The Connexion 238 - August 2022 e-Paper
What's inside this month's edition
On the front page
Ten million homes risk cracks after heatwaves
Thousands more houses in France are expected to be left with sizeable structural cracks after this summer’s early heatwaves as they are built on clay soil which contracts during droughts. More than 10 million homes across the country are at risk after the official map of affected zones was enlarged last year.
Burial with honours for D-Day pilot, 78 years on
An American pilot has been formally buried at the Normandy American Cemetery (NOAC) with full military honours 78 years after his plane was shot down on D-Day.
French news explained
Dogs trained to sniff out drinking water leaks
A trial in Brittany has been so successful that utility giant Veolia plans to extend its use of sniffer dogs across the country
Ardèche readies for first stopping train in 50 years
Half a century after SNCF closed lines in the department, Ardèche is due to welcome its first passenger train back. However, the long-awaited event, planned for August 29, will initially only involve empty carriages
Could old van become à la mode?
Speculation that the little Citroën C15D van could become a collectable ‘youngtimer’ vehicle has begun to appear in some sections of the French media
French firm’s needle-free injections sold to the US
They can be used quickly and efficiently by people who have not been trained to give injections
Firm offers to scatter ashes... from a drone
The drones, guided by professionals, will scatter ashes in nature, while the family can organise a ceremony to witness the flight
Praise for France’s energy price shield
The country’s handling of the energy crisis, which has included freezing regulated gas prices at October 2021 rates, has been praised by a consumer group. It is now calling for long-term protection.
Lavender growers hit by price crash
It may provide the landscapes so beloved by visitors to the south of France, but the lavender industry is facing a crisis of overproduction and low prices
Giant cannibal fish ‘here to stay’ – but quite harmless
The final stamp of approval on the UK’s recent ‘votes for life’ law could be impacted by Boris Johnson’s resignation, a British rights campaigner and proponent of the law has said
Phone masts disguised as trees
Mobile phone masts disguised as trees have been put up in a coastal resort in south-west France to avoid upsetting the locals
Space telescope could herald dawn of a ‘scientific revolution
After first images from the James Webb Space Telescope were published in July, a leading French astronomer assesses the impact it could have on our understanding of the universe – and whether it could even lead to the discovery of alien life
Practical advice for living in France
We sailed to France in a barge – then began hunting for ideal home
John and Jane Griffin tell us about living on a barge on the Canal du Midi while house-hunting
Career change: My bus-based barber shop was fun, but so is bending wood
In our ongoing series featuring people who have changed career in France, Mark Collett, 56, explains how he swapped a hair salon to work with wood
The Lot is one of France’s most beautiful rivers but heatwave has put livelihoods at risk
After the hottest June in recent memory, we find out what impact it has had on France’s second longest river and the businesses who depend on it
Barclays UK closes EU accounts
Hundreds of British people living in France have been dismayed to receive letters from Barclays Bank ordering them to close their UK accounts
Is investing in a buy-to-let property in France a good idea?
The pros and cons
Our financial writer answers your money queries on page 33.
You can find more advice for managing your money in France in our Money and Tax section on pages 33 and 34, and online
Reader questions answered
- Can I deduct legal fees from capital gains tax calculations when I sell my holiday home?
- What to do if you spot an error on your tax assessment form?
- My son is my full-time, unpaid carer. Are there any tax advantages to this?
- Can we avoid property wealth tax by making our daughter co-owner of our holiday home?
Subscribers can also find answers to reader questions in the Your Questions section online.
French Living
Interview: Samual de Montgermont
Director of France's most powerful wine lobby
Dinosaurs in France
As every amature palaeontologist knows, dinosaurs are wonderful - and France has a wealth of them
'I wanted to give the hand fan the aura is had before the Revolution'
The hand fan has experienced many heighs and lows over its long history
In Brittany or Provence this August? Visit these gardens for good causes
Two more hosts welcome visitors to their gardens for Jardin Ouvert/Open Gardens charity scheme
More in the August edition
Property: How making garden gates saves money and can be a convivial team effort
Money: Can I annul usufruit and nue-propriété arrangement before selling my house?
Culture: Paris booksellers think outside the box to survive
Enviroment: North France to become EV ‘battery corridor’
Taxes: Getting your head around property taxes pays off
Politics: Mayors compete to issue ‘most original bylaw’
Food: Fine dining at reduced rates. How to get good food on a budget at French cooking schools