Tony Hatfield's Retired Ramblings

Vive la Difference!

It's been a challenging couple of weeks for francophiles in the UK. And it's not going to get any better. On Tuesday next week there is what the publicity blurb describes as a "reconstruction" of the Battle of Trafagar at Portsmouth. And no doubt the French and Spanish ships will be routed...again. Imagine the Sun's front page. "Frogs sunk again! Fast forward to the 6th July. Whilst Tony Blair is welcoming the G8 at the Gleneagles Hotel, Chirac will still be in Singapore having already heard whether Paris or London will get the nod from the Olympic Committee to spend lots of their country's tax hosting the 2012 games. Although other cities are in the running the bookies have, I think, stopped taking bets on London or Paris. If it's London there'll be a great splurge of patriotism- I'm with Dr Johnson on patriotism ; if Paris is chosen, all the French stereotypes will be hauled out, dusted down and given one of their regular airings And before we can say Common Agricultural Policy, we'll be packing up our Renault Mégane to spend the summer in one of those super little Gîtes tucked away in the French countryside, sampling those wonderful local cheeses, marvellous wines and fabulous fresh bread, blissfuly unaware that it's probably the CAP that is financing our pleasures. Strange old world. À bientôt, t

posted by Tony @ Sunday, June 26, 2005