Spotlight

par ruth Dim 11 Mai 2008, 15:56

D you know someone that has done or is doing something different that you think might be of interest to others? If so, please let me know and if that person is willing, I'll do a short feature. Watch this space, as they say....

par ruth Dim 11 Mai 2008, 16:03

Maggie, a down to earth Yorkshire woman, has always been ready to lend a hand to friends and neighbours. Not surprising when you know that she spent most of her working life helping others in her job as a residential social worker with the elderly. Now, after eleven years living in Maureillas, Maggie finds herself elected to the municipal council for at least the next six years. Within the Mairie, her role is fourfold.

Firstly, to provide a link between the Europeans in the commune and the Mairie. Maggie will be setting up a “permanence” at the Mairie once/month for people who do not know their way around the council system or who have difficulty speaking French. At the end of the month, for example, Maggie will be translating at a Franco-Irish wedding ceremony that will be taking place at the Mairie. A first for Maureillas, perhaps?

Secondly, along with other colleagues, she will not only be involved in establishing ways to welcome newcomers to the village but also in helping bring those of us originating from outside the area and local people together so that we have a more integrated and cohesive commune. Her own experience of moving here and feeling lonely and unsure of who was who and what was what will no doubt come in useful. Just last week Maggie initiated a new association to be called “Maureillas sans Frontières” which is now in the process of being legally established.

Thirdly, Maggie will be looking at various twinning possibilities. To start off with, with a village in Catalunya Sud and then later on, farther afield.

Finally, Maggie will be on a working group looking at developing tourism. within the commune.

Outside the council, Maggie continues to enjoy the outdoor life which is just as well as she has a sizeable garden and a couple of horses to exercise and care for. Inevitably, she sees the peace and quiet which brought her and her husband here in the first place beginning to change as more houses are built in response to an ever increasing need. She hopes the charm of the village won’t be lost but if from time to time she needs to get away from it all, she can always saddle up her trusty steed , Purdey and head for the mountains!

Maggie takes her role on the council seriously and is determined to do a good job. Should you want to contact her for advice or want to become involved in any forthcoming initiatives, please contact her through the Mairie or by telephone on 04 60 83 03 86. She’s ready to listen and to help if she can.

par ruth Mar 18 Nov 2008, 16:39

With a background in business communication, public relations, training and marketing Alison was the ideal candidate for the post of “editor-in-chief” at Le Mag Group, which includes Le 66, Le 11 and Le 34. 6,000 copies of each magazine are distributed every month, it is free and includes a good mix of features and advertising of pertinence to its mainly Anglophone reader base. Five months into the job and Alison has got to grips with not only the day to day running of the magazines but also has rolled out Le 34 and been involved with “The 66 Experience” in October which exceeded all expectations. This will come as no surprise to you when you know that in a previous life, Alison was the events’ organiser responsible for the launch of the Peugeot 206 in Birmingham. One and a half years in the planning, 80 events over 10 days and there was a lot at stake especially as overseas participants came wondering what Birmingham had to offer! Needless to say, neither they nor Peugeot were disappointed.
Originally from Melton Mowbray, until buying the house in Maureillas in 2005, Alison lived in and around the Midlands. Why Maureillas is the inevitable question. Well, Paul, her husband, is a keen sailor and they decided to work their way around the Mediterranean coast of France looking for a house but they didn’t get very far! All in all, Alison feels that Maureillas is a fantastic place to live; people are very welcoming, her daughter rapidly adapted to French school life and there are opportunities to get involved in village activities.
It has not all been plain sailing though (sorry for the pun!). Alison thinks that being able to operate out of your comfort zone is a definite help when relocating to another country as she realised when Mary Lou was rushed to hospital this summer.
With never ending deadlines to meet, walking the dog in the mountains, cooking Mediterranean food, reading, singing and gardening are her preferred forms of relaxation.
It has taken us since June to get together for this article – now you know why!
Look out for Le 66 in such places as supermarkets, tourist offices and the airport or download it from the web site at www.lemag-group.com

par Contenu sponsorisé

Spotlight

Spotlight

Re: Spotlight

Alison Tully

Re: Spotlight