Photo above - from Swiss Press Photo 2012 exhibition in Prangins. Courtesy - Château de Prangins Here are a couple of selection of music events coming up this weekend in Nyon.   Also on the 28th Feb, it's the start of Les Hivernales music festival  in venues around the town- see website here (more on this on this site soon). Friday 15th Feb "Less is Groove.", the Lausanne based hip hop, soul group are due to play at the Usine a Gaz in Nyon tonight  Friday 15th February -  Doors open 21:00. Concert at 21:30  See the band's own website to hear their music.  CHF 15 entry. See Usine for Saturday night music. Over at the Parenthèse  in the old town of Nyon, the band "Featherlike"  are  on the line up for tonight 15th Feb.  See their website here  and to listen to their single "Moon Over Berlin". Free entry. Photo below - courtesy "Featherlike". . Photo Exhibition - Temporary Exhibition finishes on the 24th February  The Swiss Press Photo 2012 Exhibition  continues in the Chateau de Prangins until the 24th Feb. This exhibition presents the best works of Swiss press photographers to the public. An international jury will name the best photographs in six different categories, as well as a winning image. Around 90 photos on the topics of Current Events, Sport, Portrait, Foreign, Everyday and Environment, Art and Culture will be shown. The other main exhibition in the castle " C'est la Vie" - Swiss Press photography since 1940, continues until the 19th May. For full details see website here.

This is a second part of a feature "Living and Working in Eysins" ( see part one here ). Here we speak to the commercial director of the Terre Bonne business park, set just on  the outskirts of the village.  With over 400 staff already in place, and a planned total of 1,500 due to be established over the next few years, the Terre Bonne Business Centre in Eysins is set to become a major hub for multinationals in the Nyon and Eysins region. Axel Niels, commercial director of Nemaco Suisse SA, the development firm behind the 45,000 m2 business centre, (see brochure)  spoke to Living in Nyon about the centre and its future plans. Living in Nyon began by asking Mr Niels why there is still an ongoing trend for multinational companies choosing to move to this area. “There are many factors; quality of life, attractive tax incentives, convenience to Geneva airport etc, and in our case being able to provide efficient office buildings with the infrastructure and facilities all at hand in one place. Most companies have already done their research before they even arrive here, so they know that the Lac Léman area is a dynamic place for business. When the representatives of companies actually visit and see all the advantages for themselves, and then they also see the beautiful surroundings, then they don’t really need much more of an incentive to base themselves here. At the moment we have Shire, Regus and Kraft in residence and Lloyds Bank are due to move their staff here from their Geneva office in the not too distant future. There is no industry on site, it is purely an office based business park, the exception being Kraft who have also an on-site R&D facility”. Niels began his career in the finance industry followed by the real estate business, the combination of the two put him in an ideal position to be part of the development team of the business park, where a total staff of twelve oversee the construction of this massive new project which is due to be completed in 2013. “There are some challenges of course in this business, we can only provide a limited amount of car parking, this is a federal ruling to encourage greater use of public transport. This can be difficult to explain to some companies where their employees are used to living in a car based society and they never think of using any alternatives. We try to encourage companies to use public transport, we have recently agreed with TPN, the local bus company to extend its line to include a bus stop just outside our doorstep, we have a velo pass bike park in the centre of the business park and we encourage car sharing. As for future plans for the park, we hope to have a crèche on site for the children of employees. We already have a restaurant called “Francis’ Kitchen” which members of the public can use should they want to, at the moment it is housed in a temporary building, but it will eventually move to a permanent building. The restaurant serves local food as much as it can, bread, meat, fruit and vegetables are all sourced locally.  Asked about some *recent criticism by local residents that multinationals moving to the la Côte region are too prone in bringing in their own staff from overseas and do not hire as many local employees as they should, Niels replied; “This business centre can’t dictate who companies hire as most of them have a global hiring policy, however we are aware of the issue and if we can, we advise hiring locally wherever possible. Having said that, there are some companies in the park that do make an active effort in sourcing local staff and getting involved locally.  At Nemaco we are grateful for the tremendous support from the commune and the canton for the development of this park, we already have had positive feedback on the buildings themselves and the quality of construction. I personally look forward to the day when it’s all completed and we have a business park that is full of contented employees. There are a few years to go yet but it is all looking very good so far”. *This criticism was raised by various members of the audience in a recent debate on the 30th September held in Nyon organised by Globunion, Bilan business magazine and the town of Nyon. The debate was called “And now? The Growth of L’arc Lemanique - Chances and Risks” ( details of debate here) with videos from some of the participating members). Other issues raised at the debate were the difficulties of locals being able to find affordable housing due to the high prices of rental properties in the area, and how the area can develop sustainably whilst encouraging business. Amongst those present at the debate were Frederique Reeb Landry, Director General of Procter and Gamble, Devendra Rana of WWF, Lise Thorsen mayor of Copenhagen, and Reindert Hoek, mayor of Utrecht (these latter two were invited to pass on the experience of rapid business growth in their own cities and how they tackled similar issues to that in La Côte area).

Bigger Usine à Gaz for Nyon  Nyon town council approved the CHF 16 Million budget last night (25th January) for the extension of the Usine à Gaz, Nyon's cultural centre.  There were 52 yes votes, 28 against the proposal and 8 abstentions. The building will be enlarged to include a second performance space with a seating capacity for 220, a room to house visiting artists and new offices. Caribana has announced more artists to its line-up for 2016.   Garbage, James Bay , Kadebostany ,  James Morrison , The Kooks, Lost Frequencies, Feder and Maître Gims are currently on the programme. Note: tickets for Caribana are now on sale.     Ticket prices go up on again on the 1st March and then again on the 18th May. The earlier you buy, the cheaper the ticket! Video below. Garbage "I'm only happy when it rains".  Thankfully it's currently not  raining in the Nyon area, it's a crisp and sunny winter's day! Photo above, taken late afternoon on the 25th January in Nyon.

"Young people from the local area: are they outraged? resigned? or passionate ?" is the question that will be asked at the " What's Next?" forum" to be held on the 28th September in Nyon from 08:30- 13:00 These public debates have now become an annual tradition here in the town, they were initially launched in 2010 as a joint initiative by the municipal authority of Nyon, Bilan magazine and UNI Global Union. At that first forum,  they addressed the subject of business and social responsibility in the community. In 2011, the second forum focused on the subject of sustainable growth in the Geneva region, the opportunities and risks. This year the questions being asked are: "are the under-30s in the driving seat or merely passengers of today's economic system? At the local level do they shape the development of their communities?  What does the up-and-coming generation think and what would it like to see done?  The forum will use opinion polls and focus groups and will also work with the Haute école de gestion of Geneva in collecting and analysing data. The survey will look at the concerns of young people and their reactions to solutions proposed by political and economic decision-makers. The forum's aim is to find out what young people from the local area think. It wants to challenge their opinions and attitudes, discover their hopes and frustrations, and see what changes they want to see introduced. There will be four round-table discussions organised during a single morning session.  Speakers representing the young generation will be invited to express their views and will be drawn from the world of business, politics, culture and civil society. The results of the poll will be published in Bilan magazine prior to the forum. Free entry. Registration required. Full details here

There are two courses coming up in Nyon that will be of interest to all parents. The first is  "First Aid for child injuries". The second will be "Childhood Illnesses: What you need to know".  Both courses will  be given in English by Doctor Michelle Wright. Details and dates below. 1. FIRST AID FOR CHILD INJURIES This course is packed with practical advice, hands on training, lively discussions and lots of information. Along with other topics, you can expect to: Learn how to deal with burns, scalds and electrocution Understand the importance of head injuries and what to do Practice how to deal with major bleeding, cuts, bites, broken bones and sprains Learn how to deal with eye injuries Get advice on what you should have in your first aid kit and how to use it  When: Thursday 26 th May 2011, 18:45-22:15   Where: Ribambelle Garderie, Nyon   2. CHILDHOOD ILLNESSES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Whenever we look after children, our own or other people’s, it is helpful to know what important illnesses can affect them. Children can become sick quite quickly and if we learn how to recognise the early signs of some important illnesses, we will be best placed to help them. Amongst other topics, you can expect to: Learn about the danger of fevers and what to do about them Understand how to recognise an ill child and know when to call the doctor Recognise the warning signs of meningitis Get advice about how to deal with everyday common problems including diarrhoea, rashes, coughs and colds When: Tuesday 7 th June 2011, 18:45-22:15   Where: Ribambelle Garderie, Nyon   COURSE FEES Each 3 ½ hour course costs 100 CHF per person to include a comprehensive course booklet and light refreshments   HOW TO REGISTER FOR A COURSE Please email drmichellewright@healthfirst.ch stating which course and which date you would like to attend  For more information about who we are and other courses that we deliver, please visit Healthfirst  (note our website is undergoing a re-build and is currently not fully functional).

A reminder that tomorrow night there will be a drinks evening for readers of this site and La Côte newspaper column at Bibliothee in Nyon from 18:30 to 20:30. Come and say hello, ask questions about living in this great little town and meet other Anglophones. Send me a quick email at cnp@bluewin.ch to let me know you are coming and I look forward to meeting you.

Living in the Know, is the podcast collaboration between Know-it-all passport and Living in Nyon and the June edition is now online. With summer approaching, this month’s podcast focusses on day and short trips away, tune in to find out about a town with a fabulous Friday market surrounded by the Alps and castles, as well as a trip to a military fort in Vallorbe. Catherine from Living in Nyon mentions a special discount railway card for teenagers, great for those who like to go out late between 19:00 and the early hours of the morning, or those who simply want to take advantage of free travel between these times. Lisa highlights some places that are open on a Sunday, especially if you need to get your hair cut, buy a book, or shop for groceries in either Geneva or Lausanne. Last but not least, Lisa's French Minute focuses on words where the meaning changes completely if you get the “le” or “la” mixed up - definitely good to know! This podcast has kindly been sponsored by PLP Playgroup & Literacy Programme.

The Usine a Gaz (Nyon's permanent cultural venue) kicks off  their new season of music, theatre, dance and art and comedy performances for 2013/2014  beginning with a Café Concert on Friday 13th September featuring  the band "Profile" (see their video below). These free Café Concerts  take place on one a Friday a month at the Usine and focus on up and coming artists. Note: the UK singer Wayne Paul will be performing on Friday 4th October , doors open at 21:00 concert at 21:30 Never been to the Usine before? Find out more about it in this previous Living in Nyon interview  here  with director Pierre Yves Schmidt. Theatre for Childre n There are also 5  performances scheduled for children over the coming season. These theatrical pieces will take place on selected Wednesday afternoons at 15:00. More on this here on this site  nearer the time of each show (the first one will be on January 29, 2014) Flamenco star in February Also on the programme is rising Flamenco Star Rocio Marquez from Andalucia (see video below) she will be performing at the Usine on Saturday 1st February 2013 . For the full Usine a Gaz programme see here Above "Profile" playing on Friday 13 September Above Rocio Marquez - she will playing at  the Usine a Gaz on Saturday 1st February Above -Wayne Paul with "God 'Aint Ready" he will be singing at the Usine on Friday 4th October

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.