A Kentucky fried chickens is announced for the end of 2011 in Angers

Credit picture : wikipedia

According to some forums on Facebook, the night club Mid'star, could leave space to a Kentucky Fried Chickens, an american chain of restaurants. The Mid'star is located on Felix Faure bank, near the Gaumont cinemas and next to the new bridge Confluence. The access is not very easy for drivers crossing Angers, so the customers of that restaurant could come mainly from the cinemas nearby.

Few by few, that space is changing its indusrial identity towards a urban identity. A large open space and some wholesale stores which occupied that place have disappeared leaving room to buildings for inhabitants and offices. Within a few years, that large landlocked area will have vanished and a new district, the Angers of the XXIst century, will spread new architecture for a new generation. Moreover, if the project "New Bank" is implemented, Kfc will benefit ot an attractive site.

Credit picture : Mid'star

If the american catering, symbolized by the fast food, is yet well represented in Angers, Kfc is not in the landscape. Kfc primarily sells chicken pieces, wraps, salads and sandwiches. While its primary focus is fried chicken, Kfc also offers a line of grilled and roasted chicken products, side dishes and desserts. Outside North America, Kfc offers beef based products such as hamburgers or kebabs, pork based products such as ribs and other regional fare. The arrival of Kfc would be scheduled for the end of the year.

The Angers Sco in the scoops

Supporters of the Sco erupted in joy on march 2nd after the Angers soccer club won its ticket for the semi-final of the France soccer cup over Chambery. In the cold evening of that winter, that victory will warm up all its fans who fear the worst for the Sco : a relegation in a lower national soccer division due to the case planned for the first days of april. Its a curious contrast : the Sco get at the same time the titles for misuses of funds and and victory on the field. The is near the abyss and the stars.


If the Sco is at risks on april 8th, day of the trial of his chairman, Willy Bernard, for irregularities in his financial manangement of the club, the municipal council and especially its majority runs big risks. After a public debate on monday at town hall, the city council annouced that a buyer for the club is needed, what it shows the majority has already ousted Willy Bernard. If, finally, the court gives right to the chairman of the Sco, the majority of the municipal council will suffer a terrible blow.

Credit pictures : Wikipedia and Angers Town Hall

If it is not the case, the court could nevertheless point out the breach of city council in its monitoring of the Sco and the star of the Bar Willy Bernard has recruited will not miss that point. On that field too, the final game is not already played out.

Saint-Jean-de-la Barre college in Angers launches theatrical classes in English

Would some schoolboys and schoolsgirls of Angers be eager to speak English more fluently? These teenagers of the Saint-Jean-de-la-Barre private college, located in the Belle-Beille district, had yet since 2005, an option called "English+". In order to improve their tone, their stress, their accent, they invited Suzy Taylor, an English speaking actress of the VO company who hands out classes of theater in many schools in Western France.

Credit : Saint-Jean-de-la-Barre college

 That kind of classes could be much more interactive between teacher and pupils. On the basis of a theme, schoolgirls and schoolboys imagine a script in English, they play after. Thanks to that involvment in a theatrical play and their natural skills, the pupils take profit of their active stance. The vocabulary fits to their level and the play is understood by everyone. The pupils commentaries (written in French on the website of the college!) are meaningful : "it helped me to modulate my voice", or "it warmed up the most shy of us".

In the same college, younger pupils go to talking workshops which are run by... American students of the Cidef (Western Catholic University). More than ever in Saint-Jean-de-la-Barre, English is taught as a living language.

And now the "Afterworks" in Angers

Credit picture : Angers Afterwork

There are new "Afters" . We knew the old "Afters". For example, some pubs or bars located in down town Angers organized a few years ago, on no working days, openings hours at dawn. That was called the "Afters" and the customers came there after a night in a night-club and left the bars when sun rose. In bad shape and in good company... But now there are new "Afters" : the "Afterwork" and one is underway in Angers city.

The "Afterwork" (in French in the original text...) is a Anglo-Saxon set phrase recently taken up in France for pre-dinner drinks drunk more often when fair-weather days and after working days. Afterworks take place on terraza, at bars of luxury hotels, and even at home.

Credit : parisetudiant.com

"Angers Afterwork" is a way for students, employees or managers coming from all economical sectors to meet other persons and to promote professionnal exchanges. A website registers all interest persons and will send them news regarding the places and the schedules of the meetings. "Afterwork" is free. Nothing is said about the language used during "Afterworks"...

Angers becomes anglicized

"English is now part of the Anjou cultural landscape", wrote in its edition of february 24th the weekly tabloïd La Tribune d'Angers, in an article about the interest inhabitants have to practise foreign languages. Two of them are becoming "incontrovertible" Chinese and English. "The Angevins don't anymore stand back from English like a few years before. They tend to make the Obama's sentence "Yes we can" theirs", precise to La Tribune d'Angers, Phoebe Marshall-Raimbeau, manager of the English Library in Angers with 1 600 members, a figure which doubled in 15 years.

This interest comes mainly from students. In the field of humanities, the courses of Applied Foreign Langagues studies attract most of the holders of French baccalaureate and they constitute on third of the members of the English Library in Angers, before adults who wish to resume English or English speaking people who have setteld in Western France and have been attracted by the collection of the authority. But about 120 children have been registered at the English Library and classes of English have been multipicated in the villages around Angers.

According to the tabloïd, numerous private companies teach English in Angers (The Wall Street Institute, Ecolangues, L'Autre Ecole, Access Langues, Langues Passion, The English Center of Angers) or public like the Angers Municipal Institute, and more recently, Saint-Edward University or the tea shop My Favourite Place.

Charity begins at home. Only at home...

News analysis.- Angers medias promote sometimes - probably unconciously - individual behaviour absolutely opposed to a value they usually put in the front pages all day long and under countless manners : solidarity. Nowadays, in the local news, everything makes reference to solidarity : gardens, workshops, shops, restaurants, exhibitions, tourism and so... Nevertheless, Le Courrier de l'Ouest dedicated last saturday the main title of its front page ("Their week of skiing is incontrovertible") to the holidays of a couple who, every year, go to skiing. Good!

The problem is : they have three children they let at home... for budgetary reasons! And the mother points out : "Now, we must go during school holidays and that's not possible". What a pity. If the expenses for two persons sum 1 000 € a week, they will range 3 000 € for five.

Hopefully, the parents describe their holidays and their beneficial effects better than a travel agency would do so : "That week in the middle of winter is irreplaceable. It is so good that stay in altitude, we do sport, we breathe fresh air. We take profit of it during several weeks later". Kids will appreciate. Hopefully, the parents used their train family rate. "So-li-da-ri-ty", no word of a lie!

The Sco, field of coming municipal fights

The next session of Angers municipal council on the evening of february 28th will be "sporty". Majority and minority will fight about the attitude of tow hall departments regarding the financing of the soccer club Angers Sco. In may 2010, town hall granted 1,2 million € which part of it is a 500 000 € loan. At that time, majority and minority voted in favor of the help but splitted about the measures to implement in order to control the club. And one of the members of the minority even demanded "A close monitoring for [2011]".

Laurent Gérault, head of minority critics Michel Houdbine, deputy-mayor in charge of sports, for not have exerted the prerogatives provided to town hall by the agreement between the city and the club, disclosed by medias : the presentation of the financial reports written by the chartered accountants and the realization of an audit of the club accounts.

The answer of the majority looks clumsy. Michel Houdbine replied that Angers "was the only local authority to have constituted a monitoring committee" what the Conseil général didn't do. But for what results? The critics from the majority to the opposition doesn' elude its own shortcomings.

The Maison pour tous of Monplaisir could host, against its will, the humourist Dieudonné

Credit : Maison pour tous de Monplaisir

The Maison pour tous of the Monplaisir district is angry. If the court of Angers doesn't cancel its contract with Phone Mobile, a Nantes company which booked its auditorium on april 20th, the Mpt, which plans educative and cultural programs for a wide public, will host Dieudonné, a humorist accused of anti-semitic comments.

The case starts when the Maison pour tous receives an offer from Phone Mobile to rent the auditorium for a one man show in order to reward its customers. The Mpt signs a contract where only the title of the show had to be precised, and not the name of the artist. The title of the show is "Mahmoud". Moreover, the show Mpt thought it was private and free was in fact paying and public! "We have been deceived", claims the board of the Mpt.

Credit : Wikipedia

Above the juridical case, principles are at stake, on one side and another. For the Mpt, the arrival of a person sentenced for anti-semitic purposes is at the opposite of its mission. But on the side of Dieudonné, and if the contract is legal, the Mpt can be criticized ot a restriction to the freedom of expression. About the title of the show "Mahmoud", it is an allusion to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the iranian president Dieudonné met. And that Mahmoud is a reference in anti-semistism.

With the Angers "VéloCité +" consistency steps back

Under the title "The bike is winning ground in town", Angers Loire métropole (Alm) introduced in its monthly magazine a new rental service of hire bikes "VéloCité+". If that new opportunity looks like the "Vélib" system implemented in Paris, it is in fact very different. In Angers, a tourist, or any person coming in town for professional reason, has to pay the rent.

Although the system is logical, it is nevertheless in complete illogical with "VeloCité", the usual system implemented in Angers. Unlike "VéloCité+", "VéloCité" allows all person living in Angers (even if she doesn'pay taxes there) to get a bike for a year and... for free. So, while a visitor coming in town for business or leisure purpose - and fueling money in Angers - is charged for hiring bike, residents, whatever taxpayer or not, inhabitants or simply temporary resident have at their disposal bike up to one year without beeing charged! The system works upside down!


Moreover, if the title af the article gives to undestand that more and more person are using bikes in town, Alm precise in the text that "7% only of students of Saint-Serge campus, in Angers, use bikes for their daily trips"... If "Bike is winning ground in town", good sense steps back!

Angers pays tribute to the English illustrator Quentin Blake

"Visits surprinsingly odd and fond of food" in the universe of the English drawer, Quentin Blake, took place last february 19th at the municipal library, Toussaint street, of Angers. That event forms a part of a serie of tributes paid to this "internationally recognised British author and illustrator" by Angers city and untitled "Quentin Blake and the ages of life". In addition to the Saint-Nicolas and Toussaint municipal libraries, the English Language Library in Angers, the town departments, the 400 Coups cinema and the Luciole library joined forces to allow inhabitants to dive in Blake's universe.

Quentin Blake, whose works decorate the new hall of the maternity hospital, wrote and illustrated more than 200 books and among them, those of Roald Dahl's children's titles ("Fantastic Mr Fox" and the famous "Charlie and the chocolate factory").

Interviewed about the interest of Angers to his work, regarding the exhibition of his paintings in the hospital, Quentin Blake said "it was a surprise for me, I never did it before. That is something new and intense". About the present program of exhibits, "it makes me feel that I am revisiting my life. It's quite fascinating to see books have their own life".

The requests of social housing decrease in Angers

Credit  : www.lepuzzle.angers.fr

 According to corroborating informations, the demand of social housing would be in sharp decline in Angers and surroundings. The city experimented a strong demand during the second half of the past decade due to the programms of urban renovation which led to destructions of buildings and rehousing of families in others. But the situation is not quite the same in 2011. The growth of rented accommodations in town, due to fiscal advantages, compete with the offer of social institutions which faces a change in the "market".

Many of the requests of social housing are not older than a month while a law, dedicated to prevent too long waiting list, is unforceable... because there are no complains. And in many social institutions around the city, there is often no more than a request for a single flat. So it could be time for the city to slow down constructions of social housing instead of keeping the same pace.

Credit : Wikipedia

If that is not bad for the building and civil engineering economy (where there is no delocalisation and which gives work), the real estate agencies, the individuals investors as well as social housing institutions could experiment some difficulties to rent their properties. It would be most useful to change the rules of the social renting by compelling the future tenants not to stay longer than a number of years (5?) in the same flat. If many low-income houseolds wish to live in an individual house, some of the tenants of those houses lives there for years. Is that fair?

The "Participation Day" of Angers in new theatre leads to a theatrical result

Angers city

The "Participation Day", which took place on february 18th and19th in the Le Quai theatre of Angers seems to have turned to a politician debate : the right of vote for foreign people living in the city at local polls. But that issue may not match with the original purpose of the event. Indeed, the mayor of Angers wrote on tow hall website "to improve the environment and the live together", "to share your expectations and your projects" as ways of participation for inhabitants, whatever be their nationality.

Credit picture : Wikipedia

In order to make believe in the support of an overwhelming majority of inhabitants to the right of vote of foreign people to local elections, the organizers had planned a (inflated) "civic voting" which results was worthy of the USSR : 94% of voters (foreigners included?) were favorable to that! The "event" was covered by the local website on a totally biaised mood, that one even claiming on an unvoluntary mood that "Their only difficulty [of foreign people was], not to be nationalized (sic)" (naturalized?).

That generous, but a little bit preposterous, posture doesn't cause progress in the daily life of Angers  inhabitants. May be the "Participation Day" has triggered, as the mayor had hoped, "expectations and projects". Those are not visible yet.

"Paintings and drawings" from Julien Parsy in the Grand Théâtre

The Grand Théâtre d'Angers will host from march 9th till april 17th the works of an angevin artist, Julien Parsy. Graduated of the Angers Fine-Arts School where he studied with Jean-Pierre Pincemin, Julien Parsy will exhibit works gathered under the simple, even elementary, title "Paintings and drawings".

Credit pictures : www.julienparsy.com

But that dry and quite unattractive title hides a very different material. The works of this young artist (he was born in 1972, lives and works in Angers) disclose a very classical touch which leads the viewers to think of the world of Impressionists even if the Parsy's universe (especially when he uses violet colors) is of course different of the one of these genius. The paintings and drawings of the artist are more a humble "invitation to seek what make the artistic creation appealing and moving". Oil paintings, pastels (where tones and forms are staggered) and charcoal drawings of landscapes "demand to the viewers they meditate" on the origins of their emotions.

The colourful Parsy's works (which size is sometimes monumental) have been exhibited one time per year since 2000 in different cities like Angers, Nantes, Le Mans or Saint Etienne and abroad. 

Morning fog in Angers city

Sign of a milder weather, the city of Angers was envelopped on february 18th of a thick fog on the first hours of the day. While those are getting longer, the mist darkened the streets, making the traffic a little bit slow. In spite of that limited eyesight, the perspective was unusual : ghostly shadows of the trees which branches disappearing in the fog and invisible pedestrians, more cautious than usual for crossing the ways.

Though, that presence of mist in town is not so rare. According to climatic datas, Angers is wrapped with fog 43 days per year (when the national average is 40 days annually). That is explained by the location of the city at the limit of oceanic and continental climates, but also by the presence of many rivers, the Maine, but also the Mayenne, the Sarthe and the Brionneau along with natural and artificial lakes.

That could lead the city to rule more strictly the traffic because pedestrians, bikes, cars, cabs and buses will be next to the new cable car. One of the main difference with England is the lack of discipline of the first who cross the ways out of the zebra crossing or do so in spite of opposite lighting signals, because they have the false impression they are seen.  Some progress have to be realized in the years to come.

"Angers Loire Valley" : "y" to change?

Is the capital of Anjou get back in touch with its English heritage? Angers Loire métropole introduced on Februaru 15th a new name designed to overcome an identity deficit. According to surveys, many tourists and businessmen don't know where Angers is in France. So the Angers Loire Métropole council decided "to build a new image which has broken away with the former", said Daniel Loiseau, who unveiled that new denomination : "Angers Loire Valley".

Credit pictures : Wikipedia

The brand is perfectly understandable by inhabitants of Angers who, most of them, are not at ease in English. Moreover, it gives to the city an international aspect. The more interesting is this name is the result of a poll luauched in 2009 with inhabitants, tourists and people contributing to the development of the province. The goal of Angers Loire Valley is simple : "to enlarge the visibility and the influence of the metropole".

While English appears as something which is no longer ignored by the public institutions entrustred with the future of the province, curiously, medias coverage didn't point out that aspect. Tough the new brand  was introduced, and apparently welcome with interest, by local businessmen gathered for the opening of the event : "Made in Angers"...

The "Sco-rched" Angers city council

 News Analysis. - The Angers city council is at the center of many questions asked by local medias regarding its part, or its absence of part, in the Sco story. A crisis meeting was held on february 14th at town hall. The city council is accused to have not paid attention to "disturbing elements" in the financial reports of the club. Regarding warning signals sent by the chartered accountant in his reports, the city council claims it never received them.

If that is true, why did it pay out a 500 000 € advance to the Sco? Why has the city council paid a survey (200 000 €) regarding a new stadiun to a company, property of the chairman of the club himself, which could not have the necessary neutrality to lead such a work? While the city council knew the Sco had to get the certification of its annual reports by a chartered accountant, why he didn't demand it? 

The trial of Willy Bernard, chairman of the Sco, on April 8th could enlarge its debates to the behaviour of the town hall. And that could reduce the ability of the city to implement a new tax designed to balance its budget and make even more unpopular some planned expenses. Months to come will demand from politicians a sporting spirit!

The first April shower in Angers last staturday

The weather in Angers province is becoming milder these days. The atmosphere is rainy. Gardens and streets are wet. Winter is not over yet but spring is slightly knocking at the door. In clumps, the shoots of daffodils are emerging and will start to bloom in the days to come. The forsythia branches starts to turn yellow. But the first clue of the change of season is the arrival of the April showers.

Last saturday in the afernoon Angers got its firts of 2011, covering the ground with little round white balls which melted a few minutes after they dropped. April showers is a short and violent rain which occurs during the transition from winter to spring and is caused by the meteorologicoa phenomenon of convection.

The convection is a vertical move of the air itself due to thermical contrast which takes place when spring is coming : the low layers of atmosphere are heating while low temperatures still remain in altitude and the ground is still cold. Due to vertical air streams, wet and mild air rises and condenses, creating clouds of droplets made of water or ice. Others may arrive in the weeks to come.

The 13th Africa Movie Festival of Angers in april

The 13th Africa Movie Festival will take place in Angers from april 12th to 17th. Organized by the association Cinemas and Africa Cultures, the object of that event is to  introduce the African cinematography as well the culture of that continent to the French audience. The festival presents a selection of about 20 short and features films by directors coming from all over Africa.

Designed for all publics, the Festival will dedicate time to documentaries and some of the works showed will deal with historical issues. The 13th edition of the Africa Movie Festival aims to get the attention of the youth throughout special movies which tell them stories.

The opening and closing showing will be hosted by the Congress center while others will be screened at the Gaumont variétés. Talkings with African directors will take place in Chemellier hall. Two prizes will be awarded : an audience award and a youth award for short films as well as feature films.

The association Cinemas and Africa Cultures, founded in 1992 which purposes are the development of cultural links with that continent, has planned with Angers numerous events, among them a musical parade in down town on April 13th.

The Lorraine square under works

After the low part of the Mail gardens and the car park of Maréchal Leclerc square, it's up to Lorraine square to be renovated. Construction vehicles have take possession of the place since the beginning of february. The  pavement has been removed and the trees uprooted. Presently, the Lorraine square shows a devastated face as if a bomb were dropped there.

If the works in the Mail gardens were linked from the disease of the trees, it's not the case in Lorraine square. The place is closed, so a repositioning of the bus stops and a change in the traffic ways could be planned because of the cable car which will be in working order within a few months. Presently, that little square has numerous functions : it helps public transports, car traffic and pedestrians. It's may be too much.

According to the scheme published by town hall, these functions could not change because the Lorraine square  is due to keep an access for residents, to increase the parking lots and to facilitate the traffic of pedestrians and bikers. These future functions yet exist. So the materials used for that renovation will have to be of high quality in order to make the square fit with the surroundings.

The Angers press points out the efforts of youngs and elders to speak English

The local press, through Le Courrier de l'Ouest, dedicated, within a few weeks, two coverages about the learning of English in Angers. At the beginning of the current month, an article described the choices of retired inhabitants to get back to English for leisure purposes like travels or/and as a way to keep intellectual rythm and fight even the Alzeimer disease.



Recently, the press gave attention to the youngests, children from 3 to 5 years old whose parents decided they would attend English courses at the English-Language Library in Angers. That interest for English is becoming more common in the city as in France. For the current year, the Municipal Institute of Angers announced it had to increase the number of courses because the increase of the demand. In both cases, the learners have the same wish : to speak fluently English as soon as possible.

There is a contast in Angers (as in many cities in France) between the presence of written English and the practice of spoken English. In the first case, pedestrians in down town can face many ads in English or many stores which commercial names are in English. In fact, people express a desire of more proximity with the English world they don't get with French television. On the same newspaper, the head of English studies in the Western Catholic University criticizes appropriately the scarce diffusion of English speaking movies in tv programms that makes difficult to viewers to hear and understand English.