Poitou Charentes news for September 2008

Frenchman wins Tour de Poitou Charentes in September sunshine
Date: 29 September 2008
Frenchman Benoît Vangrenaud carried off this year’s Tour de Poitou Charentes on Saturday, at the end of four grueling days of competition.
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Angoulême toy festival could be gone for good
Date: 26 September 2008
Whilst a decision was made in August to cancel this years’ Ludoland toy festival in Angoulême, hope had still remained that the 50,000€ shortfall in funding could be found in time to put on the event as planned in November
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Strike action in Poitou-Charentes over threat of privatisation
Date: 24 September 2008
Postal workers went on strike on Tuesday, over plans being formulated by the postal services president Jean-Paul Bailly to partially privatise La Poste by 2011, in line with an EU directive on liberalising postal services.
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French Senate: Charente gains for Socialist Party
Date: 22 September 2008
A dramatic day of voting in Charente sees the socialists fighting back, with 23 gains nationally this time around
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Embarrassing U-Turns by French government
Date: 19 September 2008
The French government was forced into an embarrassing climb-down this week on two key initiatives.
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Poitou Charentes - A great autumn destination
Date: 17 September 2008
Autumn is a great time to visit this sunny region on the western coast of France. The summer crowds have gone, the weather is still fine, the roads are clear, many attractions are still open to visitors, and best of all there are bargains to be had on accommodation.
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TAP - The fantastic new cultural facility opens in Poitiers
Date: 15 September 2008
Saturday 6 September saw the inauguration of the new Théâtre Auditorium de Poitiers (TAP), the bright yellow structure that has emerged on the Poitiers skyline close to the TGV station.
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Row continues over LGV funding in Poitou Charentes
Date: 13 September 2008
The row over funding of the new LGV Sud-Europe Atlantique continued this week, with politicians from Deux-Sevres and Vienne refusing to fund the project to the levels proposed
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Businesses suffer as cruise ships pass by La Rochelle
Date: 09 September 2008
The local stakeholder group” l’Escale Atlantique” have revealed that since the beginning of 2008, only 6 of the planned 27 cruise ships actually berthed at the port of Pallice in La Rochelle
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Cross-Party opposition to EDVIGE in Poitou Charentes
Date: 07 September 2008
Opposition to a new security database is gaining momentum in France as people return to work after a summer break
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Charentaise whisky maker facing legal battle
Date: 07 September 2008
Le Whisky Bercloux is presented to its growing band of fans as a triumphant melding of French and Scottish traditions that produce a spirit from the Highlands which "releases the perfume of French honey".
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France well placed to weather property market slump
Date: 03 September 2008
Whilst there are bumpy times ahead for French house prices in the medium term, France has cause for optimism
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La Rentrée: Pessimism and controversy marks the start of the school year
Date: 04 September 2008
More significant perhaps than 1 January, La Rentrée is for the French a new beginning.
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