Tour de France

Bourges (Berlin) Wall From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (20 hours old)

As festivities get underway in the German capital, we too in small town France are marking this historic anniversary in our own "particular" way. For weeks, German teachers in local secondary s… more

Going Nuclear From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (20 hours old)

Nuclear power.Britain hasn't got enough of it, so the government are all set to "steamroller" throuh plans to build a whole set of new nuclear power stations. Yes, there wil be no public inquiry, but… more

What are we fighting for? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (1 day old)

The Rememberance Day ceremonies – at the Cenotaph in London are always a poignant The moving renditon of Elgar’s « Concord », the solemn and solitary « last post », the march past of the vétérans, an… more

Shell Fish Fest From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (2 days old)

And today in small town France it was our fifteenth annual Shell Fish Festival - even if we are about four hundred miles from the sea. The Rue d'Auron in downtown Bourges as closed off to traf… more

Weddings Divorce and Cliff Richard From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (2 days old)

At a loose end this weekend ? Looking for somewhere to take the family ? Hère are a few « fun » évents happeing in the Paris région. The 63rd Annual National Stamp Fair The Organic Food and … more

Marseilles Mega Mosque From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (2 days old)

They’ve got planning permission, all that remains is to find the 22 million Euros to finance the construction, and in just over two years, France’s largest Mosque will open for business in Marseilles.… more

How much does our President earn ? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (2 days old)

The answer comes in a small article, tucked away on the back pages of this morning’s paper. Nicolas Sarkozy gets 19,508 Euros net per month. This doesn’t seem an extraordinary sum, and since the p… more

Was Flaubert a physic's teacher? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (3 days old)

First year physics – our teacher « Bender Brown », so called because of his punitive practises which consisted of smacking us hard on the bum with a polythene rod whenever we were talking. After every… more

A Good Day's Work From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (3 days old)

Security van driver. That’s a lousy job. Carting round millions of Euros everyday all for a pittance. If you scrape together 1500€ by the end of the month you’re lucky,. It’s a dangerous job too. Vill… more

Anthropology and The Fame Academy - Levi Strauss is dead but we've still got jeans From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (5 days old)

Levi –Strauss is dead 101 years young, he shuffled off this mortal coil last Friday, though the nation’s media were only informed yesterday evening. The inventor of the jean is dead. Erm, no.… more

GONE TO THE LOO – BACK IN 5 MINUTES From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (5 days old)

AAAAH. Just nipped out to beat the lunchtime rush to the loo AND, I’ve just noticed something. The loo is the only place in the army where true equality exists. Standing there, washing my hands, I… more

Retour de vacances From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (5 days old)

Monday 2nd November. The beginning of week 45. I’m back at work, but the half term holiday still has the rest of the week to run. Schools go back on Thursday. This seems a bit dumb. Why not … more

Berry Deep Weekend From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (7 days old)

A few bits and pieces from down my way. Don’t say nothing ever happens in sleepy smalltown France at the weekend The posthumous Michael Jackson film “This is it”, made it to small town France this… more

More Halloween thoughts. From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (7 days old)

A few more thoughts on Halloween. Just arrived home from work. The offspring is in the kitchen learning a long list of English vocabulary for a test later in the week. The theme is Halloween. Why… more

Autumn Winds From the_gardener in Up at the Big House (7 days old)

Yes it's me again. Reporting a very successful season for crops this year. Despite almost total neglect for 2 months. We are perfecting the, plant and sow and go, technique which means we come back fr… more

Whatever happened to Halloween in France ? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (8 days old)

The goodies were there, ready to share with ghoulish trick or treaters, but none came. Neither witches nor wizards, no devils or demons. Ghosts, ghouls, spooks, spectres and phantoms, flunked Hal… more

Generation of WSPR using XOR Gates From radioman in Radio Comms. In Action (10 days old)

I am contemplating calling this the XORgan. I realise that this blog is the one that links from my web site. My other blog with more information on the WSPR Organ can be linked to from here. On … more

Paris From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (11 days old)

Back from the City of Light. Here are a few clichés of our Parisian escapade. Sacré Coeur and . . . Notre Dame. One thing that strikes you on the drive into the capital - the visible… more

Paris From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (13 days old)

off to Paris for a short break. Back on Thursday. Until then, here is something Parisian for you all. www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOXzGtlLGgw… more

Big fight, no match From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (14 days old)

"Well, we've come this far, we might as well have a fight." And so last night there were running battles between Parisian and Marseille football "suporters" on the streets of the Mediterannean city… more

Astérix, The True Frenchman? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (14 days old)

Meet Eric Besson – the Minister of Immigration, Integration and National Identity. Monsieur Besson has just announced the launching of a vast debate on national identity and values, meaning Rep… more

The October Country From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (16 days old)

The last day of the sun in my sign The last day of my October Country The last chance to find my Damp, misty, red, golden idyll. Out along the country lanes Across the rolling hills Through the… more

My hairdesser says I'm normal From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (17 days old)

Travelling without moving. It feels like science fiction. I am in the realms ofscience fiction. Ten to seven, half asleep, sitting in the back of a car as it speeds down the motorway to Tours. Off to … more

Today in France From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (20 days old)

Today in la Belle France National train strike. Only half of traibs will be running. In small town France we are on the second day of an indefinite local postal strike. Apparently a "radical" part … more

Rememberin Louis XIV From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (21 days old)

A vast exhibition on Louis XIV opens at the Château de Versailles this week, just in time for the half term holidays that are only a week away. We might be living in a Republic, but the French have a… more

It's Bracing in't East From campingcariste in On The Road Again (21 days old)

I used to do quite a few weekends at Bacton on the cliff top and some very good sea fishing. The very first time when we went we arrived in the dark noted the Gas Terminal and put down the constant n… more

Dsappearing Coastline From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (23 days old)

The French coast is in danger. 24% of it - 1723 kilometres is threatened with erosion. If nothing is done, vast stretches of coastline will disappear from Calais on the Channel, round into Brittany, a… more

FARMERS BLOCK CHAMPS ELYSEES TO DEMAND GOVERNMENT AID From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (24 days old)

French farmers are protesting again REUTERS - French farmers briefly blocked the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris with burning tires on Friday as part of a wave of protests around the country to dema… more

FRENCH ARMY DENIES REPORTS OF ITALY PAYING BRIBES TO TALIBAN From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (24 days old)

Just got this from the France24 website. Kind of important. AFP - The French military Thursday dismissed as "baseless" a British newspaper report that French troops died in Afghanistan because Ital… more

Receiving Dinner Guests From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (24 days old)

It’s all very uninspiring. Yes, of course there are things happening , nothing that I really want to cover at length though. In this morning’s Figaro, thère is a long inerview with Nicolas Sarkozy. He… more