We draw your attention to possible attempts at fraud We will never ask you to provide your personal information.Please note that all official ADEO email addresses respect the following format: "first_name.surname@adeo.com" no other format is used.Thank you for your vigilance Does Weldom really contribute to the dynamism of territories The proof is in Rabastens-de-Bigorre where the store's activity is at its best and contributes to employment as well as to the commercial attraction of the town Weldom bought a hardware store in Rabastens-de-Bigorre a town of 1,500 inhabitants in the Hautes-Pyrénées (French district) which had been owned by the same family for several generations – a family that also owned another business in Vic-en-Bigorre Initially opened under the brand name Mon Brico the store was warmly welcomed by the town hall which saw it as a way to boost the village’s commercial activity we are a point of attraction for the whole town” Many customers come from Tarbes to look for products and solutions to improve their homes also plays a big part in the store’s attraction: “It’s much better designed we have a real reception area to offer coffee to customers we have become a space where customers don’t just come to buy and leave” who previously ran Weldom stores in Guyana and Normandy what counts is to be close to our customers the store will offer VIP evenings three to four times a year And even more so with the support of the village’s sports teams or an involvement in the merchants’ association “Between small retailers and large stores we work together to make the village more vibrant And it is our role to contribute to maintaining and developing employment in rural areas” the store’s team is made up of the employees of the former hardware store who have been joined by three new colleagues to provide the best service to inhabitants ADEO places people at the heart of its commitments and the Weldom store in Rabastens-de-Bigorre is a fine example of this creating a convivial space for the customers we want to become the global reference for B2B partnership in the home improvement sector” Three parts of the Dubois family won three today at Vincennes 15 starters ages 7-11) went to 2.1/1 odds favorite Here We Go (7g Royal Dream-Vendetta de Joudes-Prodigious) He overcame a 25 meter handicap to win timed in 1.12.8kr for trainer/driver/owner Julien Dubois Jean Philippe Dubois bred this 13 time winner in 43 starts for earnings of 277,390€ Gardon (8g Rolling d’Heripre-Sonate d’Aunou-Coktail Jet) was a distant second with trainer Romain Derieux aboard for Mauricette de Sousa Helo Sport (7g Alberic) was third for Theo Duvaldestin trainer Thierry Duvaldestin and Haras des Quatre Vents 10 starters all three-year-olds) the Louis Baudron owned and trainer La Joyeuse Wicz (3f Fabulous Wood-Jarentelle Jenilou-Juliano Star) scored in 1.15.9kr for Alexandre Abrivard at 5/1 odds The winner recorded her second victory in three career starts for 24,580€ The 2.6/1 favorite Lipanga de Guez (3f Sam Bourbon-Erese de Guez-Orlando Vici) was second for trainer/driver Jean Michel Bazire Driver Abrivard was the 2023 leading monte dash winner The Prix de Pouilly Sur Loire (purse 35,000€ 12 five-year olds at the start) today went to 5.1/1 odds Joy Of Life (5f Prodigious-True Life-Lets Go Along) that rallied down the middle to score in 1.13.0kr with Jean Philippe Dubois driving for his Ecurie Victoria Dreams JPHD bred this mare and Philippe Moulin is the trainer Jalina du Buisson (5f Un Mec d’Heripre) was second for Eric Raffin and trainer Thierry Raffegeau Paris-Vincennes files/photos-harness trots by Thomas H. Hicks Harnesslink.com is the only harness racing website dedicated to covering news and events in the Standardbred Industry world-wide © 2024 Harnesslink | All Rights Reserved | NV © 2024 Harnesslink | All Rights Reserved | NV Vic-en-Bigorre’s Saturday market is a never-miss weekly event for me that it should be the last place I go before leaving is one of about 10,000 markets held across France each week Their everlasting popularity here — and with international tourists — has in recent decades spurred the rise of farmers’ markets in other countries though our Kiwi farmers’ markets are tres plus chic in comparison to my local village affair Not one of the main vendors will drive less than an hour to sell their goods There’s enough time to take a quick snooze before establishing his stall with every in-or-out-of-season fruit and vegetable available pay great attention to how the merchandise is presented; his is a candy shop of colours with only healthy treats who serves up olives and jokes at several weekly markets in the area He drives around 125 kilometres from the beautiful town of Agen He arrives at 6am and it will take him and his assistant two-odd hours to strain the olives from their brine-filled buckets into the stainless-steel presentation bowls for selling It’s a laborious job that will need to be done again in reverse before leaving Beside the olives sit deep bins of jewel-coloured crystallised fruits roasted and wasabi coated — pulses and the odd new foods such as dried tomatoes he takes two stands to sell his stonefruit which at this time of the year sell for 2.60 euros per kilogram of perfectly ripe peaches or nectarines The market’s cooler north side is home to charcuterie Quintessential Basque charcutier Jose (photographed below) who comes complete with beret and handlebar moustache always offers Olive-Rose a shaving of jambon when he spies her scootering around his corner dairy pork store Fromagier MOF Dominique Bouchait’s team manoeuvre an enormous fourgon — van — with ease winding out the shelves to display cheese from almost every district of France and Europe three girls will tango around each other all morning selling on average only 250 grams cheese per person complete with free tasting and conversation The poissonnier spends an hour shovelling buckets of ice on to his display counter from 6am whether it’s a hot summer or snowy winter day arranging his fish and home-made heat-and-eat goods like an artist’s painting; he’s the first to sell and first to finish In between there are dozens of smaller merchants who add so much colour craftswomen selling bespoke sacs and scarves to individual sellers of homemade cheeses The market slowly eases into life around 8am though not a lot will be sold until each proprietor takes coffee across the chemin at Vic-en-Bigorre's Cafe du Famille and you're immediately on set at Rene Artois's Alo' Alo' cafe complete with 1950s turquoise green tongue-and-groove panelling checked cloth-covered tables and beret-clad As the morning wears on and the market tables empty of produce the espressos will become biere pression — craft beer — or cafe avec Armagnac and often a emporter — takeaway — back to your stand of which les halles (the market hall) and les marches (the markets) are an integral part are changing and though they will probably always remain changing retail hours and a mobile population will no doubt impact on the traditional ways and rich heritage that can still be experienced in rural areas pre-packed foods in a faceless serve-yourself supermarket falls very short of all the elements that bring pleasure when shopping at a traditional French market This potato straw cake was a permanent fixture at Royalty It is normally served plain to accompany main course dishes though I liked to jazz it up with toppings — whatever you prefer — and serve alongside a salad in summer Get the recipe which are plums only dried to 33 per cent moisture as opposed to the standard 10 per cent resulting in a truer plum taste and a fleshier texture that soaks up alcohol well Find the softest prunes you can for this recipe Get the recipe Give the gift of delicious food this Christmas These tacos are packed with flavour and super simple