A neighbour of mine once said of the hunt or "chasse" that took place in the adjoining fields that the morning session is safe but after a calvados lunch they often shoot each other by mistake!

Now I read last week that an "anti-chasse" organisation is calling for the banning of hunting on Sundays, as well as other measures after an increase in the number of accidents due to hunters and possibly the result of the liquid lunch my neighbour spoke of.

In a statement, the "Association pour la Protection des Animaux Sauvages" (APAS) said that in the hunting season 21 people were killed, with all but two being hunters themselves.

In total there were 179 accidents in the last hunting season, compared to 143 for the season before, and APAS says change is necessary.

The organisation is calling for a ban of hunting on Sundays, as it believes with more people taking up cycling, walking and outdoor past-times, France needs to change.

NOTE: don't wear those reindeer antlers you thought were so much fun at xmas time whilst riding your bike through the undergrowth!

APAS says that France is the only country in Europe where hunting is allowed on every day of the week. They also say that the law should be changed to make local hunting bodies more responsible for accidents, firmer regulation should be introduced to ban hunting close to property and that hunters should be required to take regular eye tests!

Blog submitted by: David at Cle France.

Despite a poll last year claiming that the majority of french people believe there are too many foreigners in France, Interior Minister Manuel Valls has just announced new plans to make it easier to gain french citizenship. The multiple choice test has been scrapped, along with the requirement that applicants must hold a permanent job (CDD); neither is it compulsory to own a property in France. This latest decree marks a changing of attitudes within government departments towards immigration; in 2011 only 40% of applications were approved rising to 61% in 2013 to date. To qualify, foreigners should have lived in France for 5 years. Forms are available from your local prefecture.

I think there are only 6 in the UK but I remember my first year living in France it hit me, especially in May, that there were 13 bank holidays! that has got to rank high as another good reason to buy a house in France and live there!

True they don't move them to the Monday so if a bank holiday falls on a Sunday, there is a risk of it being lost as you will no doubt be lolling around in your garden hammock after eating too much blue cheese and sipping rose wine!

I wonder what other 'good reasons to move to France' there are?

Blog Submitted by: David at Cle France.

Back to school or "La Rentrée" has finally arrived, the Calendrier Scolaire helps you see the different term times for this academic year around the different educational zones in France.

There are three distinct geographical zones in the French school system to help spread the holiday periods out across France.

The 2013 - 2014 academic year starts today (Tuesday 3 September for all school children) with the 'Toussaint' and Christmas holidays being taken by all three zones at the same time, the rest are staggered.

And if you want there is a useful calendar you can print off showing the school holiday periods over the coming academic year.

Blog Submitted by: David at Cle France.