Why am I finding it so hard to become fluent in French?Writer-teacher Nick Inman shares his continuing struggles to pick up the language nearly two decades after moving to France
‘French towns should ditch hanging baskets and learn to love weeds’Local authorities are losing the battle against weeds following the glyphosate ban but Samantha David thinks we should embrace the dandelion
DIY: Upcycling pallets keeps costs down on French farmhouse renovationLadders, gabions and even a bar are among thrifty and creative ideas for repurposing wooden pallets
‘French train travel is a joy compared to Germany’s awful rail system’Columnist Richard Ogier compares travelling by train in the two countries and why they are so different
‘This is the calm before a stormy winter in French politics’President Macron must tackle inflation, an energy crisis and the war in Ukraine with an unstable Assemblée nationale - Simon Heffer gives his view
‘Macron’s bid for French-Algerian reconciliation is hollow nonsense’Columnist Nabila Ramdani gives her view on the tense relationship between the two countries
Fascinating France: Absence makes the heart grow fonder Richard Ogier, an Australian journalist based in Strasbourg, launches a new regular Connexion column by reflecting on France’s future political challenges
French renovation: family DIY project saves money on garden gatesWhen shop-bought gates were too expensive, Nick Inman got the whole family involved in his latest woodwork creations
Royal history: ‘top’ five kings of France named LouisThere were 17 King Louis of France (or thereabouts). Nick Inman lists his favourite five and why they are important
Indifference from French shop assistants is not the same as rudenessJournalist Samantha David explains their polite apathy and does not want it to change
‘President Macron, use the summer to plan France’s global future’Columnist Simon Heffer has some thoughts on how the French leader could regain power at home and abroad
‘Brexit made Scottish independence and EU re-entry more likely’Experts in Scotland talk to The Connexion’s Thomas Brent about how Brexit impacts a second independence referendum and why rejoining the EU will take time
Heatwave shows a ‘rickety’ French emergency health service in crisis Columnist Nabila Ramdani shares her view on the heatwave heroes and hospitals buckling under pressure
Ask a French person: why would bakery not swap my ‘soggy’ pastry?We look at why a reader’s request to swap a pastry resulted in the baker threatening to call the police
DIY car port adds beauty to retired builder’s French home We follow how a car port project went from planning permission refusal to beautifully finished labour of love
Why has feeble victory at the Bastille become France’s national day?It only freed seven prisoners but is now the symbol of French freedom
Culture clash? My worries over long-awaited France to UK tripGillian Harvey prepares for her first return visit to the UK in four years and wonders if she is right to be apprehensive
Forget the Revolution - a posh name will still take you far in FranceNabila Ramdani explores how coveted aristocratic names show the class system is alive and kicking in France
French politics: President Macron is in office but he is not in powerSimon Heffer gives his unfiltered view on the miserable term Mr Macron now faces
‘Why I’d have moved if my area of France voted in a far-right MP’ British retiree Ian Joiner says a Rassemblement National-run administration would undermine diversity and local cultural life
Crazy world of politics as Macron’s challenges move from Right to LeftRichard Ogier explains why France’s newly re-elected president still has an uphill battle trying to navigate the country’s complicated political scene
Macron’s pledge to cut French bureaucrat jobs will cause more problemsIt is very difficult to deliver more public services with less people - and this is the paradox of politics argues Nick Inman
