John Otway For Eurovision?
Readers of this daily epistle may question whether there is ever a quiet day in Valbonne, but boy do I need one, especially after recent excesses culminating last night in Nice with AC/DC defying the rain (which amazingly left at least 10 people dead in Draguignan, 30 miles away), but it was never to be, an invitation to lunch at the Auberge St Donat proved too much of an offer to refuse. I contemplated a Bloody Mary to start, but as usual, good humour was re established quite quickly after a beer and the first glass of wine. I have flashbacks to last night and realise that by staying calm whilst surrounded by chaos meant that I had not properly understood the seriousness of the situation, but all ended well, so why should I worry?
This morning the grudge match for Tracy the (golf) trophy, hence the early post. Called Tracy because of a muffled phonecall to the current Mrs France that I was bringing the trophy home after yet another convincing win, the in house interior designer misheard what I was saying and uttered the immortal line “Who the f**k is Tracy? Of course it has been known as Tracy ever since. First contested in 2005 and always between myself and Dilip Soni, and therafter an average of 6 times a year, I have deserved to win it and indeed have won it in my mind on every occasion, although the plaque does have some mention of Dilip occasionally when the handicap system broke down. I will of course win again today but once again the mathematical niceties of why I may not actually get Tracy to come home with me will elude me, should that happen (which is not admitted), I have a picture below:
The "Tracy" trophy showing a good representation of Dilips golf swing
Friday I am working again, this time overseeing the loading up of the stock for the bar at Mougins School Summer Party on Saturday, where I am bar manager. A sudden panic as I reaslise that there is important football to be watched during my stint, but all hands are on deck to ensure a TV will be available. Sunday sees the Landlubbers golf group at Grande Bastide when I hope our captain, organiser and mentor, Dave The Fade, will be back amongst us. I have a bone to pick with him, I felt a spot of rain as his organised regs event last week, and he is to blame. Beatings will continue until morale improves. Further into next week, I have a lunch at Lou Fassum on Thursday with old school pal Alan Brydon, who astonishingly for someone who was even outshone by me at Aylesbury Grammar School, has risen through the ranks to be CEO at Oracle, and then on Friday the Riviera Business Club summer party on the roof of Hotel Aston in Nice, with music, comedy food and wine which promises to be a glittering affair where I sahll once again be conveying to the great and the good the value of transferring currency via Currencies Direct.
Hot news though for lovers of Eurovision, my old pal John Otway has come up with a plan to attempt to represent the UK in next years eurovision Song Contest!! A throroughly ripping wheeze if we can pull it off!! I have already begun work and have made contact with the organiser of next years event from the BBC. The plan is to link up Otway with the production and songwriting skills of Barry Upton (Cheeky Girls, STEPS etc) with the limited talents of Mr Otway, a mouthwater prospect for myself having a history of being involved in Song For Europe on and off over the past 20 years or so, and surely a recipe for disaster success on an even bigger scale than managed by Pete Waterman this year. To get the full 10 points was indeed, memorable, well done Pete!
Chris France
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Chris France's Blog 
Glad to hear you survived the Draguignan monsoon,it made the news over here.Talk of the 1970 I.O.W. pop festival brought back happy memories of attending with Otway and falling asleep just as Hendrix got on stage.I slept right through his set and I believe he died a week or so later! Spoke to P.B.last week and he’s snapped his achillies tendon so is hors de combat for three months or so,he sends his regards.O n the odd occasion my back allows me to swing a golf club I’m hitting the ball out of sight. Sounds to me like you need some proper competition when when you finally summon up the nerve to face me,not a bunch of no hoppers with too much time on their hands!I’m enjoying the blag although it does put me in mind of a certain column in a long defunct Aylesbury rock mag!I wonder what she’s up to now ? Glad to hear Otway and you are devising a new scheme.Otway on Eurovision eh,now that I’d like to see!Glorious day here and just listened to All The Young Dudes on the radio.Bliss.Hol was the sofa guest on B.B.C. Radio Lincoln on Monday.You can hear it on the web if you’re interested.It’s the breakfast show and it’s on play again or some such thing.Another poem in the Mail the other day so soon enough for the long awaited anthology-well long awaited by me anyway! Love to the better half and offspring.x
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I didnt know you and Otway went to IOW? say heloo to PB, tell him I’ve got a camper van, he will be amused! dont suppose you can get up to Ayles for golf on Monday 26th July? Whats Hollly up to? hope all the rest of the various sprogs are OK, and that long suffering “wife”
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Should have said if you want to listen to the Holly interview start at about 2hrs 18 mins into the prog-it’s worth a listen. x
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