Wet Lettuce

The Limousin got its first real taste of summer over the weekend of 26/27 April when temperatures soared into the high twenties. The sun was a welcome site after what had been an incredibly wet week. Fields have been flooded and bridges bashed by swollen streams and rivers. Didier Fermier a market gardener from Le Vigen and president of a local growers association reports that the wet weather has seriously affected his member’s ability to plant out their summer crops. Mr Fermier says his fields would normally be full with around 13,000 lettuces by now but it has simply been too wet for planting. Although a major setback the growers association does not envisage summer shortages but says the price of some crops may see an increase due to the reduction in supplies.

Demand Grows for Unemployment Service

The Limousin association for the unemployed held its annual conference recently. The group noted a marked increase in membership for the year 2007. The association helps members in their search for employment, with activities such as the drafting of CVs and job applications. They also provide assistance with the administrative processes of the employment organisations ANPE and ASSEDIC. They are on hand to give advice and guidance in all aspects of the search for employment. At the meetings the members can even use the facilities of an onsite hairdresser, enabling them to give the best impression possible at any interviews. The association generates its own funding by holding regular sales and events.

Feasibility Study Funded

The steering committee for the Chabanais by-pass met at the end of April. The meeting confirmed that funding of 16 million Euros is to be released for the preliminary studies required to consider the feasibility of work on the RN141 route. The money will be used to carry out the various studies on the whole of the Etagnac- Chasseneuil layout. The next meeting has been set for June 12th at Chabanais. The committee says they are cautiously optimistic and are hoping for a dual carriageway to bypass the town.

The Hams of Limousin

The amateur Radio-Club Vienne and Glane de Saint-Brice took part in the world day for radio hams this week. The day was named "Doors open on the waves of the world" and allowed both the passionate and the curious to discover the universe of the radio hams. With modern communications as they are and easily accessible high speed internet, many may have thought that the radio waves would be losing their popularity. Members of the group were quick to dismiss this myth with confirmation that should the World Wide Web fail, they would be on hand to save the day. Their ability to communicate over thousands of kilometers with ease impressed guests at the open day. Visitors were also treated to various demonstrations including morse code and TV signal decoding.

Helicopter Could Be Halted

The regional council of Haute Vienne has suspended its funding for the emergency service’s air ambulance. The council provided 106,000€ towards the 1,234,000€ total annual cost. The emergency service authority SAMU says the service is not under immediate threat but does need to find additional funding to meet the shortfall. Neither of the Limousin’s two other regional councils of Creuse and Correze currently provide funding for this life saving service.

Vehicles Confiscated

Police have recently been carrying out extra patrols on the regions roads. Many arrests were made including one driver who was found to be travelling at 145km/h on a 90km/h stretch of the RD920 between Ambazac and Bonnac La Cote. In addition police have confiscated four vehicles belonging to drivers who were found to be driving with no licences.

Gang Violence

Police had to intervene when a fight broke out in Limoges between members of rival gangs. The incident took place on avenue Garibaldi in Limoges city centre. Police were called to the scene after the men had been evicted from a nightclub on the street. The gangs were of Vietnamese and Cambodian origin and were found to be carrying knives. Police report that several similar incidents have occurred over the last few months in the Beaubreuil area of Limoges. A spokesman said there is no threat to the general public as the violence is strictly between rival gang members. No one was seriously hurt in the incident and the leaders have been remanded in custody

Hospital Walkout

Hundreds of hospital workers staged a two hour walk out on 22 April. The workers downed tools at the main Limoges hospital in protest at proposed changes to working practices on the site.

Foire honours peruvian potato

This year’s foire at Aigre in the north Charente took place on 25 to 27 April and was dedicated to potatoes. And not any old potato, either, but Peruvian ones. The ‘Divines pommes de terre du Pérou à notre table’ event attracted no lesser personage than the Peruvian ambassador to France, as well as experts from the top agricultural research establishment, the Institut national de la recherche agronomique (Inra), and five leading Charente chefs who demonstrated different recipes involving potatoes.

The opening of the foire on the Friday linked up with the Musiques métisses musical festival which starts in Angoulême on 8 May, and the Mounira band from Chad performed in Aigre. There was also a country-style meal on the Friday night. The foire on Saturday got under way at 9am and there were performances from Peruvian singers and dancers through the day. At 11am on the Sunday there was a rally of old 2CV cars celebrating 60 years of history, with more song and dance from Peru in the afternoon. The foire itself was centred around three main attractions – the artisans’ village, the children’s village and the poultry show