But these were just a selection of the small businesses that pitched up at an English language trade fair taking place in Eymet, in the south of the Dordogne.

Event organisers Melanie Chipperfield and Amanda Smith were the driving force behind the event through their company Angel Traders, with the idea coming from a similar meeting they went to in Deux-Sevres.

“Our friend organised a networking opportunity for businesses, and whilst it proved to be a success it was a lot of work and so our friend decided not to run another one,” said Amanda.

“But we thought there was a need for both business owners and potential customers to meet face-to-face and so we organised a similar event in Brantome.

“This is our third fair and the mairie at Eymet were very supportive with promotion of the event.

“Because we want to ensure that business owners get value for money, but also help them develop opportunities and just have the chance to meet others running a business.”

Promotional support also came from The Connexion newspaper and the Anglo Info Dordogne website, whose owner Martin Swanson explained how he had come to hear about the event.

“Melanie and Amanda were promoting the fair on the forum of the site and I thought it looked like a good idea, so I helped with some advertising on the site and hopefully it is a worthwhile way for people to spend their Saturday and will draw in potential new customers,” Martin said.

Just under 40 stalls were set up in the salle polyvalente just off the main road through Eymet, with more than 100 people dropping in during the morning to chat with business owners.

And it was this opportunity to chat and share ideas that appealed to business consultant Claire Le Monnier (email), who had seen the importance of mutual support during her time heading up the Chamber of Commerce in Jersey.

“It is sometimes difficult for business owners to come together especially if you are busy building up the business, so something like this allows you to discuss ideas and projects,” said Claire.

A number of business owners were keen to see the trade fair progress, with financial consultant David Hadland-Cole seeing it as an effective way to help him and others succeed.

“I have been to all three fairs and Melanie and Amanda have listened to the feedback and thoughts of people which is great to see,” David said.

“And whilst some people might say you should use French businesses, everyone here is properly registered and faces the same challenges as anyone else.

“This morning has gone really well, there has been a bit of a buzz and I know I’ll be heading along to future fairs.”

With lunchtime upon us the smells and flavours of local Indian restaurant Eymet Tandoori (map) began to drift through the hall offering people the chance to try onion bhajis, spring rolls or spicy chicken.

As exhibitors enjoyed a quiet few minutes, and Eymet itself settled down for lunch, Amanda said that future plans for the fair will see them head to other corners of France.

“We are hoping to hold another event in the north of the Dordogne in September, but longer term we plan to hold similar networking opportunities for business owners elsewhere in France, because meeting someone face-to-face can’t be beat,” Amanda said.

Of all the French words or phrases that have been universally adopted, one is first among equals, writes Christopher Strong.

It is the phrase that so perfectly describes social sins, that it has joined such mondiale stalwarts as sex, taxi and radar.

The phrase, of course, is faux pas.

We’ve all made them dear reader. Have we not? In my gourmet ramblings, I’ve committed many. Here are just two:

I am the guest of a father and son chef team who run a medium sized hotel restaurant in the Provencal Alps. After a welcoming verre with dad and junior, I settle into my ground floor palace for a short siesta.

As the Sun lowers the wattage and dinner looms, I torture myself with some Tai Chi exercises on the lawn.

The hearty bonjour of papa chef pierces my zen-not concentration. He waves in passing; adding with a wagging finger: “Fait attention du Soliel!”

The dining room glows with a genuine familial ambience. Two waiters fuss over me during the preliminaries. Then junior chef himself appears to take my order. The tourists from Des Moines at the next table freeze in mid-forkful. I chose the lamb.

Snatching my menu with an Imperial grin junior chef does a half bow from the waist and scurries stove-ward.

The Idaho escapees have now abandoned eating for furtive whispers. I sniff my wine regally. Impressed by the first round of the dual chefs’ efforts, expectation (and saliva) are rising as the lamb arrives.

Three velvet medallions partially submerged in a pool of aromatic essence. Rosemary. Thyme. Unknown herbal wonders. First bite. The doors of gourmet heaven opened. Second bite. I saw Escoffier himself. Surfing the room, I groked we were all happy campers. Even the Des Moines. Now eagerly destroying their dessert.

Then, a feeling came over me, to which I know, dear reader, you will relate. A feeling that rarely emerges. But when it does, is unmistakeable in both intensity and intent. A feeling that is truly undeniable. It is the feeling that informs you, that at this perfect moment, in this perfect place, in front of all these strangers, that you, are going to bring up your cookies!

You – Bicycle Gourmet – former exotic stranger from the far away lands are about to – HURL! The waiter sussed my discomfort. (My colour, perhaps?) I rose slowly, casually, with my best always-turn-this-colour-when-I-eat-lamb smile. And strode confidently toward the exit stairs. The feeling persisted. But I was in control.

A jaunty wave as I passed reception and reached the stairs. Suddenly, I was not in control. Bolting down the stairs, I reached the bottom in two giant leaps. Just as the door opened and my lamb exited. Decorating the shoes of a well coiffed matron just entering.

Fortunately, head down, I was unrecognisable as I stumbled forth into the starry, starry night. Any respectable Asian, would, of course, have fallen on his sword then and there.

But, alas, I, white trash with no blade, was destined for a more extreme punishment. Lying awake all night, wondering how I was going to face my hosts in the morning. The night’s agony produced no solution. Naturally, I passed on breakfast. Brain immobile. Body Fragile. I hid in my room until just before noon.

Then, after successfully slithering unnoticed to the middle of the lawn – they got me. It was papa chef. He beamed a big smile. Then, again wagging his fatherly finger intoned: “Fait attention du Soliel, eh?”

Hal-a-freakin-loo-yeah. Saved by French culinary hubris. Bien sur it would never occur to a French chef that his cooking could be responsible, so, it must have been too much sun!

Lamb and I now have a distant relationship. I pass them in their fields, at a distance.

In every field of human endeavour there are stars. And Superstars. Those who have left excellence in the dust, and jetted on to exceptional. Chef X was a superstar. Idolized by foodies, critics and chef wannabes.

Respected by colleagues, an innovator who never lost his edge, who produced cookbooks, videos, seminars, multiple international restaurants. Chef X was truly the culinary Big Man on Campus.

And I was the salivating freshman stepping up to his plate. In my, dare we call it a career (I think not) of gourmeting, I’ve found that the phrase ‘power behind the throne’ is particularly applicable to chefs’ wives.

Like their counterparts in other personal and professional unions, the chef’s wife runs the business, while us men, dumb thuds that we are, simply do what we can.

Mrs. X. fit the profile. Beauty Queen looks in her twenties, matured into immaculately turned out businesswoman of her mid-forties. Next to Mrs. X, a slight, unsmiling, white-aproned man, in his early thirties.

Was he the illustrious one? Mrs. X was mercifully brief as we discussed the filming program. The man in white did his Sphinx imitation. I waited for the introduction that never came.

Finally, stepping up to the plate, I asked the, to me, obvious question: “When would it be possible for me to meet chef X?”

The man in white surfed the carpet, a graceful, but solemn smile from Mrs X.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible. You see Chef X is dead.”

Well, who knew? Just about everybody in the World it would seem, except the dufus who is typing this.

Other articles by Christopher:

Cycling around the treasures of France
Baby steps towards a French baptism
Taking a tour of Chateau la Verrerie
The Pope of biodynamic wine

US-born video film maker Christopher Strong produced the Bicycle Gourmet's Treasures of France tour, which fulfilled his dream of cycling around the country visiting interesting places and meeting entertaining characters.

FEW people can resist stopping in front of an estate agent's window just to see what properties they have on their books.

Here regular contributor to the site, lawyer Guillaume Barlet, takes a look at some of the things you may need to consider if looking to buy a place in France.

In recent years, French laws relating to property ownership, inheritance and taxes have been subject to dramatic changes. Adaptation is key and these rules are full of traps for the unwary.

As in the UK, the French authorities are becoming increasingly conscious about health and safety issues.

French law also ensures that taxes due on the sale or purchase of a property, or on the death of an owner, are not avoided.

Laws often change and it is vital to take advice before embarking on any French property venture, since mistakes often cannot be rectified, or will cost you a substantial sum to put right.

Therefore, being prepared can be a real help, so below are examples of some traditional and more recent issues that may arise.

Swimming pool security
All properties should have had their swimming pools enclosed to the necessary standard at the latest since January 1, 2006.

If you are buying a property that does not comply, you need to arrange for a contract clause providing for the seller to provide a complying swimming pool.

Drainage systems and septic tanks
This issue has recently become an important element in the sale and purchase of a property as connection to the public system is now usually enforced by the local authorities incurring important costs for the new owner.

Where such connection is not possible, a septic tank is allowed as long as it is in good working condition.

Local authorities, communes, have an obligation to have checked such installations by December 31, 2012 to deliver a certificate proving the installation compliance with current regulations.

It is advisable to ask for such checks to be carried out before the compromis is signed as the survey may reveal defects which the new owner may be liable for at a later date.

This point is often overlooked at the compromis stage as it may depreciate the property. This stage being the most important during the purchase of a property it is paramount to secure this situation.

Surveys
Similar to the British HIPs, all properties being sold must now have surveys carried out.

Surveys cover elements such as termites, asbestos, lead, energy efficiency, carbon footprint measurements, natural and technological risks in the area and gas and electric installation.

All contracts should provide for this but you need to know how to interpret the reports and what to do if they reveal anything.

Depending on the situation of the property, it may be advisable to carry out additional types of surveys.

Taxes
In 2004, Capital Gains Tax in France was generally simplified and reduced, and for a non-French EU resident it is now levied at a rate of 16 per cent, down from 25 per cent. However there are still complicated rules relating to exemptions and reliefs.

It is important to bear in mind that a tax agent is not now needed if you sell your property for less than €150,000 or you have owned the property for more than 15 years.

Inheritance
Property in France is usually subject to French inheritance laws, regardless of whether you have a will or what is in your will. In most instances you cannot simply leave an entire property to your surviving spouse.

If either of two joint owners have children (including any by a previous relationship), those children can become entitled to a share in the property on the death of their parent.

It is vital to consider these problems before completing the purchase of a French property, to avoid expensive complications later.

Guillaume Barlet is a French lawyer specialising in French assets and wealth management issues for Bank House Investment Management Limited. Guillaume can be contacted by e-mail or by telephone on 01242 520074.

HERE is a quick look over some of the headlines that have been making the news in France in recent days.

Piecing together fate of Air France jet - BBC
The report by French crash investigators into the crash of an Air France plane in the Atlantic last month runs to 126 pages. It is remarkably detailed considering how few facts have so far been established.

France rugby star Mathieu Bastareaud tried suicide, says newspaper - Times Online
French media reports said the rugby player told friends that he was suicidal after being sent home from France’s tour to New Zealand and Australia. LÉquipe, the sporting daily, said he jumped into the Seine at the weekend.

French-Israeli spat over comments - BBC
Israel's foreign ministry has accused France of unacceptable meddling in its internal affairs over a reported comment by President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Cost of texting abroad comes down - BBC
A cap on the cost of sending a text message while abroad in the European Union comes into force for the first time.

New British £750 million electronic border control plan 'breaks EU law' - Times Online
Eurostar told the Commons Home Affairs select committee that under French law it was unlawful for anyone other than law enforcement agencies to collect the information.

Bribes, a bomb and the Sarkozy trail - Times Online
The trigger event is a 2002 suicide bomb attack on a bus full of French shipyard workers in Karachi.

National Front in run-off to take northern French town hall - France 24
France's far-right National Front party was in pole position to take its first town council in more than a decade after winning the first round of voting in Henin-Beaumont.

Student hoax wins magazine's top prize - The Independent
Guillaume Chauvin and Rémi Hubert, read out a statement admitting to the hoax, stating that they had wanted to make a "powerful artistic gesture" attacking the "voyeurism" and gullibility of parts of the press.

French fishermen hit back at stars' bid to save bluefin tuna - The Observer
Threat to livelihood sparks anger in Mediterranean port as celebrities campaign over plight of species.

EACH week I highlight the businesses who help keep the This French Life website up and running, and I hope you will drop in on their sites to see if they can help out.

You can find out more about advertising on This French Life, but first check out the websites below:

Zorro Immo and Immogo
These two property websites are run by Gregor Hakkenberg who provides owners of property in France the chance to sell their homes to a multilingual audience.

Long term rental in the Dordogne
Renting in advance of a permanent move gives you the freedom to see an area outside of the holiday season. Tracy Ravard has a family home available in the south of the Dordogne that may appeal.

Gardening and flower business for sale in France
Phil Voice is helping friends sell their gardening business found in the south west of France, so if this is of interest make sure you take a look over his in-depth description of the opportunity.

I HAD to slowly back away from the computer screen after opening an email from reader Steve Pritchard with a photograph of this bug attached.

He is hoping that other readers of the site will be able to identify what type of beetle it is, he saw it whilst out walking near a vineyard at Peyriac de Mer just west of Narbonne (map).

Click on the thumbnail image to get a better view of the beast, and if you know what it is please leave a comment below.

WITH the summer holidays here many people will be driving around France either visiting friends or enjoy a week or two away.

But sometimes things don't run smoothly and should something go wrong and you need to call on the emergency services, a little advanced preparation may help.

If you struggle with the language, or are just not confident of getting your message across in an emergency situation, then the pan-European Union number 112 is worth keeping to hand.

The number allows people to speak to the emergency services in all member states of the EU, although some people claim almost a third of callers get a poor, or no response at all.

You can call the single European emergency call number 112 from all telephones, mobile and fixed line, even if you have no money, calling credit card or even a SIM card.

More specifically you can contact individual emergency services direct, the numbers are:

Fire service/Pompiers: 18
In rural areas the fire service will be run by volunteers, who will not only deal with fires, but members of the team will have medical experience and you will often see them dealing with road accidents and crashes.

Ambulance/SAMU: 15
Each département is home to a SAMU head office, which can be reached by dialling the emergency number, 15.

Police/Gendarmerie: 17
The police service is split between those who serve in larger towns and cities, the police secours, and those who serve in the countryside, the gendarmes.

Maritime rescue/Sauveteurs en Mer: 1616
The volunteer lifesaving association provides rescue at sea, as well as training of sea lifeguards and safety campaigns.

If you want to get a list of chemists in your region then one of the easiest options is to go to Pages Jaunes, type in the word pharmacie and the postal code of your local area.

This will then produce a list of local chemists, as well as provide a map and distances from different locations which are easy to print off and could be kept for future reference.

If you have any other travel tips for readers of the site please feel free to leave a comment below.

BE on the look out when booking flights to France as a number of airlines have been found to automatically add travel insurance, a breach of EU rules.

Consumer watchdog Which? Holiday found four airlines were ignoring an EU ruling which states that they cannot automatically add extras such as insurance at the time of booking.

Easyjet, Jet2 and Monarch all automatically add travel insurance policies, costing between £7 and £10.49 per passenger, while cancellation insurance for flights returning on the same day is added automatically by Air Berlin, costing €12.

Consumers have to un-tick a box to opt out of the insurance.

Lorna Cowan, editor of Which? Holiday, said: "With airlines still opting people into insurance, consumers could unwittingly buy a product which is of no use to them, and at up to £10 per person this can add up.

"Buying insurance at the same time as your flights may seem like an easy and convenient option. But if you’ve already got an insurance policy, or it doesn’t provide the right amount of cover for you, it’s as useless as no cover at all."

Some single trip insurance policies were also found to be lacking with restrictions or exclusions not made clear at the point of sale.

For example, BA, Flybe and Wizz’s single-trip insurance only covers travellers under 65 years old, and on all airline travel insurance there are restrictions for pre-existing medical conditions.

Related article: Keep cool at the airport when flying to France

FLIGHTS between Bergerac and Brussels Charleroi are to be launched by Ryanair, with the service starting on Friday, July 3.

The summer service will operate until August 31 and offers two flights a week, on Monday and Friday.

Ryanair recently announced that it would charge passengers a fee to check-in online as it looked to get rid of all its check-in desks and only offer a baggage drop off facility at airports.

THE route of a new high-speed rail link between Marseille, Toulon and Nice has been agreed, although the first trains are not expected to run until around 2022.

The line will run along the Mediterranean coast, although many had feared another route to the north would be chosen threatening vineyards and landscapes made famous by Cezanne.

But the French government has decided on the southerly route, named Ligne à Grande Vitesse Provence-Alpes Côte d'Azur (LGV Paca) with an estimated cost of €15 billion.

Once the line is complete the journey time between Paris and Nice will be around 3hr 50mins, shaving 90 minutes off the trip, with the route also allowing connections from Barcelona, through Marseille to Genoa.