Sir Peter Ricketts, the British Ambassador to France
IF you want to get married in France, then here is the official line from the British Embassy in Paris.
Marriages in France must be carried out at the local town hall before any religious ceremony can be performed. If you have not already got in touch with the town hall, you should do so as soon as possible.
DAVID Brennan is set to take part in a tandem parachute jump, dropping out the side of a small aeroplane above La Rochelle on 23 July.
He is raising money for Pepis Dog Refuge, in Seville, but just what makes someone take such a leap?
Here he writes how he got involved and you can support him by making an online donation.
“Why am I jumping out of an aeroplane over the sea? I’ll tell you why…
I’ve loved dogs for as long as I can remember. My love of greyhounds, and subsequently levriers and galgos started in England when an abandoned greyhound turned up at our home early one morning, and never left.
IF you are looking to improve your French language skills then drop in on the Parlons français, c’est facile website.
The site is backed by the Ministère des Affaires étrangères with strong support from other organisations including TV5Monde.
You can follow short film clips and complete quick exercises to improve your French.
FRENCH president Francois Hollande has ruled out exploration for shale gas during his term in office,
Speaking during the Bastille Day interview he said: “As long as I am president, there will be no exploration for shale gas in France.”
Many believe tapping France’s potentially large shale gas reserves could revive the ailing French economy, although opposition is strong amongst the general public.
Tax officials in France have clarified that British expats should not be paying income tax in France or make social contributions on their UK rental incomes or state pensions.
The two countries have a double-tax agreement which prevents the same income being taxed twice – firstly in the country it is paid and then when it is received in France.
The circus continues to roll into various towns in Britain at this time of year, but increasingly it does so without the lions and tigers which were once synonymous with it. In some parts of Europe however, the days of performing animals are not over.
via www.bbc.co.uk
DAVID Brennan is to take to the skies above La Rochelle and undertake a tandem parachute jump to raise desperately needed funds for Pepis Dog Refuge, in Seville.
His jump takes place on 23 July, and he has his sights set on raising €6,000 and so is keen to drum up sponsors for his project.
“It will cost €5,000 to fence an area of land where the refuge can relocate to the top of the hill above the house and kennels,” David said.
“As it has been engulfed in mud slides over winter. The house is now declared unsafe to live in.
“And it will cost €1,000 to buy a new electricity generator as the last one died and they are struggling.
“They can’t use power tools and the refuge does not have sufficient electricity for its day to day running.”
The tandem parachute jump takes people as high as 3,500 metres and then from the edge of the aeroplane the jump takes you out into the blue skies over La Rochelle and the Ile de Re.
Find out more on how to donate to David’s cause and about the work of the Pepis Dog Refuge.
EXPATS living in France are set to lose their entitlement to the winter fuel allowance after the chancellor introduced a ‘temperature test’ in his spending review.
George Osborne said: “From the autumn of 2015, we will link the winter fuel payment to a temperature test. People in hot countries will no longer get it. It is, after all, a payment for winter fuel.”
This means all pensioners living in France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Malta, Gibraltar and Cyprus, will no longer get the benefit as they have warmer winter weather.
The list of countries was drawn up by the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, which analysed which countries were warmer on average between November and March than the south west of England – the warmest part of the UK.
AN application to begin exploration for gaz de houille, or coal gas, covering the Permis de Brive in south west France has been blocked.
Ecology minister, Delphine Batho, has blocked the proposals put forward by Hexagon Gas, based in Singapore, saying there were doubts about the the company’s possible use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.
Such techniques are banned in France and Delphine Batho said that decision would be respected.
Related: Shale gas plans in France
STAND-UP comedian Ian Moore has his feet either side of the Channel, his work takes him to UK towns and cities, while his family life is firmly settled in France.
It is this contrasting lifestyle, as well as his love of the mod culture, that lies at the heart of his comedy sketches and his new book À la Mod: My So-Called Tranquil Family Life in Rural France on Amazon.
And thanks to his family connections he is able to experience real French life, although some still wonder about the sharp-suited Englishman and his fashion sense.
“We live in the Loire Valley because my wife’s mother, who is French, still has family in the area,” Ian said.