BACO British Association
Côte d'Opale
Our Mission
Formed just after the Referendum in 2016 which led to the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union, BACO’s mission was and remains to inform and advise Britons living in the Côte d’Opale area of France and their French friends on the consequences of Brexit and how to survive in the new situation. We also hold events designed to socialise in an Anglo-French way, entertain each another and be entertained, and learn more about the region where we live. Our appeal is to anyone with a real interest in local and cross-channel life and culture.
BACO is registered in Calais as a socio-cultural association. At the request of our members we remain strictly non-political. Our membership is roughly 50:50 British-French, though friends from other European countries are welcome.
What we do
- Information and advice on cross-channel issues post-Brexit
- Regular newsletters and bulletins
- Concerts and other musical events
- Walks and guided tours of historical, cultural and other sites of interest
- Annual Aummer Barbecue or Picnic
- Monthly English Book Club in Calais
- Anglo-French Quizzes
British in France
BACO is a member of the British Community Committee (BCC)
(www.britishinfrance.com) which is the third leg of the tripod which forms the British presence in France along with the British Embassy and the Consular service. The BCC groups together about 120 leading clubs, associations, professional institutions, educational establishments and others with British interests in France. All member organisations are listed ini the annual Directory, which is available on-line. We are represented at the Quarterly meetings of the BCC and at the Annual General Meeting which usually takes place in April at the Ambassador’s Residence. This link gives BACO privileged access to information and developments affecting British citizens living in France as a whole.
Upcoming events
Our English Book Club meets at the Médiathèque Louis Aragon, 16 rue du Pont Lottin in Calais, usually on the last Saturday in each month, from 2 to 4 pm. Check updates on BACO’s Facebook page. All are welcome. No charge.
Conférence
au Château d’Hardelot le 13 septembre 2025 à 14h30.
“ Two Post-Colonial Rewritings of Charles Dickens’s Great
Expectations (1861)”: Peter Carey’s Jack Maggs (1997)
and Lloyd Jones’s Mister
Pip (2006)
While re-imaginings of past fictions have always existed, the list of contemporary rewritings of British 19th century novels is getting longer by the day. Rewritings of Dickens in particular, often considered as the archetypal Victorian writer and a strong proponent of the British empire, are among the most numerous. Isabelle Roblin will present two of them: on the hand, the New-Zealander
journalist and novelist Lloyd Jones’s homage to Great Expectations, Mister Pip, and on the more critical side the acclaimed Australian and Booker Prize novelist Peter Carey’s Jack Maggs.
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horaire de démarrage/ starting time
14h30
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durée prévue/ expected duration
1h30
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nom du conférencier/ leader's name
Isabelle Roblin
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biographie du conférencier/CV of leader
Isabelle Roblin is an honorary assistant professor at the Université du Littoral-Côte d’Opale in Boulogne-sur-Mer, specializing in contemporary British literature.
She has published many academic papers on A. S. Byatt, Graham Swift,
Kazuo Ishiguro, C. S. Forester, Salman Rushdie, John Fowles, and Ian
McEwan among others. Recently, she has been focusing on neo-Victorian novels and is working at the same time on the literary and filmic adaptations of novels.
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à partir de quel âge c’est accessible/minimum age for entry
16
gratuit ou le prix
gratuit
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un lien vers votre billeterie si tel est le cas (ou faut-il porter
votre billeterie?)
BACO is responsible for ticketing, along with Hardelot
l’adresse mail qui sera communiquée sur la communication, le nom du contact/Contact for applications
assobaco@gmail.com.
George Murray, Président de la BACO
le
téléphone à communiquer/phone number
06 08 04 31 34
Some past events
Join Us
Membership information
Annual membership costs only 10 € (15€ for a couple or family) and runs from 1st September to 31st August. Just fill in the form opposite and email it back to us at assobaco@gmail.com and we'll get back to you.
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