Carol gives me lots of presents, I open my cards and then go and have my first ever facial massage just around the corner in the village. Lunch at the La Caprice in London – great atmosphere, we sit at the bar and eat and sup champagne, terrific! Whilst waiting to collect CT’s wedding shoes from Jimmy Choe at Bond street we have a Guinness in Mulligan’s bar (an old haunt of Smithwick's) – an excellent pint! Return home early evening. Really great day.   more »

Arrive from Geneva into London City on time. Whizz to Dulwich and dump my bags and head off to the dentist! I have my teeth whitened (for the big day) whilst watching the latest Attenburgh animal film – magnificent pictures of a Sperm Whale catching a seal – amazing shots, pity about the Seal! Teeth very sensitive after treatment; massive train disruption (unsure why), trains cancelled and delayed from Wimbledon, eventually get home. Meet Carol and Kooky in the pub, have a couple of drinks and then home for a curry; a good test for the teeth!   more »

After coffee go to Nicholas and order booze – 12 bottles of Verve Cliquot, 2 bottles of Cristal, 2 bottles of Bombay gin and a bottle of Absolute Vodka – 715 euros – Apparently we have saved a wee bit. CT will take the whole lot back to Dulwich for the Wedding and Christmas. Arrive at Gare de Lyon and have a quick lunch and then on the train back to Lausanne!   more »

Bleak, grey, windy, rainy day. Go shopping, order CT’s Christmas and Birthday stuff from Lancome – in the shop nearly an hour! Happened to be passing so popped into Bugsy’s – I have spent more time in the bar this trip than the staff! Return home to find the lift finally working – hooray!   more »

Visit the café first thing and leisurely read the Sunday Times – interesting article regarding new ruling on non UK residents, calculating days in the country on a new basis which has come about as a result of a high court ruling! Have lunch and then head off to Bugsy’s to meet up with Brendan (Aussie with dual passport – the other Irish). Ireland are just brilliant in the first half, playing against a howling wind they go in ahead and are eventual winners 21 – 6. The scrum is not too convincing but the boys just play great stuff – Brendan, who supports Aus is gracious in defeat, a rare commodity. CT and I go for a Chinese supper and then home.   more »

Coffee in the local café followed by a stroll to Brady’s Irish bar for just a brilliant Irish brunch. Return to the apartment for a bit and then off to Bugsy’s for England vs South Africa. England face a record breaking 8th loss! The Marais’ have already arrived as has Sarah who are finishing brunch. The game is poor but exciting because England look like loosing until the last 10 minutes of the game when South Africa stop playing, Goodge comes on as sub scrum half and kicks well giving territory to England who score a try, convert and win 23 – 21 – lucky boys! Andy Grieve appears, he and Mike are going to the France vs. NZ game which kicks off at 9.00 pm – totally daft. Carol, Sue and I go off for an Indian and watch the last 20 minutes of an uninspiring game that the AB’s easily win 23 – 11. We return to Bugsy’s at 11.30 pm – all a bit flat and late – head home.   more »

Train from Lausanne to Paris. Arrive in Paris as usual at midday and meet CT in local café for lunch. Seems like we have not seen each other for ages. The lift is out in the apartment. After a leisurely lunch I visit the French solicitor who witnesses the pre-nup – all is now finally done and dusted. We take a stroll to Bugsy’s Irish bar to toast the agreement. Behold we find two long standing friends having a late lunch (it is now 4.15 p.m.) – guilty as accused are Andy Grieve and Murray Mexted (ex AB nos 8). Big helloes and a couple of drinks later we are joined by more of Murray’s kiwi pals (ex 9 for Wellington – Pete). Update on all the mutual pals in NZ and at 7.30 pm they leave to meet up with Sean Fitzpatrick and other ex AB’s who are covering the European rugby tour of the AB’s, who play France tomorrow. CT and I return to the apartment for Chilli and an evening in.   more »

It’s a sunny day and so great was yesterday’s trip that I have decided to have yet another Billy day out. Sent a text to Jack wishing him a happy 21st birthday and spoke to him at 8.20 a.m. but he is not compos mentis as yet – he is in Preston. I am heading again to Aigle but today I am off to Champery. The train journey along the Lake from Lausanne to Montreux and beyond never fails to impress, it is truly stunning and always makes you feel just great and not a little fortunate. At 11.00 a.m. I speak to Jack again who is now awake, just! His mother has bought him a new car, his third new car and he is only 21! Becca is taking him on a weekend trip to Barcelona, his grandparents have given him a tankard, Jamie has given him £50 and Kim £100. Back in Dulwich from me, there is a framed England cricket “Ashes” shirt signed by captain Michael Vaughn and star player Freddie Flintoff. I am curiously feeling as if I am too mean with Jack, doubting my common sense approach to not over indulging a lad that doesn’t want for much! I text Gillian (my friend and solicitor) and my best pal Mike Marais and ask the question “Am I being mean”. Gillian says I am absolutely doing the right thing and Mike similarly says look after Jack when he really needs it; I feel assured and much better. I catch a small mountain train, different from yesterday, (AOMC – Aigle, Ollon, Monthey, Champery) from Aigle. The first sight out of Aigle is an Ostrich farm, bizarre; they run around like mad things as the train passes. The train first goes to Monthey, almost a small town, that has sprawling modern apartment blocks on the outskirts that are just awful and are completely out of character with the local surroundings. At Monthey the train reverses direction and heads towards Champery. The track is really steep and the climb spectacular. At Champery there is an immediate connection to a cable car – which is not yet running but will be in a month. I walk up the hill in the direction that the cable car would take and find a delightful restaurant (founded in 1913) and sit outside and have lunch. It is mid November and I am in shirt sleeves outside having lunch, looking at grand mountains coated in light dusts of snow, sipping local wine (Rose) – just fantastic! After lunch I walk through the village which is pretty empty with most places closed waiting for the ski season to start. There are many huge three and four storey chalets dotted on the mountain slopes surrounding the village awaiting holiday guests, the obligatory traditional church with bell tower and a row of pubs and bars, with one that has a sign ‘disco”! I catch the train back down to Monthey and then on to Aigle and finally to Lausanne and home. I speak to Jack again, he is preparing to go out in Preston and get slaughtered with his pals, he is a happy boy. Interestingly he really waxes lyrical about the special hand made card that I had made. The card has the Flaherty coat of arms, contains a specially selected poem, some words from me and as a background, lists lots of special occasions that we have enjoyed together throughout his life. Awesome is Jack’s comment. I hope he keeps the card and looks back upon it with fondness. All in all a very memorable day.   more »

It’s a bit grey and overcast but decided to take a chance on a Billy adventure day – a chance well rewarded! Caught the 10.20 a.m. train from Lausanne to Aigle (Eagle!), journey time 30 minutes. Then caught the 11.00 a.m. train to Les Diablerets (Little Devils). The train journey is great, winding along mountain tracks on what is now a brilliant autumnal day, bright sunshine, stunning coloured trees, mist in the dips and valleys, and mountain peaks capped with snow. There are small remote alpine chalets dotted all around, some bearing the date they were built or the altitude that they lay on. At a station stop, Le Sepey, people join the train with several huge mountain dogs (St Bernard) further more the train now moves in the reverse direction back down towards the misty valley Les Planches. Suddenly the train branches off and climbes towards the peaks of Les Diablerets. Arrive at Les Diablerets just before noon. It is a sleepy small village, 3000 metres high, with ski lifts climbing higher in the direction of a glacier. The village is preparing for the ski season when it will throng with people but not now, peaceful and idyllic and very mild. A short walk from the station is the Auberge de le Poste which is a chalet style restaurant – really good – started with hot quiche then main course, bacon wrapped in chicory with rice accompanied by a delicious cheese sauce, can’t manage dessert but sup the local rose which is good and close with a café Renverse. The morning paper “Matin” arrives at the restaurant at 12.30 p.m. (obviously via my train). I take a stroll around the village and take photos of the local chalets that are decorated with all sorts of stuff, pumpkins and witches; the quintessential alpine church with steeple and bell and the general vista which is stunning. Around 3.00 p.m. I resist catching the local bus to Gstaad and head back to Aigle where I stop and have a look around the village. Other than a pretty impressive Castle on the outskirts, in the village itself there is not much to see. There is an “Association Vinicole” that has a grand selection of wines which you can buy by the case. I grab a coffee at the excellent little café at the station and then head home to Lausanne. I get the bus down to Ouchy where my bike has been parked. It is still a really bright afternoon, so I stroll around and take some photos of the lakeside – what a great day.   more »

I am off to PJW’s 60th birthday bash. Annette and I arrive at PJW’s lavish estate house in Epsom. Huge marquee dressed as a restaurant, come night club. Black tie event – some 150 people all looking very elegant. Peter greets us very warmly, he looks well and is very relaxed. There are so many ex Direct Line people in attendance – too many to note. All the ex DL regional managers are in attendance (Annette sacked them!). Lots of people come up like long lost friends, some in truth I recognise but can’t remember their names! Many I haven’t seen for literally decades! A few surprise people; Jane Arthur ex Company secretary who now lives in France; Don Lewis ex Board member; Joanne, the housekeeper in Boston, lovely to see her; Martin Long and expectant partner; some people a decade is too soon; Peter Horton for example who wants to discuss the current legal dispute he is in with RBS – please! Michael Winner, who gives quite a decent speech (mostly plugging his new book on slimming – please!). Peter gives a speech, I get mentioned in dispatches, a huge cake is wheeled out and a look alike Diana Ross sings a melody of (her) songs. The Cristal champagne flows all night and people hit the dance flow – not me. Annette and I say our farewells around 1.30 am. I am dropped of home at 2.30 am. On reflection a really good evening which I was initially somewhat apprehensive about but it was good to catch up with lots of people and it was in the moment (not a trip down memory lane!).   more »

Great Britian rugby league team have beaten the Aussies 23-12 in Australia, a tremendous if unexpected result. Brendan comes to Dulwich to watch Australia vs. Wales. After a lunch at the local Italian, where Brendan drinks a lot of water as he is recovering from being lost in action last night, we watch the match at home on the TV. Australia for the first half run Wales ragged and then suddenly the Welsh some how become a different team and really test the Aussies. The result is a good match and finally a draw 25 all. Brendan goes off to Waterloo to catch Eurostar back to Paris and I stay in and watch New Zealand murder England at Twickenham 41-20, England’s heaviest defeat at home. Annette is picking me up to go to PJW's birthday bash - have to get the Black Tie outfit on.   more »

Carol and Kooky have gone off to Manchester hoping to avoid the intensity of the Dulwich fireworks that scare poor Kooky something rotten. Kiwi pals are in London before heading off to Cardiff for their match on Saturday. Brendan is also in London attending an Ashes celebrity lunch at Lords before the England team head off to Australia. I am recuperating from the asthma attack and have a quiet evening in!   more »

Carol and I go to Sainsbury for some shopping and a Starbucks – we have words, basically about Carol’s unwillingness to let me drive her mini whilst she visits Manchester. The atmosphere between us is not good and I don’t feel great with my breathing, it has not been good for a few days now and is a wee bit laboured. Despite the fall out we head off to Victoria by train. Carol wants to walk to Sloane Square, it’s two stops on the tube, it’s cold and we manage not to take the most direct route, I am not a happy bunny. We stop at Tiffany’s and buy a Platinum Wedding band, it should be a very happy occasion but it doesn’t feel like it! We then walk to Chelsea Registry office to visit the place we will be getting married in, The Rossetti Room. It is pretty unimpressive, it is dark and a bit shabby, not as either of us imagined or were led to believe from the photos on the Internet. Carol is visibly upset, very upset. We get a taxi back to Victoria Station and then home to Dulwich. Carol goes to bed really early – before 9.00 pm – she is having a very bad day. My breathing is bad and I am taking Ventolin but it is having little effect. At 9.00 pm I am resigned that I am having a bad asthma attack caused I believe by the effects of the air conditioning in Doha and the long haul flights and call the emergency doctor line. I am called back by a doctor who says I should visit the local medicare (SELDOC) which is based at Dulwich hospital. I wake Carol and she takes me to the hospital. I see a French doctor who puts me on a nebuliser for 20 minutes which really does the trick. I also take some soluable Prednisolone and am prescribed the tablet form (I know from experience that this medication just does the trick!). Carol drives me home and I have a surprisingly good night, my chest and especially the thumbing, aching congestion is disappearing fast. I wake in the morning totally rested.   more »