DLCI 2024 Magazines - June
My flowers think Summer’s here!!
NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT
Hello everyone,
I know we will all look forward to June being a better month. I, being the eternal optimist, live in hope that one month this year I will not start my news and views by talking about the weather!
Moving on! Once again we had a full complement at the wonderful Les Marronniers. Lots of laughter, great atmosphere and the food and wine perfect as always. Our grateful thanks to Teresa Tildesley for arranging and ensuring everything went smoothly.
Pawprints Association representative Hannah gave a moving talk on their work where she illustrated the tremendous need for things like: cat sterilization, kitten fostering and adoption and the fostering and adoption of abandoned dogs along with the high cost of veterinary bills, food and shelter.
If anyone would like any further information on Pawprints Association they can contact Sue Fairweather on the email below:
Sue Fairweather - DLCIWelfare@gmail.com
Our June event is at the stunning Chateau Fayolle where we will have a wine tasting (between 6 and 8 different wines) and lunch, hopefully we will be outside under shade and able to enjoy the gorgeous views – fingers crossed (if the weather does not play ball there is plenty of space in the lovely room inside). This event is one that requires pre payment either by bank transfer or cheque (details below).
Next we would like you all to welcome Dana Skelley onto the Committee as the co opted Events Coordinator. Dana has already attended a committee meeting and we all look forward to working with her in the future. She will be attending our next meeting at Chateau la Tilleraie to discuss the Christmas Fair. Such a great pleasure to welcome her to the team.
Finally just a reminder that the annual membership fee of 25€ is due by the end of July and will cover the period August 2024 – July 2025. This will give you access to the website, booking forms and, of course, the right to vote and attend the AGM.
Payment can be made by bank transfer or cheque. If it is not your name (the one we know you by) on the cheque/ bank transfer please can you notify us so that we can match payment with member.
Bank transfers should be clearly marked Beneficiary DLCI with the Reference MEMBERSHIP
IBAN FR76 3000 4007 1200 0102 7370 112
BIC BNPAFRPPXXX
BY CHEQUE:
Payable to DLCI and on the reverse clearly marked MEMBERSHIP
Address :
Lin Green
Re: MEMBERSHIP
48 Route de Sainte Foy, 33220, St.Philippe du Seignal
If anyone is wondering why the cheques come to me and not the Treasurer Liz, it is because we have an agreement with BNP Bergerac that I can pay in cheques/cash at BNP Sainte Foy la Grande (which is more cost and time effective for us all).
Have a super start to summer
Take care
Lin x
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Thursday 27th June – Wine tasting and Lunch – Chateau Fayolle, 24240, Saussignac.
22€ pp Wine tasting and Lunch with 2 glasses of wine or a soft drink
Guest/partner welcome.
Lunch is in the form of fabulously fresh, wonderfully varied and very generous platters (tried and tested by the committee!) served with home made chutneys and vast baskets of different breads and breadsticks.
Additional drinks at members own expense
We do urge early booking to ensure a place.
To book click on link below:
FOR THIS EVENT MEMBERS WILL NEED TO PAY IN ADVANCE EITHER BY BANK TRANSFER OR CHEQUE
If it is not your name on the cheque/bank transfer can you please notify us so that we can match payment with bookings
BY TRANSFER:
Beneficiary is DLCI
a/c details below
BNP PARIBAS
IBAN FR76 3000 4007 1200 0102 7370 112
BIC BNPAFRPPXXX
Please use the reference of ‘FAYOLLE’
BY CHEQUE:
Payable to DLCI and on the reverse clearly marked FAYOLLE
Address :
Lin Green
Re: Fayolle
48 Route de Sainte Foy, 33220, St.Philippe du Seignal
July – to be arranged
August – no events planned – heat and holidays!
Thursday September 26th - AGM (members only) - location to be confirmed
Wednesday October 16th – GRAND DLCI QUIZ – (FUND RAISER)
November – Lunch in Perigeux
Saturday December 7th - DLCI CHRISTMAS FAIR at Château La Tilleraie, Lieu-dit, Bergerac, 24100. 10.00am – 7.00pm (FUND RAISER)
Thursday December 12th – Christmas Luncheon at Chateau les Merles
January – Chinese New Year Lunch
February – Horse Racing Night! (FUND RAISER)
A WARM WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS IN MAY
| Christine BIGONNEAU | TRÉLISSAC | ||
| Christine FLINT | LE BUGUE | ||
| Sandra VAN TONGERLOO | PÉRIGUEUX |
JUNE BIRTHDAYS
Judy Barker
Marie-Martine Bollman
Jan Dixon
Sheila Harrell
Christel Haverkamp
Alexandra Hudson
Annette Marshall
Helen Midworth
Connie Porter-Richard
Anne Sidoux
Ann-Mary Stanton-Wijgerse
Teresa Tildesley
Virginia Ward
GARDENING IN FRANCE
By CHRISTINE LEES
Things to do in the garden when there’s too many things to do
You are probably finding, like me, that in the breaks between rain showers, there is almost too much to do in the garden. The rain has also made weeds grow much more strongly. These are the most important things to concentrate on at the moment:
If you have an area of your vegetable garden which you have already cleared and weeded for planting, cover with heavy black plastic to prevent further weed growth before planting. You can also plant through the plastic if you are planting something well-spaced eg tomatoes, sweet corn.
Weeded areas in borders can be covered with mulch eg compost, leaf mould.
Water anything newly planted, and vegetables.
Continue to plant vegetables, bedding plants and any remaining summer flowering bulbs.
Prune the flowered stems on early flowering shrubs which have already finished flowering.
Deadhead roses and apply rose fertiliser when the first flush of roses has finished. A study in Gardening Which found that 3 rose bushes which were regularly deadheaded after flowers had finished carried 1400 more blooms than bushes which were not dead headed.
Compost vegetable, garden and kitchen waste.
Water plants in the greenhouse.
You can now plant tender vegetables and bedding plants.
Clean bird feeders and water dishes and keep them topped up. The RSPB recommends feeding all year round, and at the moment parents are feeding baby birds and have little time to find food for themselves.
Have small shallow dishes of water with pebbles, for bees and other insects to drink.
Find some time to sit down and enjoy your garden!
Happy gardening!
Chris
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
PHILIP’S SAN SEBASTIAN CHEESECAKE
Sent in by Kathy John
The Villeréal coffee group were chatting the other day about San Sebastian, where several members have visited and we were remembering the delights of the cheesecake, a speciality of the area. Here is my husband’s recipe which is always delicious. It’s very rich, so serves around ten people.
INGREDIENTS
1 kg cream cheese, softened and at room temperature (Philadelphia is recommended but St Môret also works well)
320g caster sugar
480ml heavy cream
5 large eggs
Half teaspoon salt
30g plain white flour
METHOD
Prior to preparation, preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan. Grease and line a 23cm (9”) springform pan, allowing the parchment paper to cover at least 7 cm (3”) above the pan.
Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and salt and beat until the texture of the batter is smooth. You should only whisk to combine the ingredients, not to create air within the mixture.
Add the eggs, into the mixture, one by one – don’t beat first - and whisk until just incorporated before adding the next egg. Then add the heavy cream and continue whisking.
Again, it is important not to overbeat. (* If you like a less eggy taste, you can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract at this point). Then sift the flour and fold it gently into the mixture with a spatula.
Pour the batter into the pan. This next stage can be slightly tricky, but you need to lift the pan around 25cm above your work surface and then drop it onto the work surface, three or
four times! This should get rid of any air bubbles and avoid the cheesecake cracking as it cooks.
Bake for around 52-55 minutes in the preheated oven, but not longer than 55 minutes. Keep a close eye on it after 50 minutes. The crust should be dark browned all over (but not burnt) as this is the feature of San Sebastian cheesecake, and it’s fine for the cheesecake to remaina bit wobbly.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for two to three hours. If you try to serve it too early, the taste of the cheese will be lost and it will taste more like burnt custard.
Trust me, it’s easier to make than it sounds! And it’s well worth the effort. Bon courage!
Kathy
DORDOGNE LADIES BOOK CLUB
Excerpt chosen by Liz Davies
A MAN CALLED OVE
By
Fredrik Backman
This book is the best one I have read in some time and received very positive comments from all at my book club.
The novel starts with the very curmudgeonly Ove, who is intolerant of all those around him – very much a Victor Meldrew character, I was constantly expecting the immortal line “I don’t believe it”. However, his character develops and becomes much more rounded as he is reluctantly forced to interact with those around him. It was a pleasure to read as he gradually came to realize that, in fact, life is worth living and helping people makes it worthwhile.
Below is a synopsis of the book
This book tells the darkly humorous story of Ove, a 59-year-old Swedish man struggling to find purpose in his life. When the book opens, Ove’s wife Sonja has recently died. After losing his job, Ove plans to kill himself. Ove seems at odds with the world, constantly angry at the people around him and getting into altercations with shop workers, neighbors, and even other drivers on the road.
Through Ove’s neurotic worldview, themes of distrusting technology and the fear of the “other” emerge. Ove’s plans for suicide derail when some meddling new neighbors move in: Parvaneh, an Iranian woman, her husband Patrick, and their two daughters. Parvaneh comes to recognize that Ove, despite his gruff exterior, may be suffering internally. She sets out to keep him occupied and give him the purpose he’s lacking, asking him for help with small tasks like bleeding radiators, caring for a stray cat, and teaching her how to drive. As the book progresses, Ove repeatedly attempts to commit suicide, but outside forces consistently interrupt him. In the process, he becomes more entangled with Parvaneh and her family as well as with other neighbors. The book opens with the main character, 59-year-old Ove, attempting to buy a computer in an electronics store. He is demanding and out-of-touch with modern technology, asking the shop assistant about an “O-pad” in a dismissive manner: “So this is one of those O-pads, is it?”. He is suspicious of the tablet and doesn’t quite understand it. When the young shop assistant tries to explain, Ove quickly becomes exasperated: “I want a computer! A normal bloody computer!”. The shop assistant proposes a laptop, but this also does not fit into Ove’s definition of what he considers to be a computer. The assistant convinces Ove to consider a MacBook—or “McBook” as Ove calls it. Ove’s manner wears out the assistant, who calls over a colleague to demonstrate the device while he goes to lunch. The young man’s mention of lunch sets Ove off again: “Lunch […] That’s the only thing people care about nowadays” Then, sneering, Ove walks out of the shop without buying anything.
For details on the DLCI Book Clubs please go to the Book Club area by scrolling down on the home page.
We will be posting our evaluation and marks out of ten on the DL Book Club Facebook group
Sainte Foy Book Club
Details of our latest reads can be found on the D L Book Club Facebook group.
For more information please contact Lin Green at: Lin.green100@gmail.com
Bergerac Book Club
We will be posting our evaluation and marks out of ten on the DL Book Club Facebook group.
For more information please contact Kathy John at: Kathyjohn0803@gmail.com
JUST FOR FUN
Best wishes and take care
Kathy John Organiser Bergerac Book Club
Lin Green Organiser Sainte Foy Book Club
MEMBERS EVENTS
ROYAL BRITISH LEGION D DAY EVENT
Saturday 8th June
This special D Day event is being sponsored by BLEVIN FRANKS Bergerac office.
On the 8th June we are holding a celebration event in the Salle des Fete Loubes Bernac 47120 for the 80th anniversary of D Day. The event will be a bring your own indoor picnic, The doors will open at 6.30 and the entertainment will start at 7.00 pm and continue to 10.00 pm with a midway break of approx 30-45 minutes. There will be a bar serving tea/coffee and wine before the start and during the break. There will be tables and chairs set out for people to enjoy their picnic. The entry fee will be 10€ per person and the numbers are limited so I would advise if you are interested in attending please call 0752049894 or email
keith.stevens47120@hotmail.com
to reserve your place.
PETS CORNER
Archie, Smoky and Felix relaxing
Sent in by Chris Lees
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
THIS IS FROM THE BRITISH IN EUROPE SITE
UK General Election 2024 - Register today!
We probably don’t need to tell you that the UK General Election date was announced yesterday and will take place on 4 July 2024. So you can finally make your voices heard.
Some of you will already be registered. If you live abroad and are still thinking about registering, bear in mind the deadlines.
You have until 18 June to apply to register and 19 June 5pm to make a new application for a postal proxy (where your proxy votes by post) or postal vote.
You have until 26 June 5pm to make a new application for a proxy vote (where your proxy votes in person).
Your proxy does not have to be registered to vote in the same constituency as you as they can vote by post.
British in Europe strongly recommends going for a proxy if possible, given problems with the post.
FINALLY, A RECAP ON UK VOTER REGISTRATION
Did you know that you can vote in UK elections even if you have been out of the country for more than 15 years?
Following a change in the law you can now register to vote in the upcoming General Election on the government website. Once you have done this, you can register for a postal vote to be sent to your proxy in the UK, the safest way to ensure your vote will count on the day.
If you have any questions read our updated FAQs here or visit The Electoral Commission website which is packed with useful information.
If you need help, just email us at voting @ britishineurope.org .
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 Vyvyan know at: DLCIMembers@gmail.com
DLCI COMMITTEE 2024
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