People

Revered French national icon falls from grace

Celebrated anti-poverty and homelessness campaigner Abbé Pierre was voted France’s most popular person for many years, but sexual abuse accusations have shattered the activist priest’s crusading legacy

PHOTOS: Renovations to our maison de maître have made us YouTube stars in France

Rebecca and Jack Jenkins fell in love with a dilapidated property in Charente, south western France, and fixing it up brought an added bonus

I fell in love with wild, beautiful Cévennes in south-central France

Award-winning US poet Zaro Weil on why this remote part of France is a major inspiration for her work

practical

Career change in France: From actress to estate agent

Jacqueline Reddin-Williams describes her journey to become a 'property matchmaker'

I moved to France and became a mountain guide

What inspired one British woman to settle in the Alps change careers

Tributes pour in for French film legend Alain Delon

Politicians lead the praise of France’s ‘leading man’

My story: I moved to France and became a botanical artist

Kate Churchwell explains quitting the ‘rat race’ in the City to pursue her passion for plants and art

French conductor Zahia Ziouani fights inequality with classical music

The award-winning conductor talks about beating ‘boys club’ attitudes and film about her life. She recently headed the orchestra which performed at the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Career change in France: from credit controler to running a food truck

Mel Jones, 50, tells how she came to set up a mobile catering business

Young Franco-Scottish mountaineer is one peak away from record

Alasdair McKenzie, 20, is on a quest to become the youngest ever to climb the 14 highest mountains in the world

French campsite offers flood victims free holiday

A campsite in southern France gifts 28 flood-affected families a chance to enjoy a sun-filled break

French inventors convert food waste into biodegradable plastic

Former university friends develop a sustainable alternative packaging and secure millions to help their firm grow

Why Christian Clavier is still one of France's favourite comic actors

We take a look at the Paris-born actor's illustrious career, the typical characters he played and how he understands French humour

Why this little French fish has its own quality label

The famed Collioure anchovy is the only fish in France with a prestigious PGI label, but why it is such a gourmet favourite?

The National's Bryce Dessner now calls France his home

The Connexion caught up with the US rock star ahead of his concert in Paris on June 5, discussing his life and experiences in France, and his career to date

Installing a natural pool at French home led to a new job

Alex Wells explains how building her own chlorine-free swimming pool led to a new role

British D-Day veteran Bill: I want to honour fallen comrades in France

The centenarian planned to return to Normandy this June - driven over by a London cab charity. He was just 20 at the time of the invasion and shared his memories of the day with Connexion during one of his interviews

‘Book about life with my dog touched so many people’

We speak to Cédric Sapin-Defour, author of the surprise bestseller which describes in lyrical language the relationship between him and his dog, Ubac

Barbara: The elfin singer, actress and French national treasure

An abuse survivor who forged a successful showbiz career despite remaining virtually unknown outside France

‘I want to show wheelchair users they can travel the world’

Eléonore Vern tells us about her plans for a solo round-the-world trip in an all-terrain wheelchair and why she will avoid Paris

How an American carpenter helped repair Notre-Dame de Paris

Peter Henrikson had never been to France before he started work on the cathedral’s roof after it was destroyed by fire

Alain Delon: French cinema legend dogged by scandal and family feud

We look back at the 88-year-old film star’s colourful life, on and off screen

Fixing France: ‘We must face colonial past and revive shared values’

French-Algerian author Nabila Ramdani tells us why ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité’ must apply to everyone if France is to repair

How a French winemaker put the world’s biggest wine fraudster in jail

I realised what was happening when I saw our wine on an auction list with a vintage 20 years before we started making it, said Laurent Ponsot

150 years of Impressionism: how Americans saved Monet from poverty

If you visit his Normandy home you will not see a real Monet work - but there are some nearby

Find my lost dogs and I will give you my car, pleads Frenchman

Dog owner will reward anyone who brings back his missing animals with a Peugeot 107, worth around €3,400

I moved to France and became an English translator by accident

A letter to a magazine editor in 1997 complaining about its poor translation led to a job offer to do better

The French craftsman making beautiful tiles for a Monaco landmark

A television report in 1979 kick-started Stéphane Montalto’s award-winning career as an artisan potter

Sam Goodchild: the British sailor preparing for his first Vendée Globe

‘The French love crazy sailing adventures, I feel at home here’

US president Thomas Jefferson’s French wine tour has lasting legacy

The third President of the United States wanted an American wine industry to compete with the ‘debauchery’ of whisky

Hacker, peep shows, jail: the story of a French tech billionaire

Artificial intelligence is the next realm to be conquered in legendary tycoon Xavier Niel’s colourful career

The French couple who loved, lived and died studying volcanoes

When scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft died on an erupting volcano they left a legacy of research that saves lives today

I want girls to pick this career, says French World’s Best Pastry Chef

The first woman to win the global patissier competition tells us how she had to fight to succeed

‘My videos help people find the best deals in French discount shops’

We spoke to the popular social media influencer who films herself hunting for bargains in Lidl, Aldi and Action

Two Americans moved to France 50 years apart - what has changed?

We speak to two US natives now living in Paris about their expatriate experience

‘Giving to help others in France and overseas is good for you’

The Fondation de France works with donors and volunteers to make the world a better place

Marguerite Durand: the force of France’s first feminist journalist

The 19th-century former actress founded a daily newspaper written and produced entirely by women

‘I set up an invisible disabilities media company after my diagnosis’

We speak to a journalist who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021 and is now giving a voice to people with less obvious disabilities

‘My aim is to improve France’s building trade by training more women’

A Marseille-based painter and decorator explains her plans to change the image of construction trades and encourage women to join

‘I tell women to be bold, no field is out of bounds’

The first French woman to go into space shares her thoughts on Mars exploration and her disagreement with Elon Musk

Mimie Mathy: French TV star who turned disability into a driving force

She may be virtually unknown outside of France but outspoken Mimie continues to be one of the country’s best-loved actresses

Frédéric Chopin: the short life of a musical genius

We discover the man behind the piano compositions - a child prodigy, Polish émigré and an unconventional love life

‘I hit rock bottom, learned to swim and then swam the Channel’

A childhood dream of swimming the English Channel got Stève Stievenart through divorce and depression

Couple who built a straw bale house in France share their one regret

The Britons have reduced their annual energy bills to €500 by living off-grid and want to pass on the lessons they have learnt

Career change: Africa safari guide to recycled art in France

We talk to Josie Easton about how wildlife still influences her ‘trash-to-treasure’ artwork in Limousin

British man walking from Cheshire to Eiffel Tower for charity

The 21-year-old said: ‘I want to help people who cannot afford Christmas’

‘I am learning to read at 43 after running my own business for years’

A successful French entrepreneur tells us how he hid his illiteracy and why he decided to learn to read and write

France’s ‘Iron man’: ‘I had this crazy dream of flying even higher’

He tells us how hard it is to fly and why he keeps inventing despite French bureaucracy and nosy neighbours

16 things you can do at your library in France apart from borrow books

From growing seeds to borrowing art, there is more to your local library than meets the eye

‘Running our Normandy camper van site is a holiday that never ends’

A couple’s determination to beat French bureaucracy and open their dream camper van site pays off

Models with disabilities are focus of photographer’s new French show

Juggling a logistics job and a family has not stopped a UK-born photographer creating her latest exhibition celebrating disability

‘We travel slowly through France in our tiny horse-drawn caravan’

With just 7m² of living space pulled by a horse called Zorba, this Bordeaux couple enjoy being kings of their own clock

American returns 68 years on to French town that helped him after WWII

He told The Connexion he met a childhood friend on the visit to the south of France where his family began to rebuild their lives on release from a Nazi labour camp

‘Rugby is the reason for my move to France’

International rugby referee shares his love of Gers and the difference between French and English rugby

What Americans notice when they move to France

Four US citizens in France explain what they have discovered about life here (apart from struggles with bureaucracy)

Interview with Ibrahim Maalouf: ‘I compose what comes from my heart’

The Lebanese-born French trumpeter tells us of his influences, collaborations and why he preaches the message of love

Rugby exclusive: How France became the team to beat in World Cup

Former national rugby coach Philippe Saint-André tells us how ‘les Bleus’ were transformed into winners

The Franco-Scottish teen on track to break mountain-climbing record

Alasdair McKenzie aims to become the youngest person ever to climb the 14 highest peaks in the world, and he is well on his way

TV couple who bought French hamlet open gite in a horsebox

The couple, who feature in the UK Channel 4 show Help! We Bought a Village, are rebuilding hamlet they bought for €26,000 in Normandy

Why Ligue 1 French football club has song that echoes British royalty

Le Havre Athletic Club was founded in 1872 by British expats, making it France’s oldest club in activity

Research and ruches: Paris librarian bringing bees to University

To work with bees, people have to learn to be calm, to work in a group, to notice the mood of the beehive, to think of how their actions affect others, to remain flexible, and to work with people from other disciplines

‘I got a French master’s degree based on my professional experience’

A senior manager, originally from Italy, explains how he converted real-life experience into a recognised VAE qualification

Meet Frédéric Sommier, director of Normandy's D-Day museum

The Connexion spoke to the former military man about the museum’s newest improvement, but also about his role in maintaining the memory of WW2

Timing is key when buying French coastal apartments

A study shows buyers could avoid soaring prices by waiting for a sufficient number of newly developed properties to be sold first

France will win Notre-Dame rebuild challenge, says general in charge

Seven tonne oak trusses recently arrived in Paris by barge. We spoke to the project chief, a military man hand-picked by President Macron

‘Hand-delivering letters across France is slow and full of love’

The retiree dubbed The Humane Postman shares what delivering ‘important but not urgent’ messages has taught him about humanity

$193bn: how did this French businessman get so rich?

Bernard Arnault frequently beats Elon Musk to ‘world’s richest man’ title, we look at his complex relationship with France and what he owns

French choral revival hits all the right notes

The coronation of King Charles III highlighted the rich choral music tradition in the UK

‘Greedy families pushing an assisted death in France is nonsense’

We speak to the director of a pro-euthanasia group who welcomes the end-of-life legislation review, and we remember campaigner Jacqueline Jencquel

Fifth book for Perry Taylor whose images feature in The Connexion

The Anglo-Gascon artist’s work is known for its affectionate look at French life – and its ducks and berets

Meet British singer-songwriter Terry Scott Jr, based in Normandy

He got his big break in 1970 playing in front of 600,000 people at the Isle of Wight festival

Meet Hélène Carrère d'Encausse, the guardian of the French language

Holding the highest position at the Académie francaise, d’Encausse explains which French book every learner should read, how anglicism impact French and the importance of grammar…