DLCI 2024 Magazines - November
NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT
Hello everyone,
Last week heralded the exodus of the Grues as flocks flew over the house heading for warmer climes – having said that I am writing this at the end of October and it is currently 24c, it felt really odd putting up the Halloween decorations outside in blazing sunshine!
In the garden we have harvested and stored our butternut squash which will see us through ‘til the summer, the soups are frozen into portions and neatly stacked in the freezer and the Christmas puddings are being made this weekend - all is good with the world!
To close out October I would like to send a huge thank you to all those (75) who attended the fabulously successful DLCI Quiz night on the 16th. – we raised a huge amount of money for our three nominated charities and had a lot of fun (and wine) doing it! Special thanks go to Pat and Basil Sansom for formatting a great series of questions and providing such generous prizes, to Julie for compéring so admirably and the wonderful DLCI committee who worked so tirelessly on the day! Thank you everyone.
November is the start of a very busy couple of months for us all starting with Remembrance Day, which is actually on the day in France (rather than the nearest Sunday to the 11th in UK), Sue and I have Royal British Legion Poppies available – so please feel free to contact us.
The Marché Nöels commence and run through to virtually the end of December. The DLCI Christmas Fair is on Saturday 7th December at Chateau la Tilleraie and will run from 10am until 7pm. This is one of our biggest charity fund raisers. We have 25 stalls/ 38 tables, Tombola, a Scalextric track (for all ages) a café 10 - 3, plus seafood, wine bar, and creole food truck from 3 onwards. Dana, our Events Coordinator will be sending out an email asking all our wonderful members for baked goods – both sweet and savoury – and any raffle prizes for the Tombola, bottles (any) or chocolates please. Please ask friends, family, neighbours, strangers to come along and see what we have to offer. It will be an amazing day and the busier it is the more money we will raise. Masses of easy parking with a beautifully decorated and very festive atrium especially adapted for our event. We do hope we see lots of you there.
Our next lunch is on Wednesday 20th November at Le Café de la Place in Périgueux, a beautiful, historic city – make a day of it and explore the old town, the alleyways and artisan shops after (or before) you’ve had lunch with us. I guarantee you’ll have some fab photos!
Finally this year we have the wonderful DLCI Christmas Luncheon at the beautiful Chateau Les Merles on Thursday 12th December. The Dining room is ours with its huge log fire and candles. The food and service are always excellent and we strongly recommend booking early to avoid disappointment. A fabulous way to start the festive season!
We look forward to seeing you at the upcoming events.
Take care
Lin x
LEST WE FORGET
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Wednesday November 20th – Lunch at Le Café de la Place
7 Place Du Marché Au Bois, 24000 Périgueux
Bookings now closed
LUNCH MENU
Ceviche de poisson aux fruits rouges
ou
Salade de Quinoa aux légumes croquante
***
Suprême de volaille basse température, sauce estragon et ses légumes oubliés
ou
Pavé de sandre a l’ail noir, pommes fourchette et petits légumes
***
Suprême de pomelos miel et romain
ou
Coulant de chocolat blanc framboises
Thursday December 12th – Christmas Luncheon at Chateau les Merles
Tuilières, 24520 Mouleydier
11.30 for 12.00
€45 per person with a Méthode Traditionelle (sparkling wine) or soda, a glass of Château les Merles wine and a coffee
Members/Guests welcome
Please Click here to book
MENU
Croque-monsieur aux crevettes, crémeux de romanesco, salad de pickles
***
Tataki de canard, grains de sésame, pommes de terre dauphine, choux bruxelles sautés
***
Madeleine aux agrumes, marmelade de citron, espuma fromage blanc
***
MENU VÉGÉTARIEN
Mille feuilles céleri et pomme - siphon beurre noisette, noisettes torréfiées, gélée pommes
***
Arranchini champignon - crémeux champignons, champignons poêlés et roquette
***
Madeleine aux agrumes, marmelade de citron, espuma fromage blanc
DLCI CHRISTMAS FAIR at Château La Tilleraie, Bergerac
Saturday December 7th
10 am - 7 pm
Join us at the Chateau's grand atrium for a fantastic charity fundraiser 🎄
Over 25 stallholders
A variety of vendors including pottery, jewellery, crafts, food, and drink
Festive lights and a towering Christmas tree
Enormous tombola and festive cheer
Some thrilling racing action with our Scalextric track! It's guaranteed to be a lot of fun as you race around the course.
Join us for an unforgettable day filled with holiday spirit, great food, and fantastic finds! 🎁
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: DCLI Cafe with coffee, tea & soft drinks offering a selection of sweet and savoury items including sausage rolls , scones & cakes.
3:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Bar service, Seafood from ‘Aux Perles de Margaux’ & Food Truck Créole ‘La Papangue’.
Thursday January 23rd – Chinese New Year Lunch at Asia Royal, Creysse
February - Virtual Horse Racing and Bingo
March - Lunch at Bucket’s Auberge Inn, Montazeau
A WARM WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS IN OCTOBER
| Eugenie CURTIS | BERGERAC | ||
| Jennifer HARGREAVES | MAUZENS ET MIREMONT | ||
| Madeleine KRASNE | CREYSSE | ||
| Thelma NIJMAN-MANGULADS | tbc |
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Sarah Bouchet
Eugenie Curtis
Elli Downer
Jennifer Hargreaves
Silvia Lucero
June Mabbett
Amanda Mears
Jean Walton
GARDENING IN FRANCE
By CHRISTINE LEES
Planting trees and shrubs in autumn
This is a good time of year to look at your garden and see where you have gaps. It's also the best time of year for planting trees and shrubs and most herbaceous plants, although grasses are better planted in the spring.
If you are looking for a new tree for your garden, look for something which has interest in different seasons, flowers in the spring, and fruits and autumn colour in the autumn. The fruit can also be good for wildlife and the flowers will attract pollinating insects. Good small trees for the garden include Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Ballerina' with white spring blossom and red and purple autumn foliage, and purple edible fruits in autumn. Cercis siliquatrum with pink flowers and yellow autumn foliage, Sorbus in various varieties with attractive foliage, spring blossom and autumn berries in different colours, and Malus - crab apples - different varieties having different coloured edible fruits.
This is also a good time to buy bare-root fruit trees, which you can find in garden centres in November, and these can also be trained into fan or espalier shapes. It is much cheaper to buy as bare root trees than pot grown trees or trees which are already trained.
It's also a good time to plant shrubs, and a good time to buy bare-root roses which again are much cheaper than pot grown plants. You can order them from David Austin which has a department dealing with France and the plants will be delivered by La Poste.
Bare root plants will need heeling in into some soil if you are not able to plant them straight away. Keep them well watered before planting.
Plant your trees or shrubs in a hole slightly bigger than the plant, with the soil at the same level as in the pot, and a rectangular or square rather than round hole to stop the roots going round and round. When planting trees you will need a tree support in place for the first couple of years.
Keep all your plants and trees well watered after planting to help them establish over the autumn and winter.
Happy planting!
RECIPE OF THE MONTH
Spicy Cod with Sweet potato mash and roasted broccoli
Serves 4
4 large sweet potatoes
Butter
Sprinkle of chilli flakes
Cod loin for 4
Large head of broccoli washed and cut into long strips
Peel and chop the sweet potato and put in salted water to cook until soft. Steam the broccoli over the pan for 5 minutes. Remove and cool.
Add butter, pepper and a pinch of salt to the drained sweet potato and using a soup whizzer, whizz until smooth. Add chilli flakes to taste. Cover with the pan lid.
Put the cod on a large baking tray covered with baking parchment. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 180 degrees for 15 minutes. Add the part cooked broccoli to the same tray as the cod. Drizzle with olive oil and pepper and put the tray back into the oven for about 8 minutes.
When the cod is baked remove from the oven. Place a cod portion on a plate, add a portion of sweet potato and broccoli and serve.
THE SPELLSHOP
By Sarah Beth Durst
Reviewed by Pat Godaillier
“IT WASN’T THAT SHE DIDN’T LIKE PEOPLE. IT WAS ONLY THAT SHE LIKED BOOKS MORE.”
“Books should be shared with everyone who wants to open their minds and hearts to them.
Keeping them, keeping knowledge, from people who needed it, that was the real crime. The words belonged to the people, all the people, not just the wealthy and powe
This little gem was wonderful! It felt like sitting in a cozy chair while drinking a cup of warm hot chocolate overflowing with marshmallows on a cold day.
Kiela is a librarian in Alyssium, she spend her time with her best “friend” Caz, a lively sentient talking plant, looking after books. After the rebels took over the capital and burned down the library, Kiela and Caz escaped with a whole bunch of spellbooks. They find refuge in Caltrey, the island where Kiela was born. They very quickly agree that they need to use the spellbooks to help the inhabitants if they possibly can. Neither of them are sorcerers, though, they have to make sure any of the magical ‘remedies’ they sell don’t look like terribly illegal magic so as a cover, they open a jam shop.
It’s full of magical creatures, there are merhorses in the bay, who sparkle and hanker after tomatoes; cloud-elementals who’ve made a home in the local forest; semi-feral winged cats who hang out in the town square, cozy cottages by the sea, unicorns, lush gardens, family recipes, new friendships, and a tiny sprinkle of love.
This will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.
And the cover is just gorgeous!
DORDOGNE LADIES BOOK CLUB
JUST FOR FUN
Best wishes and take care
Kathy John Organiser Bergerac Book Club
Lin Green Organiser Sainte Foy Book Club
MEMBERS EVENTS
Advertise your Charitable or non-profit making events here. Simply email me at DLCIMagazine@gmail.com (no later than 25th of the month) and they will be published in the next months newsletter
MEMBERS PHOTOS
Here is a pic of something we harvested from our potager. It’s enormous! It was also supposed to be a cabbage according to our neighbour but we were very pleased it wasn’t.
Sent in by Sharon Lawson
PETS CORNER
We’ve got a new addition to the family. A 9 week old Yorkie cross (with a Pinscher/Jack).
Her name is Pixie and she’s adorable.
Sent in by Sharon Lawson
Bertie not coming home because the hunt is out and the hounds are howling!
Sent in by Teresa Tildesley
OUR FAVOURITE PLACES
Members photos from where they live or would recommend to visit in and around the Dordogne
The vineyards in autumn at Les Merles
Sent in by Teresa Tildesley
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
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