Barbequeing in Britain in the rain

bbq advice in UK as seen on gmtv, note the scarf and fingerless gloves! good advice indeed

I am awoken once again by an unpleasant noise on my trip to the UK, rain splattering on the velux! I search for some sensible news coverage on the TV of the upcoming election but happen on GMTV by mistake, and am appalled by a feature “How to Barbeque in the rain”. see above.  To coin a phrase first uttered by my old pal Paul Kendall aka Ken Poodle, it was fascinating in the same way as a aeroplane disaster.

 The obvious question if living in Valbonne or anywhere warm and civilised would be WHY bbq in the rain? Is it any wonder that despite the poor but gradually improving value of the £, at least 10% of the population want to move abroad? The farce continued with a demonstration which was amusingly decimated as much of the taragon that was being chopped blew away in the wind! The fun of live TV! The irony of trying to prepare a bbq whilst wearing a sheepskin jacket and wrapped up in a scarf and wearing fingerless gloves seems lost on the unlucky presenters.
Sunday lunch is one of the few things I miss about the UK, so I thought, maybe Quaglinos, or Langans Brasserie but am depressed to find the recession has caused the closure of many top London restaurants on a Sunday including these. Eventually I settle on Langans Terrace Bar in Old Brompton Road where I lunch with Patty Hills Ridley, widow of Greg the sadly missed founder member of Humble Pie and Spooky Tooth. Once the business is concluded, we chat about her fascinating past, from go-go dancing at Studio Valbonne, befriending various famous and infamous characters from the 60’s and 70’s, and fascinating revelations about boats, cocaine, hash, private jets, and being kidnapped by the mafia! I tell her she should write her book and she agrees but names may have to be changed….

Today I will tog up with galoushes and a sou-wester as I trapse the streets of London searching in vain for a taxi to take from and to and from my various meetings. Having managed to avoid coming to the UK for business hitherto this year, I find myself with back to back meetings, lunches and dinners, I am fortified however at the prospect of returning to sunny France on Thursday where a full programme of lunch, tennis and golf commences from the moment I set foot on dry land, indeed I land at 11.50, lunch is at 1.30 and golf at 3.30, where Mr Gurdon will receive his customary golf lesson from playing with me, with tennis pencilled in for Friday morning. so I leave you today with a picture of warmer and dryer climes

Rocket is in flower with a backdrop of almond trees

chris France

buying a house in France, moving money? www.currenciesdirect.net/chrisfrance

Latest local news? http://www.fr2day.com/

Best Estate Agency in Valbonne? http://www.rivierarealty.net/

Best French Riviera Property Agent?  

http://www.afa-international.com/

http://frenchriviera-properties.com/

rent my house in summer? http://www.holiday-rentals.co.uk/p412514

Best on line resource in Valbonne? http://www.valbonneonline.com/

Secret supper club http://www.red-radish.com/

Wedding reception? http://www.bastidestmathieu.com/

Valbonne Tourist Office http://www.tourisme-valbonne.com

Top quality interior designer? http://www.marineguigue.com/