Empty Vessels is the atelier of ceramic artist Jeni Westcott, based in Montalembert in the Poitou-Charente. Jeni and her husband Andy moved to France in April of this year. They decided to make a change in their life; Jeni changed career from IT Manager to her long term art interest, and Andy gave up arable farming in Rural Buckinghamshire to become a builder here. They moved into what was their holiday home (and major renovation project for two years previous)… it is still a renovation project! Moving to start up a ceramic workshop meant some more serious project work on the atelier-to-be, and a derelict “spare house” has now been converted to a large, light and airy pottery, also home to PJ the new ginger kitten.

Jeni produces a range of ceramic work in earthenware, stoneware and porcelain fired in an electric kiln. Particularly, the two most popular items are her commissioned handmade or hand painted tiles, which can be matched to other items in your décor such as a painting, wallpaper or a fabric to produce a unique design feel to your home, and also her sculpted one-off house plaques decorated with your choice of items, flowers, birds or anything that makes it special for you. These make fantastic special gifts for friends and family. Unique one-off handmade items are not as expensive as many imagine, with painted tiles starting from as little as 5 euros per tile, and plaques from 65 euros. Creation of these items can take from two weeks to up to 6 weeks, depending on complexity and drying time. Jeni welcomes visits from customers to discuss potential work and their exact needs.

Jeni also creates unique ceramic sculpture and sculptural vessels e.g. vases, bowls and platters, and these can be seen on her website, www.emptyvessels.eu or by appointment at the atelier. These are a great way to own a unique piece of art at a reasonable price.

Satellite TV in France 

Are you looking for satellite TV in France? Whether you are moving to France or already living here, and you'd like to keep an eye on your favourite series or the next premiership match, Orbit Direct can help. They can offer you all the usual channels, either Free to Air or Sky subscription packages.
To receive British TV in France you will need a PAL format TV, a satellite dish, a digital satellite receiver and cabling. British channels can be received with any Free to Air digital satellite receiver, regardless of whether it is bought in France or the UK. Channels include the BBC radio and TV channels, ITV and news channels such as CNN, Sky News and Euronews.

Using a standard Sky Digibox without a card, you can receive exactly the same channels. To receive channel 4 and 5, which are encrypted, you will require a FreeSat channel 4 & 5 card. This is a one-off payment card, not a subscription card.

Sky+ and Sky HD are both now available in France. All you need is a twin output LNB fitted to you dish and twin cables from the dish to the Digibox. Both these receivers allow you to watch one programme whilst recording another at the same time.

Orbit Direct can talk you through what you are trying to achieve and then recommend practical, cost effective solutions, either for British or French television. They can either supply a complete set of equipment to install your own Satellite TV System or any parts that are missing or need replacing.

The company is growing and plans to expand across France in the next five years. If you are looking for work in France, with English speaking customers, why not contact them.

France

As part of our site we will be running a regular feature on businesses across France.

This is the place to tell us about your business, project or hobby, your experiences good and bad!

Let us know how you cope and manage in France, tell your story and we will publish it here for FREE.

Contact the site editor today!

If you happen to be passing through Villedieu les Poeles in Southern Normandy then be sure to drop in to the Holly Tree Restaurant and Bar nestled into the quiet village of St Maur des Bois, situated opposite the 15th Century church which dominates the tiny village.

Not always that quiet, the village was home to a large quarry and the bar (originally called Bar Mazure) was quite a lively place for many years, then as the quarry wound down the bar lost it's clientele and eventually closed until it was bought by Barbara and her husband 7 years later and re-opened on May 1st 2005 after 15 months of hard renovation work by the couple.

Barbara, who originates from the North east of England, together with her three children, has made a life here in France. The eldest of three, Scarlet, started college and was told by the headmaster that the best way forward was to "swim in a sea of French". The two younger children, Morgan and Oliver settled easily into primary school and the French way of life. All now agree that this is where they want to be....

Initially, the main income was to be from her husband's work as a French estate agent, and the bar was to be a sideline. Although things did not turn out quite as planned.

There followed a difficult divorce from her husband, and just one year after arriving in Normandy, Barbara was now a single mum, and had to rely on the bar for income. "Not really as I planned", admits Barbara, but not one to take defeat she picked herself up and started over...

However, not quite your usual bar/restaurant, the Holly Tree falls somewhere between English tearooms meets French bar, which is just how it was planned to be.

Barbara's love of cooking and in particular Indian cuisine comes from a father in law who was born and bought up in Goa, India. Plus, Barbara comes from a long line of cooks, so naturally she took to it all like a duck to water.

Know locally as an Indian restaurant (with the slant on French cooking) Barbara grows many of the spices and herbs that go into her exotic dishes and has plans to set up an online store selling her delicious spices.

Now the home of a resident folk club and soon to be jazz venue, the bar is rapidly building up a reputation for not only good food, but also lively music. Not an easy feat, but with many enthusiastic French and English folk fans willing to travel from as far a field as Bayeux and Caen to meet and sing together, the once a month meeting is starting to take hold. Even a podcast is in the making and a music day is planned for the traditional fete de music in June.

For more info contact:
Barbara Hames, The Holly Tree Bar & Restaurant, 2 Route des Moulins 50800 St Maur des Bois. Telephone: 02 33 61 19 38.  Website. www.hollytree.fr-eu.net