Revelations of a Sheep Fancier

August 22, 2010

tags: Cote D Azur, Currencies Direct, Ex Pats Golf, Golf in Valbonne, Mouans Sartoux, Moving To France, Valbonne

This will be the easiest blog I have ever written. Yesterday, at the landlubbers golf tournament at St Donat, well documented sheep fancier, Steve Weston, supplied me with an overload of material to use in my usual character assassination fashion.

As many will be aware, I am always on the look out for a tit-bit of gossip, a word out of place or the merest suggestion of an embarrassing interlude in one’s life, in order for me to amplify and illuminate in this column for the general jollity of all who can be bothered to read it.

Often it is a thankless task, where I have the smallest item of information, and have been able to project or frankly, invent the rest, according to the needs of copy for this blog.

Steve Weston, Landlubbers and Regs golf stalwart is however a different challenge. His sheep fancying antics have been well documented in previous editions, and he has rightly suffered some abuse from his golfing partners as a result. Who can forget, for instance, that he once sent me a photo of his favourite sheep?

Well, he has surpassed himself this time. In front of his peers, and even in front of his long-suffering and not remotely sheepish wife Nancy, he announced that he had found a sheep that looked like me! I show it below.

What likeness?

Now a number of questions immediately spring to mind. Does he like the look of this sheep? In which case a shower after golf will become an instant no go area.

How did he find this picture? Did he google Chris France and sheep? If so, for what reason? On the one hand I find this mildly flattering, but in more than equal measure, disturbing.

What was he doing on the internet that produced this picture? Some of us golfers have always had a question mark about Steve’s swing, indeed, which way does he swing. Are sheep his only weakness? I think we should be told.

Anyway the golf was won by Paul Duffy who asked for the bill the moment I ordered the first beer. Tradition has it that all drinks are bought by the winner, and usually Mr Duffy has his snout deeply stuck in the bar trough, but only when he doesn’t win and thus isn’t paying…..

I played with a charming gentleman David Stewart and Gerald Gomis, the former professional rugby player. Until recently, I believed that any professional sportsman would normally have some affinity with any sport they attempted. I was wrong.

When I played 9 holes with Gerald at the Victoria Golf Club recently, he was so bad that I suggested that he have an intensive course of lessons and suggested the he ensured he hit some balls every day. This he has done and the effect has been catastrophically negative. His score of 11 points was the lowest in Landlubber and Regs history and was achieved from a handicap of 40. Only golfers will understand quite how bad this is.

However he is a charming man with a big heart (actually big everything as you would expect from a prop forward) and with further intensive coaching and practice I firmly believe that he could bring that score down. Yes that IS what I mean!

Last night to the charming french village of Mouans Sartoux, just to savour the atmosphere which is so different to nearby Valbonne.I n the old square we sat and ordered a beer,but became aware that something was stirring. Seats were being brought be the residents and arranged around the periphery, and some kind of music was clearly lined up. It was a kin of tea dance! all the locals over 40 suddenly got up at 9pm when the accordion group started playing and were dancing fox trots, salsa, waltzes, even the cha cha cha! All very charming, but given the age of the attendees, it will be a dying tradition.

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