Baileys heaven

Six hundred words a day. That is what this column set out to do, and today I am going to use the longest word since it’s inception. I have never been afraid to use long words but this is a bit scary; hippomonstrosesquippedaliophobia whilst at first look seemed to express a phobia of giant four-legged hippo’s (is there any other sort) is apparently the fear of long words. It has been said by some of my public schoolboy bullying friends that I have a poor understanding of long words but that is intercontinental. I know exactly how to spell bullying.

Yesterday, I was sent to Castorama, a bit like Coventry as no one speaks to you. I was my job to collect some do it yourself materials to repair the pav, our garden pagoda, which suffered some damage in the November storm, which I think was the last time we had significant rainfall. This in itself is a disaster for the local ski slopes such as Greoliere Les Neiges which seemingly could be renamed Greoliere Les Mud. For instance, I hear that Limone, a proper ski resort just cross the Italian border has just three slopes open from a possible 48.  We had planned to go there next month to the amazing Aracador, a ski chalet and restaurant on the slopes normally only reached by snowmobile or on skis in winter, now just a short walk up the grassy bank. Anyway, duty was done but not until the first test match against Pakistan had finished for the day, obviously.

Anyone in Valbonne or surrounds have any space for the theatre company to rehearse? The first production is on Feb 14th in Valbonne and the actors have flown in from London but now that their usual  rehearsal facility has gone up in smoke they are desperate for somewhere to rehearse.  I am getting more and more drawn into the showbiz aspects of what they area doing and I am not alone. I know it is a bit sad, but a distant cousin of Peter Bennet’s’, the head honcho of Blue Water and a sponsor of SET, as the theatre group is becoming known, and who was down here racing horses at the Hippodrome at Cagnes sur Mer last week is Entertainments Manager aboard HMS Victory. This is clearly a very important job, and must be a very hard thing to be whilst on the high sea. Being Welsh, John Gwynn will no doubt be aware of what is normally considered to be “entertainment” in Wales, although I thought that involved sheep rather than horses. You learn something new each day.

My picture today was taken at Gatwick a few days ago and shows where Valbonne resident Jude O Sullivan, our renowned leading  local consumer of Baileys, would ideally like to live her life. an entire shop dedicated to the sale of the sticky horror drink in four different varieties. Jude, change your will, ask for your ashes to be scattered  in front of this shop. I wonder if they have rooms?

The Baileywick of Gatwick

The Red Radish secret supper up at Chateauneuf this Friday seems no longer to be a secret, but looks like being a cracking night out. I think there may be a few places left, at least there were yesterday. Wayne Brown with the lovely Lucy are behind this event is also the founder of FR2day has told me to bring plenty of booze as its going to be a big party.

Almost forgot to mention Currencies Direct and their wonderful foreign exchange services. I know you would have been devastated.

Chris France