Hobbies

Metal detecting can be a legal minefield in France

Are there any rules on using a metal detector in France? LF

Magnet fisherman hooks Cartier watch from canal in northern France

Father and son surprised to find real treasure - and so close to home – having only recently taken up magnet fishing and found nothing but bicycles and razor blades

France’s last chess piece maker saved by Netflix show and lockdown

Thanks to people playing chess during the Covid lockdowns and Netflix hit 'The Queen's Gambit', Tournerie Roz is once again making chess pieces

practical

French love board games more than any other European country

Lockdown saw a big leap in sales of board games in France – and it was not just traditional favourites that took off

Wrap your way to an eco-Christmas with Ancient Japanese art

Dating back to 8th century AD in Japan, Furoshiki is the art of folding and knotting material to wrap presents or carry belongings

Traps on French forest paths endanger bikers and walkers

Cables tied across pathways and hidden planks spiked with nails are causing serious injury and even death for bikers and walkers in the French countryside

Do I pay twice for insurance?

Like many expats who have retired, I enjoy golf, boules and randonnée, and my wife does Scottish dancing.

Scaling France’s model gardens down to size

Jacques Hennequin believes he is the only garden model-maker in France. Here, he tells The Connexion all about his unusual job...

Tour on avoiding DIY accidents launches in France

The first national “tour” on how to avoid DIY accidents at home is launching today (Friday October 5) across France.

Gardeners called to save France’s declining hedgehogs

Gardeners and car drivers across France are being called to watch out for and protect hedgehogs, in a bid to save the creatures from ever-greater threats in their natural habitats.

Needles fly as speed knitting contest begins in Paris

Excitement over the Winter Olympics may be high, but closer to home a different kind of contest is coming together: the 15th annual French championship of “speed knitting”.