Mousetrapped

To the Groucho Club then in Soho’s Dean St yesterday for lunch courtesy of Al Yiddley, the northern Jewish lawyer from Allwoodley near Leeds aka Nigel Davies from Davenport Lyons for a publishers lunch. Clearly as I am now a publisher of books (my own), I was given the impression (or rather I assumed) it was felt necessary for the assembled multitude of the great and good in the legal and publishing world to hear from me about my literary experiences. At least that was what I had thought, but instead the speaker was some unknown (to me) barrister called Ron Thwaite.

He alluded to some cases in which he had been involved in respect of the likes of Rio Ferdinand which apparently ended badly for Rio earlier in the week, John Terry and sundry other unknowns, but for all that he was very entertaining, as was the whole lunch and the Groucho experience especially as it was at the expense of my lawyers, although I am certain the cost will appear as a disbursement and be duly recharged to the client (me) at some stage.

Al Yiddley the northern alter ego of my legal advisor made only a fleeting appearance, reserving his true malevolence for MIDEM in Cannes next January, the customary meeting place for us international music biz types. I shall commence work on that sitcom next week.

As usual, after a couple of days in the city I begin hankering after the quiet life, so I always store some recovery photos in my phone. This particular photo was taken on the valley at St Guillaume Les Desert during the summer camper trip around France and Spain when things were a little calmer.

The gorge at St Guillaume Les Deserts

A little calmer could be a good description of that nice lady decorator, but only when she is asleep. Today is a big day. I will be confirmed as a mouse of the highest order when I take that nice lady decorator out to see The Mousetrap this evening to celebrate 20 years of wedding bliss (it says here). This was her choice of celebration, the choice arrived at after a perfectly democratic process in which I had a vote but she, as chairwoman had the casting vote. The process was straight out of the Gaddafi school of democracy and I am told that I am looking forward to it.

Last night, reunited as a family in its most expensive form, we were the hosts for drinks and dinner for our charming children, both at colleges in the UK, and both in need of a good feed. I think they have both benefited from their first month on fixed budgets and was delighted to see them both looking a lot thinner. They got their own back by eating vast amounts of food and drinking to massive excess, but barely keeping abreast of that nice lady decorator.

Lunch today should be interesting, ahead the of the trap closing on this particular mouse. Old friend Larry Smith, a charming chap despite his lack of culture, he is after all Australian and I have at least one Australian female reader who is a similarly culturally challenged, is in town for the weekend so it is my duty to entertain him for lunch, but hopefully at his expense.

We have both been invited to the John Otway show at the St Albans Beer Festival, but I for one cannot trust myself to return to the west end in time to be Mousetrapped. Finally, I hope you note that there was no mention of Currencies Direct today

Talking of Mr Otway, he is joining us on the flight back to Nice and we shall no doubt be adjourning to Valbonne Square on Sunday evening to take in the typical south of France experience.
Chris France