A burning issue?

If one had a DVD of the Koran, how should one react if someone wanted to burn a copy? These were the kind of idle thoughts that were going through my mind after receiving an email from an old Australian pal (thanks Bruce) as I contemplated the potential damage that could be inflicted on my liver of another social occasion last night.

The Wingco is an accomplished former professional musician and he has a blues band, The Blues Kings, based in London, who are down in the south of France for the week, so what better than to play a gig outside whilst here? It gave me a chance to reinforce my old hippy credentials by getting the camper van out and parking, festival-like at the venue, the house in Chateauneuf de Grasse of blues harp player, Currencies Direct affiliate and estate agent Jeroen “Hit Lips” Zaat (crazy name, crazy guy) and the lovely Marina Kulik, painter extraordinaire.

Arriving at around 6.30 I faced the ignominy of being pressed ganged into helping out with roadie duties . Don’t these people know who I am? Clearly not, and by 3am this morning, neither did I. A thoroughly splendid evening of the blues played brilliantly in a fantastic setting with lashings of champagne is my idea of a good night out, and I took this picture, but this morning did not look as rosy as we awoke to the sounds and rain of a thunderstorm, making camping a whole lot less pleasant. Thus home by 10 for a good fry up and to write your daily dose about the lives of the idle rich in Valbonne.

The Blues Kings reign supreme

Astoundingly there appears to be nothing in the diary for today, so obviously I have become a social leper overnight. In fact there is nothing scheduled until a boat trip on Saturday with Roly and Poly, and do you know what? I am delighted. Whilst selling the 133rd copy of my latest book last night to an avid reader of this column, I was asked how I was still alive if all the activities outlined here actually happened and she had a point. A few days of rest and recuperation would be very welcome.

The weekend looks full; a day out on the boat on Saturday can often preceded a few pints of Guinness at The Hop Store in Antibes, especially given the very recent demise of or local draft Guinness outlet, The Queens Legs in Valbonne. It seems that it had become a wholesaling outlet for Columbian marching powder and French Mr Plod were a tad unhappy about it. The landlord is now behind bars and the place has been shut, something that it seems the local authorities have been after for years. Then on Sunday we have been invited to a 50th birthday party but with the proviso that there should be no Aristo bashing or working class triumphalism. I have agreed those terms but I am afraid I had my fingers crossed at the time, and, being (as I have been told clearly and forcefully more than once) working class and with no sense of honour, I do not feel bound by that empty promise.

Before the weekend there is the small matter of the fourth Ashes cricket test between England and Australia starting tomorrow, and I for one intend to lie in front of the TV and watch the convicts try to rescue some pride from their summer of cricketing failure, following their rugby failures at the hands of the British Lions earlier in the year. However, intention and planning will be subject to forces beyond my control, as That Nice Lady Social Organiser will doubtless have other ideas. She has the lowest boredom threshold known to man and I am not even certain I can get through today unscathed.

Chris France
@Valbonne_News