An English Rose in France: July 2009

My Favourites

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

The Next Moon: The Remarkable True Story of a British Agent behind the Lines in Wartime France This book is local history for me, driving around Malestroit and St Marcell, down past the resistance museum, to the memorial and to the various crosses dedicated to the parachutists, real local, recent history. You have to wonder about the work the resistance did, how many innocents died in revenge of resistance work? Sometimes its difficult to decide if these people were heroes or not, catching five SAS soldiers who Hue was working with, the Gestapo shot them and seventeen locals as well. Hue proved to be a true hero after, first working with the SAS securing all the villages between St Marcell and Brest, after which he volunteered for other work, first in Burgundy then on to Burma beyond the Japanese lines helping the guerrillas. The book is a superb reference book to keep in the glove box when touring Brittany. Buy it!!!!!!!!!!!! Under the wire, William Ash's life up to and during the "Great Escape" much of what you read in this book mirrors the film and its said that Steve Mcqueen's character is on based William Ash, although at the time of the escape he was locked in a punishment cell after being returned to the camp after a previous escape. "Bill" was an American who gave up his US citizenship to become a Canadian so he could fight for Britain during WWII I've just added a link to Oradour sur Glane, On the 10th of June 1944 the Waffen SS (der Fuhrer) regiment part of the second Panzer division (das Reich) entered Oradour sur Glane and murdered 642 men women and children. The village remains as a memorial to those that died there.

Parlez Vous Anglais

A list of useful phone numbers to English speakers living in France.
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Emergency numbers
English may be spoken but there is no guarantee
Medical Help - 15
Police - 17
Fire and accident - 18
All above services from mobile phone - 112
Maritime rescue-1616,
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English speaking helplines.
Credit Agricole 02 31 55 67 89
EDF - 05 62 16 49 08
CPAM - 08 11 36 36 46
France Telecom - 09 69 36 39 00
SOS Helpline - 01 46 21 46 46

French Public websites in English.
France.fr
http://www.france.fr/en
National Assembly
http://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/english/index.asp
Senat
http:http://www.senat.fr/lng/en/index.html
Constitutional Council
http://www.conseil-constitutionnel.fr
Council of State
http://www.conseil-etat.fr/cde/en
Supreme Court
http://www.courdecassation.fr
French Education
http://www.educnet.education.fr/en
Studying in France
http://www.france.fr/en/studying
http://www.onisep.fr/onisep-portail/
http://www.campusfrance.org/en/index.htm
Visiting France
http://www.france.fr/en/visiting
http://uk.franceguide.com
Living in France
http://www.france.fr/en/living
Working in France
http://www.france.fr/en/working

Other Useful Links.
Essential Brittany & Normandy expat website,
http://brittanywi.proboards.com/index.cgi
___________

Another Expat website, lots of useful information, but can be over moderated.
http://brittany.angloinfo.com/

For the rest of the world
http://www.angloinfo.com/
French Real Estate property management.
allfrenchservices.com

French Holidays

Public Holidays

1 January	New Year's Day (Jour de l'an)
1 May	Labor Day (Fête du premier mai)
8 May	WWII Victory Day (Fête de la Victoire 1945; Fête du huitième mai)
14 July	Bastille Day (Fête nationale)
15 August	Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Assomption)
1 November	All Saints Day (La Toussaint)
11 November	Armistice Day (Jour d'armistice)
25 December	Christmas Day (Noël)

Moveable Feasts
Good Friday 22 April

Easter (Pâques) 24 April

Easter Monday 25 April

Ascension 2 June

Pentecost 12 June

Whit Monday 13 June

An English Rose in France

Wednesday, 29 July 2009

The after party

Party number 2

Party number 1

Kenzo's Christening, before