The traditional Autumn Fair which opens on 28th August 2010 until 17th October in the Bois de Boulogne, is now called the Party in the Woods.

The event, previously known as la Fête à Neu-Neu has been renamed on the occasion of the move from the lawn of Mortemart (behind the Hippodrome Auteuil).  Some 100 day rides in the Bois now find themselves on the lawn of La Muette, near the Sixteenth District and along the peripheral .

“We asked the mayor of Paris can get this new site … for economic reasons,” says Marcel Campion, head of the carnival environment, which dominates the festivities of Paris (Tuileries, Foire du Trone, at the Feast Wood). “The previous site was becoming increasingly difficult to reach,” he says.

The cause:  l’opération Paris respire (operation Paris breathes), forcing the closure of roads to cars in the Bois de Boulogne on the weekend. Decline in attendance during this operation, visitors to the festival in Neu-Neu were forced to go to the fair and walk back in the evening through the wood, which deterred deter many customers.

A spokesman for the fairground said that Paris respire had strangled the fair;  which show steep declines in attendance since the introduction of the programme. According to their organization, the number of visitors dropped from 1.5 million in 2005 to just 300,000 last year.

The transfer of the carnival on the lawn of La Muette has been welcomed by all showmen, particularly as it is now close to transport links:

Metro : Rue de la Pompe

RER : Avenue Henri Martin

Bus : No. 63

Toulouse Summer Festival

15 July / 30 August 2010

Toulouse d’été is celebrating its seventh sumeer time fesitval and aims to be even more innovative. Created at the initiative of the municipality, the season of music continues to be a development of the regional scene in and around Toulouse, both in the field of classical and contemporary music.

Its goal, to be a real snapshot of musical vitality and reveal to the public the quality of new and exceptional artists, with emphasis on young talent,  whether classical artists and musicians from various scenes – song, jazz, new folk music, rock, hip-hop, etc.

When I was a boy, my father had an “allotment”.

For the duration of World War 2, the United Kingdom became separated from her normal trading resources, which mostly came by sea. This being the case, the administration of the day motivated individuals to “Dig for Victory”… i.e., turn their flower gardens into vegetable gardens, and so grow to be more self-sufficient.

Assuming I told you to identify the most dangerous diseases (and I mean REALLY harmful conditions… kinds that kill), what do you include?

Coronary disease? In all probability.

Cancers? Undoubtedly.

Could be some thing more sensational for instance Malaria in addition.

However do you place Asthma attack in your list?

Your customers want this… but will you give it to them?

France coach Marc Lievremont has opted to stick with the same squad for the clash with Ireland despite fitness fears over Luc Ducalcon, Aurelien Rougerie and Benjamin Fall.

France opened up their RBS Six Nations rugby campaign with an impressive, forward-dominated victory over Scotland at Murrayfield.

The Dordogne (dept. 24) is placed to take advantage of speedier rail links to Paris and Spain – so enhancing tourism – as strategies for TGV routes for the South West are revealed.

The new proposed tracks for the Lignes à Grandes Vitesses connecting Bordeaux-Toulouse and Bordeaux-Spain could very well cut journey time from Dordogne to Paris to three hours and Dordogne to Spain to four hours.

Johan Bruyneel, the manager of Team RadioShack has released the details of 14 cyclists in contention for the 9 places with the team’s 2010 Tour de France programme.

The first-year ProTour outfit’s long term programme contains several experienced Tour de France entrants, led by seven time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong.

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Festival de Cannes

For over 60 years the Festival de Cannes (Cannes Film Festival) has made a celebration of the cinema.

During this time, L’Association Française du Festival International du Film (the French Association of the International Film Festival) has been able to evolve whilst retaining the essentials: the passion for motion pictures, discovery of new talents, and enthusiasm of festival-goers and professionals from around the world, all contributing to the birth and distribution of films.

The French health ministry released an alert on Tuesday just after eight individuals died and seven became ill in two European countries through using heroin contaminated with anthrax.