Tour de France

The Hand of Terry From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (15 hours old)

What can you say that hasn't already been said. The event has been qualified as "shameful" The national verdict on Thierry Henry's "Hand of God" goal that qualified France for the 2010 World Cup… more

Pig Flew From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (18 hours old)

You could hardly say that the French are flooding into their swime flu vaccination centres, however, numbers are up on last week. The nation’s hospital A&E units are however clogged with thou… more

The French are happy From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (19 hours old)

Swine flu, recession and Christmas on the way (I don’t know anyone who actually likes Christmas) it is surprising that in a poll this week for the women’s magazine « Femme Actuelle » - a staggering 96… more

Wedding Extravaganza From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (6 days old)

At a loose end this weekend? (I said that last weekend) Well, if you have bugger all to do in Bourges, you can always nip along to our town's annual "wedding show" (Bugger all sounds a better prosp… more

Fresh Kebabski From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (6 days old)

This one has nothing to do with smalltown France, though it made it on to the back page of our local paper. In a twon 1400 kilometeres from Moscow. Three homeless Russians killed a 25 year old man,… more

Sarko pins one on Clint From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (6 days old)

Here's one nearly slipped my notice. In between meeting the Syrian President, going to Berlin, attending Armistice Ceremonies and making contravertial speeches about National Identity - our diminut… more

Swine Flu Makes it to Small Town France From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (6 days old)

It all started out in Mexico, now swine flu has almost made it to the end of my street. Welcome to St Germain du Puy, a quiet town of just over 5000 inhabitants, roughly ten minutes drive from Bou… more

Friday things From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (7 days old)

Things that I should have done this afternoon that I did not do (Yes, no war on Friday afternoons. most French military bases finish at 12 on Friday, so the best time to invade France is Friday aftern… more

Friday 13th Lucky for Some From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (7 days old)

Friday the 13th, which this year actually alls on Firay the 13th. It’s an old joke – TV comedian stops someone in the street and says that from now on, Christmas Day will be on January 1st (LOL) … more

How We Lived in 2008 From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (7 days old)

The French National Statistical Office INSEE have just published their « Portrait de la France » for 2008. A huge wad of crunched and recrunched numbers gleaned from numerous surveys, summing up th… more

France's Most-Wanted From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (7 days old)

More news about france's most-wanted man - Tony Musulin, the securiyt van driver from Lyons, who, last week, simply "drove off" in his van, which just happened to contain 11 million Euros. Mr M… more

You'd Be Better Off With Swine Flu. From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (7 days old)

It’s the flop of the week in France – the national vaccination campaign abagisnt the A/H1N1 flu virus. The campaign officially started yesterday, but, of the six million people concerned, very… more

Watch out for more Contaminated Muck - Response from No.10 downing Street From the_gardener in Up at the Big House (9 days old)

As expected Amonopyralid Herbicides have been re licensed for use in the UK by our Government. Of course all users will now follow the instructions on the packet to the letter, they will not give any… more

Rememberance From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (9 days old)

Steel grey skies hanging over a dank day. The first real snow in the Alps and the Pyrenées - almost twenty inches near Andorra – the skiers will be out this weekend. Now night falls, grey truns … more

Bourges (Berlin) Wall From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (12 days old)

As festivities get underway in the German capital, we too in small town France are marking this historic anniversary in our own "particular" way. For weeks, German teachers in local secondary s… more

Going Nuclear From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (12 days old)

Nuclear power.Britain hasn't got enough of it, so the government are all set to "steamroller" throuh plans to build a whole set of new nuclear power stations. Yes, there wil be no public inquiry, but… more

What are we fighting for? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (12 days old)

The Rememberance Day ceremonies – at the Cenotaph in London are always a poignant The moving renditon of Elgar’s « Concord », the solemn and solitary « last post », the march past of the vétérans, an… more

Shell Fish Fest From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (13 days old)

And today in small town France it was our fifteenth annual Shell Fish Festival - even if we are about four hundred miles from the sea. The Rue d'Auron in downtown Bourges as closed off to traf… more

Weddings Divorce and Cliff Richard From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (13 days old)

At a loose end this weekend ? Looking for somewhere to take the family ? Hère are a few « fun » évents happeing in the Paris région. The 63rd Annual National Stamp Fair The Organic Food and … more

Marseilles Mega Mosque From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (13 days old)

They’ve got planning permission, all that remains is to find the 22 million Euros to finance the construction, and in just over two years, France’s largest Mosque will open for business in Marseilles.… more

How much does our President earn ? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (13 days old)

The answer comes in a small article, tucked away on the back pages of this morning’s paper. Nicolas Sarkozy gets 19,508 Euros net per month. This doesn’t seem an extraordinary sum, and since the p… more

Was Flaubert a physic's teacher? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (14 days old)

First year physics – our teacher « Bender Brown », so called because of his punitive practises which consisted of smacking us hard on the bum with a polythene rod whenever we were talking. After every… more

A Good Day's Work From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (14 days old)

Security van driver. That’s a lousy job. Carting round millions of Euros everyday all for a pittance. If you scrape together 1500€ by the end of the month you’re lucky,. It’s a dangerous job too. Vill… more

Anthropology and The Fame Academy - Levi Strauss is dead but we've still got jeans From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (16 days old)

Levi –Strauss is dead 101 years young, he shuffled off this mortal coil last Friday, though the nation’s media were only informed yesterday evening. The inventor of the jean is dead. Erm, no.… more

GONE TO THE LOO – BACK IN 5 MINUTES From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (16 days old)

AAAAH. Just nipped out to beat the lunchtime rush to the loo AND, I’ve just noticed something. The loo is the only place in the army where true equality exists. Standing there, washing my hands, I… more

Retour de vacances From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (16 days old)

Monday 2nd November. The beginning of week 45. I’m back at work, but the half term holiday still has the rest of the week to run. Schools go back on Thursday. This seems a bit dumb. Why not … more

Berry Deep Weekend From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (18 days old)

A few bits and pieces from down my way. Don’t say nothing ever happens in sleepy smalltown France at the weekend The posthumous Michael Jackson film “This is it”, made it to small town France this… more

More Halloween thoughts. From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (18 days old)

A few more thoughts on Halloween. Just arrived home from work. The offspring is in the kitchen learning a long list of English vocabulary for a test later in the week. The theme is Halloween. Why… more

Autumn Winds From the_gardener in Up at the Big House (19 days old)

Yes it's me again. Reporting a very successful season for crops this year. Despite almost total neglect for 2 months. We are perfecting the, plant and sow and go, technique which means we come back fr… more

Whatever happened to Halloween in France ? From DirkBeauregard ^Pro in Berry Deep France (19 days old)

The goodies were there, ready to share with ghoulish trick or treaters, but none came. Neither witches nor wizards, no devils or demons. Ghosts, ghouls, spooks, spectres and phantoms, flunked Hal… more