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THE presence and power of Jacques Brel is to feature in a Radio 4 programme hosted by Alastair Campbell, the one-time spin doctor to Tony Blair.
He writes for The Times about his long fascination with Brel's music, whose songs tell of broken hearts and have a timeless appeal.
There are many recordings of Brel's music on YouTube and Alastair Campbell’s Brel et Moi is on Radio 4, September 6, at 10.30am.
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Continue reading "A week of French news" »
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IF there was one thing I learnt from living in the French countryside it was the beauty and balance of the natural world around me.
When out in the fields I would spot signs of the changing seasons, from the migration of cranes overhead to the swirling clouds of frog spawn in muddy puddles, all highlighting the delicate changes over time.
Continue reading "Learning from The Book of Rubbish Ideas" »
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THE collapse of Canadian trans-Atlantic operator, Zoom Airlines, has left many passengers stranded thousands of miles from home.
The airline operated flights to Paris from Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver and is recommending passengers book new tickets with either Air Canada, Air France or Air Transat.
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And it is these feelings that draw thousands of people each year to Mont Blanc, and as The Times reports, those individual footsteps towards the peak can have a real impact on the mountain.
A century ago there were seasons when only one party made it to the top of Mont Blanc. Nowadays 30,000 people attempt the mountain every summer, most on organised tours. For less than £1,500 companies will guide you, acclimatise you, and - as long as you are fit enough - get you to the top.
Journalist Tom Whipple writes about the work being undertaken by the local mayor, as well as describing the rubbish left behind by many visitors.
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A CELEBRATION of all things British and French will take place in Sainte-Foy la Grande next week, with sports, food and wine, art work and more on display.
The Franco British Week is organised by a local community group, whose membership is split 50/50 between Brits and French, and who thought it worthwhile to celebrate the two countries as one.
The festivities start on August 31 and continue throughout the week with tours around local vineyards in the Dordogne region and cookery classes also available.
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REGULAR contributor to This French Life, solicitor Fabien Cordiez, has been in touch to highlight a recent change in French law.
Since mid-June the time limits on bringing a civil case to court, including those covering property, have been changed, Fabien writes:
Changes have recently been introduced to French law as regards time-limits that apply to any claim and/or litigation.
These changes stem from the Time Limitations Act of June, 17, 2008, which came into force on June 20.
Continue reading "New time limits on bringing a civil case" »
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WHILST it has been possible for people to add subtitles to their video clips on YouTube, the service has now been made much easier for them to be properly synchronised.
As PaidContent reports video producers can now add subtitles to their clips in a variety of languages, including French.
For example, a clip from the BBC's Top Gear programme has been enabled with French subtitles, and a number of others, letting you watch Richard Hammond gassing on while the translation runs below.
Continue reading "Language subtitles added to YouTube videos" »
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WHEN a disaster, or war, occurs one of the first things that collapses is the information infrastructure that lets people tell family and friends that they are fine and well.
The Guardian features the work of French based Télécoms Sans Frontières (TSF) which sets up communication facilities in trouble spots, or disaster zones, around the world.
Representatives of the group have recently been working in Georgia, where many families were split up and found themselves either side of the fighting.
TSF has been up and running for ten years and in that time offered help to more than 50 countries, and works with many telecoms companies as well as other aid organisations.
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MATTHIEU Mabin, a journalist with France 24, spent ten days with French troops in Afghanistan, he was with the 8th Marine Infantry Parachute Regiment who suffered casualties the day after he left them.
In his report Matthieu Mabin goes up to the frontline with the soldiers as they fight the Taliban in a harsh environment where the enemy know the lie of the land intimately.
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