Faits divers
Deux Espagnols ont été blessés samedi lors du deuxième lâcher de taureaux des fêtes de Pampelune (nord de l’Espagne) dans les ruelles pavées de la ville.
Two Spanish injured in Pamplona during the bull run.
The amazing thing about this is the fact that Pamplona get so much publicity. This is because Ernest Hemmingway wrote about it. However this activity goes on in a much smaller way in many villages in the south of France during their annual féte. Instead of thousands turning up to run with the bulls these villages attract maybe 20 to 30 participants, all local and mainly kids and youngsters. Any locals over the age of 22 or 23 consider it a childrens activity and they observe or involve themselves in the important element, that of safety, by sheparding the bulls from the village square to the arena. In the arena the bulls ( or cows) participate in the various bull-fighting competitions. In the majority of cases the animals are not killed or even injured. As in the case with La Course Landaise the vaches (cows) where the skill of the man is pitted against the physicality of the animal. At the end of the joust where no weapon is used, the animal is returned to the pen to fight another day.
About bill
Worked in the technical / engineering area as a Science Laboratory Technician and as an Aeronautics Engineer.
The artistic side involves writing under the nom de plume of Billy Olsenn, his recently written play 'A Case of Wine' was staged by the players group Straight Make-Up at the 2012 Birr one act drama festival. It's next staging was in the one act circuit is in Cavan, at Maudebawn on Sat 10 Nov 2012. Then it was performed in the Bray, Co.Wicklow at the very popular one act festival in January 2013.
Next play is FEAR. A dark tale about revenge on the cruel death of two pensioners by young thugs. Neighbours hatch a devious and dangerous plan to exact old-style revenge. Bill is a member of the Drama League of Ireland and his plays have been critically vetted and certified as original pieces of work by the DLI.
Another literary project is that of commemoration of an aircraft crash on Djouce mountain in Wicklow in 1946. Bill wrote articles for the 50th, 60th and most recently the 70th anniversary, (12 Aug
2016) all were published in the Wicklow Times and ensured the survivors of the crash, all French Girl Guides, were not forgotten. Articles reproduced on this website.
But mostly this site gives a more general European and specific French slant on popular and not so popular articles of French news, translated to English by the author. Each article is translated on a paragraph by paragraph basis so easy to read in either language and even possible to improve either language by comparison of the short English and French paragraphs. Amusez vous bien.
The author is currently writing an easy to read technical aviation book centered around the Fokker 50.
Another interest is that dealt with in another of Bill's websites www.realnamara.net, a Statue of the mother of God, Mary. It was erected in 1972 in Dublin, at the end of the Bull Wall near Clontarf, and my grandfather William Nelson, was the main instigator of that project. I give talks on the history of the statue and my grandfather's adventurous and dangerous life at sea.
Technical assistance with each website is by J O'N.
