Police crackdown on distracted drivers

Traffic police in the department recently staged a week-long campaign to encourage motorists to be more safety conscious when they are at the wheel. Officers have been pulling over drivers who have been, for example, smoking, drinking water, putting on make-up or shaving while driving. The motorists have usually just got away with a warning and a reminder that such actions can distract them concentrating on their driving and can thus put them and other road users at risk. ‘It’s true that sometimes I put on lipstick while I’m at the wheel but on the other hand I’d never use my mobile - it’s too dangerous,’ said one woman who was pulled over by the police. ‘To be honest we’ve all made a phone call while driving,’ admitted one driver, who was stopped for not having his seat belt fastened. Commander Laval, the senior officer in charge of the road safety awareness campaign in the Angoulême area, said: ‘We are not there to prosecute every minor infraction. Of course if we see a serious offence we will take action but the priority through the week has been to remind drivers of the risks they are taking for themselves, their passengers and other motorists

Plans to improve appeal of picturesque Dronne valley

It’s one of the seven jewels in the ‘valley plan’ outlined by the Poitou-Charentes regional council. Now the authority responsible for the beautiful Dronne Valley at Aubeterre in the south Charente is drawing up plans to broaden its appeal to visitors. The association of local communes - the CDC - of Aubeterre has commissioned a major study of the valley to see how its facilities can be upgraded and improved. Laure Demart, development official at the CDC, says: ‘The aim of our members is to encourage tourists passing through to stay in the area. The study should be finished between now and next year and the first work should start in 2009.’ One of the areas the study will look at is the local dam, which has been in service for 30 years. The body responsible is the town council not the CDC, but the study will look at the need for any renovation works in the future. Laure Demart says the report will propose concrete strategies for potential action rather than simply being a summary of the state of the existing infrastructure

Police film festival to be replaced…by police film and telefilm festival

Cognac’s long-running but troubled police film festival – the Festival du film policier – has officially been scrapped. In its place will be a new but similar event to be called the Festival du film et téléfilm policier de Cognac. This new format will allow the town to highlight not just France’s many popular made-for-TV crime films but also to attract interest from the country’s TV stations. The end of the old festival, which was formally announced at a ball to celebrate 25 years of the event, comes after behind-the-scenes rows and disputes over funding and the effectiveness of the lavish annual extravaganza. Since 2004 the local cognac marketing association, the BNIC (Bureau national interprofessionnel du cognac), has been backing the festival, and funding more than €700,000 of the €1million cost of hosting it. But that direct involvement has now ended. ‘The cognac professionals felt that there was not a good enough return on the investment for the industry,’ said BNIC director Alain Philippe.

Snack attack

We all know the French lunch break is sacred. A meal is considered inadequate unless it comprises of a minimum of three courses. A report this week however, suggests that the country's youth are turning their backs on this most sacrosanct of French customs. It would seem that more and more people are opting for "snacking" as a means of providing their nutritional requirements. Sandwiches are growing in popularity particularly in the nations cities. There are also concerns at the growth of "resto rapides" which are seen as providing unhealthy food and contributing greatly to the growing obesity problem amongst the young. Factors believed to be influencing this trend include the growth in the numbers of people living alone and more women working full time. The impact of overseas cultures is also seen as having a negative affect with burgers and kebabs coming top of the list of favourites amongst teens. Unsurprisingly rural areas are still largely unaffected by this trend towards snacking. The report found that the average lunch break has reduced over the last 20 years from 2 hours to 1 hour 40 minutes.

Railway workers defend their special pensions

Railway trade unionists in the Charente have defended the recent national train strike which caused transport chaos across the country, including this department. The strike was against government plans to reform the special pension entitlements of railway workers and other state workers including those at EDF – the so-called ‘régimes spéciaux’ – that in some cases allow them to retire as early as the age of 50. ‘One thing has to be understood – we are not opposed to a reform of the pension schemes, but the way that it is being done by the present government,’ say Serge Bissirieix and Sylvain Minbiolle, department secretaries of the CGT-EDF and CGT-SNCF respectively. Their chief complaint is that the government is looking to reform the ‘special regimes’ in line with the general national pension scheme. ‘That is going too far,’ says Serge Bissirieix. ‘We have to be clear about this: the head of state and his prime minister are pointing the finger at these “régimes spéciaux” even though they involve not even 5% of the population,’ he says. ‘This is not the way that we’re going to solve the pensions problem.’ Serge Bissirieix, who took part in Thursday’s demonstrations at Angoulême, points out that at EDF the special pension is not in deficit and thus no drain on the country’s large public debt. ‘Last year we even gave €134m to the general pension scheme to help with the deficits,’ he says. Sylvain Minbiolle, who works in railway maintenance, says that his job requires him to be on permanent call in case of a problem.

Marthon celebrates autumn foire

The 24th annual autumn foire at Marthon took place this year on Sunday 21 October. In the past there was always a market on the 21st of the month at Marthon, a renowned event that attracted people not just from the Charente but from the Dordogne and the Haute-Vienne too. This was the time when the commune boasted ten bistros and friends and families from miles around would meet, while the presence of cattle, poultry and other animals added to the atmosphere of a great bazaar, full of character and energy. This year’s foire tried, as ever, to recapture some of the flavour of that bygone era with its lavish decorations and lively atmosphere.Food on offer included oysters and mussels – Marthon was once known for making artificial mussel beds for the production of mussels. There were also crepes, nuts and chestnuts. Another feature was the brocante stalls that were open all day for people in search of a bargain. Other stalls sold old postcards of the region and local art and crafts were also on sale to the public.

Steel roundabout worth its weight in gold

The new design on a roundabout in the Charente has taken two years and has cost €230,000. Many of the passengers and drivers of the 25,000 daily vehicles that pass by the Brébonzac roundabout at Ruelle – which is the access road to the zone industrielle numéro 3 and Angoulême itself - have commented on the visual statement. The man who came up with the design, architect Gilles Chambon from Libourne, explains: ‘My contract required me to create a symbolic element on the theme of the image, which is where the idea of the film spools in steel came from. The same motif will be used in the barriers for the traffic islands.’ Those will be in place in the next couple of weeks and the work will be completed with the planting of bamboo, irises and five trees. For some the design is hideous, for others innovative. But this discussion has been overshadowed by the questions over the cost of the designs of the new roundabouts on this ring road. Not only did this piece of architectural design cost €230,000, but the decorative lighting alone on another roundabout, at Magnac, cost €200,000. ‘We could have left it unlit but we wanted to mark the principal route into the agglomeration and give them a certain level of function,’ says Abel Migné, vice-president of the department council and in charge of the highways.

Poverty in Limousin

The charity organization Secours Populaire held their regional conference in Haute Vienne recently. The NGO is increasingly concerned with the growth in poverty throughout the region. Urban poverty is all too visible with homeless people clearly seen camping out in the major cities. Poverty in the countryside however is just as bad if not worse but it is less visible, said one charity spokesman. Three people speaking at the conference who work and live in the Limousin say they encounter poverty in their work lives on an almost a daily basis. A nurse from Saint Paul, the mayor of Blanzac and a teacher from Saint Bonnet sur Briance all told tales of the poverty they had seen at first hand. Transport issues and the accessibility of social services were cited as major factors. To help counter this Secours Populaire’s ¨Solaribus” will be travelling around the region over the coming months, dispensing help and advice to those who need it most.

The organization is always in need volunteers who can spare some time to help others. Younger people are particulaly encouraged to help as they are over represented in the homeless community and under represented in the voluntary sector. If you think can help or would like to make a donation then you can get in touch at: 6-8 Rue Fulton Limoges 87280 05 55 04 20 00 www.spf87.org

Copious Amount of Cepes

Raymond Nexon from Condat Sur Vienne collected an incredible 9kg of cepes in just a couple of hours recently. The haul makes Raymond the region’s record holder for the year so far. Sadly Mr Nexon is not prepared to divulge details of the area where his mammoth find occurred! Maybe there's a clue in his name?

End of an Era

The landmark LUK hotel in Limoges city centre is closing its doors to guests for the final time. The hotel first opened its doors in June 1900 and was one of the most luxurious hotels of its time. The fabulous façade and the luxurious interiors impressed guests from all over the world. Many of the buildings wonderful sculptures, windows and artefacts, as well as the magnificent staircase will be put in to storage at the Eveche museum. The hotel will be turned into luxury apartments. Industrial Action With More To Follow Industrial action was seen throughout France last Thursday in October as railway workers fought to keep their “special” pension terms. The Limousin saw protests in all its major towns and cities with 3000 taking to the streets in Limoges, 2000 in Brive, 200 in Ussel, 300 in Gueret and 150 in La Soutteraine. Protestors caused major transport disruption and have promised more of the same until the government abandons its plans for change. The special privileges the workers are determined to keep include the right to retire at 50 years of age whilst retaining full pension rights.

New Hospital Parking

Following the introduction of pay parking at Limoges airport, it seems that the city’s main hospital is about to follow suit. A new car park is to be built at the hospital to ease the growing parking problems. Work will start next summer and is expected to be completed by spring 2009.

New Speed Camera

A new permanent speed camera has been erected on the A20 on the descent to the Brive basin. The camera, which is the sixth to be installed on the A20 in the region is not yet operational. The installation in the commune of Donzenac is expected to be commissioned in 2-8 weeks.

Lone Parents of Limousin

A new report suggests that there are around 30,000 single parent families in the Limousin. Single parent families used to be predominantly found in the larger towns and suburbs but recent findings suggest that more and more rural families are being raised by only one parent. Concerns have been voiced that such rural families suffer from a greater sense of isolation. The organisation Familles Rurales works hard to help families who find themselves in such situations. More details of their activities can be found on their website: www.famillesrurales.org/index.php

DIY Store Delays Opening

A giant new DIY store (Mr Bricolage) that was due to open on the outskirts of Saint Junien, Haute Vienne in March this year, will not now be ready until 2008. Planning consent was originally given in October 2005 and now construction work on the giant site at zone d'activities des Martines has finally started after huge delays that have been blamed on 'administrative formalities'. (How very French). When the store finally opens, now anticipated as being April 2008, there will be 5500m2 of sales floors.

Post Office Revamp

The post office in Bellac is being given a brand new look this month. The office on rue Louis- Jouvet will be closed 15-29th October. During the renovations the post boxes, cash and stamp machines will continue to be operational. Should you urgently need to withdraw cash in excess of €800 during this period a special number has been given out for customers, 05 55 47 60 00. The revamp is designed to give a more dynamic image(!) and the office will offer extra services. The cost of the renovations is anticipated as being €80,000 and is part of the €2.3 million the post office has spent in Haute Vienne since 1992. The post office at St Junien is also being given a make-over

It's Better by Train

A new set of tariffs has just been released by the rail company SNCF. The network is targeting occasional leisure users with some great prices. A ticket booked one and a half months in advance from Limoges to Paris comes in at a very reasonable €26. This ticket is non changeable or refundable, the next tariff for the same journey still will not break the bank at €32 and the full fare is a still quite reasonable €49

Price Comparison on Limoges to Paris Travel Plane: Air France to Paris Orly €301

Car: (€16..70 toll roads and €35.30 petrol) €52

Train Plain Tariff €49

www.sncf.com/indexe.htm

Emmaus

The charity organisation Emmaus in Limoges is celebrating its 35th birthday this week. Founded by Abbe Pierre following the terrible winter of 1954, the organisation helps the homeless and impoverished and now operates on four continents and in 41 separate countries. As well as clothes etc., the organisation are always on the lookout for old tools,utensils and cooking equipment. Many of the items are refurbished and given a new lease of life. The only branch in the Limousin is near Limoges at: Moulin de la Ribiere Saint Priest Taurion 87480 05 55 39 74 40

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But have a look here as there may be a branch in one of the neighbouring regions that is closer to you: www.emmaus-france.org/contacts/V.php

For more information on the general work of Emmaus: www.emmaus-france.org