vania BELLECHASSE au 0650979314 ou par email:
[email protected]
MASTER BUILDER
Nicholas Powell
(Maçon du Bâti
Ancien)
Marin, 12260
Sainte Croix,
Tel: 0620551040
Siret: 413 116 963 00013
HORSE MANURE FOR SALE
Contact Bridget Blunsdon
05 65 65 78 60
"
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