Barbecued road kill?

I think it was French philosopher Jacques Derrida who said that truth does not have to tally with observable reality. I think he must have had his roots in the north of England as this seems to be the permanent state of mind of a number of chaps from the that area, who consider that their tundra strewn, midge infested wilderness where they live is the best place on earth.

But generous natured and good-hearted people are they, almost without exception. I shall be in their midst this evening as a few of them have escaped to Mougins where we are invited to a barbecue this evening. I suppose they have been out looking for unsuspecting wildlife, such as shown in my picture today taken at the Grand Bastide Landlubbers golf event last Sunday, to roast on their peat fires. Alternatively they are probably out collecting road kill to set upon the flames as tripe and black pudding are hard to find here in civilisation, so it should be an interesting evening.

If there were anyone from up north nearby, he would be in the pot quicker than you could say Geoffrey Boycott

Peachy Butterfield, who with his stunningly attractive wife Suzie, are our hosts this evening has a previously featured taste for wine in quantity rather than quality. I wonder what exciting “new world” wine offering he has in store for us tonight? Regular readers will already have had their eyes opened (better than being spooned out, but only marginally) by Warrington Wioja, Pennine Pinot and Crewe Chardonnay, and I am sure they must have a sparkling white wine offering, perhaps Stockport Sparkling? which I am told is a cheeky mix of Babycham and a splash of bleach.

Peachy has told me of a fascinating way of exercising birth control up north, apparently it is called the Lytham Method, but details are too graphic to go into in this column.

Last night was the final leg of the Tour De Finance staged at the Boscolo Hotel in Nice, which was very well attended despite the 30 degree heat outside. It is always rewarding when one’s missionary efforts on behalf of Currencies Direct are rewarded with gratitude by those whom one has saved from the clutches of the major banks foreign exchange departments.

Amongst those in attendance were Wandy Hardacre (with a k) co founder of Angloinfo who reveals that my angloinfo blog Happy Mondays, is the second most popular blog not just in the Provence area but in the world, surpassed only by another that is posted daily (mine is weekly). This is on the most popular ex pat website in the world,  but as I have been told that boasting shows that I did not go to a proper school, I cannot mention it for fear of revealing my humble scholastic roots.

Dinner was once again taken in Valbonne square, where a raucous and happy collection of Le Tour exhibitors were still revelling when I left at midnight, despite the fact that there’s was the last table and the waiters were sweeping up around them. Thank god they are off the to Alps today for the last leg.

Thursday evening I will be at the Miramar Beach in Cannes where I shall be dispensing champagne to thirsty Internations members from 6pm and where I shall also once again be searching for other unfortunates similarly in distress with their overseas banking needs. If you are in the area, come along, it’s an interesting international networking opportunity, and a chance to enjoy a free glass of proper sparkling wine, not from up north, well not from the north of England at any rate.

Chris France