Dead red

Last night then to dinner with a number of the usual suspects but with the addition of some charming German friends of our hosts. Peachy Butterfield popped around during the day to collect the Lucifer Child (his daughter) who had crashed out at ours the night before with sprog 2 who is home for a long weekend, and we discussed what amusement we might face when faced with our new Germanic friends during the evening. We decided that one joke we must not do is ask him his occupation, otherwise he may say ” no, just for a few days”. Perhaps it would also have been a good idea if we did not mention the war? Discussion about Basil Fawlty and his attitude to Germans followed and whilst we amused ourselves we accepted that our dinner guests might not be similarly entertained, and resolved that Fawlty Towers was off limits.

Anyway, all’s well that ends well and it was not a late night as we have a big day today aboard Roly and Leslie (not Roly and Poly as the Lucifer child had referred to them) Buftons boat, indeed we believe we are the first guests he has ever welcomed aboard, Roly having just driven “Sea Breeze” from Southampton to Antibes over the past three weeks. Anyway, 8000 litres of diesel later the boat is here and today so are we!

The evening started with a tincture in the web under the same cloudy skies that have plagued us on and off all week and I blame for the cold that has descended upon me. Peachy has his own personal boxes (not bottles you will note) of execrable table wine stored at ours that he seems to enjoy which is fine by me. It is said that life is too short to drink bad wine but on the basis of the stuff he drinks he must be pretty near immortal.

Almost perfect camouflage

So, off to meet the Germans,  me adorned in my new dark pink cashmere sweater which so nearly matched the plates (as one can see from today’s picture). I said before we arrived that I just hope it doesn’t go to penalties. This caused me to receive a yellow card from that nice lady referee early on. A red card would probably get me shot. Before we left for the dinner engagement, I went to the fridge for some wine to take and said Handy Hock anyone? As I pointed out on the way home, that line as from Dads Army so still onside.

There was one tense moment. Peachy was keen later in the evening for some reason to go outside, perhaps he was a little hot, so to find the patio doors locked was a shock in the short term, but he was released in the end, and was able to escape to freedom. There was also a moment when I mentioned Basel. Peachy thought I had mentioned Basil as in Basil Fawlty, a subject which we had previously agreed was off limits. What he had not understood was that I was talking about the Swiss city of Basel, close to another notable Swiss town, Wankdorf.

Actually the Germans Uli and Brigitte are charming, and we will meet them again aboard the boat today. I am particularly keen to find out more about her, an eminent and well endowed (sorry Lin) German female doctor and her stripping off at a party in the 70’s. It was something we all did then, or at least us chaps encouraged the girls to do. She was a little coy about the details but I am sure I can tease then out of her today. That or I will make it up, as usual.

Chris France