AN evening of enchanting French music and sounds swept across Manchester’s Platt Fields as the city marked quatorze juillet, or Bastille Day.
The classic dance music of yesteryear from Parisian streets mixed with the swirling skirts of North Africa as all things Francophone were celebrated to mark this special day on the French calendar.
IF you are tempted by that cheap flight to France then you may want to do some more web browsing, as low-cost airlines can be more expensive than full service operators.
Officers of Warwickshire Trading Standards compared prices on the web and found low-cost airlines can be as much as 43 per cent more expensive.
THERE was a survey a few years ago that found many young French people wanted a job within the civil service because of the job security it offered.
This, alongside the work hours, generous holiday entitlement and assured pension upon retirement shows why working for l’Etat is so popular.
THE Félibrée celebrations, or in Occitan Felibrejada, in Villefranche du Perigord on Sunday saw around 15,000 people turn up, despite sunshine and showers.
A POPULAR route into France, especially for those who have recently graduated from college or university, is as an English Language Assistant.
The role involves supporting the English teacher, sometimes in an individual school other times in a number of schools, but it provides an opportunity to get a real insight into French schooling.
IF you can get to Villefranche du Périgord, in the south of the Dordogne, this Sunday (July 1) you can experience the music and traditions of the Occitan language.
The village is hosting this year’s félibrée celebrations which recognises the history of the region through music and song, but also sees the streets and shops festooned in flowers.
MANY houses throughout France are built in limestone, and others are coated in it, in the form of a lime rendering, writes Neil Parkinson.
Lime, in French la chaux, also termed quicklime, burnt lime or calcium oxide is an essential product in the successful restoration of old houses and the intelligent construction of new ones, as a substitute to cement.
THERE are many animal sanctuaries across France set up by volunteers who can both help with questions, as well as offer advice on adopting a pet.
But even if you can’t take a cat or dog in they will always be on the look out for volunteers to help in the facilities or raise much needed funds.
IF you need to cancel a service contract or are unhappy with a product you’ve bought, if you’ve not written down your displeasure few organisations will recognise your concerns.
But getting your complaint written down can be a bit of a challenge if your French language skills are not up to scratch.
IF you are keen to boost your French language skills then there are a number of websites that can help you out.
With the spread of broadband you can both listen to lessons, as well as in some cases watch them, which is likely to prove more effective than reading a reference book.