Will They, Won't They?.... When?

New Airport... rumours again
Speculation has racked up a few notches this week, with a fresh rumour regarding the much awaited opening of the new Brive airport at Cressensac.

We reported back in November 2009, that the Syndicat had renamed the airport, Brive - Vallée de la Dordogne. problem is, everyone seems still to refer to it as Brive-Souillac. Now, I have even seen it called in the French press, Brive-Souillac, Vallée de la Dordogne!

Anyway, enough digression for, in the end, what is in a name? Of far more importance is the answer to the much asked question... "When will the airport open"? Closely followed, by "Which airlines will fly there"?

Rumour has it that 1st June is the opening date, but it will surprise you not one jot that the official website does not mention this. In fact, it mentions very little of anything that could be termed up to date information. Nor does it have a press office contact route... or any contact route that we could see!

So we have turned to the possible candidate airlines for information on this (possibly) imminent new UK/France route - namely Ryanair, easyJet and BMIbaby.

With two of these airlines at least, being Brit and responsible, we do expect a response in due course. The day we know... you will.

Festival Winter Season

St. Céré Winter Festival - Going Strong
The St. Céré Music Festival, Winter Season is going strong and if you haven't caught a show yet, it is well worth making the effort. For full details of their prorgamme of events, both here in St. Céré and out and about in Souillac, Souseyrac etc, check out their website by clicking the link below or the image above!

Details on productions being staged in March on the right, or on the Forthcoming Events page.

Opera Éclat - www.opera-eclate.com

These Two Are Still Missing

Melinda and Andrew Thompson - Have You Seen Them?
Interpol are assisting the Australian Police in trying to trace this little boy, who was abducted and removed from Australian jurisprudence.

Without trying to take sides, the fact remains that the Australian authorities believe that Andrew is at risk and that his mother (Melinda Thompson aka Melinda Stratton) may be suffering from a mental disorder. The advice is not to approach her if seen, but to contact the Gendarmerie or the search website: http://www.findandrew.com/

Hover over a Skiwear product for details

Going Skiing?

Click the image above for the latest snow report

Lioran Link
If you are thinking of going skiing, Super Lioran, our nearest resort, are reporting light snow and a good overall covering of snow on the pistes, augmented by their very efficient snow machines. For the latest weather update, visit their website - click the image above.

Click the image to visit the Super Lioran website

Day Trips
Remember, you can do day trips - catch the morning ski train from Biars, take advantage of the free bus from the Lioran station to and from the resort and get back to St. Céré in time for supper!

Skiing at Super Lioran - Visit their official website - click here

How Fast Are You?

Test Your Speed
We are very conscious that many of the things we publish here, require you to have some sort of broadband or fast connection to the internet.

For those of you who do not (we are not French bashing here - getting a decent internet connection in rural Wales can be just as difficult as rural France), we apologise, but so much of the web demands a decent download speed these days. We have had no complaints, so we presume you are all coping OK with accessing the content on this website.

However, do you really know how fast your connection is?

Click the website image above, or the image below, to find out how fast your connection really is.

La Marseillaise

We've noticed from our visitor statistics, that there have been a great many searches for our archived article on La Marseillaise.

Many of you have downloaded the words to the French national anthem in English, have watched the famous Marseillaise film clip from Casablanca and have sung along with the Mareille Mathieu video clip.

So, to make it easier for those of you searching for information and the English words to La Marsellaise, here is a convenient permanent link: click the flag

Click the French flag to view all we know about the French National Anthem -
La Maseillaise

Music Festival

Winter Season
March Productions

March sees two productions taking to the stage. Not just to the stage either, for these productions are taking to the road as well, visiting Bretenoux, Sousceyrac, Souillac as well as St. Céré, of course.

Jazz
First of these March presentations will be an evening of Jazz, courtesy of the Paul Lay trio. Led by Concours National de Jazz soloist winner jazz pianist Paul Lay, and accompanied on drums by Elie Duris, with Simon Tailleau on base.

Venues and Dates:

Souillac - Palais de Congrès -
Friday 5th March at 20h.30

St. Céré - Théâtre de l'Usine -
Saturday 6th March at 20h.30

Tickets: 16€ Adults.
Kids (under 16) 7€

Dance
Miniature. No drama presentation this month, rather a celebration of Dance. Looks promising!

Sousceyrac - TBC -
Monday 15th March at 19h.00

Bretenoux - TBC -
Tuesdday 16th March at 19h.00

St. Céré - Théâtre de l'Usine -
Thursday 18th March at at 19h.00

Souillac - Salle St. Martin -
Friday 19th March at at 19h.00

Tickets: 10€ Adults.
Kids (under 16) 5€

For Venue confirmation in Bretenoux and Sousceyrac and...
Reservations:
05 65 38 11 35 or
05 65 38 28 08

Tickets and information also available at the Tourist Office, St. Céré

Live Music
Café 5Céré, Place de la République has three live music nights to tempt you away from you logburner, this March.

Friday 5th March:
American Roots
Don't wear your blue suede shoes... unless you don't mind them being stepped on! A bit of country, a smatter of ballads and, of course, rock and roll, will take you back to the fifties. Sounds like one not to be missed.

Friday 12th March:
Groupe 2
What the French café-ists label Jaz often, well, isn't... jazz as we know it Kirk. More swing, really. Having said that, however, you can expect the real thing from these two... they are part of the Festival Jazz Off association, that brings you free street jazz in the summer. Enjoy.

Friday 26th March:
Hélène Adam
Brel, Piaf, Vian... "piano bar" style caberet comes to LeCafé5Céré this night in the person of Hélène Adam. Now that's my kind of evening - Ed

Café 5Céré,
Place de la République
Reservations: 05 65 10 67 29

Next First Friday...
2nd April
No First Friday in March, but there will be one Friday 2nd April.

By that time Spring really should be in the air, so it will be high time to shake out your lighter clothes, put away your snow boots and get out of the house to enjoy some good company and a natter in your own language... not to mention one or two glasses of Spring cheer.

So... see you there? put it in your diary.

Café Voyageurs
Place de la République
17h.15 - 19h.15
Usually, 1st Friday of the month

What's First Friday?
For further information - click here

Where in France
Is St. Céré?

Les Halles, St. Céré

St Céré, is in the beautiful Dordogne river valley region of the Lot (département 46), Midi-Pyrénées, South West France.

Lot is deep in the heart of France, with the départements of Dordogne to the West, Corrèze to the North, Aveyron and Cantal to the South and East respectively.

To view maps of where in France to find St. Céré - please click this link

WiFi in St. Céré

WiFi connections in St Céré are available at the music bar, Au Passé Simple in Rue de la République and at the Café 5Cere, Hotel Touring, Place de la République.

Pop-ups
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Archives

If you have just found us and missed previous front pages, fear not. You can catch-up with past issues by clicking this link to our archive section.

Out and About

Oops - Sorry
Some of you have remarked that we seem somewhat quiet, not having had an e-mail update for quite some time. OK. Time to own up, because we have lost you.

In the recent move of this website to to new servers, we got here to this new home... but you failed to show! We waited, but no luck... you are definitely lost. Well, it must be you, as we are here and you are not.

Every address in the subscription book went to the great database in the sky... never to be seen again. So we have started afresh, with a new fully automated system, which, apparently, is un-loseable (now, where have we heard that one before).

Anyway... if you have a moment, please re-register with us, so that you can receive our e-mail alerts and News.

Click the link below and all will be revealed!

Subscribe

Frying Fish!
Paul and Jason at La Petite Vigne, Carennac have been in touch to say that they are having another Fish and Chip evening (with a quiz thrown in) on on Friday12th of March.

Reservations:
Tel: 05 65 50 25 84

www.lapetitevigne-carennac.com/

Is it Over?
Hopefully! Keep checking the weather... see below

Price Watch

Phillips
Triple Head Electric Shaver
HQ6990/33

Leclerc Price:
€69.00

Amazon Price:
see below

+ post & packing
Click above to view full details

One of the biggest problems living in rural France, is the lack of choice when it comes to pressie shopping. Choice, not just in the variety of things on offer, but of price. It is almost as if there is a cartel operating amongst all the major stores here. The price of a Bosch cordless screwdriver differs not, between Bricorama and Mr Bricolage etc.

A bit galling, really, when folks back home in the UK are spoilt for choice and are having to wade through 2-for-one offers and hugely discounted goods.

Well we have decided to do something about it and have begun on a new website build to bring choice and low prices to us down here in the boondocks.

As a beginning, we have teamed up with two famous online stores - Amazon and The Book Depository, so you can get online and grab some bargains.

Amazon deliver most things to France and when it comes to Books, the Book Depository deliver anywhere at no additional cost.

News

In this section we provide links to current local and national news items, which may well affect you if you either live near St. Céré or, as expats anywhere in France.

The scroller above will halt as your mouse hovers over it. Then just click on a brief news item link that is of interest, and a fuller version will open in a new window.

If you have a local news item you would like to see aired, please let us know. Use the e-mail form accessed by clicking the link below to send us your new item.

Latest Post on the Blog

French Foreign legionnaires can only become French when they leave. But real French can't leave (the country) until they prove they are French!

“Passport Please?
So, when is a Frenchmen not a Frenchman? It doesn't get much madder than this...

Leave a Comment
It's easy to leave comments to any post you see on the St. Céré blog just click here to read blog posts and to comment

Weather

What's the weather like
in St. Céré?
To find out what the weather is like today in St. Céré and for a 3 day forecast - click the image above.

Recognise the logo?
Yes? looks like you might be a Caravan connoisseur, as Dethleffs are generally acknowledged to be one of the best European makers of caravans... and there is one for sale second-hand in the classified section.

Click here to view the details.