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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
With their gleaming
helmets, sparkling
trumpets and matching
chestnut horses, the
Republican Guard rode into
town to Parthenay last
month, to commemorate the
liberation of the Deux-
Sèvres from Germany on
September 6 1944.
Hundreds of people
thronged the Place du
Drapeau for the official
ceremony and fanfare in the
morning, followed in the
afternoon by the 35 cavaliers
performing an hour-long
well-choreographed
equine ballet.
Red berets and medals
on blazers were on show at
the Palais de Congres where
the Old Combattants’ office
had an exhibition of France
in combat from 1940 to
1944. It was quite a coup for
town councillor Michel
Birault, who had worked
tirelessly since March to
prepare for their visit.
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
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Diwan, the bilingual Breton-French education system, had
banked on reaching the 3,000 pupil mark this year. But
enrolments in its 36 primary schools, eight collèges and
Carhaix lycée were 10 children short of the mark in
September. Patrick Hervé, Diwan’s co-president, remarked:
“Five years ago, parents didn’t hesitate to travel 20km so
their children could follow a Breton-speaking education.
Today it’s proximity that counts.” Diwan hopes to open a new
school to the north of Rennes and two more in Plonéour-
Lanvern and Saint-Renan. This year, 97% of Diwan pupils
passed their bac and plenty of jobs are available for bilingual
employees, so Breton-French schools represent an excellent
alternative to monolingual establishments.
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
After more than 10 years waiting for a new school
building, the Île de Sein, a tiny island off the Finistère
coast, finally opened a new classroom in a refurbished
building this term – to welcome just three students.
The island can only be reached by a one-hour boat trip; it
is less than 2km long and on average is only 1.5m above sealevel,
so it is exposed to the elements; yet it has a raw beauty
and offers a unique way of life to those who accept the
challenge. Once home to more than 1,000 and still
welcoming close to 100,000 visitors each year, the island now
only counts some 260 year-round residents.
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Read more...
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
A stay in hospital can be a
lonely experience,
particularly if you speak little
French and have no family
here. The return home
afterwards can also be fraught
if you are alone and cannot
carry out everyday tasks or do
shopping. For this reason,
Lynn Marlow has set up a new
association to support
Anglophones in times of
illness and distress.
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Read more...
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
As the mists draw in, it’s rutting season. Those who live in
rural Finistère will already be aware of the warning triangles
on main roads highlighting the areas which deer frequent;
now is the time to take extra care.
“I never used to take much notice of the deer signs to be
honest,” commented British resident Richard Lewis, “but that
changed when one leapt out in front of me a couple of years
ago. The deer was apparently unharmed, but I ended up in
hospital being checked over and my motorbike ended up in
the garage. I certainly wouldn’t want to be anywhere close
when they’re mating!”
The deer population is said to be flourishing in Finistère
and neighbouring Morbihan and the agencies responsible for
monitoring their numbers will be out in force during the
coming weeks. You may hear their mating calls, but you are
strongly advised to stay well away and simply admire
Bambi’s relatives from a safe distance.
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