Crazed lunatic in the garden

Why were various clothes strewn all over the lawn on Friday night? I thought we had been burgled or rather vandalised by a cruel gang of crazed lunatics until I began remembering….It had been a long day, lunch in Antibes, drinks at the Blue Lady, drinks in Mouans Sartoux, drinks in the web. I still think a crazed lunatic was involved, and I think I am married to her.

Much of great import had been discussed during the day, a good deal of it about Currencies Direct, but I do not recall all of the details, in fact I don’t recall many of the details, if any. Such are the trials and tribulations of getting old and drinking too much with that nice lady decorator, a gorgeous waif and a taciturn but often very amusing Scotsman.

Thus today has been on the quiet side, mundane activities such as commencing packing for the usual complicated logistics of a family summer which include ten flights, camp sites, accommodation in London for the Test Match at Lords, accommodation near Hurtwood Park for the polo and The Faces, accommodation for the dreaded two days we will be spending communing with the natives of the wild windswept north of England, and the extra packing that is required in order to survive such a hostile landscape, accommodation for the son for his engineers course in Antibes and the loving care required to ensure Bluebell the camper does her best not to let us down on our trip to “Costa Brava or bust”. The last big trip out for a big camping adventure ended in “bust” being towed back for repairs the first day, so anything past the first afternoon has got to be a plus. I had planned to take care of all of the above today, but ended up sitting in the web doing very little.

Max the proper dog is partial to a swim and regularly makes use of the swimming pool, indeed he gets more use out of it than anyone else in our family, it is sort of his private pool into which the odd guest and family member are allowed into occasionally. The problem is, that he is in it so much that he had managed to bleach his eyebrows in the chlorine, as my picture today depicts.

I hope Mr Humphries does not see this, it may give him some bizarre fashion ideas

I think it was reverting to a large gin and tonic that finally shook off the self-inflicted damage from yesterday, but manfully I resisted until well after six pm before coming to the conclusion that nothing else would work, kill or cure. This is the last full week we have here until August, the house is rented from next weekend until the end of July for silly money, enough for us all to go on holiday and more besides, but how much of a holiday can it be having to second part of it, albeit just two days, near the Arctic circle at somewhere called Chester. I suppose there will be an opportunity between scudding snow flurries to witness the northern lights, although Peachy Butterfield says the bitters are very good and his personal favourite, and by the looks of the size of him he has tried all of them in profusion. I know that have a beer up north called Black Sheep but have never been daring enough to ask what they put in it, or how they despatch the poor animal before it finds its way in liquid form into glasses to keep out the cold. I am told that it has another use, as a balm to keep the midges away when the tundra softens, but frankly I will take a chance with the insects.

Chris France