Search

Photo above: Trifle and cakes after the special jubilee  La Côte Anglican church service in Gingins. Living in Nyon at Book Fair in Nyon on Sunday, "So British" event in Crassier, English Cinema and Caribana this week, Afternoon Tea in Rolle and Trélex, English Theatre and more! There's a lot happening in the month of June around the Nyon and Vaud area. Here are a selection of events for you in chronological order. Firstly on Tuesday 5 June at 20:30, it's the first of the English movie nights in Nyon at the Capitole cinema with the screening of  Titanic in 3D!  For more details of this and future films, see website here   To read about this new development at the cinema,  see previous post here. On Wednesday 6 June at 14:00 there will be the official opening of an exhibition entitled "So British" , which will showcase British, culture, tourism, sports and English products. The opening will take place at the Léman Centre in Crissier in the presence of Mme Imogen Wiles - Representative of the British Embassy. Photo above: The Heidi's Bakery's "Jubilee" Stall at the Spring Fair in Nyon last Saturday. At 14:15 there will be a presentation of activities organised in Suisse Romande to celebrate this special year of the "Queen's Diamond Jubilee" by Pamela Walsh OBE and Mr Farrol Kahn from the Swiss Romande branch of the British Residents Association. At 14:30 there will be wine and nibbles with entertainement from the big band "Big Lo Acoustic Sensations" and a London bus tour across the west of Lausanne. Also present, the Cricket Club of  Cossonay and the Mini Club Romand. Also on Wednesday 6 June, it's the first night of Caribana down at Crans sur Celigny!  Bands on the line up for this first night are Pony, Pony, Run, Run, Gossip, Kyasma, The Rambling Wheels, Mother Rockers and the Cyborgs. Tickets were still available at the time of this post being published. Check the full programme here for the full five days  Other headline acts this week include, Kasabian, Lou Reed, Charlie Winston and more.  Living in Nyon at Book Fair This Sunday come and say "hello" to the Living in Nyon editor at the Book Fair in Nyon at the "English Writers" stall where she will be selling and signing copies of her book - "Living along Lac Léman". This book is a selection of English columns that have been published in la Côte newspaper together with photos. It is a light hearted look at living along the shores of Lake Geneva.   Photographer Alistair Scott. Also on the English stall will be Alistair Scott,  author of the "Greatest Photography Tips in the World", who will also be signing books on the day. See Alistair's website here . There will be other books for sale by local English writers. The stall can be found next to the famous Italian gelateria (ice cream shop) down on the Rive. Coming up next week  14, 15 and 16 June  GAOS ( The Geneva Operatic Society ) present "From Flappers to Rappers" celebrating 100 years of Music Hall at the Salle de Spectacles in Founex at 20:00. On Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June from 09:30 to 17:00 there will be cakes and flowers on sale at Route de Grens 1 in Trélex, where the Heidi Bakery ( photo above) will be joining forces with R, Jaggi Florist for an event called "Fleurs et Douceurs" . More information to follow on this event. Also on Saturday 16th  there will be "Afternoon Tea" served at the La Boîte à Thé 52 Grand Rue in Rolle from 16:00 to 18:00. An assortment of sandwiches, scones, and mignardises maison on offer.  Reservations required - call 021 4685 or email rolle@laboiteathe.ch Macbeth in English   Advance notice on the 21- 23 June  William Shakespeare's "Macbeth will be performed in the grounds of the Château de Prangins in the court yard. More info here .

Bike sale Want to sell your old bike or buy a second hand one? There's a bike sale this Saturday which will take place from 09:00 (09:00 reception of bikes, sale begins at 10:00) and it goes on until 12.00 in Place Perdstemps (Rue Merchandises end) More details here . Gorgeous Gardens Jardins en fete 8-10 May. Themed gardens by different designers on display at the Chateau of Coppet. High school of Nyon celebrates 20 years This year the Gymnase of Nyon (the high school), celebrates its 20th Anniversary with a open day on the 8th May from 16:00, and a day for former pupils to get together on the 9th. See the site for more details. Final year students have an art exhibition of their recent trip to Rajasthan in the "Grenette" (the corner of Grand Rue and Place du Marché in Nyon) Exhibition 2-13 May 16:30- 18:30 Saturday and Sunday 10:00 - 15:00 Brazilian Guitarist in Nyon. Over at the Usine a Gaz on Saturday night 9th May, celebrated Brazilian guitarist José Barrense Dias (he has made Nyon his home) will be in concert. See site for more details. Win Caribana Tickets! Wednesday (ZZ Top)and Saturday (Katy Perry, Charlie Winston) nights are sold out at Caribana, the first of the summer music festivals here in Nyon (10-14 June). However, 300 extra tickets have been released for Weds and Sat nights so there will be the opportunity to win tickets online next Monday 11th and the 18th May. See the site for full details. 100 years of Pro natura the environmental group - debates and exhibitions 8 May "Protecting nature in advancing urbanisation" (conference in French) at l'Espasse route de l'Etraz at 20:00 Theatre 7-8-9 May at the Funambule (the small theatre next to the Beau Rivage hotel) Musical in French performed by young artists "The Five Senses" See site. Classical Music Concert at 18:00 Sunday 10 May in the church (Temple of Nyon) Corelli, Vivaldi, Mozart. Free entry. Round table discussion Over in Geneva.Thursday May 7 "Dual Career Couples/ Global Mobility". Roundtable lunchtime discussion with representatives from the private sector, the UN and a provider of dual career support services for a comprehensive perspective on this subject. See GWIT for full details.

Apologies to those who registered for the next Living in Nyon event on the 1st December. Unfortunately the event has had to be postponed until early 2015. We apologise for any inconvenience. Keep watching this space for the date of the next event!

Here is the second of the Living in Nyon interviews with influential individuals who live in the La Côte area. See previous interview with Daniel Rossellat (Nyon mayor and head of Paléo) here . Here we speak to Philip Jennings -   Jennings ,  Welshman, rugby lover and former volunteer firefighter – was listed in Bilan magazine as one of the 300 most influential people in Switzerland. Posting regularly to the social networking site Twitter, he has over 70,000 readers following his account - @PJenningsUNI.  Philip Jennings is the General Secretary of  UNI Global Unio n , an organisation with over 20 million members, representing 900 unions in over 150 countries and with its head office in Nyon.  In May 2013 UNI Global Union was at the centre of worldwide press coverage, as the “Bangladesh Safety Accord ”, a legally binding agreement by major US and European clothes manufacturers to raise safety standards in Bangladesh factories, was negotiated in  Nyon  by both UNI Global union and  Industriall. Read on to find out more about Uni Global Union, about the "Nyon Spring"  in 2011 (the threatened closure of the Novartis factory in Prangins), the Bangladeshi safety accord which was signed in Nyon, how Jennings became a Swiss citizen, and details of the upcoming public debate organised by Uni Global  Union in Nyon on October 3rd. Photo above: Philip Jennings outside the Buffet de la Gare in Céligny Living in Nyon went to meet Philip Jennings over lunch at  Buffet de la Gare in Céligny  earlier this year. This restaurant was an appropriate venue for an interview; it used to be the favourite watering hole of the Welsh-born actor Richard Burton. Burton lived and died in the village, and his final resting place is in the graveyard in Céligny. Read more about Richard Burton and his time in Switzerland  here. We began by asking Jennings about his firefighter role. “I live in Cheserex and back in 1986 I used to play football with a local team. As the guys in the team were also in the fire brigade, they sent the captain round to my house one night to sign me up. He appeared at my door wearing a uniform covered with medals – at first I mistakenly thought he’d come round to enlist me in the Swiss army! Once I realised what it was all about, I signed up, but I’m not sure how useful I was. Initially when a fire started, the alarm would ring out across the village and the pompiers who were closest to the fire would get there as fast they could. The system then changed to a call-out system by phone. As I was often travelling or at work I didn’t get too many calls, but I do like to think that during my time there I helped a little.” Helping the community, whether on a local basis or on a global one, is what drives Jennings. A sense of justice and doing what’s right is at the very core of his work. Having just returned from Zimbabwe, he showed me a photo on his phone of a badly beaten Zimbabwean worker. “I keep it on there to remind me that situations like his and of many others continue around the globe. Workers who protest, purely because they want fair working conditions or simply to be a member of a union, can be subjected to all sorts of pressure and violence. “I’m proud that from UNI Global Union right here in Nyon we can step in and help in various ways. We can respond quickly to such situations, we can give messages of reassurance, intervene and let them know they are not alone. Sometimes it’s as simple as embarrassing the employer into changing their attitude, policies or anti-union stance. We’ve achieved a lot so far yet there’s still much to do. Some multinational companies still don’t see the benefits of having good management/employee relationships and working practices. Photo above: The Uni Global Union building in the centre of Nyon Hear Philip Jennings on Euronews  - "Retailers back safety initiatives in Bangladesh factories" “Here in Switzerland union representation is not bad, but there’s an increasing problem in the country on the intimidation of people elected by the union. The protections in Switzerland are not in compliance with global standards. Union representation is strong in the public sector, in industry and in construction, but representation in the financial sector could be better.” The “Nyon Spring” A great example of how the influence of unions, plus discussions with management, can work together to provide a solution that is acceptable to all, was shown with the relatively recent threatened closure of the Novartis factory in Prangins. The closure and subsequent loss of jobs not only would have been extremely detrimental to the town, but it was also completely unnecessary. The factory was profitable and had a good future in Nyon.  The community rallied around, as the workers and the unions came out in force on one day to protest. It was even labelled the "Printemps Nyonnais". Thankfully Novartis completely reversed its position, the factory remains open and one year later they have a completely new policy. They are continuing to invest in Nyon, so this is all great news for the town. Such a happy conclusion doesn’t always happen elsewhere. Photos above: Protests against the Novartis closure in Nyon 2011, by many members of the community. Jennings has a heavy travel schedule in the course of his work. “I visit Japan one a year, and I attend the World Economic Forum at Davos. It’s a great opportunity to meet world leaders, and we can get a lot of work done under one roof. I travel to Latin America twice a year, and I try to visit the USA, Africa and Australia at least once during a twelve-month period. There’s really no lull in the rhythm of work, and working on a global basis means that if I’m not careful I could be working seven days a week.” This work pattern is in total contrast to the working life of his own parents growing up in Wale s. “My mother worked in a shop and my father worked on the night shift in a car factory. He would leave every night at 17.00 to go to work. His routine never altered, and there was a definite sense of a weekend to his and our lives back then. With my current travel schedule and work pattern the lines have become blurred, but I’m careful to manage it all and look after my health. I exercise early in the morning before leaving for the office. It’s always a full day when I’m in Nyon, although I do try to leave the building by 19:00. If I see anyone else still working late I tell them to go home. Balancing work and home life is important. I’ve also insisted on a morning coffee/tea break for staff. I encourage them to leave their office and meet other staff during this time. Perhaps it’s my one British influence on the organisation, but I feel it’s important that employees take the time to chat and discuss issues face to face instead of endless email communication.” In 2005 Jennings was diagnosed with throat cancer. After an operation and a course of radiotherapy he is now recovered. “If I was determined to achieve many things before, I’m even more determined now. My sense of purpose of doing the right thing has been strengthened in the knowledge that every day counts.” Regarding his own safety when entering into potentially combative situations, he says : “There are times when it’s been tricky in countries such as Colombia, South Korea or Nigeria, but what I occasionally experience is nothing in comparison to the threats and intimidation that workers and elected union members around the world can encounter on a daily basis. “Outside work, I like to help on a personal level by sending Twitter messages of support to many people in difficult situations around the world. The protests earlier this year in Turkey are a case in point. I was at home one Saturday night a few weeks ago and I started to see thousands of messages coming through from Turkey, many of them asking: ‘Does the world know what’s happening to us?’ I responded with one Tweet in support and in return received messages and images, all telling me about the rubber bullets and the protests. Just getting into a dialogue with them gives them a sense of not being alone.” UNIGlobal Union, situated a few hundred metres from Nyon railway station, was purpose-built for the organisation in the town – on time and under budget. “UNIGlobal Union was the result of the merger of four organisations: FIET (International Federation of Employees, technicians and managers), MEI (Media and Entertainment International), IGF (International Graphical Federation) and CI (Communications International, formally PTTI). When we merged we needed a new home. We were initially in Geneva, where we had a piece of land on which we wanted to construct a brand new building. But we knew the wheels of development run very slowly in Geneva. It would have taken over 10 years to build! So when someone told us there was available land in Nyon we investigated further. I realised then that this current location would be perfect for our needs. It was near all the good transport links, and in addition Nyon council and the canton of Vaud were very open and welcoming to us. So we went ahead. The building was constructed on time and under budget. We now have an excellent office space with a large conference centre, interpreting booths and media centre. There are nearly 50 staff working here (around 25 nationalities among them), and about 200 in the building itself. Funding for our organisation comes from members fees from around the world – it costs just two francs a year to be a member.” In October  3rd the conference centre in the UNI Global Union building will be the venue for the 4th edition of the “What Next?” debate. Note to readers - These debates are open to the public and held in French but there will be simultaneous translation facilities available on the evening. “These debates are a way to open the doors of UNI Global Union to the general public and the local community. It’s an opportunity for them to have their say. In addition, a variety of important players in various fields are invited to speak to discuss the issues on the agenda. Our first debate focused on Corporate and Social Responsibility. The second debate was on the growth of the Lac Léman region. Leaders from Copenhagen and Utrecht were invited to speak on their experience in city growth and how to manage it. Our third debate was focused on young people". The next debate on October 3rd will be entitled ‘Liberty and Security’. How safe do people feel in today’s age; how do you define security; what do people feel threatened by? This debate will be held in the evening, which we hope will enable even more members of the public to engage in the conversation.” More details of this debate coming up on this site. In 2009 Jennings became a Swiss citizen and was proud on the day he attended the ceremony to confirm his citiz enship. The application process was not without its humorous points. “The day before my official interview (when I knew I would be asked a lot of questions and facts about the country and this area), I decided to conduct a final bit of research by heading off to the Abbey of Bonmont near my village. I thought I might be asked at what height the Abbey was situated. I was hunting around for a plaque or a sign with such information but I couldn’t see anything. So I asked a woman nearby reading a book in the Abbey grounds if she knew the height of the abbey. She turned round to me, smiled, and said: ‘Don’t worry, I won’t be asking you that question tomorrow.’ It transpired she was going to be part of the citizenship interview committee! I love it that so many things here are decided on a local and communal level. I was very pleased the day I could vote in Switzerland. I don’t want to be disenfranchised; I want to use my vote. “I very much feel part of the community here and have watched Nyon develop and change over the years, a lot of it for the better. I live in the area, and my wife is a teacher at La Chataignerie. I try to attend local festivals and local events. Having said all that, there’s a small part of me that will always have a passion for Wales, particularly during rugby matches. There’s a Welsh expression called Hyraeth. It’s difficult to define, and it certainly can’t be translated into French – but it means a sense of yearning for one’s homeland. I do have Hyraeth, but essentially Switzerland for me is home and I hope it stays that way.”

Every year on the 6th January, there is a "Galette des Rois" parade through Nyon to celebrate Three Kings Day. The parade start outside La Combe shopping centre and follows the "Three Kings" through the top end of the old town in Nyon, finishing in the Place du Château. Children carry lanterns or candles, and the parade is accompanied by a "Fanfare"  (brass band music).  At the end of the parade, children and adults will find an enormous cake (the Galette des Rois), waiting for them in the castle square. This has been baked and donated by the bakers of the region and is then served up to members of the public.  It's a fun thing to experience, but wrap up well! The parade starts at 18:30 and can take a while to get going sometimes, however, hot drinks are often available at the end of the parade!

Thanks to the internet and blogging, a whole bunch of people who had never met before, (but had been reading Living in Nyon) were able to join each other for an early evening drink at Bibliothee in the centre of the town last night. It was wonderful to be able to introduce those that have lived here for a while, to those who plan on moving here or to those who had just arrived. What was more amazing that even though I had done very little publicity for the event, there was a good sized group who turned up, some who had just discovered this site the same day. Apart from me forgetting to take photos (I took just one at the end of the night!), the evening was a great success. I am sure there will be many more evenings like this to come. Perhaps next time I could arrange for someone to come and talk on a subject to do with life in Nyon, maybe we could have a meal? Suggestions most welcome. Thankyou to all who came and I look forward to meeting you again. To those who came and I didn't get your contact details, then if you want to send me an email that would be great, I can then put you on a mailing list for future events. Thankyou to Anne Lies for opening up her lovely tearoom in the evening for us too. Finally, the "Future Nyon Events" page has just been updated on the sidebar to the right. There are some great Autumnal events happening at this time of year, so check them out!

Party for everyone in Coppet, Autumn Fair, Artisan Market, Garage Blues, Rock music, Elegant Garden Party for all in Prangins and More.  Every ten years, Coppet throws a big fête/ party for members of the public and this year, the party has come round again. There will be three days of music (rock, classical and contemporary), food, events in and around the park and grounds of the château, at the Places des Ormes, the Place du Four and in other venues on Friday 25, Saturday 26th, and Sunday 27th September. Some of the events include a treasure hunt, a bouncy castle, a demonstration by the Roller Derby Club of Nyon, canine agility demonstration and lots more events throughout the three days.  There will be guided visits of the Temple of Coppet on Sunday at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 and Sunday at 12:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00. There will also be a big firework display down at the CGN embarkment point on Saturday at 22:00. Note the main through road in Coppet will be closed during the Fête. Parking will be available near the railway station, and along the roadside (both Geneva and Lausanne directions) outside the village See website listing all the events happening over the three days. Click here This weekend there are plenty of other fairs on the agenda. A reminder that there will be La Côte Autumn Fair in Founex at the Salle des Spectacles from 10:00 to 17:00. See poster below. There will also be a books and magazines stall. A good opportunity to stock up on reading material for the winter months! In Nyon this weekend UpMarket Markets are holding an Artisan Market in the Hotel Beau Rivage in Nyon on Sat 26 and Sunday 27 Sept from 11:00 to 17:00.  More info here 30 stands with hand made products Coffee & refreshments Children & parents' area Foodies area for a delicious lunch or snacks Children's reading corner with Usborne Books. Special readings at 11:30 and  14:30 An opportunity to look around while the little ones are entertained Face painting, glitter tattoos and balloon modelling Ceramics, clothing, soft furnishings, ladies fashion, jewellery, artwork, home furnishings, delicious food, kids clothing, natural body products, kids bedding & accessories, books & lots more. On Sunday 27th September it's the annual  "Lunch on the Grass"elegant garden party event at the Chateau of Prangins. It's a family event, take a picnic, while admiring at all the people in period costumes parading around the castle grounds! Music Events "Reverend Deadeye" from the U.S will be playing in Nyon at the Parenthèse tonight , Thursday the 24th September from 21:30 According to an extract from his website; "The Reverend Deadeye is the Reverend’s son of a Reverend’s son. He spent his youth handlin’ snakes and performin’ at tent revivals alongside his Pentacostal family on the Navajo reservation in Arizona. This sacred musical heritage finds its way prominently into his performances. But don’t expect a Sunday mornin’ church service; instead, expect a Saturday night baptism with fire holy rollin’ revival". Photo above Reverend Deadeye©Yeheshua Johnson. Also, "The Exiles" are playing in Nyon on Friday 25th September from 22:00. See poster below A reminder that at the Usine a Gaz this weekend it's the Gentleman's Ride Party with vintage motorbikes on display in Nyon followed by a rock concert   Click here for more info. In the Levratte are a of Nyon there will be an exhibition of art and photos in the Maison de Quartier on the 26th and 27th September and the 3rd and 4th October. See poster below.

On Sunday afternoon at 15:00 during the last press conference of Paléo 2013, the storm clouds were already beginning to gather over the L'Asse grounds. A massive storm then arrived a couple of hours later just after the last violinist had played the last note and clarinettist Paul Meyer had taken a bow at the classical music concert which is a Sunday tradition at the festival. The  heavens then opened. Everyone ran to shelter to escape the strong winds, rain and hail. This particular storm had been predicted over a week ago and Paléo was prepared. This was in contrast to the sudden and unexpected storm on Tuesday night in which  the festival organisers were only given 30 minutes warning. Nevertheless, despite the obvious difficulties of  the disruption to public transport on Tuesday, and the subsequent cancellation to the final concert of that evening, Paléo has announced that this has been another successful year. The New Arches stage.  The installation of the new Les Arches stage worked well, and the feedback from the public was good. The bigger stage meant that smaller groups could have the chance to reach a wider audience. There were a couple of issues with sound at one or two of the concerts, and a few teething troubles with the circulation of the public between the stage and other areas. They felt that perhaps because of this big new stage, the Detour tent tended to get forgotten so perhaps this area needs to form its own identity a bit more, but the organisers were, on the whole, happy with the new Les Arches. Photo above: A Paléo crowd listening to Paul Meyer and Le Concert Européen in front of Les Arches, the new Paléo stage Music selection Jacques Monnier, Paléos music  programmer (you can read more about him in French i n a Swiss Info interview here ), announced that the big headline acts this year had been very successful. Neil Young (particularly when he played "Like a Hurricane" through  the Tuesday storm!) Dizzie Rascal, Blur, Smashing Pumpkins, Arctic Monkeys and Nick Cave were well received. Also generating a lot of buzz were acts such as the "Bloody Beetroots" concert who played late on Thursday night, along with the concert of Makoomba who played in the Dome and also Les Tambours du Burundi with their electrifying drumming. Photo above: Jacques Monnier - Music Programmer of Paléo Keeping the balance of music right to suit all generations was important to Paléo. Daniel Rossellat explained that the dates of other music festivals in Europe usually coincided with the end of school or university, so the age profile of festival attendees tended to be younger, but as many Paléo lovers have  grown up with the festival and faithfully return each year, their music tastes change as they grow older. Rossellat also pointed out that when visitors come from other festivals to Paléo they are astonished at the relaxed ambiance (mainly due to the thousand of volunteers who work there) and that there are sit down restaurants at the festival with a wide choice of food on offer. The Weather at Paléo 2013 The subject on everyone's lips this year at Paléo was of course the weather which ranged from tropical heat to tropical storms. Not only was it a talking point amongst the public but also amongst the local police who witnessed some amazing scenes on Tuesday night as they directed  fans back to their cars and onto the public transport. Apparently many fans got so completely soaked they stripped off all their wet clothes down to their underwear to head off  home, so there were interesting sights to be had! Photo above: Cooling off at the Swisscom water spray There will be a selection of images of the bands and the sights and sounds of  Paléo 2013 posted on this site over the next couple of days. We hope you have enjoyed the Living in Nyon coverage and in particular, the articles written by Jonas, our resident writer at Paléo. Next year Paléo will be from 22nd to 27th July 2014, the line up will be on April 1st and tickets on sale from the 9th April.

1260+ (1260 is the post code of Nyon)  is a  selection of interesting articles chosen from other English information sites and blogs here in Switzerland.  Some articles feature places around the Nyon area, some are on places or events to be found further afield. We have also chosen a selection of articles commenting on Sunday's recent vote here in Switzerland. Musée du Léman in Nyon, Winter Sledging and a review of the restaurant La Nautique We begin by pointing you to an informative article on visiting the Musée du Léman here in Nyon. This museum which has recently been renovated is situated on Nyon's lake side and is well worth a visit.  This article with photos, on the excellent  Geneva Family Diaries site, focusses on visiting the museum with young children, however Living in Nyon can also recommend  this museum for  adults too!   Read here to find out how you can step inside a submarine, take your own picnic to the café, listen to the audio instruction in English and French, let the children take part in interactive activities, and watch the fish up close in the museum's aquarium. Also, on the same website, there is an article on winter sledging with children and eating at the restaurant La Nautique in Nyon (also, one of Living in Nyon's favourite restaurants !) Swiss Wine News including latest on wine fraud in Vaud The website Geneva Lunch provides daily news on all things Swiss, including a section called  "Among the Vines" devoted to Swiss wine. Ellen Wallace the founder of the site is a wine connoisseur and posts regularly on the site on the subject. Read here to find out about the recent wine fraud currently under investigation in the canton of Vaud. Competition on "Know it All" for theatre tickets Not only is the website Know it All  jam packed with useful and fabulous information on living in Geneva, Vaud and neighbouring France, but the site often runs special offers on Swiss products and runs competitions for tickets to local events. Know it All's latest competition is to win free tickets for the upcoming production of   the Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) in France.   Read here to find out how to enter the competition. Commentary on last Sunday's vote on immigration to Switzerland Here is a round up of news articles analysing and commenting on the recent immigration vote in Switzerland. from Swiss Info - Newspapers Stress Significance of Immigration vote    and   Cautious Reaction to Swiss vote from Diccon Bewes, author and commentator on all things Swiss,  read his latest article called  The Swiss Boat is Full from Le News,  Foreigners: Bane or Boon?    This article was written before Sunday's vote, the next print edition of Le News is due out on Thursday 13th February. Le News is also available online. Other useful info The new issue of Hello Switzerland magazine now out The latest edition of "Hello Switzerland" is now out, both in print and online. The print version is available free and can be delivered to your home by subscribing on the site or you can read the magazine here   The latest issue has articles on the battle of the hamburger restaurants in Lausanne, a review of a talk called the "Business of the Beautiful Game" given by Gianni Infantino, General Secretary of UEFA   to upcoming Spring events in the Vaud region and much more.

There are a lot of Christmas markets taking place around Switzerland at the moment. For the full list of all the local ones, check out the "Agenda" page in Friday's/Weekend edition of La Côte newspaper (you can also read the Living in Nyon column on a Friday too, this week's column is entitled 'Tis the season to be Jolly) If you want to check out the Christmas markets in other parts of the country including the whole of Vaud then the site  My Switzerland has a comprehensive list under "events". Other news, there will be a torchlight swim  in the lake on Saturday the 12th December (for those courageous souls) organised by the association of the Trois Jetées from 18:00 .21:00. Hot tea and Brisolee on offer too. English speaking church services. La Côte Church Nativity Service on Sunday 13th December at 16:00 in the village of Gingins. Children's family service in Westlake Church in Nyon at 17:00 on Sundays 13th Christmas tree sale On the 12th, there's a Christmas tree market in Duillier in the Salle Communale from 08:30 -12:30. Mulled wine served. Christmas trees are on sale in many outlets from the car park in Nyon, to shopping and garden centres, to many local villages. Next Saturday the 19th the shops will stay open in Nyon until the 18:00 for the "Nocturnes".

Important info for festival-goers -  Due to heavy rain many of the car-parks will be closed today (Tuesday 21 July). It is advised to take public transport to the festival.    The following post has been written by Jonas Parson. Jonas is a student at the university of Lausanne and has been covering the Paléo festival for this site for the past four years. Here he reports from the Paléo press conference and gives us a flavour of what's to come over the next six days.  As ever, there's an exciting programme of music, entertainment and great food on the line up. Both Jonas and the Living in Nyon editor will be there every night to report on it all. Paléo Press conference and what's new up at the grounds this year -  by Jonas Parson The rather miserable weather was on everyone's mind at the opening press conference for the 39 th edition of Paléo Festival on Monday. Daniel Rossellat, captain of the mighty ship Paléo (the weather allows cheesy water-related metaphors) addressed the difficult conditions of hosting an open-air festival when the weather is bad, thanking the brave and diligent volunteers who have been working in very difficult conditions over the past few weeks to have everything up to scratch for Tuesday at 16:00 when the first festival-goers will walk (or squelch) onto the grounds. Sporting a pair of flashy green wellies, Rossellat explained that he preferred bad weather during the press conference and good weather during the festival rather than the other way round, saying that you “had to be philosophical about the rain”. But as most people who have come to Paléo have been at at least once before, so the mud and rain is all part of the fun during the festival- as long as we get some sun somewhere along the way! The Andes at the Village du Monde Speaking of the sun, the Andes - home to the sun-worshipping Incas - are this year's destination for the Village du Monde . This festival-in-the-festival is dedicated to a different part of the world each year, bringing a mix of traditional and contemporary culture to l'Asse. Colourful Andean summits have been installed in the village, made of an impressive 47 km of nylon string (that's the distance between Nyon and Yverdon!). A reference to the massive mountain chain that streaks through South America, and the colourful visual identity of today's South American bands, these constructions decorate this area where you will be able to listen to a mix of cumbia and electronic music, whilst eating an empanada or some guacamole (we will definitely be writing some more about the amazing food at Paléo later during the week!) Despite the wet weather, the morale is high for Rossellat and his team, who have been hosting a sold-out festival for the last fifteen years. This year, the rush to the tickets beat new records, with the Wednesday night selling out in 8 minutes! Stromae will be bringing his beats and deep lyrics to make the whole of l'Asse dance, and a crowd of a younger age is expected for the concert of the Belgian phenomenon, who is very popular with young kids. Paléo is all about collaboration This year's edition marks the tenth year of collaboration between Paleo and the HES-SO, and to celebrate they have brought a giant Ferris wheel ready to take festival-goers to new heights, and discover the grounds from the sky. A series of 70's caravans will also showcase the student's different projects, as each year. Another regular collaboration, Monic La Mouche are back for the fourth year with their poetic and rugged structures, their new sculptures incorporating live plants in them. Paléo supports associations and NGOs who do good work helping people in different ways, and this year they have decided to highlight the efforts of Terre des Hommes in Latin America, as well as the great work of ARFEC , who accompany children with cancer. Both will be on site and you can go and talk to them if their projects interest you. Roussel Concert cancelled Tuesday Due to injuries after falling of a stage last week, Gaetan Roussel will be unable to perform on the main stage tomorrow. His concert has been replaced by young national star Bastian Baker, who played last year at Paléo (also under the rain...). A note on getting to the festival Transport-wise, the Festival encourages people to use public transport to and from the site . They aim for at least half the festival goers to come by train or bus, reducing the carbon footprint of the festival, and making it all much easier and enjoyable for everyone. So if you plan on coming to Paléo, think of checking the timetables, as the trains and buses run for most of the day and night, making it a hassle-free way of getting there.(It also means you get to drink more beer or wine, if that's what you like doing!)  This is even more important for tomorrow, as the heavy rain protocol has been put in place and many of the car-parks on site will be closed, to make sure cars do not get swamped due to the mud and rain. People coming by car will be redirected towards Nyon, and extra buses have been put in place. So if you plan on coming on Tuesday, use public transport!

Next week Shakespeare comes to Coppet with a production of "As you like it" by GEDS, (Geneva English Drama Society)    at the Thèatre de Terre Sainte. This is a lovely theatre with a nice bar for that pre-theatre drink ! Read on for a description of the play and for booking details. As You Like It  is one of Shakespeare’s light-hearted comedies -- a real fairy-tale (though without the fairies!). There is the expected well-stirred mix of poetry and philosophy in this much-loved play and everyone lives happily ever after, but not before going through a bit of mild torment. There is sibling rivalry, betrayal and banishment — but song and laughter too — and over all the dappled sunlight of the Forest of Arden…where things are not always what they seem. Frances Favre has assembled a strong cast of newcomers and familiar faces to bring this delightful play to life — a great start to GEDS’ 80th anniversary year — don’t miss it! Tickets:  CHF 30 (seats numbered) Students CHF 20, ONLY at the theatre on the evening of the performance, subject to seat availability and on presentation of student card. Book now at Theatre in English,  choose your own seats, pay by credit card or bulletin de versement or e-banking and print your own tickets. Special school group prices Wed. & Thurs. contact: webmaster@theatreinenglish.ch Book at a Swiss post offic e using a red bulletin de versement payable to Theatre in English,1214 Vernier CCP 12-20568-3. Give in the ‘motif de payment’ box the date and number of tickets required and your daytime phone number or email.  Call from 29th Oct.  on +41 22 341 51 92. Weekdays between 11.00 and 12.30. Buy tickets at the theatre  (CASH ONLY) on the night from 60 minutes before the show (check seat availability by phone or on the website). Tickets neither changed nor refunded .