DLCI 2023 Magazines - May
NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT
Hello everyone,
May is upon us and what a busy month it is! A précis of the dates/ events follows later in the magazine.
During this busy month we would just like to say goodbye and thank you to Sheila Harrell our Treasurer for an outstanding term of office. We give a warm welcome to Liz Davies who will take over the role from 1st May.
We now urgently require an Events Co ordinator. This can be a one or two person position (and they will receive a lot of support from the committee). If anyone is interested and would like to know more please contact me or Liz Davies.
Quickly looking back to April, 36 of us enjoyed excellent food and sublime company at Les Marronniers in Lanquais. Please see Zilpha’s (one of our newest members) review.
For our May event, we are delighted to say that we will be visiting Rosemary’s fabulous restaurant La Closerie de la Beyne on Thursday 25th May for lunch. Her son in law is an amazing chef and I highly recommend booking. Menu and booking form are now available on line.
We now have a slight change to the magazine, each month we will be publishing an updated list of members who have recently joined us, with their names and communes ( this month’s is rather lengthy as I have gone back to September to bring everything up to date). If members wish to contact each other, personal emails can be found in Members Contact Details at the top of the Home Page.
Quick note here to say that membership fees will soon be due and you will receive an email with all the details nearer the date.
NB our three charities for 2023 need to be chosen so if you know of a local charity that you think would benefit from a DLCI donation please complete the online form - Charity Suggestions - at the top of the Home Page, it’s very straightforward. We can make such a difference to these small charities and there are so many that are really struggling at the moment.
To end on a high note, we have some excellent news with Kathy John organising a third DLCI coffee group on Thursday 11th May at Villeréal. The feedback is already so positive and obviously very welcome indeed!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Thursday 25th May, Lunch at La Closerie de la Beyne, 24440, Naussannes
Wednesday 27th September AGM at Salle Jean Barthe in Bergerac
Sunday 12th November Christmas Fair/ Marché de Nöel at l’Orangerie, Bergerac
Thursday 7th December Christmas Luncheon at Chateau les Merles, 3 Chemin des Merles, 24520, Mouleydier
Take care everyone
Lin x
VILLERÉAL COFFEE GROUP
Following the success of the local coffee groups in Sainte Foy and in Bergerac, and the very positive response to the initial meetings at Charlotte's house in the autumn, we plan to meet in the Chocolaterie Rodot in Villeréal at 10.30am on Thursday 11 May. We will discuss ideas for this proposed local group, including how often to meet, but it is important that we know numbers for the first get together so that we can reserve tables. Please could you email Kathy John to let me know if you are interested in attending so that we know how many members to expect?
Looking forward to seeing you!
Kathy
IMPORTANT MAY DATES
The 1st May, is Labour Day (‘Fête de travail’) in France, when all employees (other than essential workers) are entiled to a days leave. It is also the day to give Lily of the Valley or Muguet as a token of friendship and appreciation.
6th May Coronation of King Charles 111. I know there are a great many events being held to celebrate this historic moment, not only in the U.K but also here in France and throughout the world. May it be a peaceful and joyous occasion.
8th May V.E. Day ( ‘Fête de la Victoire’) when we join together for speeches and give toasts to peace and remembrance at our Mairies
11th May Villeréal Coffee Group
18th May Ascension Day, which always falls on a Thursday so that the Friday can be a ‘pont’ or bridge to make a long weekend.
29th May is Whit Monday (le lundi de Pentecôte) always a public holiday.
Lin x
MAY LUNCH AT LA CLOSERIE DE LA BEYNE - THURSDAY 25TH MAY
Thursday 25th May Lunch at La Closerie de la Beyne, 24440, Naussannes
11.45 for 12 noon
30€ per person for 3 course lunch and a carafe of wine
Partners and guests welcome
Menu
Please inform us of any dietary requirements when booking
Starter
Carrot velouté with roasted seeds, pine nuts and croutons
Main
Fish of the day, fennel pureé, baby peas, grapefruit and sauce vierge.
Dessert
Strawberry salad with candied ginger, whipped yoghurt and crushed hazelnut
MAY BIRTHDAYS
Karin Denzler
Sue Fairweather
Greta Knott
Melinda Lamb
Laura Sankey
Pauline Walker
Freya Williams
Raina Willick
A WARM WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS THIS YEAR
September
| Catherine Chalk | SAINT AMAND DE VERGT |
| Pauline Walker | GINESTET |
| Athene Logan | LE FLEIX |
| Lizzy Hearmon | DOUZAINS |
| Sussie Bassat | AUBAS |
| Victoria Raphael | FLEURAC |
| Helen Robinson | VAL DE LOUYRE ET CAUDEAU |
| Sarah Addley | BERGERAC |
October
| Amanda Mears | SAINT ANTOINE DE BREUILH |
| Brenda Connolly | CUNEGES |
November
| Vanessa Gray | LE FLEIX |
| Marlies Rooze-Jongejan | LANQUAIS |
| Karin Denzler | EYMET |
| Annelies Westervel | TREMOLAT |
| Emmy Postma | DOUZILLAC |
| Christine Deadman | SAINTE ANTOINE DE BRUEILH |
| Gabrielle Visser | LA FORCE |
December
| Marie-Martine Bollmann | LE BOUSCAT |
| Jacqueline Moss | LÉOBARD |
January
| Zilpha Tinayre | LAUZUN |
| Marie Brossard | BERGERAC |
February
| Luisa Carel | SARRAZAC |
| Jessie Agnes Jorgensen | SAINT MARCEL DU PERIGORD |
March
| Virginia Wood | SAINT-MEARD-DE-GURCON |
April
| Shirley Byrne | SAINT ANTOINE DE BREUILH |
| Elisabeth Lhemery | LEMBRAS |
GARDENING IN FRANCE
By CHRISTINE LEES
Summer Flowering Bulbs
At this time of year when our gardens are full of tulips and a few lingering daffodils, it's hard to think about summer flowering bulbs. But there are many summer flowering bulbs, corms and tubers which you can still plant in May, and they will add to your display in the garden as the summer goes on.
You can plant bulbs to make a stunning feature on their own, such as gladioli and dahlias, or smaller bulbs to complement larger shrubs such as roses.
Gladioli come in a wide range of forms, not just the large forms favoured by Dame Edna Everage (RIP). Gladiolus species such as Gladiolus byzantina have more delicate flowers, and Butterfly Gladiolus has smaller flowers, often with two colours in the flower. I bought many Gladiolus bulbs this year very cheaply from Lidl.
Dahlias, which are tubers, come with many different flower forms, some more formal, such as Pompom and Cactus Dahlias, and some more naturalistic, such as Decorative (double) Dahlias and Collerette Dahlias (single flowered). Many Dahlias also have attractive foliage. You can increase the number of plants by taking cuttings.
There are a wide variety of Lilies, both scented and unscented, but bear in mind that if you have cats the pollen is extremely poisonous, so place the Lilies well out of reach of cats.
Bulbs which flower at the end of summer or in autumn include Gladiolus callianthus (often still called Acidanthera) which have very attractive, scented white flowers with purple blotches in the centre. Colchicums are similar in appearance to crocuses and flower in the autumn. Nerine bowdenii flower in autumn with very attractive flowers in shades of pink and sometimes white.
Smaller bulbs which can be planted in groups with shrubs and herbaceous plants, or in pots, include Ismene, Triteleia, and Ornithogalum.
Chris
LUNCH AT LES MARRONNIERS - Thursday 20th April
Review by Zilpha Tinayre
It can feel slightly daunting, joining a group of complete strangers for lunch in a new country, but one of Anaïs Nin’s pearls of wisdom popped into my head as I arrived at Les Marronniers: “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage”.
Happily, courage was not needed for long as I was given a warm welcome with just the right number of introductions. Our meal was delicious, with cheerful and attentive service. I’m looking forward to my life expanding further at future DLCI events and coffee mornings, and hope to give at least as much as I’m sure I’ll get out of this lovely social-support network. Thank you for your great work!
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
CORONATION QUICHE
(Clodagh McKenna’s Coronation Quiche)
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
125g plain flour, plus extra to dust
80g unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp cold water
Filling:
15g butter
1/2 leek, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1/2 clove of garlic, crushed
90g spinach
2 ½ eggs
100ml double cream
40 ml milk
75g mature cheddar, coarsely grated
55g sun-blushed tomatoes, chopped in half
1 tbsp fresh basil, torn
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
1. To make the pastry, put the flour, chilled butter, egg yolk, and cold water into a food processor and blend until the pastry binds together.
2. Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface and lightly knead until the pastry is smooth. Using a rolling pin, roll out to a circular shape. Then carefully place into a tart tin, easing the pastry into the base. Trim the pastry edges, press the pastry into the fluted edge, lightly prick the base with a fork several times, then chill for 10 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 180oc.
4. Line the chilled pastry with parchment and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the parchment and baking beans and bake for another 10 minutes until barely starting to brown on the edges.
5. Place a saucepan over a medium heat, the butter and once melted stir in the sliced leeks and crushed garlic, leave to sweat for 3 minutes, then stir in the spinach and cook for a further minute until the spinach has wilted. Remove from the pan and place on a clean tea towel, and wring all the excess water from the spinach.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream and milk Add the grated cheddar cheese, spinach, leeks, basil, sun blushed tomatoes and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well to combine all the ingredients.
7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes.
More recipes please!
Photo, ingredients and method
Recipes can be yours or those from a favourite author, cook, chef – the latter should be acknowledged.
In addition If anyone has a recipe using a slow cooker or an air fryer that would be great!
Please send to Lin at : DLCIMagazine@gmail.com
DORDOGNE LADIES BOOK CLUB
One of my 5 star books – this is Barbara Kingsolver’s modern version of David Copperfield, set in Virginia in the middle of the Opioid crisis.
Demon Copperhead
by Barbara Kingsolver
‘First, I got myself born. A decent crowd was on hand to watch, and they’ve always given me that much: the worst of the job was up to me, my mother being let’s just say out of it.
On any other day they’d have seen her outside on the deck of her trailer home, good neighbours taking notice, pestering the tit of trouble as they will. All through the dog days of summer and fall, cast an eye up the mountain and there she’d be, little beach-blonde smoking her Pall Malls, hanging on that railing like she’s captain of her ship up there and now might be the hour it’s going down.
This is an eighteen year old girl we’re discussing, all on her own and as pregnant as it gets. The day she failed to show, it fell to Nance Peggot to go bang on the door, barge inside, and find her passed out. A slick fish-colored hostage picking up the grit from the vinyl tile, worming and shoving around because I’m still inside the sack that babies float in, pre-real-life.
Mr. Peggot was outside, headed for evening service, probably thinking about how much of his life he’d spent waiting on women. His wife would have told him the Jesusing could hold on a minute, first she needed to go see if the little pregnant gal had got herself liqoured up again. Mrs.Peggot being a lady that doesn’t beat around the bushes and if need be, will tell Christ Jesus to sit tight and keep his pretty hair on. She came back out yelling for him to call 911 because a poor child is in the bathroom trying to punch himself out of a bag.
Like a little blue prizefighter. Those are the words she’d use later on, being not at all shy to discuss the worst day of my mom’s life. And if that’s how I came across to the first people that laid eyes on me, I’ll take it. To me that says I had a fighting chance. Long odds, yes I know……..’
For details on the three DLCI Book Clubs please go to the Book Club area by scrolling down on the home page
If you are already a Facebook user, you can join in discussions on the 'Dordogne Ladies Book Club' private group. On there you will find notices, reviews of personal reading, plus any monthly choice of book & the subsequent joint reviews etc.
Just follow this link to the group and put in a request to join - DL Book Club Private Group
We will encourage and give all possible help to anyone wishing to start-up a new meeting group, with a few friends, in their area.
Just for fun
Excerpt sent in by Lin Green
Best wishes and take care.
Lin Green Organiser Sainte Foy Book Club
Dawn Kidd Organiser Bergerac Book Club
PETS CORNER
Baby Whippet, Willow, in her favourite place.
The Whippet’s washing!
Sent in by Elli Downer
Chouchou, the Birman, still in hibernation!
Lizzie, young at heart.
A man and his dog!
sent in by Rosemary Copley
PHOTO REQUEST
We would love to include more of your photos including those for Pets Corner in the next Newsletter. Simply email me at DLCIMagazine@gmail.com (no later than 25th of the month) with the photo and where it is. They will be published in the next months newsletter
LASTLY
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
EXTERNAL EVENTS - PHOENIX BOOK FAIR & TRIATHLON DE BERGERAC
We ( DLCI ) have been contacted by the ‘Triathlon de Bergerac’ who are asking for volunteers to help with their event on 23 July 2023.
The details of which are as follows:
Le Comité d’Organisation du Triathlon de Bergerac (COTB) recherche
des bénévoles
pour son organisation le dimanche 23 juillet 2023.
Cette épreuve rassemble environ 1000 personnes entre les concurrents et les accompagnateurs.
Nous cherchons des bénévoles pour occuper des postes de signaleurs sur le parcours cycliste (communes de Bergerac, Ginestet, Lunas et Prigonrieux) et sur le parcours course à pied le long de la Dordogne à Bergerac mais aussi pour tenir des postes de ravitaillement.
Nous avons besoin de vous. Sans bénévoles aucune organisation n’est possible.
Nous vous proposons
un bon d’achat de 20€ par personne à choisir parmi nos partenaires (voir ci-dessous)
+ accueil café viennoiserie
+ le repas de midi
+ le repas du soir
en échange de votre participation à une journée de bénévolat.
Ce sera un plaisir de vous faire découvrir notre épreuve sportive et de partager en toute convivialité une belle journée et le sentiment d'avoir participé à la renommée de votre ville de Bergerac.
Nous vous remercions pour votre collaboration.
Merci de bien vouloir compléter ce questionnaire AVANT le 15 MAI 2023, en cliquant sur le lien suivant: https://forms.gle/fyTn15hqHP95f1he6
PLEASE NOTE
Centralised email addresses have been created for DLCI committee members which will automatically forward any emails to the appropriate person in charge.
WELFARE
If you have an accident and need help with transport, errands or some company during convalescence or if you know of another member who is unwell, has a bereavement or you think is going through a difficult patch. We will do all we can to provide support and we will be totally discreet. Please contact Sue at: DLCIWelfare@gmail.com
EMAIL UPDATES, CHANGE OF ADDRESS, NAME/TEL NO.
If any members have changed their email, address or telephone number could they please let Rosemary know at: DLCIMembers@gmail.com
DLCI COMMITTEE 2023
Please refer to the Contacts page
Information and communications contained in this newsletter are accepted by the Committee in good faith. The DLCI cannot be held responsible for complaints arising from them.
All contributions to the newsletter should be sent to Lin Green at DLCIMagazine@gmail.com by the 25th of each month and we hope to have a new monthly issue to you on the 1st of every month to allow you time to plan your calendar.
A BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS NEWSLETTER.
PLEASE NOTE THAT DUE TO CURRENT DATA PROTECTION LAWS THIS DOCUMENT MUST NOT BE SHARED
WITH ANYONE WHO IS NOT A CURRENT DLCI MEMBER