Huttonian recently commented on the quality of local papers in French France as compared with our own dear Berwickshire News. The latter is a decent enough rag, well produced with the odd failing such as giving too much space to odd Loonies (tautology admitted) like the Uncrowned King/Regent of Scotland and gruesomely winsome pets, whether talking horses or incontinent curs and their unlikely escapades. The Finistere equivalent, Le Telegramme, is a daily and is of course also focused on local issues but also has an impressive international section. It covered the Olympics for example-admittedly only grudgingly mentioned non-French successes-so not much of a story then- (The medals table gradually slipped from page 3 to page 40 as the week wore on: Team UK Third Les Bleus: look over the page) but international events well outside La France were also covered.

Traditionally international events have not figured in the local British press unless a native son or daughter figure in them. The classic example was a northern Scottish weekly reporting the sinking of the Titanic with a small header:

ABERDEEN MAN LOST AT SEA

But it is always the local press which gives us our best moments-grisly pets and self styled Regents excepted.

The Cork Examiner in the 1950s caried a front page banner:

FATHER OF TEN SHOT DEAD
Mistaken for a rabbit

(The image is titled 'Marion lit le Telegramme'-she is happy Les Bleus have won a bronze for Origami' Fantastique)

Labels: Berwickshire News, Le Telegramme

  ¶ 10:30 AM