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Here is an other edition of 1260+  a miscellaneous selection of events and useful information for readers. Why 1260+?    1260 is the postcode of Nyon so for these articles, we travel further afield. Interviews in English  UK Doctor working in Switzerland Listen here to an interview on World Radio Switzerland with a UK trained doctor who works  in the emergency department of the Cantonal Hospital of Geneva. She talks about the similarities and differences of working here as a doctor compared to the UK. We hear about Swiss medical culture, the cost of treatment, the language skills of Swiss doctors and more. Online Learning opportunities for Expats  Listen here to an interview with an expat who started a PhD in education as the first ever PhD distance student at Edinburgh University. You can also find other suggestions to online learning opportunities  from the Open University to the Khan Academy, on the same page as the interview. Miscellaneous  Info and Articles from other websites 7 Weird Things found in Switzerland -  See this article here from the website "Newly Swissed"   The editor of Living in Nyon is not sure if some of these are "April Fools" or not. Judge for yourself! Swiss Prices give me Indigestion  -   An article here by Diccon Bewes (author of Swiss Watching) on the high price of some products in Swiss pharmacies. Switzerland's Surprising Wines - See article  here  from the website "Geneva Lunch" for a clear explanation (in English) about Swiss wines and all about the six wine making regions. Want to know why the shape of a wine glass matters? Listen to this radio interview here by Amy Eber the food Scout on World Radio Switzerland.   US Expats feel the burden of FACTA   -   Read here on Swiss Info  about FATCA – ( the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) and how it has caused "upheaval among the American expat community and dual Swiss-US nationals living in Switzerland" Video on local TV of  the Naval Parade in Nyon Missed the naval parade in Nyon on the 19th May?  You can get an idea of the atmosphere of the day here on this video on Nyon Region TV  (the parade is from around 5. 30 minutes into the video) La caméra en balade - Parade Navale de la CGN à... First Aid Course for Swiss Driver's Licence to be held in English   Friday 7th June 18:00-21:30  Saturday 8th June  09:00-17:00  See details on  Health First website here The obligatory approved First Aid course required for the driving licence in Switzerland. The course is 10 hours long and is split over a Friday evening and a full day on a Saturday. The course is delivered in English and the contents include: The first actions to take at the scene of an accident. How to call for emergency help, including essential French and German phrases and your legal obligations in Switzerland. How to keep yourself and others safe when an accident has occurred, including  management of your own stress levels. Practising Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation on life-sized mannekins. Helping an injured person at the roadside. Recognising the symptoms and signs of a heart attack and a stroke and their First Aid management. How to asses and help an unconscious person. Special precautions that need to be taken if a spinal injury is suspected. The First Aid management of severe bleeding and burns.  This is a 2 module course and attendance of both modules is required in order to obtain the course certificate.

Students living in Switzerland who intend going on to a US college or a UK university for further education often find that the application process can be complicated. However, help is at hand as there are two specialist consultants; Anne Spencer and Jennifer Koller (in photo below), who work locally and who can help students (and their parents), understand the application process a little bit better. They run a consultancy company called your Ideal College  - see advert on right hand side bar. Anne Spencer is a long-time resident of Switzerland, and has worked for ten years as North American College Counselor at the International School of Geneva at La Chataigneraie school and is familiar with schools in the Canton of Vaud.  Jennifer Koller has lived in Geneva and London over the past twenty years. She is familiar with both the UK and Swiss school system. As a volunteer Admissions Representative for her alma mater, as a parent and as a professional, Jennifer has been involved in the admissions field for many years. Both Anne and Jennifer say "We know that the pressures of secondary school combined with the array of choices available in higher education present a confusing picture. We find it rewarding to help students and families navigate those choices at this crucial time in their lives".

It's the start of the pantomime season (oh, yet it is!) beginning with the Geneva Amateur Operatic Society's production of Sinbad the Sailor. The GAOS website says-  this "production  is packed with all the usual ingredients of a classic English pantomime: the struggle of good  overcoming evil, love at first sight, and loads of magic, songs, daft comedy and innuendo! Children of all ages will enjoy Sinbad's adventures as he lurches from one calamity to another in his attempts to rescue the beautiful Princess Yasmin from the clutches of the evil magician Vazar. On the way he also encounters a bloodthirsty pirate, a hideous sea-serpent and a giant man-eating bird. Come and watch as Sinbad, his resourceful pet monkey and his hapless gang of henchmen eventually triumph over adversity" The production will run on Friday 23rd, Sat 24th and Sunday 25th November and Friday 30th November. For full details and booking, click here

There's a lot going on this weekend in the Nyon and Geneva region. Here are a few of the events on the agenda. Saturday - Cow parade in St Cergue On Saturday 1st October it's the annual "La Désalpe" in St Cergue. This annual tradition is when cows are brought down from the hills by farmers to be wintered in the lower lying barns. The cows are decorated with headdresses and led through the village in a a colourful parade, and it's well worth going up to the village if you have never been to it before. There are other events throughout the morning such as flag twirling, folkloric singing, and there is food available for sale at the buvettes in the village.  Note: the first parade parade starts at 08:30 so get up there early in order not to miss it! This is a very popular event and parking can be very tricky on this day, it's easier to take the little red train from Nyon to St Cergue (there are extra trains scheduled for this event). See St Cergue Tourism Autumn Fair in Nyon  After watching the Désalpe on Saturday morning, you still have time to get down to Nyon for its Autumn fair, this is another colourful event with all the fruits and vegetables of the season on display along with other stands, music and entertainment.  Saturday 1st October - Tourist visit of Nyon . If you would like a guided tour of Nyon and want to know a bit more about its buildings, its history and cultural heritage, then why not go to the last guided Saturday tour of the 2011season. Just turn up in front of the castle at 10:30 (tour leaves promptly). The tour is an nice easy one and half hour walk and costs 20chf which includes a drink/apéro, and food (platter of meat) at the end of the walk in the atmospheric old wine cellar of Nyon. Children go free of charge.  See Nyon tourism 1 ,500 Classic British Cars in Morges If you are interested in "Classic Cars", then the Swiss Classic British Car Meeting in Morges is also on Saturday from 10:00- 17:00.  Over 1,500 classic cars will be at this meeting which takes place along the quayside, the château and the Parc d' L'independance. The invited models for 2011 are the Jaguar E Type and all Jaguars Delorean. If you have a British vehicle take it along,  no reservation necessary. The website with more information is in French, English and German. Sunday Expat Expo On Sunday over at Palexpo (near Geneva Airport) it's Expat Expo. This is a massive event for expats, as under one roof you will find information on doctors, accountants, lawyers, schools, day-care clubs, churches, accountants, there are speciality food items on sale, a bouncy castle for children and much more. See website for full information .  Also on Sunday over in Rolle by the château there's another autumn market -  the Marche de l' Espoir run by Terre des Hommes. Games, music, food and drink stands from 10:00 - 17:00. There are hundred of other activities going in the region, for the full list of events. Pick up the "Agenda de La Côte" from the tourist office, it is also printed inside La Côte newspaper each Thursday.     Music There's music on at the Usine a Gaz tonight Friday 30th September with "Brigitte",  a pop duo from France and the group "Jerry Can". See Usine a Gaz site  for more info and other upcoming concerts.

A family friendly place for both young and old  - just a short drive from Nyon The Château de Vullierens has now opened its gardens and grounds to the general public and they will remain open until the 22nd June. These gardens are famous locally for their collections of irises and lilies and for their modern sculptures which are scattered around the grounds. Other attractions include an outdoor restaurant/ café (also offering lazy Sunday brunches), a small art gallery and a gift shop. There is plenty of space (around 100 acres) for little ones to run around, to play hide and seek and to touch (some) of the sculptures.  Free entrance for children under the age of 11. There is a shady avenue walk (amongst trees planted back in 1758) and benches placed throughout the gardens and grounds to simply sit and contemplate the view on to the vineyards and Alps beyond. The château also offers various cultural activities such as wine tastings (the château has its own vineyard) and evening concerts. On the 29th May and the 8th June (from 16:30 -18:00) there will be the opportunity to see the gardens from 30 metres above ground in a static hot air balloon. This is free for visitors! Note: the gardens are open on a Monday and on this day you can buy two tickets for the price of one. Although the gardens are open for another four weeks the irises are looking their best right now. The gardens are approximately 15 minutes from the Morges motorway exit. The drive then takes you through pretty villages and Vaud countryside to reach the château. Full map and details on their website here See photo essay below of the gardens with more information. One of the many modern sculpture that visitors can look at (or in this case) sit on! Large statues can be found throughout the grounds. Above - Children looking at the art. Below  - The massive hanging sculpture near the entrance to the garden Lilies galore Photo above - For those interested in gardening and growing their own irises, there is an iris and garden information centre situated right in the centre of the grounds.  Over  400 varieties of irises or 150 varieties of day lilies can be ordered on site either on site at the château or online. Deliveries are made from mid August to October. The sculpture that makes a noise! Fun for the children to walk over Questionnaires throughout the grounds on the flora and fauna around Entrance to the outbuildings near the château Friendly staff at the château reception! The château itself (this is a private residence and is not open to the public) however you can see the entrance hall of this magnificent building and hear an interview with the owner at  minutes 1. 38 and 7.56  - 9. 40 on this TV programme here (in French). The property has been in the same family  for 700 years! A statue in the "Secret Garden" Ice cream for sale at the café The outdoor café /restaurant Check out the big chair and the big table in the restaurant End the day out with a glass of Château de Vuillerens wine!

The current exhibition on at the Château de Prangins is entitled "Papiers decoupés" ("Paper cuts") and this year focuses on contemporary paper cutting. Above paper cut by Werner Gunterswiler  "La Mouche, 2012" - All images courtesy Château de Prangins The exhibition includes some historical paper cuts, including a love letter, silhouettes and scenes depicting an Alpine cattle drive all created by traditional paper cutting artists. There is also an installation of paper dresses! Fancy trying paper cutting yourself?  Every Sunday at the château there are demonstrations of papercutting and an opportunity to try your hand at the art itself from 14:30 to 16:30. The exhibition lasts until the 28th September.  For full details of exhibtion and the Sunday afternoon demonstrations  click here Ticket for Film "A Long Way Down" based on the best selling book by Nick Hornby  - Monday 21 July 2014 There are five pairs of ticket up for grabs for the Monday movie in English on the 21 July in Nyon. The film is "A Long Way Down" based on the best selling book by Nick Hornby. The film stars Pierce Brosnan, Toni Collette, Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots and is an "avant-première"!   To be in with a chance of winning tickets, send an email with your full name, the name of the other person who will be accompanying you and the towns or villages that you both live in to  info@capitole-nyon.ch     Closing date Saturday 19th July 2014. See trailer below.

We have been scouring other Swiss websites for a selection of news and articles that will interest Living in Nyon readers in our section called 1260+ (Nyon and beyond). Nyon News is at the end of this post Know it All Passport  School holidays -  Ûseful Dates - It's the school holidays in Geneva this week and the following two weeks will be holidays in Vaud. If you want to see a comprehensive calendar of all school holiday dates, check out the excellent "Holiday Calendar"  on the Know it All Passport website.  Click here  Want to know what activities are on over the holiday period? Check out their activities calendar  here .  There are also some recommended Valentine Day choices in an article  here World Radio Switzerland -  Interesting Radio Interviews Cold Spell - Interview Interview with  meteorologist Lionel Fontannaz, from  MeteoSwiss , about where this recent cold spell in Switzerland came from, and how long it will last (recorded Friday 8th February) Click here Kids in Mind - Programme Helping children deal with their worries - Click here  Book about the Residents of Lausanne -  Interview   Interview with Laura Spinney, author of a book called Rue Centrale, which paints a portrait of Lausanne featuring interviews with 70 residents from all walks of life including bankers, prostitutes, train drivers, tango dancers, illegal immigrants an pillars of the community. Click here Dig it!  - Gardening  Programme - Click here Growing your own detox fruit, vegetable and herbs Lecture series in English at the Museum of Modern  and Contemporary Art of Geneva  Click here Geneva Lunch  Articles in English on Swiss Wines - Geneva Lunch Interested in knowing more about Swiss wines?  The editor of Geneva Lunch has written many articles on Swiss wine under her blog called "Among the Vines"   Click here  Newly Swissed  There's an amusing couples of posts on the website Newly Swissed - one called  "A Lesson from Liechtenstein",  and " 33 more Signs that you are becoming Swiss"  Swiss Info  Article entitled "Swiss Roots - Home is where the Heart is"-   Click here NYON NEWS Paléo  -  New Stage - called "Les Arches"  Read all about this new stage at Paléo, to be launched at the festival this year. The competition to name the new stage received over  8500 different suggestions! This new stage that will take the place of the Chapiteau.  See diagrame below. Here are the results of the competition - 1. Scène des Arches: 2601 votes (36%), 2. Scène Woodstock : 2175 votes (30%), 3. Scène de la Dôle : 979 votes (14%), 4. Scène Bashung : 937 votes (13%),  5. Scène de l’Entrée : 488 votes (7%) More info on the Paléo website. Finally, don't forget the Living in Nyon column in English every Friday in La Côte newspaper. The paper for all your local news.

Living in Nyon took to the air on Tuesday with pilot Marcel Briand to get a bird's eye view of Paléo and of  the town of Nyon.  Take a look at these photos of the festival, the stages and the campsite which were taken early in the afternoon. There are not too many people near the main stage at this time - a complete contrast to the evening when the area is  packed with music lovers, particularly so on Thursday night for both the Dub and Santana concerts.  Review of Thursday coming up. Also below see  photos of  Nyon from above, the castle, the boats in the harbour and check out the colour of the lake! Photo above - Before the crowds arrive - The  main stage - the Grand Scène Close up on just one area of the massive campsite Photo above - More of the campsite and the car parking area Above the Village du Monde area and the Dôme tent, this year the place for music from the Indian Ocean The Dome plus the main stage Behind the scenes of the Les Arches stage. See the infrastructure needed to put on a concert!  Apologies for the not-so sharp-images. It's not easy keeping the camera still when you are high up in a plane and leaning out over the scene in the wind! The Club tent, Les Arches and the Dome tent. The "Birdland" structure seen from above Above the outskirts of Prangins Above Nyon The boats in Nyon harbour The CGN ferry coming into port   Pilot Marcel Briand

This film review of Hula and Natan directed by Robby Elmaliah, is a film " not to be missed" according to Trish Thalman.  This film will be shown today Monday 11 April 2011 at the Capitole 2 – 18:00 Hula and Natan We live just to die”, complains the growling, morose, kind and dissipated Hula, after a ‘Colour Red’ alert is sounded that warns of incoming Qassam Rockets. The, mostly, homemade Hamas rockets are being launched from Gaza and arrive in Sderot, Israel, which is close to the Gaza/Israel border. Hula then jokes “they are giving me back all the metal I sold to them”. Hula and his brother Natan have a car repair ‘shop’ (shop is certainly a loose term) in Sderot. It is in fact, a scruffy, overgrown dusty field with junked out cars spread about like metal toys, random piles of iron, metal, old car batteries -  just about everything, in no particular order. The ‘office’ is an ancient, grimy caravan where business conversations and foul-language, spiteful arguments go on-and-on between the two men. Black, oily hands from years of working on cars, have turned the doors, walls, everything, into a colour of greasy grey mixed with tobacco smoke yellow. It’s a love-hate relationship between the two brothers and they give as good as they get. In fact, it’s the sensitive, loving friendship between them that keeps the business ‘going’. They have been at their ‘car repair shop’ for nearly 30 years and it is their ‘home’. They are well known, loved and despised at the same time. There is an animal family at ‘the shop’ of beloved cats, dogs, a donkey, roosters and chickens who are healthy and extremely well cared for. Even the animals look up to the sky when the ‘color red’ alerts are announced.  Both men have had unhappy marriages.  Hula has been divorced for 13 years, and laments, “ but I have never left my wife”.  Some of his happier moments are when he is with his wife’s son, Aaron, from a relationship she had after the divorce. Natan is separated from his wife and two children. His wife harasses him endlessly on the phone about needing money.  He remains separated and cannot come to grips with getting a divorce. This is cause for many arguments between the two brothers, berating each other about the fact that they have had no joy in their lives or love. They do have a long list of prostitutes names whom they often visit. An eviction notice arrives - again! An eviction notice arrives – again!  This is an on-going process in their lives. The huge crane and trucks arrive to take away all the old cars that are sitting around in the dirt and weeds. In principle, the land is to be cleared and their ‘car repair shop’ is to cease business.  By law, their caravan and other piles of ‘who-knows-what’ is not subject to the eviction notice.  Cars eventually return and the ‘repair shop’ remains in business. For the Independence Day celebration, the two brothers visit a barber together and get their scruffy hair cut and long, unkempt beards shaved off. Pleased with their images, they smile at themselves and each other. They are ready for a day of celebration together and return to the, currently,  empty ‘car repair shop’ caravan and animals. This truly tragicomic story, is joyful and spirited, in spite of their situation with their business, and tense situations with Hamas in-coming fire. They get on with their lives employing a mixture of sullenness, despair, hope, joy, humour and genuine brotherly love for each other. What all religions ask of us. The young filmmaker Robby Elmaliah has created a film about real life provided by two indomitable spirits.  For a few minutes, we focus on people and not the dangerous political situation that exists in the Southern part of Israel.  This is a film not to be missed.

Did you know that you can now shop for clothes on a Sunday at the Karen Millen store  in Geneva?  Not only is the store open on a Sunday for personal shopping (by previous appointment ), but Sarah Groves, the franchise partner of Karen Millen in Switzerland, will guide you towards the perfect outfit including shoes and accessories, whether you are looking for a whole new summer wardrobe, or just a couple of items. In addition she is offering a 10% discount on purchases to Living in Nyon readers. Photo above: Sarah Groves, happy to help her customers shop to find the perfect outfit and on a Sunday too!   This Sunday private shopping concept is a great opportunity to shop in peace (and for busy mums to leave the children with partners for a few hours!) and to try on outfits to their  heart’s content. The Rive car park is located near to the store and the store is easily accessed via public transport. From Cornavin train station take tram lines 12 and 14 to Rive, or buses 5 and 8  which also stop at Rive, directly next to the Karen Millen store.   The Karen Millen store has been established in Geneva since 2002 and Sarah has been supplying stylish clothes to both the Swiss and expat community since it first opened its doors and is now one of Europe’s top stores.   Sarah explained to living in Nyon, “Karen Millen is a designer name but our prices are not stratospheric, they are very competitive, for example, you can pick up a pretty summer dress at  280 CHF  or 175 CHF for a skirt and readers will also be happy to hear we also stock clothes in a wide size range, from size 6 to 16. We pride ourselves on excellent customer service in the shop, it’s our mantra and the fact that we all speak fluent English is very important to  many of our customers”.    If you would like to book a personal shopping session on a Sunday and take advantage of the 10% discount to Living in Nyon readers (discount valid for any day, not just Sunday) then email kmgeneva@yahoo.uk , mention Living in Nyon, and happy shopping! Address of the Geneva store: - 7 Cours de Rive, 1204 Geneva, Switzerland. Opening Hours  Monday:10.00-19.00 Friday:10.00-19.00,  Tuesday:10.00- 19.00, Wednesday:10.00- 19.00, Thursday:10.00-21.0, Saturday:10.00- 18.00 Sunday by personal appointment. Tel: 022-3104201

A Happy New Year to all readers!  Many of you will already have received the Living in Nyon Winter newsletter which was sent out in the first few days of January. The newsletter contains a summary of previous articles published on this site over the last few months plus the news that the site now has two new emails. Please note that the old email cnp@bluewin.ch will no longer be valid for this site. The two new emails are: events@livinginnyon.com - This email is for individuals, companies, other websites, arts, theatre and music organisations to promote events coming up in the area. info@livinginnyon.com - This is for any other Living in Nyon business, including advertising enquiries. Not subscribed to the newsletter? Just add your name in the "sign up now " box in the top right hand corner of this site to receive the newsletter ( approximately 3-4 times a year). Here's an eclectic mix of news and events to begin 2013 plus coming soon on this site, an article on Living in Arzier by resident Laura Covino. New white taxed rubbish/garbage bags to replace black bags You should should have received information through your letterbox about the new white taxed rubbish bags that came into use on the 1st January 2013 in many communities across the canton of Vaud.  There's more information on the official Nyon town site here  There's a also good summary about this new law on the news site Geneva Lunch,  click here , and an interesting interview about the new bags and how communes are affected by the new law on World Radio Switzerland,  here Events this weekend - Sunday 6th January - Galette des Rois in Nyon. The annual serving of the "king cake" to children and adults in Nyon. It is difficult to get accurate information on this event, but  it is assumed the procession will take place at 18:30 outside La Combe shopping centre and then move on to the Place du Chateâu. Also 6th January  - The " Association des bains des 3 Jetées" invite members of the public to join them over a glass of Vin Chaud from 11:00 at the Bains des 3 Jetées itself. Usually this event also involves the serving of raclette around a big massive jacuzzi (after the swimmers in the association have dipped in the icy lake), however as the area is currently being redeveloped and modernised. a simple drink is on offer this year - However the association do say there will be some surprises on the day! Interested in photography? New art gallery opens in Lausanne There is an exhibition currently on until January 17 dedicated to the English photographer Simon Roberts in a newly opened contemporary art gallery in Lausanne. Two series of his work are shown, “We English” and “Pierdom”.  All images have been taken in Great Britain.  For more details of this new gallery and opening hours, click here.   To find out more about the photographer, see his own website here Photo above from the "Pierdom" series.   Description taken from photographer's site With Pierdom, Simon Roberts turns his camera to a specific architectural remnant that bears witness to leisure of the past—not just in England, but around Britain. Mostly built in the 19th Century along the coastline of Britain, these piers were originally constructed as landing docks for pleasure steamers, but progressively catered to the needs of seaside day-trippers, who were escaping the grime and smog of the cities. In their heyday, the ‘pleasure piers’ incorporated cafes, casinos, theaters and even tramways. While some were modest structures others were elegant and exotic, thrusting out into the sea with characterstic Victorian aplomb. At the turn of the last century, almost a hundred piers existed: now only half remain and several face an uncertain future. All have interesting tales to tell, usually involving fierce weather, boat strikes, fires and the practice of ‘sectioning’ in the Second World War, when many piers on the east and south coasts were partly dismantled to prevent them being used as landing stages by the Germans. Following in the footsteps of Francis Frith, whose company made the last major photographic survey of these peculiarly British structures in the early 20th century, Roberts has been documenting the remaining piers, mostly out-of-season, using his signature landscape style and traditional 4 x ” plate camera. The photographs echo his work in We English: topographical landscapes, sometimes figurative and with a minimal colour palette.

Photo above: Courtesy ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson) of The Bianca Story , performing at the club. The barefoot writer is back!  Regular readers of  Living in Nyon may remember the great reviews of  both the atmosphere and the music from Paléo 2010 written by Jonas Parson (a.k.a "the barefoot writer "). Last year Jonas went travelling to Australia and to India and for the first time in his life he missed Paléo!  However he has now returned to Switzerland and we are happy to report he will be writing for this site again during this year's Paléo and on other music events that are happening around the Nyon region. Jonas is now studying philosophy and French literature at the University of Lausanne, and says he  spends his time reading a lot, practising at the Nyon circus school , and hanging out at the university student pub. He also says - "I'm happy Spring is back as it means I can put my shoes away and happily tread the barefoot path of freedom".  Jonas has written an article below called;  "In between the brackets - a night out at the  "Parenthèse", on the small but influential music club in the heart of Nyon.  Read on to find out more about the concerts at this venue, the club's music policy and how it  is now acquiring a reputation for attracting new and exciting new bands from all over the world. In between the brackets - A night out at the Parenthèse - Jonas Parson Strolling along the Grand-Rue in Nyon, you've probably already gone past the Parenthèse , just opposite the charming cobble-stoned Place du Marché, maybe without even knowing it was there.  Photo above  C. Nelson- Pollard - The venue (enter the tunnel here in Grand Rue next to the music shop to find the Parenthése)  Venturing down a small tunnel dating back – according to the stone carving above the entrance- to the 17 th century,  you find yourself in front of the entrance to this small bar dedicated to promoting live music in the area. Plunge down a flight of stairs, and you'll find yourself in what used to be a wine cellar; this is no place  for the claustrophobic!  The slightly cramped feeling is actually one the charms of the place, making it a small and cosy venue: narrow and long, the bar at one end, the stage at the other, and a dozen tables along both walls. The club entrance  - Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson A little bit of history of the club The Parenthèse opened in 2008 with the idea of promoting music -rock in particular, but also widening the range to other styles in Nyon. Concentrating mainly on local bands at first, the team at the Parenthèse gradually developed a network throughout the region and started hosting bands from farther afield. The walls of the Parenthèse were soon reverberating to the tunes of bands from as far away as the United States, or from slightly more exotic places like  Estonia with Ewert and the Two Dragons , who'll be 'folking' around on the 27 th of April. See  Utube video of their recent hit "Good Man Down". Promoting and sharing music - The Parenthèse philosophy. Not satisfied with  being just a bar that stages live gigs at the weekend, the Parenthèse has a philosophy of promoting and sharing music, an approach  that sometimes seems to be becoming all too rare in the world of contemporary show-business. Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson Their contacts and the reputation they've built means that this modest venue is hot on the heels of the ultra-professional rendezvous like the Eurosonics in the Netherlands, an annual and much vaunted  conference/showcase between programmers and bands. In fact about a dozen bands who played at the Parenthèse last year went on to play at  Paleo Festival the same year, with some bands also playing at the Montreux Jazz Festival or the Printemps de Bourges.  The pay check is symbolic This is what the Parenthèse has to offer to bands who come to play in Nyon, as the pay check is more symbolic than anything else in a bar where entrance is free. “ We basically provide board and lodging, pay for them to come to Nyon and for a sound engineer. But they won't get paid much else. On the other hand, the interesting part for the band is that we'll be able to put them in touch with clubs and festivals” explains Benjamin Zumstein, one of the founders of the Parenthèse and in charge of the venue's music programme. “ We all eat together before the gig, and it's a great way to share stuff and meet people. Band members also get free access to the bar all evening, which is something that you don't see much any more”. The Parenthèse is organised along voluntary lines (the association“La Parenthèse culturelle” was created last year), and  membership fees cover the expenses related to hosting, feeding and producing the bands at the venue. It is just CHF 50chf  become a member of the association, note: you don't have to be a member to go to the club or see a band. “We reckoned this was the best way to keep the spirit of sharing alive. It also means the bar itself, which is a limited company, can try and cover the bar expenses quite independently. As entrance is free, we're not actually making any money for the time being, so the idea is to try and limit the losses. The bar is open five nights a week, which means we need to pay a full time bar-tender, and there aren't that many people popping in for a drink during the week. So after the summer break this year (well yeah, it's the festival season, and people would rather go and have a drink outdoors than in a cellar!), the bar will only open from Thursday to Saturday.” Attracting a varied public  The club attracts a varied  public, ranging from teenage music fans to older people happy to come for a drink in a place where they know they'll discover new music and a truly eclectic line-up,  the Parenthèse is a fine place to go and chill out, have a drink and discover some very cool music.  La Parenthèse, Grand-Rue 22bis, Nyon. Here's a latest list of the complete line-up of  bands playing up to the summer break or see site here March 29   – No Mad (F) 31  – Se3en (CH) April 5 - Teletextiles (USA) 6  – Chloé Mons (F) 7  – Sound of Guns (UK) 13  – Jerrycan (CH) 14   - CATS ON TREES (F) 18  – The Travelling Band (UK) 19  – Maia Vidal (ESP) 20  – Joan and the Sailors (CH) 25  – Peasant (USA) 26  – Will Samson (UK) 27  – Ewert and the Two Dragons (EE) May 5  – Appletop (F) 17 – Kandle (CAN) 19  – The Deers (CH) 25  – Fog Horn (USA) Concerts are free, and usually take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. The bar can be rented out this summer for private parties, the money will help continue bringing bands to Nyon and keeping the concerts free. Photo above: Photo ©Les Hivernales 2012 / Niall Macpherson.  The group "Owwle" at the Parenthèse.