Childbirth Trust alerted to man flu

November 14, 2010

tags: Chateau Gloria, Childbirth Trust, Cote D Azur, Currencies Direct, Food & wine, frances thompson, Living In France, Moving To France, Supper Club, Valbonne

I thought about it, and after a millisecond hesitation, I decided to approve the comment from the Childbirth Trust, alerting their database to the contents of my column a few days ago. I feel they need to know that man flu is worse than childbirth, and I consider it is my duty to educate people. I now expect a stream of enlightened comments saying “we didn’t realise”, “men need to be better looked after when they are ill”, that type of thing, or am I being a trifle hopeful?

Actually a Trifle Hopeful sounds like a good description of the last time that nice lady decorator tried to prepare a desert. As they say, hope springs eternal….certainly something was springing out of it. But of course the food at Frances Thompson’s supper club was at its usual high standard, however we were hijacked into the wine bar en route by Lin Wolff of the English Book Shop in Valbonne where once again I had to use all possible smokescreens and diversion tactics to ensure that the nice lady decorator did not read the last two days entries. The blog was mentioned once and I think I got away with it…

It is always a slightly nervous moment when my “pathetic scribblings” as they were described by my old friend Paul Kendall recently, become a topic of conversation. The phrase I dread the most starts with “Did you see what he said about you… ”

And so, on to the supper club. Amongst the diners were Bill Colegrave and his dusky goddess of a wife Soraya, and the equally delectable Lisa Thornton Allan who had wisely shipped her husband Paul off to Germany to make an exhibition himself. Not “of” himself you note, Paul is there to build an exhibition stand, something his company the Creative Village does very well.

So, after a really nice Indian meal, the Goan mussels being the highlight for me, and having finished the Chateau Gloria, we popped back for a nightcap with Lisa. Of course that nice lady decorator, as is her want late at night, donned her metaphorical hard hat and goggles and pushed her lever forward into the full throttle position with the result that we did not get home until about 3 am.

This was long enough to consume several more bottles of wine, and time enough for me to play two games of chess with Bill Colegrave whose book Halfway To Heaven is published this week. Modesty forbids me to reveal who won both games, but there is a former council house boy sporting a big smirk this morning and a doyen of Oxford and doubtless a top Private school who will be justifiably chagrined.

The strategising area, as it has become known

Of course, recovery time nowadays after a really big night can be rather extended, so a long period of strategising in the hammock was called for as you can see from my picture today. Last night? Last night did not really exist for me, or at least that it what I hoped. The plan was to remain deeply strategic with a brief break to watch the rugby, and to recharge before dashing into Cannes this morning to celebrate Lucy from Red Radish completing the Nice Marathon, and then I imagine to the airport (unless she has other transport plans of the quidditch variety) from where the nice lady decorator will be flying off to England for a week, however it did not work out like that as tomorrow’s column will report

Chris France

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

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