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There will be various parking restrictions implemented in Nyon on Thursday 17 December due to the official ceremony in the centre of town to welcome Mr Guy Parmelin, the new elected member of the Federal Cabinet. Mr Parmelin lives in Bursins. There are various events planned from approximately 15:30 onwards. Mr Parmelin will arrive by train in Nyon at 15:42. The Place de Perdtemps car parking will be closed from Thursday 17th at 05:00 until Friday 18th at 06:00, the car park at Place de la Gare will be closed on Thursday from 15:00 until 16:30, the parking at the place du Château (and the castle itself) will be closed from Wednesday 05:00 until Friday 06:00 and part of the Rue des Marchandises will be closed from 05:00 until Friday 06:00.  The offices of the council's administration will also be closed on Thursday afternoon. There will be a free navette bus in operation from the Colovray parking from 14:30 until 22:30 on Thursday. It is advised to avoid driving near the centre of the town on Thursday between 15:00 and 16:30.  For more details of the event and other restrictions that will be put in place -  click here.

In March 2011 the the internet club of Nyon “ Club Soft ” ( S ociété pour l' O rdinateur et les F érus de T echnique) will celebrate its 20th year anniversary. The club was originally founded by Jean-Paul Henet, a French expatriate now living in Nyon. Mr Henet  previously worked with  IBM , Univac , Leasco, Itel, and was both European President of Greyhound Computer and CMI Corp. Mr Jean-Paul Henet Mr Henet says: " The premise of Club Soft is to quite simple -  to help all users of PC and Mac computers. The club now has over 500 members to date and we organise several activities such as running courses on Windows , to the use of the Internet, how to use Word , Excel  and we even give help on choosing a computer.  Club courses are usually held in Trelex. Members come not only from Nyon but from many surrounding towns and villages from Gland to Gingins to Grand Lancy .  Check out the courses they have run this year . There is one remaining  course on December 16th on "emails, trucs and astuces".   In addition, the club also hold mini conferences and once or twice a month invite experts to give presentations on subjects such as Windows, “cleaning your PC”, “viruses” etc. These presentations are followed by a question and answer session. The club provides a permanent (free!) hot line for those who have a problem with their computer or an application and the club's technicians can visit private homes  too (all at a reasonable price).  The club also has members who can provide assistance in English. For further information check out Club Soft's website

Foreign Affairs - Screening Sunday 12:00 at the Usine a Gaz - 12:00. Tickets here Fascinating insight into the world of diplomacy and foreign affairs Hotel rooms in India, Israel, Iran, Russia and many other countries around the world. Boarding and disembarking endless planes and interviews, shaking hands and making small talk with world leaders. Such is the life of Jean Asselborn, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. Photos above and below -  Pasha Rafiy courtesy Visions du Réel This film goes behinds the scenes of the Minister, following him wherever he goes, from his political world with an entourage and cavalcade of cars and red carpet life, to him eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast at home whilst catching up on the news on his iPad. We see him in shorts mowing the lawn and battling with a recalcitrant lawnmower, and then on the phone (still in shorts) talking strategy with some other diplomat before a round of negotiations. The film is a fascinating insight into the world of a diplomat. Asselborn is a cyclist and passionate about cycling. He uses the subject of cycling in his small talk with other diplomats and you can see his excitement when he is in the Elysée Palace as he gets to have his photo taken next to the Tour de France porcelain bowl before President Hollande hands it out to a winner. You also see the diplomat on holiday cycling up a very steep hill in Switzerland. Much of Asselborn's job seems to be an uphill struggle, battling jetlag and continuous rounds of negotiations through various world crises, but he does it with equanimity and humour. Foreign Affairs is the first film by director Pasha Rafiy.  At the question and answer session after the film on the Saturday night at the festival, he revealed that he works as a picture editor for a publication in Vienna. He said that out of the hundreds of photos he works with, he has to choose just one, a main photo that tells the story. But, he said, he is also interested in the photos that don't get shown, the "B" side of the story and this is what he aimed to show in this film, the "B" side of the life of a diplomat. Rafiy does this superbly.  The affable Minister Jean Asselborn was also at the screening in Nyon last night and he too took questions from the audience, which inevitably turned towards the political. He answered as politely and as best he could, a diplomat to the end. Photos below - Living in Nyon - apologies for poor quality photos (taken at a distance on an iPhone)

Lots of children waited in the crisp, cold sunshine on Saturday to run in the first of many races in Noviodurun. There was a fun atmosphere in the town coinciding with the usual bustle of the Saturday market. Here are the children setting off in Grand Rue accompanied by Centurion football players. Meanwhile over at the local elections the race was also on this weekend to elect the mayor of Nyon. With result of Rossellat 2,888 votes, Freymond Cantone 1,306 and Dupertuis 556, Daniel Rossellat won hands down. The results were announced over at the Rocher school around 14:30 on Sunday and the celebrations started the same night. A short speech was made by Mr Rossellat in which he commented on his joy at winning, he thanked his supporters , he recognised the reponsibility and the enormity of the task in hand and he also praised the sense of fair play amongst the other candidates. There was a convivial atmosphere at the celebratory drinks party, with the ex mayor Monsieur Poitry, and one of the another rival candidates (Fabienne Freymond Cantone) present to congratulate the winner. The atmosphere was warm and the ambience friendly. The badges worn that night said "Salut Syndic" ("Hello Mayor"). So the campaigning is over and the work now begins. We will keep you posted as to what's next on the Nyon political agenda.

If you are looking for a school for your child or want to know more about the educational opportunities available in Switzerland, then the Léman Expat Student Fair is a "must visit" event which will take place next week in Lausanne on Wednesday 13th and  Thursday 14th March. Free entry by registering online in advance! (or pay CHF 10 on the day)  Wednesday 13 March from 11:00 - 18:15  will be specific to the youngest students in kindergarten to pre-teen age. Thursday 14 March from 10:00 - 20:00 will be for students from teen-age up to university and graduate age. There will be information, presentations and informal discussions on international schools, local school system, academic support, all forms of special needs, education (autism, ADHD, dyslexia, intellectually gifted children, etc)  during this one event.  Discover and learn what's in store for students in Switzerland.  Click here for the full programme  and further details

Saturday night at Paléo was another night for music nostalgia with Joan Baez, Patti Smith and Robert Plant part of the line up. Despite the early time slot of 19:00, Joan Baez attracted a large crowd in front of the main stage and they were treated to a mixture of classic songs from her own repertoire and from other artists. She sang songs by Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, she addressed the crowd in French, sang in French and in Spanish, and her clear voice rang out across the grounds. She later went on to duet with Patti Smith on the the Arches stage. Above - Joan Baez in concert However, Paléo is not just about bringing the big, well known names to the L'Asse grounds, it also encourages new and upcoming artists and in particular, it likes to showcase Swiss artists. Tiziano Zandonella alias "Yellowteeth"  (originally from Sion), played the club tent with a mixture of folk, blues and country and a slightly melancholic sound to an appreciative audience. An artist to watch out for. A complete contrast over in the Detour tent was the rap and freestyle of 20 year old French star Sianna, who got the tent jumping early on in her set. Robert Plant is an established name and part of the Rock and Roll hall of fame yet is still experimenting with new music, and like Joan Baez before him he attracted a massive crowd with his band the Sensational Space Shifters in front of the Grande Scène. He gave an eclectic set from blues to rock, including the sound of the riti, a one stringed fiddle from the Gambia played by artist Juldeh Camara. Scenes below from the Paléo grounds, a festival goer sketching the Joan Baez concert, the street theatre musicians in the sunflower field, a mechanical bird moving around the crowd and surprising some of them! Also, away from the main stages if you want to see and hear a radio star in his own country broadcasting live, head off to the area where "Dynacord" (the most listened to presenter on Radio Ndeke Luka Radio in the Central African Republic), will be broadcasting live from the Fondation Hirondelle Tent  at Paléo. This association is a Swiss non-governmental organization of journalists and humanitarian aid professionals which since 1995 has been creating or supporting independent, civic-minded news media and radio stations in conflict, post-conflict and crisis zones. The tent can be found amongst the other NGO associations tents near the Forum (see map here) Finally, if you haven't got tickets for tonight's Paléo and maybe just want to experience a bit of the atmosphere and watch the fireworks, why not head off to the Pl'Asse?  It's a halfway house between the festival proper and the campsite, and is a free festive area open to the public every day. In addition to craft and food stalls, there are a variety of forms of entertainment on site and it is open from 11:00. to 04:00 the following morning. If you fancy a cup of tea and some Welsh cakes while you are up there, check out stand number 832 ! All photos above and below - C Nelson-Pollard

The latest news from Paléo  is that the music festival will run over seven days in 2015 to celebrate 40 years of the festival! To those new to Nyon and who have never heard of Paléo, it's an annual event for the town and is one of the biggest rock, pop and music festivals in Europe.  Normally, for six days, the Paléo fields (just above Nyon) are rocking to the sound of music. Next year they will rocking for seven! There are lots of surprises planned for the celebratory year and they will be revealed at the line up on Tuesday April 14 2015. More details to follow

On Saturday 3rd May it's the annual Journée du Velo (Day of the Bike)  and there will be a second hand bike sale in Nyon. This is a chance to either sell your old bike or pick up a new second hand bike. If you are selling, take your bike along to the Place du Château in Nyon from 09:00 to be assessed and priced. Sales are then open for those who want to buy at 10:00 and payment is from 11:00 (- 10 % to the organisers). See here for full details. If you missed seeing any films at the Visions du Reél film festival, there is a chance to watch a selection of them on Saturday 3rd May. These are films which have been awarded prizes in the festival. These films will be screened from 14:00 onwards.    See listing here

Did you know that Nyon has its own television station? It's called Nyon Regional TV and is an excellent source of information and local news resource. They have a weekly news bulletin called "Vue sur le Lac" which is then repeated throughout the week. The station also do "Vox-Pops" around the area in a section called "Texto". This is where people are interviewed in the street to get their opinion on local or Swiss issues. Last week's interview asked people in Nyon on their opinion of the Swiss/Libyan hostage affair. You can see some of these interviews on line. Here is one from July when they asked where people were going on holiday this year. There are also more in depth studio interviews discussing anything from local politics to current events happening around the town. There will be an interview this week on the upcoming vote on whether to almagamate the two police forces. If you are learning French then you might want to look at one of their programmes called "Ma Boîte à Outils" which means "my toolbox". Here, the TV station interviews individuals in their workplace, this maybe at home or on site in a local business. Not only is this a good way to learn about the people of Nyon and area, but it could help with your French as the interviews are repeated throughout the day, so what you didn't catch or understand the first time you can listen to and watch again. Previous interviewees have ranged from a local graphic artist to an animal osteopath to the owner of a printing shop. You may recognise one of the businesses or individuals that they speak to. Here's an interview with a ceramicist . There's a full lsting on the weeks programmes under Programme de la Semaine here. Looking for music clips At the moment Nyon TV is looking for music clips from local bands and local singers for the channel. If you know of anyone in this category and if they have a music clip of their work, then they can contact Yvan Mulone on nrtv@nyon.ch for more information (he speaks English). You never know, you or they may be on TV! Note: Clips of bands or vocalists singing in English are eligible, the geographical limit of "local" is approximately from Versoix to Morges.

If you are interested in consumer issues and want to know more about the products you buy here in French speaking Switzerland, it's worth taking a look at the weekly television programme called ABE (A Bon Entendeur) presented by Manuelle Pernod and broadcast on Tuesday evenings on RTS1 at 20:10 A regular look at the products we buy This consumer progamme takes a regular look at many of the products we all buy in the main Swiss supermarkets and shops. It compares brands, analyses the content of many food products and draws conclusions for the consumer.  Even if you only understand a basic amount of French, these programmes are well produced, can be easily understood and the conclusions are illustrated in graph form or with clear photos.  Housing, Transport, Insurance etc The programme also looks at other consumer issues such as housing, transport, insurance etc.  The website of the programme has useful links to consumer associations and  links to consumer rights groups. The products featured over the last few weeks have been on a variety of items such as electric toothbrushes (their conclusion - buying the most expensive product in the shop isn't necessarily the best!)  Scroll to around 4 minutes on the programme here to see the result on this particular test. Pesticides in Mushrooms and Herbal Teas Another programme broadcast on February 18th featured the packets of dried mushrooms that can be found for sale in recognised retail outlets. It explained which packets of mushrooms contain pesticides and other chemicals, and which brand of mushrooms was rated the best all round.  For lovers of herbal tea  another programme revealed the content of some well recognised tea brand names, the results can be seen on this clip here  Scam targeting local businesses This week's programme revealed a scam that involved small businesses being approached (one of them in Versoix) to take out and pay up front for advertising in a magazine that simply didn't exist. The programme has been on air for many years and there's lots of archive material to be found on their site.  There is even an ABE app!

Caribana was packed on Friday night with a mixed crowd of reggae and rap and hip-hop lovers (there to see Ska Nerf, Rootwords, Naughty Boy and IAM), plus a host of Jessie J fans, to see her pop show (and listen to some of her philosophising). Tonight Saturday 7th promises to be equally an interesting mix of fans from those that will be there to see Swiss heart throb Bastian Baker, to listen to the more contemplative and indie tones of Tom Odell and Passenger, to hear the roots and reggae beat of Max Romeo or to the pop and alternative sound of Swiss band Kadebostany. Note: Tickets for Saturday are now sold out, the crowds can be very busy at the weekend and although it's good to wear sandal or flip flops in the hot weather, toes can get trampled on, so shoes or boots are recommended for the Caribana grounds! Above - scene from the crowd Friday night  Caribana   Photos above - Jessie J and Rootwords in Concert. All photos C.Nelson-Pollard/ Living in Nyon .

At midday on Sunday, the temperature was very, very cold in Nyon, yet despite this, a group of very brave souls gathered together (at the beach) to swim in the lake and to help kick start a new initiative called "Les Bains de Trois Jetées". This newly formed association is a group of individuals who love the area around the lake and they want to make it a year round place to visit, not just for the summer. Plans are afoot to install a temporary hammam and a sauna down by the lake for use in the winter. On Sunday there was a bit of a party atmosphere with fondue, wine, and drummers, all livening up the grey and cold day. It was encouraging to see the hundreds of people who turned up to watch and support this new project and the swimmers deserved a medal for their efforts. You will see above there is a new format for photos. it takes just a few seconds to load. Just click on each photo to see it with explanatory text in colour, and full screen. I will be using this format from time to time when there are events which produce lots of photos.