There was a good turn out to the Usine a Gaz on Friday night to see the superb production of  Dicken's "Great Expectations", performed by the Kayonan theatre company. A mesmorising production, superb acting by two very talented actors, it made for a great start to the weekend. Thankyou VERY Much to all those who came to see the play and to say "Hello". Let's hope there will be more collaborations with Nyon art events and this site in the future. The next date for your diary is Thursday 28th January when there will be a "Living in Nyon" evening talk in English, on "Swiss Politics for Dummies" by Jordan Davies of World Radio Switzerland.  The talk will be followed by an introduction to your local councillors and they will explain their role on the council. Full details to follow soon. December is just round the corner and with it, a whole host of Christmas events on the Nyon and area calendar. We'll try to get as many listed as possible here. The first event coming up is that the iceskating rink returns to Nyon on the 4th December and will be in place until the 28th February. This year it will be down on the Rive, not by the railway station. See the ice rink website for full details. Other news, although the Paléo music festival maybe 8 months away it has already launched its poster for next year. Each year a competition is held to design the poster and this year's winner is 21 year-old Philippe Comte, a student in visual communication at the High School for Art and Design in Geneva. The shapes on the poster are placed in a way that allows you to make out the word "Paléo" and also discern a smiling face. Paléo has also unveiled a brand new website too, check out the great video on the home page, a great reminder of previous festivals.

Nyon circus school On Saturday 29th May at 20:30 and Sunday 30th at 17:00 L'elastique Citrique (the circus school in Nyon) will be presenting a show by a London-based company called "Like the rain when it stops".  Performing in this London based company is an ex pupil from the Nyon school. The circus school is just next to the car parking in Place Perdtemps and two minutes from the train station. Based on previous performances this should be a superb show.   -------------------------- Play in English  The Chalk Garden Also a reminder that next week Geds ( Geneva English Drama Society) will be performing "The Chalk Garden" by Enid Bagnold - Directed by Jenny Buffle at the Théâtre Pittoëff Geneva (rue de Carouge) 1-5 June 2010 Tuesday to Friday 20:00 Saturday 19:00  Written in the 1950s, this play was recently revived in the West End of London to great acclaim. See GEDS Synopsis - A modern parable about growing up and growing old and combines humour, drama, poetry and passion. In an old manor house on the Sussex downs, an aging London hostess struggles to control her unruly granddaughter and her equally unmanageable garden. When she hires a new governess for the child, she opens the door to more than she bargained for. However, help often comes in unexpected disguises and dark, brooding secrets may resolve themselves in happy endings!  First night patrons may join the cast for a glass of bubbly after the show.  Tickets - CHF 28.- (seats are numbered). British comedy night The following week  on Tuesday 8th June "Funny Laundry" will be bringing  two comedy acts to Switzerland with Arthur Smith and Josh Widdicombe. Venue: Le P'tit Music 'Hohl, 54 Avenue Louis-Casai, Geneva. Show starts at 18.30 Doors open at 19:30 Pre-show dinner reservations 022 798 8798. Tickets 35chf in advance from www.starticket.ch or on the door. See Funny Laundry

A reader has sent me details of this apartment to rent in Gland details below. Photo above -the Swissquote building in Gland (note this photo was taken last summer so stock prices maybe somewhat different today!) Beautiful apartment for rent in Gland.  Available immediately.   Grand-Rue 61, Ground Floor  Surface 150 m2 Apartment Monthly rent (excluding charges) CHF 3.700 .- (nref: 1493.01003) charges CHF 200 .- Duplex apartment fully renovated in 2006: Ground floor: hall, a room with slate floor, access to terrace and delightful, enclosed garden. 1st floor: hall (accessible from inside the building), fully fitted and equipped kitchen, shower / sink, toilet and washbasin, bathroom / toilet / lavatory with washing machine and dryer, living room with fireplace and balcony, dining room, storage cupboards, 2 bedrooms. Parking: garage chf 150.00/mois. Cellar and storage. Building Description / Amenities include: dryer, washing machine, cable TV, concierge. Conveniently located for shops, schools and Gland train station. For more information, contact Rytz et cie rental service Tel. +41 22 36 36 037 Fax +41 22 36 36 085 location@rytz.com  Disponible de maintenant  Adresse GLAND, Grand-Rue 61, Rez de chaussée Surface 150 m2 Appartement Loyer mensuel (hors charges) CHF 3,700.- (Nréf. : 1493.01003) Charges CHF 200.- Description  Appartement en duplex entièrement rénové en 2006 comprenant : Rez : hall, une pièce avec sol en ardoise, accès terrasse et beau jardin clos. 1er étage : hall (accessible depuis l'immeuble), cuisine entièrement  agencée et équipée, salle de douches/lavabo, WC/lavabo, salle de bains/WC/lavabo avec lave et sèche-linge, séjour avec cheminée et loggia, salle à manger, réduit avec armoires, 2 chambres. Parking: garage pour chf 150.00/mois. Dépendances: cave, réduit. Description de l'immeuble / Equipement inclus: sèche-linge, lave-linge, téléréseau, conciergerie. Idéalement situé pour les magasins, les écoles et la gare de Gland   Pour de plus amples informations, contactez Rytz et cie service location Tél. +41 22 36 36 037 Fax +41 22 36 36 085 location@rytz.com

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 two Anglophone churches in the Nyon area, below is a list of  their services over the Christmas week. Firstly, La Côte Church in the pretty village of Gingins (near Nyon)  Gingins 19th December 16.00 Christingle Family Service, Gingins. Followed by mince pies and mulled wine in the Stand de Tir. 23rd Dec. 20.00 Service of Nine Lessons and Carols, Genolier. 24th Dec. 15.00 Crib Service for children, Gingins 24th Dec. 17.00 Christmas Eve Communion, Gingins 25th Dec. 10.00 Christmas Day Family Communion, Divonne For more info see  La Côte Church or contact the Chaplain, Revd Carolyn Cooke: tel: +41 22 364 0030, e-mail carolyn.cooke@lacotechurch.ch or Revd Julia Chambeyron: tel: +33 450 20 1937, e-mail julia.chambeyron@orange.fr Nyon Alternatively  Westlake Church in Nyon (Rue Juste Olivier) has an English service every Sunday at 17:00 . Services below   19 Dec - 4th Advent 24 Dec – Christmas Eve with a Drama  There is also an English Speaking  Westlake Church in Lausanne , see website for further info. Holy Trinity Church Geneva In Geneva on Christmas Eve at 17:30 there will be a service of nine lessons and carols in the Cathedral St Pierre preceded by an organ recital  at 17:00.  Get there early! This service is very popular.  See website

On the 22nd May at 19:30 the "Ansermet Ensemble" will be performing at the Salle de la Colombière in Nyon. This chamber orchestra is comprised of four students who have recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in London. They will play works by Franz Joseph Haydn, Jean Sibelius, Claude Debussy and Ernest Bloch. For tickets CHF 20/CHF 15 email ansermet.ensemble@gmail.com  Tel 079 575 4210.   Click here for Facebook page "The "Ansermet Ensemble" takes its name from the Swiss conductor Ernest Ansermet (1883-1969 - see more info below) The four members of the ensemble are; Hoei Lien The, Liam Brolly, Auriol Evans and Theodor Küng. Ernest Ansermet was founder of the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and a contemporary of Furtwängler and Klemperer.  Following several years teaching mathematics at the University of Lausanne he went on to have an extremely distinguished career that included several international tours, the directorship of Diaghilev’s Ballets Russe, and worldwide recognition from both his audiences and his peers. A champion of 20th century contemporary music - notably that of his compatriots Frank Martin and Arthur Honegger - he is perhaps most famous for conducting several notable premieres for Stravinsky, including 'Histoire d'un Soldat' (1918), Pulcinella (1920), and Les Noces (1923), and for his book Les Fondements de la Musique dans la Conscience Humaine. Written with great care over the course of 50 years, it examines the origins, meanings, and perception of music by the human mind. The great detail and intricacy of thought in this work makes it less a career memoir and more a philosophical treatise. A passionate though occasionally severe conductor, his letters reveal a personality that is intimate, friendly, and marvellously sincere. Amongst his correspondents and frequent collaborators on stage, one finds many great names of his time, including Pablo Casals, Alfred Cortot, Joseph Szigeti, Carl Flesch, and Kathleen Ferrier. The ensemble is named after him in order to honour his achievements and commemorate his contribution to music.

This Saturday from 10:00 - 16:00 there will be a Big Spring Fair held in the the salle communale in the pretty village of Gingins, just a short drive from Nyon. There will be a variety of stalls at the fair, garden plants, arts and crafts,  bric a brac, cakes, childrens toys and games, books, bottle stall tombola, a green and white stall, a cake stall and lots more!   Don't miss the Ploughman's Lunch being served from 12:00-14:00 and the English Afternoon Tea (14:30 -16:00), accompanied by a live jazz duo!  If you are new to the area why not go along to the fair and say hello to the friendlÿ folk  behind the stalls, it's a good  opportunity to meet other expatriates and pick up a bargain or two at the same time! This fair is being organised by La Côte Anglican Church. More events this weekend coming up on this site.

Consumer issues in Switzerland - from head lice lotion to chicken nuggets. Plus, an appeal for winter clothes for asylum seekers, drop off in Nyon and Gland. If you are interested in consumer issues here in French speaking Switzerland and want to know more about the products and services you buy and use, then Living in Nyon can recommend two excellent sources of information. The first is "Bon A Savoir" (Good to Know) -  a monthly magazine which can be found in many newsagents including Naville. At just CHF 4.50 it's packed with info and tests on products. November's issue tested 8 different bottles of head lice lotion and produced a graph with its results. See here. Also in this month's issue are tests on the dried fruit that can be found for sale in main supermarkets. These fruits were checked for their pesticide and preservative content, provenance, cost per 100g etc. The results are surprising! Not all of the tests are not available online, you have to subscribe or buy the magazine to see all the results. However the savings to be found in some of the magazine's comparative testings on products such as  health insurance premiums, and telephone charges more than make up for the purchase price!  Even if your French is quite basic, you should be able to understand the tests and their results. A Bon Entendeur (ABE) is a television programme produced by RTS TV and broadcast on a Tuesday night and this also covers consumer issues  ranging from an analysis of the actual meat content in the chicken nuggets that are sold in shops and fast food outlets, to the maze of "packages" offered by telephone and internet companies to consumers .  See a programme from the 14th October here Mens clothing and toiletries required for asylum seekers in Gland   EVAM, the (Etablissement Vaudois D'accueil des Migrants) in Gland has put out an urgent appeal for warm coats,  jackets,  jeans,  trousers , belts,  shoes (all kinds), socks,  gloves,  woolly hats,  scarves,  back-packs, hold-alls,  bath towels (all sizes) and toiletries for the male asylum seekers currently in the Gland reception centre and waiting a decision on their future.  At this stage of their asylum application, the men are not allowed to work unless their application status changes.  Further info here Clothes can be dropped off at the following places. 1. Nyon: Centre Horizons, Maison de Paroisse, ch. des Eules.  Bin at door. 2. Gland: Chapelle Catholique, chemin de l'Abbaye, go down steps on left - bin For further info on the work of EVAM see their frequently asked questions page on their  website here.

Every two years the Geneva Writers' Group hosts a writers' conference at Webster University in Bellevue (approximately nine miles from Nyon).  In 2012  the 8th Geneva Writers' Conference will take place from February 3- 5 2 and will welcome over two hundred writers from around the world to a weekend of workshops, panels, readings and networking. This conference is led by well-known authors, editors, literary agents, and editors from the UK, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the USA.  The faculty Patricia Duncker, Brett Lott, Sheila Kohler, Dinty W. Moore, Jonathan Lorie, Susan Tiberghien, Naomi Shihab Nye, Wallis Wilde Menozzi and Steven Atkinson are all widely published writers and experienced teachers committed to sharing their knowledge and perspectives on writing as both an art and a profession. The programme opens on Friday, February 3 with a welcome dinner and readings. Saturday and Sunday will include workshops in fiction, nonfiction, playwriting and poetry, as well as panel discussions on the business of writing. Literary agents (Sam Copeland from the agency Rogers Coleridge and White (See their list of published authors here) and Miriam Goderich  from Dystel and Goderich , Literary Management, editors and publishers (David Applefield, Colin Harrison) will offer their professional advice. Above tutors and  editors at the 2010 conference. From left to right: Jane Dystel, David Applefield, Lorella Belli and Robert Stewart Organised by the Geneva Writers’ Group, the Conference is non-profit and made possible through registration fees and the generous support of sponsors. Registration is now open for this conference. Book early as places fill up fast!  See the full programme here  To find out more about the Writers Group see their site here

On September 4th 2016 a special season of Classic films will shown at Nyon cinema and will run right through to May 2017 . Films include classics such as "All about Eve", "Strangers on a Train",  "Miracle on 34th Street" and many more. See full programme here .  All films will be in English  with the exception of the film "Last Chance" (to be screened in January) which will have English subtitles . This is a great opportunity to watch films you have always wanted to see but never got round to it, or to watch a film you love and want to see again!  There will be an avant-première screening of the film season during the "Day of the Cinema" on the 4th of September with the film "Laura" starring Gene Tierney. Living in Nyon is delighted to announce that it has partnered with Nyon cinema to offer readers a chance to win pairs of tickets (there are 8 in total up for grabs: 4x2 tickets for each film) throughout the season.  To be in with a chance to win tickets for films being screened in 2016 , simply email  info@capitole-nyon.ch  giving your name, email address, stating the film and the date you would like 2 tickets. You will be informed if you have won a pair of tickets. There will be a second competition later on in the year to win tickets for films screened in 2017. Photo above - a scene from "Laura" Photo above - a scene from "All about Eve" Photo above - a scene from "Sunrise" Photo above - a scene from "Strangers on a Train" Photo above - a scene from "Miracle on 34th Street"

To all who came to the Living in Nyon drinks evening last night. It was the fourth drinks evening and there was a record turn out of people and it was lovely to meet you all. Sometime in the late summer, I will organise another drinks at a "buvette" by the lakeside so keep checking on here for news. This weekend there are few events going on in the area. On Saturday 6th in Gland, between 12:30 and 16:30 in the Salle Communale there will be a "Discover China" afternoon with the opportunity to try out Chinese arts such as dance, calligraphy, Tai Chi, taste Chinese food. Entry is free. On Sunday 7th in Nyon from 11:00- 17:00 its "The Interculturelle Fête of Nyon" at the Place des Fêtes down by the lake. Different communities and nationalities of Nyon will get together to celebrate their traditions and cultures. From 11:30 there will be food on offer and folkloric dancing from Switzerland, Kosovo, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Tunisia, Iraq and Senegal. There will be face painting on offer for the children and an apero offered to the public by the Commune of Nyon at 11:00

If you haven't done your Christmas shopping yet, then you can take advantage of "Les Nocturnes" late night shopping in Nyon tonight (the 20th December) until 22:00.   Plus on Sunday, small family shops will be open in the town between 10:00 and 18:00.