Archive for May, 2007
Sounds like it should be a fun weekend! With lots businesses from the English speaking community in Normandy. Lots of local produce and even Anglo/French Morris Dancing!
For more info see http://normandy.angloinfo.com/
If you are looking for cheap fares for getting across the channel then have a look at this useful site ferrycheap.com There you'll find all of the ferry companies sailing out from the UK with any discounts mentioned. Also there are special offers over the normal prices. So if you have a need to get over to France and are sick of complaining about high priced channel crossings.... have a look at this site. www.ferrycheap.com
As mentioned in our useful links section.
Kevan and Gillian Trott are building an Earthship home here in Normandy.
Arrival of building materials on site
(700 tyres recovered from a local tyre mountain).
During the months of April and May, the tiny village of Ger in Lower Normandy have been witness to quite an amazing occurrence. An experienced Earthship crew started construction on the very first residential Earthship home to be granted a building permit in Normandy.
The Earthship is an environmentally self-sufficient house powered by renewable energy sources, and partially made from used tyres and recyclable materials, such as bottles and cans. Entirely self-sufficient, they can be built just about anywhere. Plus they don't harm the environment.
Kevan and Gillian wanted to build a sustainable home and launch an Earthship project here in France, so with the help of Earthship Biotecture they applied for planning permission. After a wait of a year the authorities eventually gave the go ahead and so the Earthship home was born.
Kevan who is also involved in the current Earthship project in Brighton then asked the architect Michael Reynolds, (who has been designing and building sustainable housing for the past thirty years) if he would help launch the project over here. To the delight of Gillian and Kevan, Mike agreed and arrived with his team at the start of April, and over the course of these two months the first phase of the work is nearing completion.
There is an open day for the village on the 25th May once the first phase is finished. The second build phase will be started in July and the Earthship home should be available for holiday lets later in the year.
Here are some links to the full story and more info:
normandy.earthship.net
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Icq1gqPF5g
http://www.earthship.net/
http://www.lowcarbon.co.uk/
Suppliers links: UK link, FR link1, FR link2
The famous Red Hat Society has formed a chapter in Lower Normandy. Based in the Domfront and surrounding area and know as the Red ExpHat Society they are one of only two French chapters of the renowned worldwide Red Hat Society.
Normandy branch.
At the moment their Summer 2007 Programme has lots of fun activities planned for the forthcoming months, including a lunch planned at the Auberge du Moulin at Sourdeval.
So if you are interested in joining the Red ExpHat Society here in Normandy then check out their blog: http://redexphatsociety.spaces.live.com/
How the worldwide Red Hat Society started.
It all began with a simple gift. Sue Ellen Cooper gave a friend, a copy of the poem "Warning" by British author Jenny Joseph, ("When I am old I shall wear purple with a red which doesn't go") and a bright red vintage fedora to celebrate her 55th birthday.
The Red Hat Society officially formed on April 25, 1998 when Sue Ellen Cooper and a group of five friends, known as The Founding Chapter of Fullerton, California, dressed in purple clothing and red hats and met for afternoon tea.
Seven years on
Nearly 40,000 chapters exist in the U.S. in all 50 states and in 30 foreign countries. It is now estimated that each chapter averages about 20-25 members. Membership is primarily women 50 years and older. Their full regalia include red hats and purple clothing. Women younger than 50 are identified as Pink Hatters and wear pink hats and lavender outfits.
The official Red Hat Society Day is celebrated April 25th by official chapters worldwide.
The founding chapter of the Red Hat Society.
