Nice plums!
The relative calm of Cannes today was a welcome relief from the vagaries of the English weather which I had endured for the previous two days. The sou wester’ has been packed away, but before long it will be needed again, as I shall be setting off once again to London on a month or so to take in the first day at Lords.
Mr Humphrey’s (he was free), to whose less than humble abode we have been invited for the first time tonight, may think that gong to Lords refers to the opening of a rather androgynous or seedy club, but in fact, as most people know Lords is the home of cricket. The first day of the Lords Test Match is a genteel but often vastly amusing event, full of great old cricketing characters. It is usually a champagne soaked occasion but I am hoping rather forlornly that this is the only kind of soaking I can look forward to, however it will be mid summer in England so I shall take my umbrella.
India, the side ranked No 1 in the world are England’s opponents. To be there for the first day is a special treat, but another awaits on day 2, the Friday, as I have today secured a corporate entertainment invitation, an opportunity to eat and drink at a companies expense. You may think given my clear commitment to the services of Currencies Direct that it would be this worthy entity that extended an invitation to me, but alas, that one is still in the post, apparently.
But, back to tonight. It is a rare treat for me to be invited into the house of someone so highly valued in his own fashion industry, especially one who is treated so shabbily in this column. I see I have managed to use the words fashion and shabby in the same sentence, and it some ways this sums up the man. Never in the 7 years that I have known Mr Humphreys (who is always free) has he to my knowledge either; had gainful employment, or worn the same colour cardigan twice in the same month. I am in awe of the number of shades of purple there are in his wardrobe. The delicious Helen Humphrey will also be there to greet me in the customary manner much to the irritation of her husband.
Talking of purple, I took this picture of my plums ripening nicely, with not a wasp in site, as is seldom the case in England.
For some reason this picture reminds me of recent discussions about speedos or "budgie smuggler" Nice plums!
Golf has been abandoned today whilst I throw off the last vestiges of a truly horrible virus that has had me in its grip this week, so I expect to see Tony “I invented the internet” scouring my garden again for his Aviator sunglasses he claims he lost during festivities at ours last weekend. They are apparently, and some may think rather conveniently, exactly the same as my new ones which are just a few days old.
Late yesterday afternoon I met Icelandic bombshell, Gudrun from Remax-Cannes in Cafe Latin. I was wearing another pair of sunglasses that were left in my garden last weekend, but she said nothing so they could not have been either her’s or her husband, Melchior’s. I find the wearing of unclaimed sunglasses is a god way of finding out who has lost some, I wonder if Tony “I invented the internet” will notice anything different about me when next we meet? Anyway, over a glass of rose, we considered many important currencies matters and gossiped. As it was Friday afternoon, you will forgive me for indulging in a great deal more gossip than finance.
Chris France
Chris France's Blog 