On Saturday the 23rd May, the Eurovision Song Contest will celebrate its 60th anniversary and this year it will take place in Vienna, Austria. This Song Contest is one of the longest running television shows in the world and has an estimated viewing audience of 180 million! The first ever Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano, Switzerland, at the Teatro Kursaal, on the 24th of May, 1956. Celine Dion once represented Switzerland with her song "Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi" and she went on to win the contest for the country in 1988. The Swiss entry to the contest for 2015 is Mélanie René with her song "My Time to Shine". Mélanie, originally from Mauritius, trained for seven years at a performing arts school at Les Atelier du Funambule in Nyon. Sadly, the *school no longer exists, but Mélanie has fond memories of the place and of the town. When she was competing in the first step of the contest to represent Switzerland, Nyon and its landscape featured heavily in the background in her promotional video. Living in Nyon caught up with Mélanie for a short interview before she headed off to Austria for her big moment. She will first perform at the Semi-Final 2 day on Thursday 21st May. If she passes this stage, she will be through to the final on Saturday night. Read on to find out why Mélanie elected Nyon to train in the performing arts and how she has fond memories of the town. "You chose to train at a theatre school in Nyon and spent many years there. Why did you chose this school and why Nyon?" Les Ateliers du Funambule was a pioneer school of performing arts in French Switzerland that helped young people develop their skills through sponsorships. It was a comprehensive training that included dance lessons as well as theatre, music theory, songwriting masterclasses, and singing lessons of course. I learnt so much from this school, and had so many opportunities that helped develop the singer songwriter that I am today. "What memories do you have of the town?" So many great ones, sunshine reflecting on the lake, the view from the castle, as well as the amazing pancakes next to the school and the lovely town where we used to go window shopping with the other students! After spending seven years in Nyon, 3 to 4 days a week, it feels like my home town somewhat! "Are you always composing new songs in your head?" Yes, everything inspires me! It may be a word, a scenery, someone or even a feeling. I always have a pen and paper in my bag to write down ideas. "Which other Swiss musicians/bands do you like to listen to?" I love Voxset (acapella group), Jyaleen, as well as Aya Waska, and Sebalter to name only a few. Can you reveal if there will be any kind of Swiss element to your performance at Eurovision? (dress etc?) I can't tell you much about the performance just yet I'm afraid, but I can tell you that everything we will bring onto the stage in Vienna will be representative of the song and it's message! Good luck Mélanie! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n_pXW3p74Q * The Funambule used to be situated in the basement of the Beau Rivage hotel.

Nyon Regional Tourist Office has recently launched a new tourist pass. For just 12 CHF, you can gain entry to nine museums in the area: The Château of Nyon, The Roman Museum, The Musée du Léman, The Château of Prangins, The Château of Coppet, the museum of old Coppet, The Agricultural Museum (Moulins de Chiblins), the Wine Museum in Mont-sur-Rolle and finally, the Basketball Association headquarters in Mies. Even if you only get to visit a couple of places on this list, this pass still turns out to be good value for money, and is a great idea for newcomers to the area, or residents with visitors over the summer months! The pass is valid for a week after the first visit. Jazz in Nyon and by the Lake - 3rd July to 29th August "Rive Jazzy" has started in Nyon. This is a series of free concerts held over Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at various venues near the lake or in the old town. Check out the programme here for July, and here for August. From Blues to Boogy Woogy to Latin Swing and more, there is a varied programme on offer. Meanwhile over in Morges - Check out the Saturday "folkloric" market from 09:00 -14:00 from the 11th July to August 8th. Artisanal products made in Switzerland on sale at this market. Food and traditional music in the centre of town too. Click here for more information. There will also be an artisanal market in St Cergue on the 18th July from 09:00 to 18:00 Click here

As it is the 40th anniversary of Paléo this year, there will be a big free party for the public in Nyon on Saturday the 18th July. The celebrations will begin from 10:30 onwards with street theatre in the centre of the town. At 17:30, there will be bars and food available in the Place Perdtemps area with more street theatre and then at 21:30 a big parade will leave the Place du Château ending up at the Place Perdtemps for one big final "spectacle". It was pretty impressive 10 years ago for the 30th anniversary as there were massive "flying fish" above the town during the parade (see photo below), so let's hope it's equally impressive this year. Still looking for tickets to Paléo? A reminder that the ticket market is open until the 12th July - click here Four Charging Stations for Electric Cars Nyon now has four charging stations for electric cars. Two of these are at the bottom of Place Perdtemps (see photo below) and the other two at the Rue de Rive 13. The charging stations are part of an extensive network of 460 across Switzerland. The electricity serving the Nyon charging stations is renewable (solar or hydro). During Paléo - six temporary charging stations will be made available for those taking their electric cars to the festival, with re charging made free for festival goers! Click here for full details.

Check out the hairstyles, fashion and music back then! As part of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of Paléo, the festival, in collaboration with Radio Television Suisse, has released a montage of films highlighting the festival over the years. Check out a very young Daniel Rossellat (president of the festival and current mayor of Nyon) announcing the first Nyon "folk festival" to the press in 1976. Spot the backdrop of the château before it was renovated in the late 1990's. Rossellat is wearing a checked shirt in the interview, an item of clothing that still remains his trademark today. In the films (click here to see them all ) you can see clips of many bands from James Brown to Jamiroquai and even a quick glimpse of Oasis whose appearance in July 2000 made the news across the world when they stormed off stage mid-concert. Read here about the background to this incident in a 2013 Living in Nyon interview with Chris Parson, the English translator for the festival. The very first festival was held in the Salle Communale in Nyon, it then moved down to the lakeside before moving up to the L'Asse grounds and it has now become one of the significant music festivals in Europe. Below are some Paléo statistics which make interesting reading. Don't forget the big Paléo party in town tomorrow, the 18th July. Paléologie - 1976 à 1982 Statistics below - courtesy Paléo festival Since 1976 39 festivals 2,990 artists 4,033 shows 5,706,154 spectators In 2014, Paléo Festival Nyon involved 230,000 spectators 1,469 musicians and technicians 257 shows on 7 stages and animations 4,753 volunteers 1 area of 84 hectares (including the camping and the parking) 9000 campers each day 222 stall-holders and 54 bars 69 salaried staff (46 FTE full time employees) 610 journalists, photographers and media representatives: 239 newspapers, websites, magazines, record companies, TV and radio channels 29 Swiss and international Television 53 radio stations 13 Record companies A budget of 24 million Swiss Francs Internet 2,295,503 visitors between August 2013 and August 2014 (source: Google Analytics) 123,000 regular subscribers to the Festival’s newsletter at 1st August 2014 86,245 Facebook fans at 1st August 2014 Ticketing 75% of tickets sold via paleo.ch (print-at-home system). Paléo respects the environment 1,455,000 washable cups produced by Paléo since 2009. 45% of those present at the Festival use public transport or soft mobility to get here in 2014. 51% of the waste was sorted in 2014 (15% in 2000). Paléo uses 100% green energy. Spectator profile Figures presented below are taken from a survey conducted by the Haute Ecole de Gestion de Genève (face to face interviews) from a representative sample of spectators during the Paléo Festival Nyon 2013. Origin Nyon district 23% which Nyon and surroundings* 12% State of Vaud (without Nyon district) 28% State of Geneva 28% Other French speaking States 9% German speaking part of CH and Ticino 3% Foreign countries 9% * Duillier, Eysins, Grens, Prangins, Signy-Avenex, TrélexAge Under 20 years: 16% Between 20 and 29 years: 33% Between 30 and 39 years: 21% Between 40 and 49 years: 14% Over 50 years: 16% Average age of the spectators is 33 years. Half the spectators are younger than 30 years of age. Loyalty 13% discovers Paléo for the first time. 49% of the public had already taken part in more than 5 editions of the Festival. 99% of the public is considering as a certainty (84%) or a possibility (15%) of coming back the following year. Satisfaction 98% of the public present said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the way they were received on site. 96% of the public present thought the offer of food and drinks was either good or excellent.

On Sunday 21 June at the Théàtre de Grand Champ in Gland, there will be a conference with an exhibition and workshops dedicated to Hergé, the Belgian cartoonist and author, and best known as the creator of "The Adventures of Tin Tin". For "Tintinologists" there will be a chance to see some of the ancient cars and the old fire engine featured in the "The Calculus Affair" (l'Affaire Tournesol). This book contains local Swiss references in the story; including Geneva Railway Sation, The Cornavin Hotel and Nyon itself. Hergé also spent several holidays in Gland in the late 1940's. More info here on Swiss Info "On the Trail of Tin Tin in Switzerland". The conferences will be in French. Entrance is free to see the old cars and the Tin Tin exhibition itself. Drinks and snacks will be served and entertainment provided for children. Full details below. The event is organised by "La Page Cornée", a French literary group based in Gland.

There were big crowds in both Place du Château and in Place Perdtemps in Nyon on Saturday night with people waiting in the sticky heat to see the spectacle on show for Paléo's 40th birthday. The theatre troup "Danbor Talka" entertained the crowds with loud drumming and co-ordinated fireworks to the beat of their drums. Here is a small selection of photos from the evening. Paléo begins on Monday night 20th and contunues until the 26th July this year. Living in Nyon will be reporting back from the festival each day. Z

It's the time of year when parents are on the look out for summer camps for their children in the Geneva and Vaud area. There are many available and it can be difficult to discover where they are all to be found and when they are taking place. However, help is at hand as the website "Know it all Passport" has come up with an excellent comprehensive list of summer camps in 2015, a list which has been divided into the following categories: Multi-activity, Sport, Languages, Technology and Maths. Click here for more details Meanwhile for those adults who are looking for a 70's 80's and 90's disco evening in Nyon, check out Le Café Vivant's annual show on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th June whick will take place at the Théâtre Marens.

There are a lot of events going on at this time of year in Nyon and the surrounding area. Here is a selection for Living in Nyon readers. Strawberry Fields Forever The weather has warmed up over the past few days and the local strawberry farms are now open for self-service picking! Strawberry picking makes for a fun family day out. RolleFerme Pré-de-Vers 38 Driving from the motorway, exit Rolle direction Geneva. Monday - Friday 14:00 -19:00 Saturday and Sunday 10:00 - 17:00. Tel 078 751 7330 Genolier Christian Wyss - Full opening times and more info - click hereGollion (près Cossonay-ville) More info - click here Friday 29th May Neighbour's Day in Nyon and Prangins - Check out if there is an event near you or in your building! Second Hand Bike "Bourse" (sale) Nyon Got a second hand bike to sell or want to buy one? The annual "Bourse aux Vélos" in Nyon will take place in Nyon this Saturday, the 30th May in the Place du Château in Nyon from 10:00 -12:00. If you want to sell your bike and it is in good condition, take it along at 09:00, an estimated price will be given for it and then it will be put into the sale. If it is sold you can then pick up the cash (minus 10% commission for the organisers) between 11:00 - 12:00 Details - click hereUsine a Gaz celebrates 20 years! Nyon's own music and cultural centre celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend with a three day programme of music and events. On Friday the 29th, amongst many other bands Swiss singer Anna Aaron will be on stage and on Saturday 30th Ebony Bones and Andreya Triana from the UK will also be on the line up. More info here Spring Market On Saturday the 30th May it's the Spring Market in Nyon from 07:00 - 20:00 Stalls in the centre of town. Music and animations. There will be a Caribbean theme to the market this year. Flea Market On Sunday 31st its the flea market in Nyon along the lake side - Details here

In February 2015, businesswoman Susan Inglis posted a request on "Geneva Womenpreneurs", a Facebook group for women running small businesses in the Geneva and the Vaud area. The request asked if they would like to meet up and have a chat about the challenges they faced. At that first meeting, 15 women arrived, they introduced themselves and their businesses, three months later they are now on their fourth "meet up" and the group continues to flourish. Living in Nyon spoke to Susan to find out more about the Womenpreneurs' group, Susan's own business and how she is finding life in Switzerland after moving here from Scotland. Susan "Before moving with my partner to Switzerland in 2012 (from Glasgow), our initial plan was to stay here for just two years but we knew within two days that we wanted to stay. Very quickly I knew I loved Nyon and felt at home immediately. I am originally from a small town like Nyon called Oban on the West Coast of Scotland. Oban is a town surrounded by the sea and hills (see short video below) whereas Nyon with its lake and mountains, is equally beautiful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foVfFZVIrQU I moved here with my partner for his job and as I knew I wasn’t going to meet anyone sitting at home, I joined Nyon tennis club. I love tennis and through the club have built great friendships; there is a fantastic little community within the club. We try to support as much as we can with everything that is going on in Nyon: wine tasting at the château, Saturday food markets, outdoor cinema, great restaurants, music festivals, theatre and lots more, for a small town there is a lot happening. Learning French Although I am used to speaking a second language (I learned Scots Gaelic at school), I really started as a beginner learning French so initially I took some private lessons and then moved on to group lessons organised by Ecole Club Migros.After six months of settling in and enjoying a fantastic summer here, I decided to give my existing business "The Purple Thistle" a try here in Switzerland. I create cushions, accessories and gifts using Scottish Harris Tweed, this material is steeped in heritage and woven by skilled and experienced artisans. I had kept some of my original customers from the UK, but didn’t really develop anything until last year I ran a stall at my first market in Nyon. I met some great ladies at this market and we all attended the Christmas circuit of fairs together and became enthusiastic. Things then fell very quiet in January. As I used to attend a monthly “makers" market in the West End of Glasgow, where we also visited Edinburgh & St Andrews, I hadn’t realised how much I missed these markets and the opportunity to meet others in business. Forming a group for other business women So at the end of January, I posted that comment out on the Womenpreneurs site and I haven't looked back. We now have our own group on Facebook with over 60 members and continue to help each other to develop our businesses! As that first event proved such a great success we realised that we all missed having a regular market to attend. Markets are essential for local creators and makers to develop relationships with their customers. So myself and two other business women, Debbie Willis from "Bedes Beads" and Alison Philips-Pearce from "Brit Chic" began talking about how we could change this and UpMarket Markets was born, affectionately known as UMM! The first UpMarket Markets will be held at the Hotel Beau Rivage in Nyon on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May 2015 from 10:00 - 16:00 All vendors have to either have made or designed their product to be able to join UMM. We have a great range of products and produce ranging from cushions to handbags, jewellery to children’s clothes, there is even a local farm which will be selling their produce on the day. There will also be a children's creative ‘Make & Take’ area and ‘Gateaux & Cadeaux’ where you can enjoy a coffee with a slice of homemade cake overlooking the lake at the same time! So after three years in Nyon I really feel I am growing some roots here now. My little dog Belle loves it too, she comes everywhere with me. Who knows what the future will bring but I am certainly going to enjoy this town and Switzerland as much as I can!"

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 hereAromatic 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.

Black boots, black make up and lots of black clothing were in abundance at the first night of Caribana 2015 as Marilyn Manson fans arrived early at the lakeside venue to get a good spot in the crowd to see the headline act. Wednesday night (a sell out night) was hot with clear blue skies, a perfect start to the festival. The music was mainly dedicated to rock, with performances from UK band Kill it Kid, John Dear from Lausanne, John J. Presley from the UK and other bands, both on the main stage and the lake stage. This year a lot of the grassy areas of Caribana are covered over with synthetic tiles, which should help in times of rain, although the forecast is looking good for the next few days. All the usual Caribana food stalls with a choices of food from various countries are back again this year, including the famous "Miss Caïpirinha" bar. See list of bars here. There are still some tickets left for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Headlining acts include Bastille, Parov Stelar, Gentlemen, John Newman, The Cardigans and more. Click here for details. Volunteers handing out festival programmes

Sports Day Fair at Geneva English School on Saturday 6th June from 12:30 - 15:30 The annual Sports Day at the Geneva English School is an ideal opportunity to see the school "in action". It's also a fun day out, there will be a BBQ, face painting and lots more, see poster below and a short video about the school. The event welcomes prospective parents, GES friends and newcomers to the area. Registration required click here "Popcorn" by Ben Elton The next play by the Geneva English Drama Society will be "Popcorn" by Ben Elton and performed between the 16th - 20th June at the Théâtre Pitoëff in Geneva. Details here - Ben Elton is probably best known for his television series, including The Young Ones, Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line. Popcorn is Ben Elton’s most distinguished play, winning both the TMA Barclays Theatre Award for new play and the Olivier Award for best comedy. The Paris production was nominated for seven Molière awards. Popcorn deals with the serious debate about whether violence in art influences society or whether it only reflects society. Bruce Delamitri is a film director who glorifies violence and sexuality in his films. Wayne and Scout are two of Bruce’s biggest fans who have gone on their own real-life killing spree. As Bruce’s latest film is about a young couple on a killing spree, the obvious comparisons are made. The play deals with the explosive confrontation between Bruce and Wayne. Although Popcorn is a very funny comedy, it does reflect the violence and sexuality of Bruce’s films. The play is adult in content and language. For tickets - click here