Planning for the trip to the northern wastes

I commence the logistical planning for the nightmare that will be my summer, actually, that’s not quite true, I have delegated said planning to the resident builder and plasterer, the current Mrs France. The snag is I have to do the paying bit!  So far we have hotels confirmed in Macon, Calais, in France, and in the UK, Port Isaac, Croyde in Devon and visits to friends in Wiltshire, Surrey, Lincolnshire (wherever that is) and….roll the oppressive uneasy sounding music, Yorkshire. Regular readers will be aware that I am something less than enamoured with the northern wastes of England, so it is with some trepidation that I contemplate a trip there, however as most of the itinerants cannot read I expect I will be safe. Well comparatively safe, I will still no doubt have to fit the bull bars to the 4 x 4 like Crocodile Dundee to repel marauding northerners, pack my galoushes and sou wester to try and keep out the filthy weather, and have the alka seltzer stocks standing by to counter the diet of lard dripping, tripe and black pudding, which is apparently the staple of the great northern unwashed. Winter clothing will of course be the order of the day (under the wet weather gear) and eye patches to keep out the rather dim light which remains the same day and night, being, as it is, so close to the arctic circle. Rumour has it that there may be some decent beer to be drunk in those few semi-civilised outposts like Leeds or Harrogate but I am not convinced. At least I will not be looking at the exchange rate every day and cursing! But that seems the only upside.
I am corrected on the spelling of springbok scrum half I met yesterday in Valbonne, his name is Norman Jordaan, apparently he laid out 2 of the opposition when playing for Toulon and received a 20 day ban, perhaps I should ask him to be my bodyguard when up north in summer?
We take up the invitation to a barbeque in Plascassier where the hosts have kindly decided to suspend festivities during the England v USA World Cup football match, and which is being catered by the lovely Lucy from Red Radish Events. I think in future, before accepting invitations, I shall check who is doing the catering, all this talk of northern English culinary delights has made me nervous. The party is full of beautiful people and is a lavish and spectacular event, as my pictures fails to show, being a blackberry camera and thus crap after dark!  I need not have worried, the catering is amongst the best I have ever encountered, Lucy and Wayne have done it again!

Party view from terrace in Plascassier

Golf with the REGS this morning at the wonderful St Donat Golf Course near Grasse with Dave the Fade and Brendon Woods, dubbed “the housewifes favourite” for reasons that are not immediately clear (Nick Riggs can you elaborate?) Hence the early posting of this unmissable daily view of the lives of the idle rich in Valbonne.

One final note, I hear from Mike Preston who is once again running a quiz night at Brittains Restuarant on 16th, this time wity music as the subject, email Mike for reservations mikepreston1@btinternet.com

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?  

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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/

John Otway’s New  Book? www.johnotway.com

Modular portable exhibition system? http://www.creative-village.co.uk/web_ads/bigger_picture.html

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