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Why French astronauts don’t get the same hero treatment as in the US or UK
The first female French astronaut was met with a rather muted reception at home
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The problem of neighbours feeding your cat in France – and why it happens
Spoiling someone else’s pet is better than abandoning their own, says columnist Samantha David
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Princess photoshoot does not guarantee French far right a fairytale ending
Columnist Nabila Ramdani examines the cynicism of spin doctors
Not so glam
As soon as I read Jessica Knipe’s interview with Helena Frith Powell (August), I realised that I was living in a parallel and quite different France from Helena’s. French women ‘more elegant’? In your dreams!
The default hairstyle for most under 45s in this part of France seems to be that made popular by Kate Middleton – a centre parting with hair hanging down each side of the face like curtains. Ladies over 45 often treat themselves to a cut but then spoil the effect with a terrible tint, blonde or beetroot.
A little eye make-up is not unknown but lipstick is so rare that we actually comment on it when we see it! Instances of chronic obesity are seen here every day. The majority of French women are born with enviable natural beauty but to say that they know how to make the most of it, matching bras and knickers notwithstanding, is a myth.
Barry HILL, Manche
Click here for Jessica Knipe's interview
