Book swap lunch in October

Hi Val

I have organised a lunch at the Gazpacho after the next book exchange on Monday 1^st October. I will be on holiday the previous week, returning late on 1^st October so will not be at the lunch  and I will therefore need to know if you wish to be included in the lunch NO LATER than Sunday 23^rd September. 

Many thanks.

Helen. daxlore@wanadoo.fr

Taglines82@mail.com

The "Foires au Vins": are they worth it?

Most of the large supermarkets are offering "bargains" in the  now traditional "Foires aux vins", which take place each September. Started by E Leclerc 40 years ago, probably to help vintners to move some excess stock from their caves, nowadays the supermarkets produce catalogues of which wines and which years they have available in what quantities.
Most of the wines on offer come from large producers who can easily afford to shift a couple of thousand bottles and get their brand name known via the publicity the vendors produce. But the small producers with say 15 hectares of vines will find it impossible to get any shelf space at a price they can afford to offer.
Some claim that the "foire" prices are what the wines should be sold at throughout the year, underlining the over-pricing generally prevalent. It is tempting to buy wines for special occasions coming up (such as Christmas and New Year), or to beef up your cellar for the years to come, but many experts believe you will not be getting any real bargains.
If you do decide the bottles on offer are worth the price, you are advised to look for wines with a  good independent rating, such as Hachette, rather than the seller's "Coup de Coeur"  rating, which probably means "we've plenty of this with a good profit margin".
The many smaller "caves" offer advice and more hand-made or specialist vintages at year round prices, dealing often with producers they trust to produce quality year on year.
Finally, don't forget that many local producers offer good quality wines direct from the vineyard or market stalls, with expert advice and a chance to taste before you buy.
And, of course, all in moderation.
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Two chairs and a sofa

A two seater sofa and two matching chairs. Designed by an architect and made by a Spanish artisan. Not your Ikea stuff these,  and yet 120 euros buys them all and they are very comfortable.

Mains Tendues82

Toulouse exhibition come to Caylus

Get your Hi-vis jackets out

Pic MaxPPP

As you walk through the woods today, musing over your past participles you are likely to be disturbed bu gun shots: the season for hunting "petit gibier" opens today, 9th September. Hares, pheasants, partridge and deer and sanglier are legitimate targets. You, your children or dogs are not legitimate targets (though chasseurs shooting each other seems quite common). But accidents can happen, so be aware of the "Chasse en Cours" panels and make sure you can be seen if you are about in the countryside. Most hunting seasons close on 28 February 2019, though for ducks and most birds it is 31st January 2019.
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Get your past participles right!

We read that certain school teachers of the French language are calling for a change to the way some past participles are formed.
As we all know when a verb is conjugated with "être" its past participle agrees with the subject in gender and number - eg "les femmes sont allées". But normally when the verb is conjugated with "avoir"  there is no need to make the pp agree.
Except when the object precedes the pp. So not "les crèpes que j'ai mangé", but "les crèpes que j'ai mangées". Obviously "j'ai mangé les crèpes" is correct because the object comes after the verb conjugated with "avoir".
It seems that this polemic will continue as there is no  suggestion that either the Academie Francaise or its Belgian equivalent are about to embrace the change and simplify this aspect of French orthography. But next time you do a "dictée" watch out for it, it's a common trap.
Sadly we at Taglines were not aware of this arcane usage and must have committed so many errors over the years. 0/20.
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Our moving venture

I have translated this piece written by Terence Harker  as it sums up what we are about.  I like it, I hope you do.

And here it was our last Saturday in the old configuration, next Friday 14 September we inaugurate the new extension on the ground floor of the former hotel restaurant "Le Varennois".

The entire team mobilized to prepare this new venue. The hall of the old town hall will be devoted to clothes and linen, and we will have a CD / DVD rack. The new premises located 5 meters on the same sidewalk will host the flea market and furniture / appliances.

Friday we will welcome you with a coffee and welcome cakes. Come many!

As a reminder, ALL profits from our sales go entirely to local associations to help people or organizations in need.

VAREN is the first beneficiary because we attract the world to the Saturday market which delights traders and the usual customers of the market like to come to shop for bargains with us.

We want to maintain the social fabric of the village by involving all people of good will and anxious to make themselves useful to the community, the philosophy that drives us is "win / win".

We also want to point out that contrary to some received ideas our actions affect EVERYONE and not exclusively certain categories of populations (refugees, homeless, undocumented etc).

We want to demonstrate by our actions that certain human values ​​still prevail.

That a small village like VAREN can set an example of a walking humanity is proof that these values ​​can survive in a difficult world.

It is said that small streams make big rivers ..

Terence our press and publicity officer fot Mains Tendues 82

taglines82@gmail.com

Anyone looking for a professional carer?

Is anybody looking for a part-time carer for young or older people? I am a qualified nurse with lots
of experience in caring for the elderly and the infirm. English and French spoken, driver, living near
Saint Antonin and looking for local work, short or long term. If interested please contact me by
email.
margaretnewland82@gmail.com

Vieilles vignes

This year we at Mas del Sol had practically no garden fruits - our trees are bare. But the horticulturalists of the department report record crops of apples, pears, melons and plums. The result of being able to water the crops during the long, hot drought. Now the vignerons are thinking the 2018 recolte will be abundant and of quality.
This area around Mas del Sol was once planted with vines and you can still see the lines of "repousses" which appear whenever the fields have been mown. So imagine our surprise to find, growing up through a lilac and adjacent laurel tree a vine having reached well over 5 metres in height. One branch was so laden that it has fallen down to a point where the grapes are easily accessible, and there are plenty more on high to please the birds.
Although too small the use as dessert grapes, the bunches are sweet and will yield some grape juice. Mother nature left to her own devices seems to have overcome the climate extremes we have seen this year.
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Coal?

Just a thought as winter approaches we have 5 bags of unwanted coal which could be used on a multifunction stove. Do you or any of your contacts have need of this fuel? Free to a potentially warm home!

contact dellcottgreen@gmail.com 

Taxation of income at source

A reader raised this matter below, and we said there was some doubt about its implementation. Now it seems the government has decided the scheme will go ahead from January 2019.
It appears that all regular income will be taxed at source, including salaries, pensions, rents, benefits and investments (bank interest is already taxed this way).
But the system is designed to keep payroll work for employers to a minimum, with few "codes" like the UK system, just a tax level chosen by the employee, from a "menu" of three choices based on the previous year's income. If you look at your 2017 "avis" issued recently you should see your taxation level, between 0 - 10% for most of us, then ask your employer(s) to apply that rate to 2019 income. There will presumably be flat rate deductions where no choice is made with year end adjustments in due course. It means in effect that the 2018 income will not be taken into account.
Quite how it will affect self employed or those of us with overseas only income remains to be seen; your accountant is the best port of call here.
I am off to check my "avis primitif" - which was wrong at first - to see what our level is for 2017 and how this can apply to 2019!
comments and advice to taglines82@gmail.com

Getting in the grapes

Pic France 3 Occitanie

The good weather has brought many of the grapes in the Gaillac area to maturity and farmers are up at dawn to start the "vendange". Those areas which suffered no hail storms this year are pointing to a good harvest, with sweet grapes which will produce good quality wines. First harvested are the fruits for dry white wines, which mature quickest, then later the red wines and finally the sweet whites (doux).
Much of the day to day harvesting is done by machine, only the finest, and most expensive, crops being done by hand. Driving or walking through the vineyards these next few weeks will be accompanied by the heady scent of grapes being picked and crushed ready for our tipples in the years ahead.

Hear our voice

Hi Val
It's a slightly incoherent website, but it's something that UK nationals living in France might be interested in.
https://www.eucitizen2017.org/brexpats-hear-our-voice/

Jill

taglinds82@gmail.com

A selection of our Varen photos

As we have been working on the building we have been kindly lent for our bigger furniture and bric a brac, all the villagers have been coming and telling us their memories. Our publicity officer Terence Harker is going to write something about the buildings history and include our customers memories.

What an adventure we are on at Mains Tendues 82

Taglines82@gmail.com

Our opening of our second outlet both in the centre of Varen

A man called Marcilan waiting for our new friperie to open... he has waited a long time for this.

See you all at the opening. We have so much good stuff for the home and in the boutique all summer clothes will be one euro

Taglines82@gmail.com

Book swap followed by meal

Hi Val and readers

Just to update you. 35 people ate together and we drank a toast to you and Malcolm for having initiated the wonderful book exchange scheme.

Re: October’s exchange, Hans is going to open his office so we can store the books there and then other people will collect and return the books to him for collection by us  the day following the swap. It is just unfortunate that we are returning from holiday that day and can’t be there to do all this ourselves.

The arrangement with Hans is a one-off. After that it will be either Evert’s place or chez Bacchx once winter sets in. 

Helen

Val says. Malc and I will happily do that for you Helen and I am sure we will have lots of help.

taglines82@gmail.com

 

10" telescope for sale

Great offer for all you star gazers, making the most of our lack of light pollution.
 contact j.armfield@laposte.net

For Sale

10 inch telescope, 2 inch wide angle lens and light shield. All for 350 euro.

Do pompiers' pay at péages?

Surprisingly, they do. In fact all emergency vehicles must join the rest of us to put their money into the machines which control the barriers. (new word to us: "casquer", to stump up).
The companies which have the concessions claim they asked the government to pick up the bill and reimburse them, but so far no action to implement the law which was actually passed last year.
The total bill is estimated at 10 - 20 million euros. One southern pompier service reckons it costs them around 130000 euros annually - the cost of putting two new ambulances into service.
Government sources claim the delay in putting the new regulation into force is the negotiations with the concessionaires, but lawyers and regulators think there is nothing in the concession agreements which allows them to make any claim.
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Taxation at source

Hi 

I hope all is well with you both. 

Would you please ask any Tag readers if they understand what is happening in 2019 with the Taxe A L,Impot, as things are changing and Dhhhhh I dont seem to understand it !

Thank you 

Jo x

I think Jo means the proposed taxation of incomes at source. There seems to be some debate as to whether this will be postponed until 2020 or scrapped, or implemented as planned on 1st January 2019. As it will concern employees rather than self employed or pensioners we are not sure how it will affect us. Any ideas?
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It's "la rentrée"

Many French people believe that the year actually starts now, as schools re-open and the holidays are over. Every story seems to be linked to la rentrée, yet here in the country it also means that many of the amenities we have enjoyed over the last two months come to an end. Shops which were opened on an "ephemeral" basis are now closed; shops which were open all week now reduce their hours; festive events are few and far between.
But the monthly book swap will be on at the Gazpacho in St Antonin as usual, from 10.30am, the concert at Puycelsi will be next Sunday and a few villages will still have their fetes (St Projet next weekend).
So we dont need to wait 10 months to continue our cultural life, la rentrée is not just back to work, life goes on!
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