It has been confirmed today (2nd April) that Robbie Williams will definitely play at the 40th edition of Paléo this year. Although the official line up is not due to be announced until the 14th April, the news that the star will headline on the first night of the festival was revealed early to the public via a T shirt!  As the singer had produced a T shirt with his official "Let me entertain you" 2015 tour dates on with Paléo listed as one of the venues on it, the festival organisers were obliged to confirm his presence on the main stage on the Paléo grounds near Nyon on Monday 20th July. Photo above and below - courtesy Paléo - crowds at the sold out and very successful Stromae concert in 2014 Tickets go on sale on the 22nd April 2015 from midday. Get in line or online on the day! Tickets always sell out fast.

On Friday 17th July at 19:30 there will be an evening of music from the All Souls Orchestra  from London. This event will be held on outside on the patio of the L'Eglise de la Colombière in Rue de la Colombère in Nyon. Formed in 1972, the orchestra provides musical entertainment at official events and tours abroad and is an unique opportunity to discover an exceptional collection of spiritual music with a varied programme. The event is being organised by Nyon Pastoral. Rive Jazzy - Swing on Friday Also on Friday 17th, down at the free Rive Jazzy concerts in Nyon, "The Benny's Goodies" (Swing) will play outside the Mâitre Jacques restaurant from 20:00 to 23:10. For the full listing of all the Rive Jazzy Concerts this summer see here Aromatic and Medicinal Plants in Bassins On Saturday 18th, the distillery of Bassins will be open to the public between 14:00 and 16:00 (reservations recommended). This family run business grows a large variety of aromatic and medicinal plants which are then distilled into essential oils and floral waters.  Click here to see some of the plants that they cultivate and for more details.

Living in Nyon receives many emails from readers asking if there any volunteering opportunities in the area. There are plenty!  From helping to clean up the lake, to volunteering in charity shops, we will be featuring more of these on this site in the future. In the meantime, here are three possibilities. The first is with the local documentary film festival Visions du Réel .  Although their site is in French only, you will find that many people in this organisation speak English. The second is with Serve the City Geneva (they work in Nyon too) The third is with International Conference Volunteers (the Living in Nyon editor has volunteered with this latter organisation before, there are lots of way of helping here, particularly if you want to volunteer your administration, writing, interpreting or IT skills). Volunteers wanted for film festival in Spring Visions du Reél, Nyon's documentary film festival which takes place from the 25th April to the 3rd of May 2014, is looking for volunteers. Help is required in welcoming film goers, professionals and members of the public to the festival and with logistics and transport. If you are interested in helping out in this fabulous film festival  See here   Next year, this film festival celebrates its 20th anniversary. Volunteer with Serve the City Geneva or Serve the City Nyon. Looking for year round volunteering opportunities?  Take a look at Serve the City and the work they do around Geneva and Nyon. Many people from the international community volunteer their time with various temporary and permanent projects throughout the year with Serve the City. They are currently helping the Salvation Army shelter which houses 40 homeless seven nights a week. They serve breakfast and a hot dinner in the evening.  Their website is in English and French.     More info here  and see video below. https://vimeo.com/20148272 International Conference Volunteers ICVolunteers  is another organisation based in Geneva which offers many short- and long-term opportunities to volunteer in local, national and international settings. According to their website, ICVolunteers provides "motivated individuals with unique short- and long-term opportunities to volunteer in local, national and international settings.volunteers offer their knowledge and experience to provide critical assistance to important humanitarian and other non-profit projects. At the same time, they also acquire new skills and grow both personally and professionally".   There are lots of ways to volunteer with this association : Conference Volunteering .  Work with other ICV volunteers to help plan, host, interpret and report on events for some of the most interesting and important local, national and international conferences. CyberVolunteering . The CyberVolunteers Program recruits, trains and coordinates volunteers with skills in information and communication technology (ICT) for development. Volunteers participate in local, regional and international projects for a period of several weeks or months, offering their skills in areas such as web or software development, system administration and content generation. Language services .  ICVolunteers recruits and coordinates volunteer translators and interpreters. We manage a network of community interpreters who accompany migrants ( MigraLingua ). Communications and journalism .  Write and edit articles, interviews and other contributions for ICV publications, our website and other online forums. Volunteering in different places around the world .  Volunteers can participate in local, regional and international projects for a period of several weeks or months in communications and journalism, information and communications technology, or conference services. Other professional activities .  Individuals can apply their professional talents, including accounting, bookkeeping, computer maintenance, transportation services, and other important skills, to help our organization manage and build its programs. Internships and 'long-term' volunteering with ICVolunteers .  We offer internships (unpaid) and long-term volunteer opportunities, be it in translation (from and to English, French and Spanish), event organization, writing and editing, Internet research, IT-related work (web, system and software development) and resource mobilization in Geneva (Switzerland). We are also looking for long-term volunteer for our offices in Canada, France, Mali, South Africa, Spain and are working with online volunteers.

Once a year Uniglobal Union hold a big debate in the centre of Nyon under the headline "Et Maintenant?/ And Now?" These debates are free and open to the public and have covered a wide range of subjects over the years; from discussing the themes of liberty and security, to the consequences of fast growth in the region , to a debate with young people  . The subjects discussed are usually of interest to the local population and this year is no exception as the debate this year is entitled " Global Economy/ Local Economy". The discussion will be on the challenges that local businesses face in the modern global economy. With the changes in the buying habits of modern consumers, how can small businesses cope, how can a town attract a variety of retail outlets and how can shops and businesses create customer loyalty?  What can the local towns in this area do to encourage more footfall? Living in Nyon will be at this debate, if you have a question or a suggestion on the subject that you would like to put to the round table discussion, feel free to send it to info@livinginnyon.com and if possible, we will ask the question or put forward the suggestion on your behalf.  If you would like to attend the debate in person, it will take place on Thursday October 1st from 19:00 - 22:00 at the Uniglobal Union building. See here

"Kaboul Song" directed by Lisbeth Koutchoumoff and Wolgrand Ribeiro provides a fascinating insight into life in Kabul in Afghanistan today and life as it was 30 years ago, through the true and personal story of Ustad Arman, an Afghan singer /musician who lives in Vaud. Film review from the Visions du Réel film festival (on in Nyon until the 3rd May). Photo above - courtesy Visions du Réel - The jury in "Afghan Star" In the opening scene we see Ustad feeding the birds down by the lakeside in Versoix. He seems just like any another member of the public, but then we discover that he is actually very famous in Afghanistan for his music and singing. 30 years ago when he was a big star in the country, Afghanistan had a lively, vibrant music scene.  Musicians (both men and women) regularly appeared on the radio playing both traditional and modern music. Today it's a different story -  the studio that Ustad once recorded in, is now an empty room. A street in a quarter of Kabul that once housed many musicians is currently devoid of singers and artists. However, there is some glimmer of hope in the shape of a TV programme called "Afghan Star". "Afghan Star " - An Afghan mixture of  "The Voice" and  "X Factor" This show, a mixture between "The Voice" and the "X Factor" is watched by 10 million Afghans and Ustad is invited to be part of the jury that selects the winning artists. So he flies from Switzerland to Kabul and on arrival is greeted by fans and old acquaintances.  Tellingly, there is only one woman who has entered into the competition, the rest are all men. We see her sing and compete and hear about her struggle to make it this far (her father was opposed to her entering the competition). We see the back story to some of the other contestants, and get to see behind the scenes in their life. Photo above - courtesy Visions du Réel. One of the contestants in "Afghan Star" arriving at the TV studio. Ustad reflects on life as it was back then and shows the female contestant some archival footage of women singers that appeared on the TV many years ago in the country, he talks to the contestants and encourages them in their dream. The final of the "Afghan Star" competition is held on the 21st March, around the time of the Persian New Year, a time for celebration and also a time when millions of viewers will be watching their TV. The excitement builds, and the winner is chosen. Usad prepares to leave and return to Switzerland - with a heavy heart. He dreams of one day returning and spending his twilight years in the country, but he knows he can't. Photo above - courtesy Visions du Reel - Ustad singing traditional music with an old Afghan friend. This film not only has an interesting narrative it provides a fascinating glimpse into life in Kabul as it is today, it also also a story of exile and of a longing for home. With many superb scenes in this film - Ustad in a Swiss sweater cross legged on a bed in a Kabul guest house, the sparse make up room for the contestants at the Afghan Star studio, Ustad trying to cross a very busy street in Kabul, a stark contrast to crossing a street in orderly and clean Switzerland, this is a "must see" film. There are two screenings - Saturday 26th April at 19:30 at the Théâtre du Léman and Sunday at the Capitole 2 cinema at 20:30  Subtitles in French and English. Tickets can be booked online.

Caribana the music festival taking place on 9-13 June at Crans près Celigny (just on the outskirts of Nyon) have just announced today, that British rock/ska group Madness will be performing on the Saturday night at the festival. With hits such as "One Step Beyond", "Our House" and " My Girl" it should be a fun night by the lake! Also on the billing on the big stage on the same night is Jamaican star Sean Paul . Other local events Last few days of lakeside ice rink in Nyon as it closes on Sunday 28th February. Children's theatrical production on Wednesday afternoon 24th February at the Usine a Gaz for children up to 10 years old. Phillippe Campiche with "Ouh la la les loups!" Story telling with a harp (in French). Sports clubs in the area Want to practise your favourite sport in the area but don't know where to start looking to find out about the local sports clubs and associations? Then help is at hand, as there is a comprehensive booklet listing all the clubs and associations in the 47 communes of Nyon. From badminton in Arzier, to martial arts in Begnins, to ultimate frisbee in Nyon, they are all in a booklet provided by Nyon council called "Et si je faisais du sport!". This can be picked up from Nyon tourist office. It lists sports by each commune and has the details of the person to contact in each club.

Festival of Sports Day On Sunday 28th of August, it's the "Festival of Sports" day in Nyon. This will take place at the Colovray sports centre and outdoor swimming pool. This event is open to the public, there will be 52 different disciplines of sport for the public to try out, including 15 sports which were represented at the Rio Olympic games. Full details click here Kid's Day in Nyon  On Saturday 27th August it's the Samedi des Mômes  (kid's day) in Nyon. Stands, entertainment etc. Back to School -  Note for Drivers Please note: Children attending local schools went back to school on the 22nd August. The police of Nyon ask all drivers to be extra prudent when driving during school times and during lunch breaks. Many children walk to school in Switzerland and are still getting used to crossing roads on their own and cannot yet evaluate correctly the speed a car is travelling on a road. TCS have issued this video "Roues Arrêtées-Enfants en Sécurité" (wheels stop-children safe) as a reminder to drivers to slow down and stop. Other News Hotel renovation - The derelict building situated next to the Beau-Rivage hotel along the lakeside in Nyon may finally be renovated. This structure, which has been an eyesore in the town for many years has been bought by the owners of the Beau-Rivage hotel itself. Subject to planning permission, the derelict building will be demolished and turned into an extension of the Beau-Rivage and the hotel turned into a luxury hotel with 55 bedrooms and 3 suites. Terrace Bar at Base Nyon Meanwhile, a reminder to Living in Nyon readers that the Base Nyon hotel has a fabulous balcony bar, a perfect place to sip a cocktail and look over the rooftops of Nyon! Music - Classical The Classical music festival in Tannay began on the 19th August and ends this weekend on Sunday the 28th August. This festival is set in the lovely grounds of the Château of Tannay. See website here Music - Rock   Also this weekend, it's the Jval Music open air rock festival from the Thursday 25th-Saturday 27th August. This festival is set in the vineyards above the pretty village of Begnins. Free navettes (small buses) will be provided for festival goers from both Gland and Nyon railways station. Details here. The festival kicks off with French Electric Groove band General Elektriks. See video below.

Two home-grown pieces by the Geneva English Drama Society "Working Girl" by Béibhinn Regli and "A Business-Like Affair" by Bill Lloyd will be performed on the 29 and 30th of April, 2016. Full details see here Working Girl  Sophie, a college student struggling to pay her way during the economic crisis in Ireland, decides to take an unusual part time job. Can a small community in “Holy Catholic Ireland” find its way out of the dark ages and into the 21st century? Working Girl is a comedy with a serious, relevant and contemporary message, which GEDS is submitting to this year’s Festival of European Anglophone Theatrical Societies (FEATS) in Brussels this May. A Business-Like Affair is a comedy that sets out to push the envelope on business communications while simultaneously moving forward within an end-user perspective of Anglo-French relations. The drama unfolds against a background of delicious international cuisine. A parody of management-speak, you’ll be rooting for the characters in a not-so-classic story of unrequited love. All proceeds go to charity  École de Commerce Nicolas-Bouvier, rue de Saint-Jean 60, Geneva.

Friday night at Paléo saw plenty of psychedelic images coming from the Jamiroquai stage. Images and videos all timed to perfection to link in with the music. From "Canned Heat" to "Cosmic Girl", JK produced a spectacular show and engaged with the crowd wishing Paléo a Happy 35th Birthday.   However some of the best images came from the grounds itself with the purple and green lights on the trees and the moon making an appearance above it all, (the cameraman took the opportunity of panning on the moon just as "Spacecowboy" was playing). Jamiroquai himself commented on the trees surrounding the grounds and on those that were lit up by the fires on the field.    As anyone who has ever been to Paléo  will tell you, this festival isn't just about the music it's about the atmosphere, the people and the events going on alongside whats going on stage. The barefoot writer Jonas Parson ( photo below) tells us below about his Paléo on Friday.   Last night was the « roots » night, starring famous German reggae artist Gentleman, with Jamiroquai’s funk later on in the evening. The weather spared us, with nearly no rain, even though the temperature dropped quite a bit. Gentleman started the evening, all the way from Jamaica, erm, I mean Germany. Yes, as strange as it sounds, one of today’s best known reggaemen isn’t actually from Kingston, but from Osnabrück, Germany, even though his spiritual belonging to Jamaica can’t be denied.  The off to the Chapiteau it was, to go and see Inna Da Yard, a Jamaican (this time…) collective devoted to bringing Reggae back to its roots, with a singer, a guitar and drums, as it used to be played in their courtyards. These extremely talented musicians just sound great, and they look even greater. It’s basically a few old men with dreadlocks and sunglasses, sitting on chairs to one side of the stage, and coming one by one to sing while the others do percussions, along with a drummer a guitarist and a pianist. The concert was excellent, everybody dancing to the rhythm of the music, it being impossible to resist to the vibes, as if they were in total harmony with our bodies and the world around us. It would be interesting to find out the total amount of Marijuana smoked on Friday, for if Paleo does have the reputation of being filled with joint smokers, the reggae evening is always specially scented. And when the concert takes place in a closed space, the smoke hangs about in the air, while the people in the crowd keep puffing away.  The rest of the evening was spent mainly soaking in the atmosphere of the festival grounds, roaming about with friends. It was the occasion to see some quite interesting things, like a bare chested devil, red from head to feet, running towards the Village du Monde. This is something that I really appreciate about Paléo. People aren’t scared to act wildly, and you get to see the creative side of people, which is usually hidden away because of social conventions. If you act strangely, people at the festival won’t judge you, but will probably have a good laugh, sometimes joining in for some extra fun. Another example is the proliferation of “freehuggers”, i.e. people who go around the grounds with a sign saying ‘free hugs’, and giving out hugs to whoever wants them. Last night I saw quite a funny variation to the free hug: the free kiss, two girls with very red lipstick on offering to add a bit of colour to your cheeks.    Another great thing to see when you just wander about is the street performers who play throughout the grounds.  This year l’Asse has the honour of hosting two chorals, some explorers on an elephant, along with strange colourful creatures rising up from the backs of two artists who go round bringing a bit of colour into your day (apparently sent by the french ministry of culture, they took someone who spoke Spanish with them when they heard that Switzerland was a multilingual country…)    Every night tends to finish off at the quartier des Alpes, around on of the big fire installations, seeking warmth there. It’s funny to see the people gradually leaving as the fires die down, later in the evening, everybody migrating to the few pots still burning (the fires are made of a piece of jean in a pot full of some sort of wax)."

Visions du Réel, the documentary film festival in Nyon has officially started and this year, as in previous years, Living in Nyon has a team of writers covering the festival and reviewing films. The festival takes places in various venues around the town, full details of ticket prices, maps, timing of screenings etc are all in English on the Visions du Réel site.   Click here.  Tickets can be bought online or at the box office in the main central reception area near the Salle Communale  Note: best to allow plenty of time to purchase tickets at the box office as queues can be long. Here is the first film review of Visions du Réel 2013 "Silence Radio" -  by director Valéry Rosier  -    Thursday 25 April at 22:00 at the Capitole 1 cinema and 26 April at Capitole 2 cinema at 12:00   (52 mins) You won't  hear any shock jocks on Radio Puisaleine, it's unlikely you will hear rap or reggae played on the station either. What you will hear is music that brings back  memories to its listeners, music from the 40's through to the 60's, songs about love, romance,  life and death.   Radio Puisaleine ,  based in Picardy in Northern France, is run by a dedicated team of presenters of all ages and has been broadcasting music, memories and nostalgia for 29 years.  Although the main focus of this film is on the radio station, it is also fundamentally about its listeners. The opening scene takes us to a small  room in the building where Bernadette, a station volunteer is answering the phone taking in listener's requests. We hear a caller, an old gentleman, ask for a song by "whats-his-name, the one who sang Connemara?" Despite not been given the name of the singer, Bernadette knows who he is referring to and tells him that the station doesn't have that particular song in its archive. In a later scene, Charles, a young presenter apologises to the listeners that the station has been off air for a while due to a faulty transmitter. He then goes on say "thank you for your patience and your loyalty, I'm pleased to announce that say we are  now back in your homes". Still above: One of the Radio Puisaleine's listeners.  Photo courtesy Visions du Réel The  listeners, their lives and their homes are portrayed here with a tenderness and subtlety and director Valéry Rosier, carefully captures the minutiae of their day to day existence, all to the back drop of the radio. A radio that many rely on to provide comfort in lonely times.  In one scene,  listeners, washing up in various kitchens across the area are seen listening to "Les Rose Blanches" by Berthe Sylva.  A poignant song that holds particularly sad memories for one listener; her (now deceased) son used to buy her a single rose once a week on the way to church. In another scene, we watch an elderly listener call his daughter. He finishes the call by saying "it would be nice if I could see you soon". A touching moment. Comedic moments pepper the film Yet, not all of the film is melancholic and sad. There's a rather jovial couple recording a rock and roll and country programme for the station, there's also a rather strident relationship coach giving forth her opinion on a call-in show. Miraculously she is able to produce an answer to the caller's problems just by establishing their birth date and name. Comedic moments pepper the film, from one volunteer showing another (more mature) presenter how to work the decks and equipment, to a young policeman, himself a station fan singing away to a romantic song in his police car.  These moments are sensitively placed, they carefully fall short of mocking the community that listens to Radio Puiselaine, the film reflects their lives with sensitivity. There's a frisson of excitement when a famous singer is invited to the station to have a chat with presenter Martial  (himself a bit of a look-a-like to the late Claude Nobbs). Listeners are invited to come and watch the interview being recorded, so female fans, spruced, made up and in their finery do just that and sit and listen to the interview whilst admiring their idol from the wings. The singer, Bernard Bourgeois explains that the songs on his latest album "make us dream and make us cry" . He goes on to say "the stories in these songs are universal". The stories that are told in Silence Radio are also universal, and although in this case they come from Radio Puiselaine in a small corner of France, they could come from anywhere.  Stories that are beautifully transmitted here on this film on a clear, resounding wavelength.

This weekend, Saturday 22nd and August 23rd, in addition to the regular monthly Brocante fair on Nyon's lake side, it will also be the "Pirates Fair". There will be stands selling sausages and wine, events for children, and free trips on the lake during daylight hours on the "Nyolue 11". This is a small boat that can seat up to 30 passengers and it will leave from the small jetty (where the petrol pump for boats is situated). Provisional times for the fête are Saturday from 10:00 till 01:00 and Sunday 10:00 till 20:00. On Sunday at 11:30 there will be an aperitif at 11:30 with the fanfare (brass band) of Nyon. This fair is organised by "La Noble Confrérie des Pirates de Rive". You may have seen this group helping out at various events, the men wearing their unmistakeable stripey shirts, peaked caps and neckerchiefs. The focus of the group is to help the older people and children of the town and area. Annual show of Nyon's Circus School. Despite the heat outside yesterday, a keen audience watched the annual showcase of Nyon's Circus school. With 16 different mini performances, everyone got to show off their skills as a juggler or on a unicycle, on the tight rope or climbing and hanging from the ropes from the ceiling. All this was accompanied by appropriate music from the fun to the classical to jazz. There were some lovely fluid pieces, some fun, some mesmerising, all demonstrating the dexterity and skills of the school's pupils. The crowd loved it and gave the performers a standing ovation. The circus school runs courses throughout the year and is now taking registrations for the autumn term. Meanwhile, don't forget that F.A.R the festival of Arts is still continuing in Nyon with events every day until the 22nd August. See previous post for info on one of Nyon's major events.

Hiking and Fondue offer, plus Flea Market in Morges on Sunday 25th October  If you like hiking and you also like a fondue, this latest special offer from Nyon tourist board  looks good fun and value for money. For just 25 CHF per person, you can take a return train trip to St-Cergue, you will receive a map with recommended walking routes then after a walk in the Jura, you can have a warming fondue in a local restaurant. As a bonus, the tourist board are also throwing a pair of flip flops in to the package!  This special package is available every day up until the 12th December 2015. If you are stuck for ideas for a birthday gift or Christmas present, the tourist office also offers gift vouchers for various other packages. More details here  Vide-Grenier this Sunday in Morges On Sunday October 25th from 08:00 -18:00 there will be a "vide-grenier" (flea market) in Morges. The vide-grenier is situated in the big CFF (railway) hall. Entry is free.   More info here