Another Carigiet book in the UK

The first book about Ursli, the little Grisons boyand his big bell, was such a success that a secondstory has now arrived. Read about it on Page 2.

A day with dogs

Alphorn player Frances Jones has been getting toknow some British born Bernese mountain dogs.Find out what happened on Pages 4-5.

FOSSUK Weekend preview

Plans are now well advanced for this summer’sFOSSUK Weekend in Cardiff. Check out theprogramme on Page 8.

Switzerland in the UK has its own Internet site,continually bringing you up to the minute news ofthe latest events as well as major stories from themost recent issues and links to other interestingsites in both the UK and Switzerland. To access itgo to: www.swissreview.co.uk

News about any forthcoming events that will be ofinterest to our readers should be emailed to:editor@meakin.net

2/09

GBR E

A government funded organisationin Berne has sent shockwavesthroughout the country bysuggesting the time had come tostart considering making Englishthe fifth official language.

The proposal is made in areport compiled by the SwissNational Science Foundation, whichspends Sfr. 500 million a yearsupporting research projects in avariety of disciplines – particularlythose that can be developed on aninternational scale.

This is not the first time therehas been talk of putting Englishon a par with German, French,Italian and Romansch, and it’s notlikely to find much general supportoutside the scientific community.

But the report could have aneffect in government circles,where there is an obligation totreat all residents equally.

It says public administrationsshould learn to communicate betterwith all citizens, and a knowledgeof English would help achieve this.

Of course, English is alreadyused extensively by a number ofpublic bodies.

It was back in 2002 that it was

decided that the Government’sown website should be translatedinto English, and thousands ofpages now appear in the language(see below).

All members of the FederalCouncil are fluent English-speakers,as are most senior officials.

In fact, Federal CouncillorPascal Couchepin, when he was

head of the Department ofFinance, said the first thing he didevery morning was read theFinancial Times – in English.

It’s the same story in many ofthe cantons, especially those with

a large number of English-speaking residents.

One outstanding example isGeneva, where many peopleworking in internationalorganisations never even botherto learn French.

According to Alberto Achermann,one of the authors of the report,this is undestandable. “Imagineyou are sent by your company towork in China,” he says. “Do youthink you will be able to speakChinese after only three years?”

With so many patients onlyspeaking English Geneva’scantonal hospital finds a workingknowledge of the language is anecessity for medical personnel.

But head interpreter PatriciaHudelson said: “We often have tocall in interpreters in otherlanguages – especially Albanian.”

However, not everyone agreesthat the authorities should spendso much time catering for English-speakers.

National Councillor DidierRerberat of Neuchâtel, said: “Theday the Americans decide to sendout tax demands in French I’dagree to doing the same here.”

Should the Swiss make Englishtheir FIFTH official language?

Growth of theSwiss AbroadMore and more Swiss are nowliving outside Switzerland. Thelatest government statisticsshow the total has now reached676,176.

Sixty per cent of them(405,393) live in countries of theEuropean Union, and 28,438have made their homes in the UK.

The first book to be published inEnglish with illustrations byrenowned Grisons artist AloisCarigiet was such a success lastyear that a second is followinghard on its heels.

In Switzerland, A Bell for Ursliis second only to Heidi inpopularity with children.

That fact convinced Edinburghpublishers Floris Books to test iton the UK market – and itbecame a top seller.

Now a second book, Florina andthe Wild Bird, has been launchedand there is every expectation itwill have similar success.

Laura Armstrong of Floris Bookssaid the Ursli story had beenhugely popular among people witha Swiss background or those withan interest in Swiss culture.

“Now a new generation ofchildren with Swiss parents butwho are able to read English willbe able to enjoy this excitingstory and Alois Carigiet’sstunning illustrations,” she said.

“It will also help themexperience an important part oftheir Swiss heritage.”

Basically the story is aboutlittle Florina who finds a tiny wildbird and takes it home to carefor it. She makes food for it usingher dolls’ teaset and gives it a

Summer’s here at last and Florina, brother Ursli, their parents and their goats setoff from their village to stay in their little hut high up in the mountain meadows

Another Carigiet book to delight children in the UK■ Plans are under way to form a

new Swiss club in the north ofWales. Honorary Swiss consulRuth Thomas recently wrote toall Swiss registered with theconsulate and was very pleasedwith the response.The first meeting of the new clubwill take place in Caernarfon onSaturday, May 16.Any reader interested in joiningthe club should contact Ruth atswissconsulate@swissinwales.org

■ Jeffrey Long, for 17 yearsPresident of the Federation ofSwiss Societies in the UK, hasbeen named runner-up in thisyear’s Times/Sternberg ActiveLife Award. The prestigeousaward goes to someone over 70who “in the opinion of the public,has done most for society and forgood causes in old age.”Says The Times: “The awardcelebrates older people whocontinue to contribute to theflavour of our lives – who regardageing as something best left towine, people who are not somuch ageing as ripening.”Two years ago, at the age of 75,Jeffrey walked 1,000km fromLondon to Lausanne to raise£5,000 for the Royal BritishLegion.

CH+UK news in brief

native village of Trun to admirethe Carigiet wall paintings onmany of the buildings, and thelocal museum, which has aCarigiet room.

There’s even an 8km “Ursli”trail that meanders throughalpine meadows and alongmountain streams. At 20different points a page of thebook is revealed, with the text inRomansch, German and English.

special basket to sleep in. Butwhen the bird grows up andwants to fly she has to decidewhether to keep it or release itback into the mountains.

The book gives a snapshot oflife in the Grisons, where AloisCarigiet was born in 1902 andwhere he eventually returned tospend the last 20 years of his lifeuntil he died in 1985.

Today many tourists visit his

How tocontacttheeditor

Repor ts of Swiss societyactivit ies and comingevents, and ar ticles andcorrespondence for the‘Switzer land in the UK’section of the Swiss Review,should go to the editor:

Derek Meakin 30 Manor RoadBramhall SK7 3LY.Tel: 0161 296 0619.His email address is:

editor@meakin.net.All enquiries regarding

advertising should go to:Jeffrey Long30 Finsbury DriveBradford BD2 1QA.Tel/fax: 01274 588 189.The Swiss Review, with its

‘Switzerland in the UK’,supplement, is publishedfour times a year – inFebruary, April, August andOctober. The deadline for thenext issue, to be published inAugust, is June 25.

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Criticism that the government-sponsored Swiss Cultural Fund inBritain is too much London-biasedand virtually ignores regionalcities is confirmed in the fund’slatest report.

But this situation, which hasmet with disapproval by a numberof Swiss societies outside thecapital, may be about to change.

The report highlights 46different events that were heldduring 2008, of which 39 were inLondon.

There were two in Liverpool,and only one each in Edinburgh,Cardiff, Manchester, Winchesterand Birmingham.

Of the London events, 24 werepart of the City of London Festival,with venues ranging from thesteps of Paul’s Cathedral toLiverpool Street station andFinsbury Circus gardens.

The report says 2008 has been“a busy and very successful year,”and it adds:

“At the close of the secondyear of profound structural andprogrammatic changes to the SwissCultural Fund in Britain we believewe can now truly justify our claim

to be a nationwide fund, havingsustained cultural projects andevents not just in London but alsoin Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester,Liverpool and Birmingham.

“We are proud to have reachedthis point and are committed toenhancing this geographicallyexpanded engagement throughoutthe coming years.

“We are careful to avoid theprinciple of indiscriminate all-round distribution and thereforelimit our activities to a certainnumber each year.

“There is much more to begained by focusing on a select ofprojects and seeing them throughthoroughly. We believe we havesuccessfully employed thisstrategy throughout the year.”

The fund says it was establishedto act as a springboard for thecareers of talented Swiss artistsin the UK.

“Thanks to a new initiative,” itsays, “the fund now also supportshigh profile projects withestablished artistes and offersdirect involvement to potentialsupporters and benefactors.

“In order to achieve these

goals the fund liaises withcompanies and individuals with aninterest in Switzerland.

“At the same time it seekssupporters with whom it canestablish privileged partnerships,working on specific projects andbespoke events in cooperationwith cultural institutions inSwitzerland and the UK.”

Events so far this year haveincluded a concert at the WigmoreHall conducted by Thierry Fischer,the Swiss born conductor of theBBC’s National Orchestra for Wales.

The London Barbican iscurrently featuring a seasondevoted to the work of the late LeCorbusier, the eminent architectwho was born at La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1887.

Swiss Cultural Fund promisesmore visits to UK regions

Thierry Fischer: The acclaimed Swissconductor in Wigmore Hall concert

3

better strength to weight ratio.For a long time they have not been

allowed to be used for work any more, butthey love pulling carts and so theBernese Carting Group keeps theirskills alive and introduces theirtraditional heritage to the world at large.

It sounded like a good idea to seehow the dogs would respond to thesound of the alphorn before suchpublic (and televised) exposure in fact,just as cows are attracted to the sound.

So when Wendy told me that therewas a Bernese Working Weekendcoming up at Wellington Country Park,close to where we live, we came homefrom our holiday a day early to seewhat it was all about.

I was invited to come and meet thegroup at their Saturday eveningbarbecue, then if the dogs were happyabout it, maybe I might play for thedisplay on the Sunday.

What an amazing experience itwas. What gorgeous dogs!

They all looked absolutely identicalto me – all big, with the samemarkings, and soft and gentle andaffectionate and beautiful!

I discovered that there isn’t justone Bernese Mountain Dog Club:there are five regional groups in theUK, and that events like this happenup and down the country on manyweekends every year.

There is generally an opportunity forBernese owners to try their dogs in acart harness for the first time andtake them round a specially designedobstacle course.

I spoke to a number of owners whowere delighted to discover that theirdogs enjoyed pulling a cart when theyhad never done so before.

Having said hello to a couple ofdozen dogs, I went a little way away,assembled my horn, and played a fewnotes. Some dogs near me instantlyturned and looked intently at thesource of the sound.

A pair pulling a cart nearby wereintrigued, and they both cocked theirheads to the right in one synchronisedmovement to listen to the soundsemerging.

Then they went on their way – justanother harmless event that theyaccepted without any worry at all.

We have recently been askedabout the possibly of a main ring

appearance at Crufts. We thought itwould be nice to have theaccompaniment of an Alpine horn toplay us into the arena. Would thisbe something you would like to do?

As a classical orchestral horn player,happily minding my own business witha circuit of orchestras, recitals and akeen (mostly) band of students to keepme busy, this was a rather unexpectedrequest to appear among my emailsone morning.

Admittedly I’m a dog owner, andI’ve occasionally even watched someof Crufts on TV, but our Bella, thoughwe love her to bits, is a rescuedmongrel, and so was herpredecessor, so I’venever had any

contact with the clubs of individualbreeds before.

I was about to be invited into theselect world of the magnificentBernese Mountain Dog and the evenmore rarified inner circle of carting byWendy Murray of the Bernese WorkingCart Group.

What an exciting new world hasopened up for me!

Well, the Crufts date fell through inthe end. But Wendy said that if I everwanted to come along to a Bernesecarting weekend, I’d be most welcome.She told me that the Bernese MountainDogs were a working breed, like theirlarger compatriots the St Bernards.

Whereas the St Bernard dogs werevery strong and tenacious, and

excellent rescue dogs in themountains for sniffing out

people trapped inavalanches, the Bernese

were used for pullingcarts, or thestretchers for injuredpeople. Slightlysmaller, they are

more agile with a

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All was looking good for the display on the Sundayafternoon.

I turned up – feeling slightly overdressed in my Swisscostume – to find some dogs harnessed to carts beingtaken round the obstacle course, others snoozing,others pottering about as their owners did the same.

I talked to them all, dogs and owners, and then it wastime to walk through a practice routine.

I stood in the middle of the ring playing ‘How Much isthat Doggy in the Window’ and other sort-of relevanttunes.

Then they decided that they wouldn’t parade likethat but just do what felt right on arrival.

Soon Swiss outfits emerged from tents and caravans,carts were transformed with beautiful displays offlowers, flags, cheeses and milk churns, tinkling withcowbells, each spectacular.

It was a truly magnificent sight and sound.Some carts were pulled by one dog, some by two,

and although I still couldn’t work out one

Bernese from the next, I did begin to pick up that somewere slightly sleeker, some had marginally more whitebetween the eyes, some sported slightly longercaramel-coloured socks, and one was called Henry.

I walked into the centre of the arena with Wendyand after she had introduced the event to the crowdswho had gathered to watch, she invited me to startplaying.

As soon as I began, the bells started tinkling, theharnesses clinking, the parade entered the ring and Iwas slowly encircled with handlers, dogs and carts inthe most gorgeous sight you ever saw.

I played a number of traditional Swiss alphornmelodies and the dogs were not distracted at all – theywalked round their circle steadily and purposefully until,when all were arrived, they stopped in a line either sideof Wendy and me.

It was a magical feeling, playing the instrument Ilove, the music that is so evocative of the Swissmountains, and being surrounded by these adorable

dogs with a magnificent display of costumes and cartsin attendance.

The dogs were then invited to show off their cartingskills, all requirements if working in a crowded mountainvillage market, like stopping and staying still oncommand, reversing with their carts, going either gentlyor fast when requested to do so, and weaving carefullyin a zig-zag through a line of volunteer children.

When the display was finished, the delighted childrenhad each helped themselves to a lollipop out of one ofthe milk churns, and I was again invited to play someSwiss melodies while the dogs and tinkling carts wereled away out of the display ring.

Lots of people commented on the beautiful sound ofthe alphorn and the magical experience of the wholedisplay.

So look out next time Crufts is on, because you mightjust see Henry the Bernese Mountain Dog and his matesshowing the world how the ancient Swiss tradition ofcarting used to be done.

By UK Alphorn player Frances Jones

My day withthe Bernese mountain dogs

Bells tinkling, harnesses clinking, adorable dogs and magnificent costumes…it was magical!

Bernese mountain dog meets alphorn – at Wellington Country Park near Reading

‘’

4 5

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Referring to our announcements in the Swiss Review UK Pages - Issue 1/2009, in the FOSSUKweb-page and in Swissreview.co.uk – please submit your candidature form to: The Federation ofthe Swiss Societies in the UK (FOSSUK), 16–18 Montagu Place, London, W1H 2BQ. To be receivedno later than 31 May 2009.

UK-Delegates contribute in collectively influencing theSwiss Federal Government in the retention anddevelopment of our political, social, educational andwelfare rights.

As a Council Member, you will subscribe to shapinglegislation of importance for all Swiss Nationals livingabroad.

ALL SWISS NATIONALS, over the age of 18, andregistered at the Swiss Embassy in the UK, AREELIGIBLE TO VOTE for their UK-Delegates by post.

Should you require further information, do feel free toemail enquiries@swiss-societies.co.uk or call RegulaMarsh-Hilfiker on tel. 020 7616 6044.

A profile of Candidates will be published on the FOSSUKwebsite (www.swiss-societies.co.uk) after 26 April 2009.

Referring to our announcements in the Swiss Review UK Pages - Issue 1/2009, in the FOSSUKweb-page and in Swissreview.co.uk – please submit your candidature form to: The Federation ofthe Swiss Societies in the UK (FOSSUK), 16–18 Montagu Place, London, W1H 2BQ. To be receivedno later than 31 May 2009.

UK-Delegates contribute in collectively influencing theSwiss Federal Government in the retention anddevelopment of our political, social, educational andwelfare rights.

As a Council Member, you will subscribe to shapinglegislation of importance for all Swiss Nationals livingabroad.

ALL SWISS NATIONALS, over the age of 18, andregistered at the Swiss Embassy in the UK, AREELIGIBLE TO VOTE for their UK-Delegates by post.

Should you require further information, do feel free toemail enquiries@swiss-societies.co.uk or call RegulaMarsh-Hilfiker on tel. 020 7616 6044.

A profile of Candidates will be published on the FOSSUKwebsite (www.swiss-societies.co.uk) after 26 April 2009.

REMINDER! You have the unique opportunity toparticipate as a UK-DELEGATE on the Council of theORGANISATION OF THE SWISS ABROAD in BERN.

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CANDIDATE 1: ___________________________________________________

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DECLARATION:

I (NAME & SURNAME) _________________________________________(CAPITAL LETTERS)

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SIGNED:________________________________________ am eligible to vote.

To be received no later than 31 May 2009, by post to:The Federation of the Swiss Societies in the UK (FOSSUK), 16-18 Montagu Place,London, W1H 2BQ. Confidentiality is assured.

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Swiss hope tofind gold in UKrefuse heapsEnvironmental experts fromSwitzerland will be in Londonin June with the expectationof making rich pickings fromthe UK’s ever growing wastemountain.

Landfill sites are reachingtheir capacity and their costis accelerating, Yet theBritish government iscommitted to reducinghousehold waste by 30 percent in the next six years.

The Swiss think they havethe answer. With their strongenvironmental laws, cuttingedge technologies for wastetreatment and recycling havedeveloped much earlier thanin most other countries.

Swiss companies havebeen enviously eyeing theUK’s waste mountain, nowgrowing by more than 430million tons a year.

With not enough waste-to-energy plants, the market forthe latest technologies isimmense.

The dramatic drop in the value offranc over the last few months isbeginning to cause a seriousdecline in the volume of UKimports from Switzerland.

UK residents – both Britishand Swiss – who have holidayhomes are also being badly hit.

Utility bills paid from the UK,as well as communal, cantonaland federal taxes, are nowcosting them 37.5 per cent morethan they did a year ago.

And the tourist industry,despite seeing a record numberof visitors over the winter seasonthanks to unexpected prolongedsnowfalls, is now bracing itselffor a sharp decline in the numberof holidaymakers from the UK.

But it is on the trade front thatthe declining pound is starting tohave the greatest effect.

In January, the latest monthfor which figures are available,the value of exports fromSwitzerland to the UK dropped 13.9per cent to 681 million francs.

Imports from the UK showedan even bigger fall of 20.6 percent to 372 million francs.

Swiss watch exports havebeen particularly hard hit, andthere has been a decline in Swisscheeses and other dairy products.

But some Swiss companiesare meeting the challenge byfighting back. There were doublethe number of companiesfeatured in the Swiss pavilion atthe recent International Food &Drink exhibition in London,determined to emphasise theuniqueness of Swiss productsthat, while not cheap, stillrepresent excellent value.

Sliding £ hits Swissexports to the UK

How many Swissfrancs is your£ worth today?

Find the answer at:www.swissreview.co.uk

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In the afternoon there will betours of some of Cardiff’slandmarks, including CardiffCastle and the National Museumof Wales.

There will be a second concertthat evening at St Peter’s, theoldest surviving Catholic church inCardiff which houses the onlySwiss made Spath Orgelbau organin the UK.

It will feature a choir from theTicino, the Vos da Locarno – aspecial treat for Swiss AmbassadorAlexis Lautenberg who himselfcomes from the Ticino and who willbe spending the weekend in Cardiff.

In the second half of theconcert the Ticinese choir will bejoined by Côr Godre'r Garth, a wellknown 60 strong Welsh choir fromnearby Pontypridd.

A highlight for Sunday will be avisit to the Senedd, the home ofthe National Assembly for Wales.

Overlooking Cardiff Bay, thisinspiring building has won manyawards for its distinctivearchitectural style and use ofsustainable materials.

There will be a special tour ofthe building for the Locarno choir,conducted by an Italian-speakingguide.

Other events on the Sundayafternoon will include cruisesacross Cardiff Bay.

Lucerne all abuzz with the bees from Bournemouth

The Welsh plan a warm welcome for FOSSUK weekendof Cardiff, given by the BBCNational Orchestra of Wales andthe BBC Chorus under theirprincipal conductor, the Geneva-born Thierry Fischer.

The AGM will be the followingday at the Cardiff Mansion House,the official residence of the LordMayor of Cardiff, and will includeelections for delegates to representSwiss in the UK on the Council ofthe Organisation of the SwissAbroad, and for committeemembers of the Federation ofSwiss Societies in the UK.

This summer the FOSSUK annualgeneral meeting will be in Wales –the first time it has been held inthe Principality.

And the Swiss in Wales, led byhonorary Swiss consul RuthThomas, are determined to makethe most of this opportunity toshow their compatriots in otherparts of the country somethingof the delights of this particularcorner of the UK.

The three day event starts onFriday, June 19, with a concert inthe St David’s Hall, in the heart

Inside the Senedd, the ultra-modernhome of the Welsh Assembly

They say their new and distinctive yellow and blackcostumes are to highlight a worrying decline in theworld's honey bee population. But whatever thereason they created quite a buzz when some rathernoisy Bournemouth bees flew over to Lucerne totake part in the city's Fasnacht carnival.

For centuries groups of drummers have beenparading through the streets of Swiss towns andvillages to frighten away the Spirits of Winter.

But it was not until just after the Second WorldWar, with the Swiss recovering from years ofausterity, that the people of Lucerne first woke upto the discordant sounds of Guggenmusik.

When Lucerne twinned with Bournemouth, aband from the seaside town was invited to takepart in the 1986 Fasnacht. It was something of aculture shock for its members to hear

Guggenmusik for the first time.But it was to be another 12 years before

Bournemouth became the first UK town to have itsown Guggenmusik band – Gugge 2000.

In 2002 they became the first band from outsideSwitzerland to be invited to take part in theLucerne carnival. And this year, in their new "beez"costumes, they were back again, for six hecticdays of raucous music-making, starting at 5am onDay 1 busking through the streets, then givingimpromptu concerts in the squares of the oldtown, and taking a prominent part in the Carnivalitself.

Said the band's founder, Dave Brewer: "Our aimis to provide enjoyment and lots of fun for ourmembers and audiences – and to help spread thisfantastic musical style throughout the UK."

8