If you want to pick up a bargain, or have a clear out of your "cave", then this Saturday there is the opportunity to do so with a "British style" car boot sale over at Webster University in Bellevue. If you want to sell, spaces are CH15 per car. Reserve your place by emailing carbootgeneva@gmail.com and full details will be sent to you. If you want to buy, the car boot sale will be open from 09:30 to 13:30 and parking is available in the lower car park at Webster university. The sale will go ahead whatever the weather (in true British style....) Light refreshements available on the day.

A reminder that "Les Hivernales", the rock and beat festival has begun and continues over the weekend in Nyon -see previous post her e for more details and listen to an  interview about the festival here Saturday March 2nd - Open Day at Lake Leman International School in Morges   Open Day  from 11:00 to 15:00 Meet the teachers and the LLIS management, discover the Primary and Secondary School and enjoy the day’s activities with your children. The open day starts at 11:00 at the school: From 11:00 to 12:00 Presentation of the website by the Secondary school students From 12:00 to 14:00 – Soccer practice From 13:30 to  14:15  - Story telling From 14:15  to  15:00 - Art workshop Snacks and drinks provided all day. LLIS School- Avenue de la Gottaz 34-36, 1110 Morges, Switzerland -  See school website here Business and Professional Women Switzerland - Networking dinner Candlelight Ceremony & Networking dinner -  Thursday, March 14 th  2013, at the Restaurant du Casino in Rolle This tradition is celebrated by all the BPW clubs around the world to remind them of the international solidarity and resources of the global association. It is  an  opportunity to discover what BPW has to offer. More details click here  Host families required for "Up with People"  March 18-25  Up with People is a global education and service programme focused on bringing the world together through service and music. The international cast of 120 students from 20 countries will be travelling to Geneva on March 18 for a one week stay. During their time in the area they will live with local host families, volunteer in the local community and perform 2 international shows at the Salle Communale de Versoix.  Homes needed for 120 cast members Can you provide a place to sleep, breakfast and dinner and give limited transportation (outside of the centre of Geneva) in the mornings and evenings from March 18-25?   If so, you’ll receive 2 complimentary tickets to the show for hosting. Photo above  - the cast from a previous show - courtesy "Up with People" The 120-member cast is between the ages of 18 and 29 years old and represents 20 different countries. Cast members are out of the house during regular business hours, volunteering, rehearsing or taking part in educational workshops. Sunday March 24, is a ‘host family day,’ you may choose to show them , include them in a family event or simply relax at home. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Advance Team: Contact Katie Baudler at 079 155 37 13 or Katie.upwithpeople@gmail.com with questions or for more information. See the show  ‘Voices’ Salle Communale Lachenal à Versoix à  19:30 the 20th and 21st March. Tickets available now click here

Here are four film reviews from film student Fanny Leyvraz. The first, "Muchachas" comes highly recommended from both Fanny and Living in Nyon.  This film focusses on the relationship that household maids in Mexico have with their employers and the families they work for. Yesterday, at the Nyon film festival, one of the maids was given the opportunity to speak to the audience as the film's director Juliana Fanjul had flown her in from Mexico to attend the screening of the film and to answer questions. A rich an interesting discussion ensued. The next three short reviews are from the "First Steps" film selection. These are short films out of film schools presented in world or international premieres. Fanny warmed to two of the films, but not to the third.  Read on for her reviews. Muchachas  - screening tonight Thursday 23rd at the Cinema Capitole Fellini Capitole Fellini at 20:00 A film filled with whole-hearted and honest exchanges  In the city of Mexico, almost every single wealthy family has an employee doing the household chores. They clean, cook, answer the door, do the laundry, and take care of the kids. is about three women, Lupita, Remedios, and Dolores, who have spent their entire life as house-workers. Wide hands and robust arms, wrinkled faces, they wear their hair short or tied up. Their every move is done with the precision of a watchmaker, energetic and with minimum effort. They are always active and quiet, always standing yet discreet, but the camera reveals the courage and strength these three women, and imposes our respect. Using the technique of conversation, Juliana Fanjul and her camera are able to obtain genuine thoughts and opinions of those who are usually silent. Asking simple questions, and letting time loosen tongues, the process of sharing grows as the minutes go by. The house-workers have memories about their childhoods, they comment on how they consider themselves in relation to the family they work for, their intense reactions can be touching, amusing and sometimes troubling. The film raises many questions - the culture of young female house-workers coming from small villages (where they usually didn’t have any access to education), to questions on Mexico itself. The documentary addresses the separation between economical classes, and the nature of the relationship between the boss and the employee, or the employee and the children of the family, issues that encourage an evolution. Filled with whole-hearted and honest exchanges, gave these incredible women the time and space to speak up about their side of the story. Info and tickets here  Three first steps films by film students - Usine a Gaz  Friday 24th April at 10:00.  Note: all First Steps films will be shown in a mammoth screening session from 10:00 onwards. See timings of the following three films here  Mars Closer Paul and Pauls not only share almost the exact same name, but also the same dream. They long to be a part of the first expedition to Mars, to be the first men ever to set foot on another planet. We follow each man in his earthly dwellings. Paul walks the busy and rainy streets of Tokyo, in an atmosphere recalling In Latvia, Pauls plays in the garden with his two small children. Mixing very blunt addresses to the spectator, and dreamy scenes, does not seem to be real, but wonderfully fictional. Economic Forecasters The blurry and colourful lights, the hullabaloo of radio transmissions, and the swirling of newspapers lure us slowly but surely into an absurd and amusing world. There are two men that see economy as predictable. One looks up to the planets, walking in the dark streets of Helsinki, the other in his newspaper-crammed office, answers calls from hesitant house-buyers or investors. Funny and eccentric, will make you smile. On vénère bien les chevaux In a small café, somewhere in France, there is a cult, betting on the horse-races. If the analogy made with the frenzy of horse-racing bets and the story of the Buddha, and his twelve animal tournament is surprising and smart, it fails to move deeply the spectator. This small window to the horse-racing bet world is probably authentic, but unfortunately not so enchanting.

This weekend (on Friday 8th, Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May ) it's the Jardins en Fête which will be held in the park and grounds of the Château de Coppet. This event is dedicated to plants and the art of the garden and brings together gardening professionals all in one space. With over 130 exhibitors it is one of the biggest garden events in the region. Hester Macdonald from the Swiss Gardening School will also be at the show. Hester runs gardening courses in English throughout the year. See our post from 2014 when Living in Nyon attended one of her courses. On Sunday 24th May, it's the annual CGN Naval Parade and this year it will gather in Rolle from 10:00 - 19:00. The main choreography of boats will take place between 14:00 and 14:30 and can be seen from the quayside in Rolle. It's an impressive sight when all the lovely Belle Epoque boats gather together in one place! See photos from last year. On Friday 29th May it's Neighbours' Day in both Prangins and Nyon. If you have just arrived here and don't yet know your neighbours, this event is an ideal time for neighbours to get together. Look out for posters in your building or community to see if anything is being organised in your area, if not, why not take the plunge and invite your neighbours over for an apéro to say "Bonjour!"  If you don't live in Nyon or Prangins, click here to find out when and where the event is taking place in your area.   The outdoor swimming pool in Nyon has now opened. In May, June and September it is open from 09:00-20:00 and in July and August from 09:00 to 20:30.

"Relative Values" , a play by Noel Coward will be performed in English by The Geneva English Drama Society ( GEDS ) from 15th November to 19th November at the Théâtre de Terre-Sainte in Coppet. The play has been described "a superb comedy of manners, smart and very funny". Synopsis and ticket details below. Description : A satire of snobbery in all its guises, it deals with the clash of cultures between Hollywood stars and the English aristocracy Set in a stately home in 1950’s Kent, where a polished aristocratic matriarch, the Countess of Marshwood, plots to undermine the upcoming marriage of her ne’er-do-well son to a phony American actress, who unbeknownst to anyone, is in fact the English sister of Lady Marshwood’s longtime faithful housekeeper. John Lahr the prominent theatre critic summarizes it as "A satire of snobbery in all its guises, it deals with the clash of cultures between Hollywood stars and the English aristocracy, and with "the ancient and inaccurate assumption that, as we are equal in the eyes of God, we should be equal in the eyes of our fellow creatures. Tues 15th November  - Fri 18 Nov 20:00 Saturday 19th Nov 19:00 Directed by Charles Slovenski Prices: CHF 30 (seats numbered), students CHF 20 on presentation of student card (must be purchased at the theatre on the night of the show) For tickets click here

Whether you have a small balcony at 400 metres in Nyon, or a big plot of land at 1,000 metres high up in St Cergue, if you are in need of some excellent gardening advice for this part of the world, then look no further than the Swiss Gardening School. The school's tag line is "Lessons in English for amateur gardeners by professionals" and classes are run throughout the year on a variety of subjects by gardeners Hester Macdonald and Tara Lissner. The school's next course will be held in Nyon on the 1st April from 09:00-13:00 an will be "Design - On a Budget - Creating a beautiful outdoor space without spending a fortune". Below are a selection of photos taken by Living in Nyon at one of the school's gardening course back in September 2013. Despite the editor of this site having  decidedly  non-green fingers, she learnt the best way to pot plants into containers, how to plant bulbs the correct way up, what to look for when buying compost, how to design and plan around colour schemes, and she also got some good recommendations on local nurseries, garden centres and online gardening sites. Nearly six months later, the box of  bulbs that the editor planted is still going strong and in bloom!    As class sizes are small there are plenty of opportunities to ask the gardening experts one-on-one advice on anything and everything to do with gardening based on personal requirements.   Classes are fun and informative  - See here for full details of upcoming courses   h eld  i n both Nyon and Founex. Photo above - sensible, practical advice given to students Photo above -which way up do I plant these? Photo above - recommended reading material. Plant Pots made out of coffee tins!  Photos below - Living in Nyon box of bulbs and flowers planted September 2013 (top left of photo) and the same box March 2014.

“Mahragan”  - by Omar El Shamy  - 23 mins long   - The film will be screened for a second time on Friday 26 April at 13:00 at the Usine à Gaz  in a collection of 18 short films at Usine à Gaz at the Visions du Réel film festival . Review by Trish Thalman who say this is a " splendid film, a noisy and exciting visit to the musical 'street' of Cairo" Mahragan is the name of a popular Rap music group in Cairo. The three young, energetic musicians have taken the traditional Chabbi format of music and up-dated it to reflect the modern beat and musical freedom they now have since the revolution occurred two years ago. Rap music is ‘what’s happening’ as we are introduced to the boisterous opening scenes of a massive, street concert in Cairo.  It’s all about sparklers, flashing lights, a line-up of massive, full-blast speakers, vuvezuelas, dance circles of young males (only males!) wearing jeans, ‘hoodies’ and wonderfully garish t-shirts, who are able to hip-hop and yell along with the music from Mahragan. The fans know all the words to the songs, which are words of opposition from ‘the people’ to the authorities. This was not possible 2 years ago. Mahragan have a long list of bookings, in spite of the confusion with their booking agent who has put June dates before May dates in their diary. One of their musical gigs is a stylish wedding reception at The Swiss Club in Cairo, where Mahragan provide Chabbi-type music, a tradition at Egyptian weddings, but with their lively ‘rapped-up’ beat, and without the fiery political words. The lead singer and songwriter proudly confirms that Mahragan is from a working-class area of Cairo, and that the working-class people are the ones who have important stories to tell. His people are not yet free. The group refer to older and contemporary poets and songs for their on-going, political and musical education. Mahragan truly believes, writes about and raps to the tune that the Egyptian Revolution carries on, and that they will eventually be free. This is a splendid film by a talented, young filmmaker that takes us on a fun, noisy and exciting visit to the musical 'street' of Cairo, with warmth, humour and energy.

Nyon tourist office will be screening the England versus Wales, and Northern Ireland versus Ukraine European championship football matches on Thursday 16th June at 15:00 and 18:00 respectively. Members of the public are invited to watch. There will be benches to sit and watch the game and drinks provided too!

There are five free invitations up for grabs for readers to join Lloyds TSB Private banking for a round of Golf and to take part in their golf tournament on Wednesday 3rd October at the Golf and Country Club de Bonmont in Cheserex.  To enter, simply email your name to cnp@bluewin.ch before 15:00 today the 27th September.  Names will be put into a hat and drawn and winners notified on Friday am 28th September.

There's a great initiative going on this weekend to encourage us to recycle our old mobile phones. If you take your old mobile phone along today, Friday and Saturday 16 May to the recycling point in Nyon in Chemin de Bourgogne 18 (open 08:30 -11:45 and 13:30 - 17:30) you will get a mobile phone made out of chocolate in exchange! Nyon Tourist office now has an updated website with new features and an opportunity to add comments to certain forums. I recently went round Nyon (post about this coming soon) with one of their tourist guides to find our more about this town and to check out their Tin Tin tour. This visits the places that are in Herge's book "The Calculus Affair" and Nyon is featured in part of the story. Ideas for this weekend in the area . Saturday 16 May" Cultural/Fun Day" for children in Nyon, events including the circus school, puppets, tours, lots going on across the town. See site for full programme Sat and Sun, its "Cave's Ouvertes" over in the pretty village of Mont-Sur Rolle with the village's wine cellars open for wine tastings. Saturday 11:00-19:00 and Sunday 11:00-17:00 There is even a free bus organised from Rolle railway station to take you up to the village. Tonight Friday 15 May at 20:30 there's a jazz concert down at the Villa Thomas (Salle Mingus) which is in the prestigious Nyon Conservatoire. Balkan Klezmer, Latin American inspired music. Joel Musy on Saxophone, Phillipe Cornaz on Vibraphone, Stephane Fisch on Contrebasse and Martha Themo on Percussion. Reservation call 022 994 23 60 or go to site .

There are two classical concerts on the local agenda this weekend: the Conservatoire of Western Vaud will be performing  a Sunday afternoon concert at 17:00 in Nyon on the 22nd May, see poster below  and link here. Also, the prestigious Ansermet Ensemble will be playing at the Salle du Vallon  in St Cergue on Friday 20th May.  Discover Nature in the Town Day -  Family Fun On Sunday 22 May, it's “Nature in the town“ day. Discover the nature to be found around Nyon and the village of Prangins  through an organised walking tour/ treasure hunt. Tours depart from 10:00 through till 15:30, beginning at the Morache park  (behind Nyon railway station) or from the park in the Château of Prangins. Full details here.  Electro-Funk music Friday 20th May at the Usine a Gaz in Nyon American Singer Madafi Pierre and Swiss producer Rocobelly form the band Maddam  described as  “an electro-funk-retro futuristic-new wave-soulful duo“, will be performing at the Usine a Gaz on Friday 20th May.  Doors open 21:00, concert at 21:30   Click here to hear their music. Also, DJ Set Burning Beggars will be playing at the Parenthèse on Saturday 21st May.   Details here Expat Fair - Sunday 22nd May Also on Sunday May 22nd, the Leman International Spring Fair will take place at the Lausanne Palace & Spa. Information on Summer camps, wine courses, hotels, golf resorts, thermal baths, and information relevant for long-term residents. Click here