TO mark the centenary of Blériot’s Channel crossing a series of events will take place along both the French and English coasts in the area.
A website, called The Channel Hop, has been set up by the councils of Kent, Dover and Calais, with support from the likes of Eurotunnel and the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace.
Blériot took just over half an hour to cross the Channel on July 25, 1909, and he was paraded around London as a hero after landing near Dover Castle.
FANS of the silver screen should take a look over the Fête du Cinéma website as tomorrow (June 27) marks the launch of a seven day festival of film.
The festival is marking its 25th anniversary and is to be extended to a week of special showings, in which people are able to buy a normal priced ticket and receive a passport that enables them to see future films for €3 each.
Many cinemas across France will be taking part offering people the chance to see new films such as Kevin Macdonald’s Jeux de Pouvoir and even Transformers 2, whilst others will use the festival as a opportunity to show some French cinema classics.
THE online home of the French Photography Museum has received a new look and opened up around 7,000 items for you to discover.
From photographs to cameras, as well as glass plates of images, there is plenty of explore with just a quick search of the site.
There are a number of photographs from the early 20th century, but also more modern pieces, and all are catalogued with explanations in French as well as technical details.
THE ChanteMonde choir will be performing two concerts this weekend, the first at Villamblard on June 13, the second at Neuvic on June 14, both villages are found to the north of Bergerac.
The choir features members from a number of countries, including the UK, Holland and Germany, and performs pieces from composers including Bach, Mozart, Fauré.
THIS weekend sees the opening of two French language films, both of which have received nominations for the César Awards, at the Cornerhouse cinema in Manchester.
Modern Life takes filmgoers into the homes of farmers who live in the south of France, showing the challenges they face but also the laughs they enjoy.
While thriller Anything for Her tells the story of a man whose wife has been found guilty of the murder her boss, and he plans to mastermind her escape from prison.
Both films are in French with full English subtitles, with showings available in the afternoon and evening.
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to raise the funds to buy the treasures of Marcel Marceau, as his estate is set to be sold at bargain prices to pay off his debts.
The master of mime, who died in September 2007 aged 84, spent much of his earnings on helping theatrical productions and left debts behind which will be paid off through the sale of items such as costumes, photographs and texts.
But this means that much of Marcel Marceau's affairs will just be sold at the going rate, something that has annoyed many in French theatre who believe a place should be found for many of his items so that people can see them.
ONLY a handful of American artists have appeared in the Louvre, one of them was Joe Downing. Although he passed away in 2007, film maker Chistopher Strong met him whilst filming his Treasures of France tour, here he writes about their meeting.
You don’t get to have tea with Picasso by being an ordinary Joe, and Joe Downing is far from being ordinary.
He’s an exceptional artist with an incredible story. An honest to goodness country gentleman from Horsecave, Kentucky. Joe’s love affair with France began more than fifty years ago, when he stood on the banks of the Seine, gazing at Notre Dame.
THE first production by Théâtre Tricolore, based in the Charente-Maritime, takes to the boards later this month.
The theatre group will be showcasing the work of its members with two one-act comedies; Holmes Sweet Holmes that deals with the woes of the people who live in the apartment below Sherlock Holmes, and Last Respects, a comedy set in a funeral parlour.
Younger members of Théâtre Tricolore will also be putting on a short dinner-table sketch and the entertainment will end with a homage to Cole Porter.
MENTION cartoon characters in France and Angoulême, with its Festival International de la Bande Dessinée is sure to feature in the conversation.
In June the town will open a new museum that will cover many of the famous characters of the French industry such as Asterix, but also those from overseas such as Garfield and Japanese Anime characters.
NOW you don't need to make a bid to browse around, but the work of some of the most famous photographers who captured Paris has been put up for auction.
ArtNet Auctions is featuring a special sale titled April in Paris, which shows 100 photographs by 50 renowned artists including Brassaï, Henri Cartier-Bresson, André Kertész and Man Ray.
Some of the photographs are expected to sell for around $20,000, with some featuring famous Paris landmarks but also residents including Samuel Beckett, James Joyce and Pablo Picasso.
THE world famous London Welsh Male Voice Choir are to give three concerts in south west France in aid of the Secours Populaire, a French charity that supports children and families.
IF you have ever wanted to take a stroll around the famous Villa Arpel from the Jacques Tati film, Mon Oncle, here is your chance.
The Centquatre gallery in Paris has a model of the villa, which was depicted as the epitome of modernity in the film but drove Jacques Tati's character M. Hulot mad with frustration.
The exhibition also features clips from the film and promotional material and runs until May 3, 2009.
THE Musée Rodin is hosting a special exhibition of the artist's portraiture work, featuring rarely seen models of famous names from the late 19th century.
Rodin modelled the faces of Baudelaire, Clemenceau and Balzac (right), as well as those of less well known names of the French bourgeoisie.
Basing his work on his own sketches or photographs, Rodin used marble, plaster, bronze or baked clay to create deformed necks and large foreheads, searching to capture the essence of his subjects.
La fabrique du portrait, Rodin face à ses modèles runs from April 10 to August 23 at the Musée Rodin.
HERE is a chance to explore the streets of Paris with another ever so easy competition on This French Life.
city-lit Paris is the first in a new series of destination anthologies from publisher Oxygen Books taking in the writing of Gertrude Stein and the origins of the croissant, Joanne Harris on chocolate in Montmartre, plus much more.
All you need to do is leave a short comment, as well as your email address, so click on through to the competition page now.
IF you want to take a peek into what life was like in Versailles during the time of Louis XIV then head to London's Victoria and Albert Museum.
Opening on April 4 is Baroque 1620-1800: Style in the Age of Magnificence that will draw together around 200 pieces including religious paintings by Rubens, silver furniture, a regal bed and court tapestries.
You will be able to enter a depiction of the Palace of Versailles from the 17th and 18th centuries, including the Hall of Mirrors and designs for the gardens.
The exhibition runs from April 4 to July 19, tickets are priced £11 and concessions are available.
NOW what would you pay for this rather distinctive Art Deco armchair created by Eileen Gray in the early 20th century?
Try €21,905,000.
That was the rarefied atmosphere which people were dabbling in during the sale of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé's collection of items at Christie's in Paris this week.
In total over €374 million was generated from the sale with the money going towards Aids research and other charities.
To see the full list of sale items, and the prices the lots raised, drop in on the Yves Saint Laurent page on Christie's.
A MAJOR exhibition of the work of architect Le Corbusier is to take place in London at the Barbican, called the Art of Architecture.
Le Corbusier was the man behind the Unité d'Habitation building, in Marseille, and the exhibition, which opens on February 19 and runs until May 24, will feature many of his drawings, models, paintings and furniture.
THE Riviera Woman website is taking time out from the online world to dip a toe into the real world with a get together later this month.
The event marks the first anniversary of the website which looks to offer ways for people on the Mediterranean coast to link up, share ideas and network.
Site editor Anna Fill said: "We have some brilliant and talented women living along the Rivieras of France and Italy and I am looking forward to meeting more. And the event is open to men too, I wouldn't like anyone to think I am on a single mission."
The meet-up takes place on Thursday, February 26 at the Capocaccia Bar, Monte Carlo.
Lesley Graham, who is originally from Scotland but now lives near Bordeaux, is a fan of Robert Louis Stevenson and has put together a Flickr group for people to share their photographs about the author.
Lesley has been busy searching through Flickr for images and there are already a number featuring points on the walk through the Cévennes, so if you have a few of your own I'm sure you'll be welcomed with open arms.
IF you are a fan of comic strips, or bande dessinée, then the place to be next week is Angoulême for an international festival.
Although describing the work on display as 'comic strips' is a grave injustice, because the images that many of the artists produce are quite stunning.
And the festival at Angoulême is extremely popular with over 200,000 visitors expected and artists from around the world jetting in, who will be showing off their artwork and meeting fans.
HERE is your chance to win a copy of Sorbonne Confidential, by American author Laurel Zuckerman, about life learning to teach English in France.
Drawing on her own experience of the Sorbonne, Laurel tells the story of Alice Wonderland who hopes a job in education will offer security - unfortunately things don't go so swimmingly.
As always competitions on This French Life just require you to leave a comment, no tricky questions here, so try your luck at winning a copy of Sorbonne Confidential.
PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that the country's official museums and monuments will offer free entrance to people aged under-25.
During a speech in Nîmes he said that the measure would be brought in from April 4, unfortunately he didn't provide any further detail and the Ministère de la Culture website doesn't currently have any mention of the plan.
At the same event Nicolas Sarkozy said that he wanted to see the creation of a Musée de l'Histoire de France that would chart the history of the country.
Is interesting to see Sarkozy follow in the footsteps of Jacques Chirac, who backed the building of the Musée du quai Branly, which people said was a way for him to mark his time as President.
Australia, starring Nicole Kidman, is set to be screened early next month
ONE of the entertainments which many expats miss is settling in to a cinema seat to watch a blockbuster en version originale, writes Beryl Brennan.
Tucked away behind the College Pierre Mendes-France in the centre of Parthenay, found to the west of Poitiers, the cinema Le Foyer is built on land given to the town in 1875 by Paul Coutant for after-school activities.
I AM sure many readers will be sad to see that author Polly Platt has died, aged 81.
Her book French or Foe was extremely popular and her writing gained a strong audience amongst many Francophiles in the US.
In a post today Polly-Vous Francais writes about the time she spent with Polly just a few weeks ago and the emails they exchanged.
And France Today takes a look at the books Polly Platt wrote, highlighting that her work became required reading 'for executives of Franco-American companies, travellers, and students of French at U.S. universities'.
IF you are out and about in France this Christmas don't forget to keep your camera close at hand just in case you cross a lovely winter scene.
The This French Life Flickr pool has had some new additions in recent days and you can take a browse around, as well as discover more about the photographers behind the pics.
A basic account with Flickr is free, and it's an easy way to display your favourite photographs to friends and family, but if you explore some of the photos posted by others you can discover many hidden corners of France.
THE heart of Parisian cinema, Forum des Images in Les Halles, is to reopen after a multi-million euro refit that will see the creation of the world's first Cinema Street.
The underground centre features a 16 screen cinema as well as the Francois Truffaut library, that will offer up a vast collection of books and DVDs for lovers of film.
But the Forum itself will provide visitors with a chance to explore Paris over the past decades as seen through the camera lens and there are many events and screenings for film fans to enjoy.
GOOGLE has muscled in on the cinema listings scene in France with the launch of a service that tracks down screenings based on your post code.
The Google Movies service is very simple, as you would expect from the Big G, you just enter your post code and it shows what is on at cinemas close to your home.
You can check what films are currently being screened and there is also a link to a Google Map page so you can track down the cinema, as well as links to reviews from a number of other French film review websites.
The long established AlloCiné is likely to face the biggest challenge from the new service, and the contrast between the content and style of the two sites couldn't be more marked.
FOLLOWING the end of World War Two the Association Bourguignonne Culturelle (ABC) was established and has ever since been involved in promoting and developing cultural activity, not only in Dijon itself, but throughout the region.
Based in Dijon there are now 1,300 members and in the 2007-2008 season 50,000 spectators attended 40 of their productions.
ABC is classified as one of the leading contributors of cultural entertainment in the Burgundy region and they are rightfully proud that they bring together a programme rich in a diverse sphere of entertainment.
HERE is your chance to explore the images of Life magazine, whose collection captures some of the key moments in world history, including many from France.
Life was the home of photojournalism in the 20th century and thanks to a link-up with Google many of its images are now available to browse online.
FILM treasures of Europe from the early years of the 20th Century, including a number from France, are available to view online in their entirety.
The Europa Film Treasures website has drawn together 50 full-length videos from archives across Europe, including classics from France, but also one of John Ford's very first westerns.
The site is very well laid out letting you search for films in a variety of ways, and it detects your internet access speed to serve up the best version, and there is also the option to display subtitles if necessary.
I AM sure there are many people who would like to check the tyres on their racing bike and head off around the back roads of France.
Well US-born video film maker Christopher Strong has done just that with his Bicycle Gourmet's Treasures of France tour, which fulfilled his dream of cycling around the country visiting interesting places and meeting entertaining characters.
Here Christopher writes a Q&A style piece outlining the travels he undertook around France, which took in total just over two years.
SORRY I am a bit late on this but over the weekend in London man and machine danced in perfect harmony when Transports Exceptionneles rumbled into town.
Dancer Philippe Priasso, of the Beau Geste dance company, entertained hundreds of people as he performed with a digger to the music of Maria Callas.
QUITE some time ago I wrote about the artist Julian Merrow-Smith who produced a small painting a day, which he then sold through his website, see a postcard from Provence.
Well things have moved on since then and Julian is featured on the Guardian website, as he comes up to selling his 1,000th painting.
And it looks as though the online venture is turning into quite a money spinner, as his paintings sell for anything between $150 and $650.
POPULAR French actress Sandrine Bonnaire has made her directorial debut with the telling of the story of her sister, whose spirit was crushed after spending five years in a psychiatric hospital.
To mark the release of the film there is a chance to win a DVD of Her Name is Sabine, which shows how the Bonnaire family worked together to bring back some of Sabine's dignity and spirit.
After being shown at Cannes in 2007, critics described the film as being "the most beautiful film that Cannes has given us this year", so take the opportunity to learn more about this tender story.
A CELEBRATION of books and reading will be enjoyed during the Lire en Fête festival which takes place later this month.
The festival website features a database of events and special readings taking place in libraries across France, with its 20th year focusing on bringing words to children.
On the opening day, October 10, there will be a series of special events titled La Nuit de l’écrit, where readings, theatre and music will be celebrated in the evening, whilst many other events take place on October 11 and 12.
I'VE got Irene Nemirovsky's Suite Francaise, which tells of her experiences in France under German occupation during the 1940s, next on my reading list.
But Irene Nemirovsky's story didn't come to light until 60 years later when her daughter published the manuscript that was found in a suitcase, and it is these papers that form the centrepiece of an exhibition in New York's Museum of Jewish Heritage.
THE work of architect, designer and writer Le Corbusier is to feature in a major exhibition in Liverpool, produced as part of the city's European Capital of Culture celebrations.
Le Corbusier was the man behind the Unité d'Habitation building, in Marseille, and the exhibition, which opens on October 2, will feature many of his drawings, models, paintings and furniture.
The Royal Institute of British Architects website features a detailed description of the exhibition as well as details of how to get to Liverpool's Metropolitan Cathedral, where Le Corbusier's work will be on display in the crypt.
I WROTE a few days back about my pal at The Liverpool Daily Post who was set for a busy weekend covering the spectacle that was La Princess as the giant mechanical spider stalked the streets of Liverpool.
The spider was built by the Nantes based engineer François Delarozière, and a conservative estimate of 500,000 people saw the machine, which was part of Liverpool's Capital of Culture celebrations.
And to mark the event the newspaper has produced a bande dessinée style magazine you can browse online telling the story of La Princess (click the full screen option to read it best).
IF you need a dose of France from a far then drop in on the This French Life Flickr group, which offers pics of everything from old bicycles to Mont St Michel.
And don't forget if you have visited France over the summer, or have some favourite photographs from past adventures, feel free to add them to the group and share them with others.
A GIANT 50ft high mechanical spider is stalking the streets of Liverpool promising a weekend to remember for visitors to the city.
As highlighted earlier this week, the spider is part of the city's Capital of Culture celebrations and has been built by Nantes based La Machine, which is led by engineer François Delarozière.
STARTING on Channel 4 this evening is Chateau Monty, which follows the experiences of wine writer Monty Waldin in running a vineyard in the south west of France.
Chateau Monty runs for six weeks on Channel 4 at 8pm, Thursdays.
And to read a little more about the man behind the project, check out Monty Waldin's website.
SO just how easy is it to roll into France with notepad and pen and get a book or two published about your new life?
The Times website takes a look at some of the success stories where authors have been able to make their words pay, although I can imagine a few other factors need to fall into place first besides the quality of the work.
But it is an entertaining piece as it puts together, with tongue firmly in cheek, a list of 'essential' subjects and conditions that have to be met to write a best-selling book.
And if you want to read a few of my own interviews with authors check out some recent articles featuring Kate Mosse, Jonathan Trigell and Ian Walthew.
AS part of its Capital of Culture celebrations, Liverpool is to host a magical creation from France that promises an unforgettable piece of live theatre, played out against the landmarks of the city.
La Machine were behind a giant, hydraulic elephant that strode around the streets of London in 2006, and now the man behind the creation, François Delarozière, is bringing something special from Nantes.
Although the Liverpool spectacle is shrouded in mystery, the creation will burst into life on September 5 and will be free to visit over the weekend.
The Telegraph recently featured a piece on François Delarozière, and for the latest on the show in Liverpool visit the La Machine website.
THOSE of you with a bit of an eagle eye will have spotted the latest competition running on the site - the chance to win a couple of French music CDs.
Offered up by Putumayo World Music, two people will each win a copy of French Café and Acoustic France, featuring the sounds of artists such as Serge Gainsbourg, Bridget Bardotte and Carla Bruni.
THE heart of Parisian cinema, 
GOOGLE has muscled in on the cinema listings scene in France with the launch of a service that tracks down screenings based on your post code.
FOLLOWING the end of World War Two the 
HERE is your chance to explore the images of Life magazine, whose collection captures some of the key moments in world history, including many from France.
FILM treasures of Europe from the early years of the 20th Century, including a number from France, are available to view online in their entirety.
I AM sure there are many people who would like to check the tyres on their racing bike and head off around the back roads of France.
QUITE some time ago I wrote about the artist Julian Merrow-Smith who produced a small painting a day, which he then sold through his website, see 
POPULAR French actress Sandrine Bonnaire has made her directorial debut with the telling of the story of her sister, whose spirit was crushed after spending five years in a psychiatric hospital.
A CELEBRATION of books and reading will be enjoyed during the Lire en Fête festival which takes place later this month.
I'VE got Irene Nemirovsky's Suite Francaise, which tells of her experiences in France under German occupation during the 1940s, next on my reading list.
THE work of architect, designer and writer 
SO just how easy is it to roll into France with notepad and pen and get a book or two published about your new life?
AS part of its Capital of Culture celebrations, Liverpool is to host a magical creation from France that promises an unforgettable piece of live theatre, played out against the landmarks of the city.
THOSE of you with a bit of an eagle eye will have spotted the latest competition running on the site - the chance to 
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