Banjo and the flood

As one storm began to abate, the next storm is due to blow into town today. Thunderstorms of immense intensity over the past few days have flooded roads and gardens (mine) and filled up my swimming pool to the brim, but I suspect that the intensity of the on coming storm, this time in the shape of John Otway and various Frosts including Stephen Frost who are both guests of honour at my book launch on Monday at the Auberge Provencal in Valbonne will be of equally biblical proportions.

Before that there is the small matter of Sunday lunch. As I write I am not certain of the luncheon venue as it is in the balance but it seems it will matter not a jot where we are as long as there are copious amounts of wine available and something decent to eat.

Yesterday after a particular violent weather outburst, that nice lady decorator and I braved the tempest and headed down to the Brague river, which was running through the Valmasque forest with astonishing power and majesty, as my picture today shows. Perhaps I should not have taken a tennis ball with me, but with Max the faithful family retainer, the amiable English Springer, safely tied up on his on his lead, I felt that the calamitous canine Banjo, the dog that no one except that nice lady decorator wanted in the house, might benefit from a bit of extra exercise, having been unable to be out much in the recent weather. Swimming is one of his favourite hobbies (in my swimming pool) but I suspected he had always wanted to try something a little more invigourating. Unfortunately for both Banjo and I that nice lady decorator put a stop to our little game before it could even start, so he was forbidden to pitch his strength against the river in pursuit of a tennis ball and thus sadly, once again, he has survived. If it had all gone well, given the speed of the water, he would have been all at sea within about 10 minutes.

Banjo, here's the tennis ball, now fetch!

The rehearsal of the speech was once again a disaster and I am fast coming to he conclusion that its successful delivery will only to come pass if I have had several stiff ones before getting up to speak. I suggested this to that nice lady decorator but from the look in her eye she had misinterpreted the expression “”stiff ones” and was thus not entirely convinced that this method would work.

The REGS Taylor Made sponsored golf tournament due to take place today was sensibly postponed on Friday and has been rescheduled for November, so I was at a loose end yesterday but at least with the rain bucketing down I was spared any gardening, so it was not all bad.

So after the big launch is finally over (I can’t wait!) I will have just half a day of peace before once again I have to take on the role of dutiful parent to attend Parents evening, this time for sprog 2 and in London this time, and now that she has abandoned that Long John Silver look, that nice lady decorator. I may also pop into the offices of Currencies Direct to ensure that they are all hard at work saving money in foreign exchange deals for my clients. It is a short visit, just two days, but it seems the weather will be no better over there than here, so I guess we may have to seek shelter in a public house or two when not engaged in parental activities.

Chris France