Pont Noir

We slipped back to the USA just before the gilets jaunes ruckus, so had no chance to be impacted by it--but we've been following it from a safe (well, except for the fires burning up California) distance. How is it affecting things in Creuse? I'm sympathetic to the annoyance which people outside the cities feel; it's clear that the central government is not much interested in how its policies cause misery to the rural population.

and co-incidently, this article on the front page of today's New York Times, reports on the gilets jaunes impact in Guéret

An interesting article Virtdave. I knew the area was very depopulated but had not appreciated the level of real rural poverty. Although the description of Gueret as grim and scattered with burnt out cars seems a little harsh!
We are hoping to travel down in a couple of weeks so it will be 'interesting' to see whether the gilets jaunes are still as active. Have resident PNers seen much disruption to the roads in Creuse or is most of the action around Paris?

Nice to see worldwide coverage of the department, but

The cafe in the main square is empty by midafternoon. The hulks of burned-out cars dot the moribund train station’s tiny parking lot, abandoned by citizens too poor to maintain them.

that doesn't sound like the Guéret I know. It's a bit run down but it's not grim. A nothing like the poorer parts in Montluçon or Châteauroux.

It's worth noting that a couple can not get by on €1200 and month and a family just get by on €2700. Something concrete for Brits looking to retire here to think about.

I'm all for it - Paris seems to forget about the rest of the country and that's often reflected in the laws they force on everyone - right back to the "everyone must be on mains drainage" cobblers of 10 years ago. We all ended up spending €100 euros to be told that we were "non compliant" - something they knew before they came because they already didn't have the paperwork. This untrusting city based attitude is endemic in their thinking and it's no wonder that rural people are furious. It's been building for a long while and shouldn't be surprising that it's venting now the diesel they told everyone to use is now to be made too expensive.

Yes, a very interesting article but not the Gueret I know. The restaurant in the square 'empty by mid evening' may well be Le Moderne which I enjoy and use quite a bit. It caters for office and shop workers for lunch. A little like a city of London pub/resto which will be closed after 19:00 or so.
Mind you, I do not pass the gare so haven't seen the burnt out cars.
Was the writer of the article mistaken and actually in in Oradore-sur-Glane?

Yeah, I thought the portrait of Guéret was rather more dismal than necessary....I've not been to the gare lately, but my recollection doesn't include what the reporter described. But I do think the new shopping center north of the quatre voies has sapped a lot of energy from the center of town.

Scenes from Gueret Yesterday afternoon.

www.lamontagne.fr

Came down yesterday and despite lots of talk on the news, everything seemed very calm. Lots of cars displaying the 'gilet jaune' on the dashboard and even on some houses! Saw several groups camped out on the roundabouts and had one encounter at a toll station near Montlucon. They wanted our ticket and had the bar raised. Don't know why, were they offering us a free motorway ride? As we have the little black box, they lost interest in us and waved us through. Lots of police parked up on the other side but they seemed to be keeping warm inside their vehicles, blooming cold day for them all! News seems to indicate fewer demonstrators and less violence, which has to be a good thing.

From Gueret to Paris. The building of the Bank of France, interesting place to visit, tourists not allowed I'm afraid, not yet on the hitlist of the gilets jaunes. But if the Bank tries to discredit them the police will have to seal off the neighbourhood. Because the Bank doesn't show any sign of solidarité by publishing this, ten days ago in Lefigaro: << La Banque de France a divisé par deux lundi, à 0,2% contre 0,4% précédemment, le taux de croissance du PIB français qu'elle prévoit pour le quatrième trimestre, l'impact du mouvement des "gilets jaunes" se faisant sentir dans "la plupart des secteurs".>>