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Stena Line to end popular France-Ireland ferry crossing
Rival operators will continue to serve Cherbourg port as passenger numbers on route increase
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Red heatwave alerts continue as storms sweep across France
South-west and Brittany are the only areas likely to avoid storms this evening after several temperature records were broken in the south yesterday
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Air traffic controllers’ strike: Paris and south of France airports to face major disruption
Half of flights in Nice and Corsica, and a quarter in Paris are cancelled on July 3. Disruption is also expected on July 4 just before the French school holidays begin
‘Blue Week’ aims to reduce loneliness among elderly
The annual “Blue Week” (“ Semaine Bleue ”), taking place this week, includes seven days of activities aiming to raise awareness of the isolation suffered by many elderly people in France.

The week, which was originally founded in 1951 as just one day and known as “Old People’s Day” (“La Journée Des Vieillards”), was renamed and lengthened as “Blue Week” by the then-Health Minister in 1977, explains .
Until Friday this week, there will many activities planned in local social community centres, (known as C.C.A.S - Centre Communal d’Action Sociale). Some require prior sign-up, but many do not, and some will still have places if you or an elderly person you know would like to get involved in a town near you.
Activities may include sports designed for older people, such as the gentle-but-effective Qi Gong, a Chinese discipline involving slow stretches, which is said to improve the cardiovascular system and the memory, as well as reduce anxiety and promote calmness and a sense of wellbeing.
There may also be lectures on subjects of interest, theatre productions, concerts, or local guided walks.
The aim is to help elderly people interact with their local community, give them a reason to leave the house, and also to dispel the stigma around retired and elderly people, and encourage younger generations to help seniors and strengthen inter-generational links.
This year’s “week” comes soon after a new study from elderly poverty association Les Petits Frères des Pauvres showed that almost 10% of people aged 80 or over in France “felt lonely every day”.
Nine in 10 elderly people in France leave the house at least once a week, the study showed, but some do not go out every day, and many suffer from loneliness and isolation.
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