The harder they fall

That nice lady decorator was not very nice about the contents of this column yesterday. “Why can’t you be funny every day?” She asked which I suppose must be a compliment of sorts, after all by implication I must be funny on some days, probably those when I fail to mention the benefits of moving money via Currencies Direct which has happened only rarely.

Actually, now that she has subscribed to this column, which anyone can do by hitting the subscribe button below and which incidentally had nearly 500 hits yesterday, a record, especially good for something described as not funny, I have an editorial impediment to free speech in that I can no longer get away with having a bit of fun at her expense. Before that I could take some amusement in the full knowledge that she would probably never read it.

I have also been told by my new self-appointed editor to stop grizzling about graveling. I fear that her entreaties may fall on stony ground as I intend to chip away at her displeasure and somehow make graveling funny. I suspect though, in reality she will remain stony faced. In fact this column is very hard to write when one is stone cold sober. Ok, that’s it, I think I have done all the stone jokes.

Tonight, the tempestuous tennis trilogy (plus one) will once again grace the run down but still charming Vignale Tennis Club. I want to find out if any of my tennis compatriots are looking forward to the reign of the new Socialist President of France.

It seems that our illustrious leader and his former partner Segolene Royale still co-own a house in nearby Mougins. It seems that it was valued at some 200,000 euros, at least for wealth tax purposes a few years ago. This will come as a surprise to residents in the same area with almost identical houses on the same estate that also boast a private swimming pool in one of the richest and most expensive communes in France. They would all no doubt be devastated to find that their houses valued at 1.2 million euros have apparently dropped so markedly in value. Any suggestion however that our new socialist ayatollah has stretched tax rules to avoid paying the full extent of what is due is of course a scurrilous accusation and I am certain that come the time he fills in his 2011 tax form shortly, a more realistic valuation will collect him up neatly into his own tax trap.

There seems to be an Orwellian tendency towards some people being more equal than others in the worldwide socialist hierarchy. Do as I say rather than di as I do. If one looks at the socialist opponent in the recent London mayoral vote, the scion of Margaret Thatcher, it was the revelation of his byzantine tax avoidance planning that may have tipped the balance against him. If you were to say “Mr Livingstone I presume”, then you would be not far off the mark. Next shall we look at Mr Mugabe?

Pines felled by winter snows

Out walking in a different part of the Valmasque this morning I came across some large pines that must have fallen down in the freak snow we had in February. They say the bigger they are the harder they fall. I do hope there is no relevance in this photograph to the effect our dear leaders may experience in their political careers due to their tax affairs.

Tonight is the opening of the South of France English Theatre production of Ira Levins “Deathtrap” at the Espace Miramar in Cannes. Sadly I cannot be there but I shall be at Sophia Antipolis later in the month to support this worthy attempt to bring some west end culture to the Cote d’Azur.

Chris France