invited to join Bastille Day festivities tonight at the Bermuda College.

Local Petanque Association president Riquette Bonne Smith told The Royal Gazette yesterday that while Bastille Day was July 14, the French celebrated it on the evening before.

The event was called "le bal du 14 juillet'' and featured numerous outdoors activities including the huge "bal a la Bastille'' which was traditionally sponsored by the Paris city hall or "Mairie of Paris''.

Ms Bonne Smith said: "In Bermuda the French want to keep up with traditions by having a petanque festival, music, food and fun on July 13 at 5.30 p.m. at the petanque (boule) court at the Bermuda College.'' HANDBAGS SNATCHED CRM Handbags snatched Police are investigating two separate reports of handbag snatches which occurred Sunday evening.

The first snatch occurred around 7.30 p.m. when two female visitors were riding in a horse and carriage along South Road in Southampton.

They were approached by a man riding a purple motorcycle who swept in and snatched a knapsack from the carriage seat before escaping.

The bag contained US cash, credit and bank cards, cheque books, a passport and other personal items.

The culprit is described as a heavyset black man, who was wearing a T-shirt and yellow shorts.

In the second incident, a visiting female had her handbag stolen.

The visiting couple was leaving the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club at Albouys Point just after 8.30 p.m. As they were climbing onto a livery cycle, a man pulled alongside them on a motorcycle and attempted to grab the bag.

There was a brief struggle after which the female was pulled to the ground injuring her arms and legs as the thief escaped on his motorcycle along Front Ftreet.

The bag contained a quantity of US cash with bank and credit cards. The woman was left in a distressed condition with no description of the culprit being given.

DATE SET FOR THEFT TRIAL CTS Date set for theft trial A Smith's Parish woman will face trial in December after being charged with stealing $6,070 while working at the Bank of Bermuda.

Shenae Teresa Ball, 23, of Somersall Road, pleaded not guilty in Magistrates' Court on Friday to the charge of taking the money between December, 1996, and June 23, 1998.

She also pleaded not guilty to failing to charge the appropriate foriegn currency tax when buying $1,550 US dollars. She was bailed for $500 to reappear in Magistrates' Court on December 9.

Police find bag of CDs Police are in possession of a black canvas bag containing a large number of compact discs.

The bag was recovered in the Dockyard area and was handed over to the Somerset Police Station as found property.

There are over 100 compact discs in the collection and it is believed that they were used for a social function held at Dockyard over the weekend.

The rightful owner can contact the Somerset Police Station at 234-1010 to identify and collect the goods.