The idea of attracting our closest neighbours to generate commercial links with Leicester was born on the day St Pancras International opened its vast and beautiful terminal to the equally beautiful Eurostar and cut half an hour off the journey to Paris, opening up the possibility of a door to door service to Leicester (you only cross the platform!) in about 3 ½ hours! Faster than flying and Centre Ville to Town Centre!
Since then, Eurostar has seen increased business traffic and quite often trains are full. This all bodes well for Leicestershire. Leicester is the first largest industrial town of significance on the linenorth of London and its strategic position at the heart of Britain with all its transport links gives it a logistical advantage to exporters and importers.
Network France is creating a network of professionals and organisations capable of creating “PetiteFrance” in Leicester, providing facilities for inward investment from France; exporters to France; local companies looking for investment in France; French companies wishing to export to the UK; and all things French. France is, after all, one of Britain’s most important trading partners.
But attracting investment is not the only aim – the French regard Arts and Cultural pursuits as important as business and we at NetworkFrance are aware that to create Petite Francein Leicester, we must provide a” Francofeel” to our County. Most of our towns are “twinned “with French towns; our schools still teach French; our universities have French departments; there are many county residents with French homes; there are many French owned businesses here. We are therefore planning our French Week Festival of which more to be announced in our newsletter.
If you are interested in NetworkFrance please contact the Chamber or:
Andrew Taylor (Chairman) 0116 2575480 andrew.taylor@kemptaylor.com
John Townsend (Chamber Deputy President) JohnTownsend@f2s.com
James Bowie j1mbo@belmonthotel.co.uk
