When I first read about Ryanair charging extra for ‘larger’ passengers, I was quite unfazed by it…after all it is the sort of thing they would do!

But the more I chewed it over, the more I thought it was the sort of thing that my favourite news website, Newsbiscuit, would run. And lo and behold, it turns out it is a Newsbiscuit article and well worth reading too…it had me laughing anyway! I even laugh at the photo of the smiling Ryanair girl! Classic stuff!

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The French health authorities, it would appear, are becoming concerned with the potential rise in childhood obesity levels and are introducing a warning system on food advertising.

The message is to be:  ‘Less fat, less sugar, less salt’.

So the idea that French people never get fat because they appreciate and savour their food is maybe a myth, or at least, a thing of the past.

I know in my experience of visiting France for the past 25 years, that the shops are now full of ready-made meals and the usual stuff that we buy here in Britain. I can remember when we couldn’t buy mince, we had to pick the steak and get the butcher to ‘hache’ it for us!

And in one year, France (Lot et Garonne anyway) cottoned on to roundabouts and McDonalds. We went home in the September and the next visit, Easter the following year, there were roundabouts and  associated McDonalds all over the place. I’m talking maybe 4 or 5 years ago.

And don’t get me started on Ikea!

Forget getting sentimental/maudlin about the loss of the local High Street and it’s individuality and uniqueness, we’re talking whole country’s here, disappearing into commercial sameness and uniformity. A national landscape, not shaped by geography but by commercialism.

This seems a long way from warnings on food advertisements, but I’m sure there is a connection somewhere!

It may be that the said Health authorities have taken a look at the state of the neighbouring British childrens’ health and decided to act before it has gone too far.

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I keep reading in the news about the Asian killer hornets, Vespa velutina, that are devastating the bee population of Aquitaine.

The hornets escaped from a consignment of Chinese pottery in 2004 and have been spreading North, enjoying the warm climate. Fears are that the hornets will eventually make their way up through France to England.

Although they can give a nasty sting, it is their ability to completely devastate the native bee population, that is the major concern. They ransack the bee hive, devouring the bees and feeding the larvae to their own.

Their football shaped hives are cropping up all over the forests of Aquitaine and are beginning to worry the bee-keepers of France, who’s honey production is already being challenged by pesticides and the long, hot weather.

At this stage, I am not sure what is being done about this. Do they need to be reported if you see them? Is there a programme of irradication in force? Is it advisable to try to tackle one of their hives yourself? Are they swottable? I must admit, I think I would avoid them at all cost.

Here is a little information about hornets from Wikipedia. I was right, they’re not to be messed with!

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I just received this email from a Nigerian prince…..such a sad story, reminds me of Cinderella! 

Dear Sir/madam,This letter might surprise you because we have not met neither in person nor by correspondence, but I believe that it takes just one day to meet or know someone either physically or through correspondence.I got your contact through my personal search, you were revealed as being quite astute in private Entrepreneurship, one has no doubt in your ability to handle a financial business transaction.However, I am the first son of His Royal Majesty PRINCE A.. William, the traditional ruler of Bonny province in the Oil rich area of Rivers state in Nigeria. I am making this contact to you in respect of USD45, 000,000.00 (Forty Five Million United States Dollars), which I inherited from my late father. As You may be aware that my country is the third largest oil producing country in the whole world. My father is the ruler of the richest community in Nigeria. My community produce 5.8% of the total annual Oil production in Nigeria and 0.5% of the Dollar value of each barrel is paid to my father as royalty by the Federal Government to our community. In his position as the royal head and chairman of the Bonny Oil trust fund.

Foreigners often refer to his kingdom as the Gas/Oil Land. This is because the island floats atop one of the largest gas and oil deposits anywhere in the world. This explains is why the island is home to several Multinational oil companies, such as Shell, Exxon-Mobil, Chevron and one of Nigeria’s most expensive ventures in recent time, Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas Company (NLNG), these companies also offers my father a lot of gratifications as the royal father of the kingdom where they operate.

Some of this money was accumulated from royalties paid to my father as compensation by the Oil firms located in our area, for hampering Agriculture which is our main source of livelihood. Unfortunately my father died from protracted diabetes. Before his death secretely he willed the sum of USD45, 000,000.00 (Forty Five Million United States Dollars) and he safely deposited this money in cash into a consignment and kept it in the custody of a security company without the security company knowing the content.

I have the certificate of Deposit and any information you wish to have as a
proof to show for it.

My problem actually started when my stepmother said that the next king must be her son instead of me as the heir apparent to the throne. I am the first son of my father but my stepmother has used her position and influence to convince some members of the council of elders that my biological mother was not properly married to my father because my mother is not living in the palace due to some problems within the family before the death of my father.

This action by my step mother is just a bid to deny me of my right, which I challenged. In the process there was confusion that divided the community into two factions. This led to a revolution by the youths and women who are solidly behind me. Consequently, my international passport was seized just to stop me from traveling outside the country.

Now I need help. I need someone who will claim the fund my father deposited with the financial security company and deposit it in his/her personal account pending when I will be free again. Please, help me to salvage the only hope of survival that I now have of which my step mother and the children do not know about this money.

I am in need of help to safe guide this money so as to settle down and fight for my rightful throne. Right now, I am in hiding and I do not want this money to stay much more in the security company because I don’t want to incur extra cost on the deposit since I don’t know how long my problem will last.
If you can help me in this my time of need, I will give you 35% of the total sum, while 65% will be kept for me.

I look forward to your helping me.
Yours sincerely,

Prince Adams Williams

I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do…..write to him agreeing to help, send him my personal bank details, fly out to rescue him?!

On this occasion, I think I will pass…..I’m not feeling very magnanimous today! If anyone else wants to be a very rich person by helping this poor deposed-by-his-wicked-step-mother Nigerian prince, please feel free!

It would appear that my Prince Adams Williams, has had to change his name to Prince Yobo Williams, who has been asking for help for a long time! Obviously, no-one took him up all those years ago! Nice to see he’s still alive and that the wicked step-mother hasn’t bumped him off!

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In a bout of shameless self-publication, I would like to direct you to another blog that I have set-up, here at WordPress.

It is called Blog de la Bouffe and is, well, about food. As I quite openly admit, I am not a foody, by any stretch of the imagination, in fact I have a long standing love/hate relationship with food. I am becoming increasingly confused, bamboozled, fed-up with, paranoid and dissatisfied with the whole issue of food and eating. Especially now that there are children involved. This blog is an exploration of these feelings.

Please feel free to take a look. It’s fairly new and green but hopefully, there is something there for you. Don’t forget to leave comments too….it feels quite lonesome sometimes!!

Say hello to the Strawberry Family too!

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This article is a bit sad really, from the International Herald Tribune. Thanks for sending it Pete!

There’s only one thing for it….drink more Bordeaux wine!

Chin-chin!

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Unfortunately, as America continues to dominate the market place, the IT industries and development, I would guess that M. Myard and his Trade Union colleagues are trying desperately to hold back the tide…with no hope of success.

I wonder how this will impact on bilingual children and their future in the French/Global market place? It must look promising…surely?

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I remember reading somewhere that ‘Happy Birthday’ is the most commonly sung song ever, probably a Trivial Pursuit thing.

I now think that ‘Happy Birthday’, (in all its variants) must be the most commonly used search term on the internet. Since writing my ‘Happy Birthday to me’ entry on 25th January, the Beauregard The Blog readership has gone through the roof.

Is it because people are interested in my insights and observations on moving to and living in France? Are people looking forward to my next funny YouTube clip or Newsbiscuit article? No! It would appear people are searching for all things ‘Happy Birthday’ connected. I am getting so many hits, day after day, related to this one article. Not that I mind, you understand! It’s good to have readers and lots of them. Some of them may become regular readers and RSS subscribers…. But it has rather taken me by surprise! And it doesn’t appear to be abating either…

So next time it gets a bit lonely here at Beauregard The Blog….I might just write about another birthday!!

Oh, and Happy Birthday to all those people who find their way here!!

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I just had to share this with you…..did tickle me!

Diddy has to wear white socks as part of her school uniform. I say white, after a few washes in my house, they are never anything like white….I never knew there were so many shades of grey! So I could empathise with  poor Rosa-Maria Delarosa….it would have happened to me too!

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It’s half-term again next week….doesn’t it come around quickly?

This time I am off to France for a few days. Ryanair flight £20 going out and 1p coming back….not bad! This will, in theory, be my last ‘holiday’ trip, the next one will be the real McCoy!

There are all sorts of things to discuss and without the children around, it may even be possible.  I’m quite looking forward to it now.

Plum is going too and we overlap for a few days. It looks as if we are in the Cottage with the new wood-burning stove. The old wood-burning stove had, in a previous life, been employed as a smoker of kippers, somewhere near Arbroath. So the new one, hopefully, promises to produce more heat and less smoke!

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