France is much more than a collection of politicians

Fillon's Faltering Bid for the Presidency

Does white represent purity in the sense of a sporting ideal or does it represent elitism?

Does white represent purity in the sense of a sporting ideal or does it represent elitism? White is still worn at Wimbledon as it is in the more respectable matches of cricket. I always maintain that if white is not worn it’s not cricket in any case.

Roland Garros, that high court of French tennis is spoilt by the fact that white is NOT worn. In fact I find the men players for the most part look like long haired unshaven ill dressed hooligans. The women try to outdo each other in the latest top fashion.

The French have told me that white is not democratic, that it smacks of privilege, the bourgeoisie or is just too refined for them. Considering the way advertisers use the players, the cost of the rags they wear I would have said white was the opposite.

Perhaps white upsets their idea of anarchy, of rebellion, of undisciplined liberty. I often see players, male, wearing no shirts. I find it revolting. If nudists wish to frolic around knocking a ball to each other over a net with some sort of net like object at least they are put away out of sight.

I once noticed that Nadal would appear to have been allowed to wear some white garment without sleeves. It looked like some sort of underwear to me. I dislike seeing men’s bared shoulders. Perhaps it appeals to some women but it has no place on the centre court of Wimbledon.

There is such a thing as good taste. The French are really surprising. They lead the world in high fashion or Haute Couture. The women mostly have their hair always done in a most attractive manner. The men’s smart casual manner of dressing is indeed smart whereas English casual or dressing down is not fit for a barbecue let alone the office to say the least.

Why then does any form of dress code on the tennis court so offend them? One could say it is the fashion lobby getting involved. That could be true but it goes deeper than that. School children of course look like badly dressed hooligans. In Orléans one hardly ever sees a pretty well dressed girl these days. Some years ago I remarked in a lecture I was giving to visiting Americans that nowadays Orléans looked like Slobville.

A sign of the times? Perhaps. The dress code would now appear to be polluted. Scruffy is the norm. Perhaps it is a form of High Fashion. Perhaps the clothes cost a fortune. The Haute Couture of Scruffiness. Perhaps I am alone in a wilderness of scruffiness and am the only one not to see the beauty.

Women made to keep low profile in some French suburbs

Tipping can be an absolute headache.

Tipping can be an absolute headache. 

When I was very young in England in the 1940’s one discreetly left a threepenny bit beneath the saucer when one was in a café.

I remember going to a cinema in France in the 1950’s and having been shown my seat by an usherette settled in to watch the film. A few minutes later I noticed this usherette still standing by me jingling coins in her purse. It took another 2 or 3 minutes before it occurred to me she was waiting for a tip.

Now, with age and experience I rarely tip anyone. It’s mostly included in the bill so I see no need to add anything more. Once after giving a lecture to a group of Americans a couple left me ten franc tips. I had to politely explain that I didn’t accept tips.

There are exceptions. The young lady who cuts my hair gets one, but if ever she is absent and the owner does the job he doesn’t get one. Never tip bosses.

Frankly if anyone insists on a tip he doesn’t merit one.

Visit France - 10 Things That Will SHOCK You About France

I have always been surprised about how Americans are so easily shocked. I mean the English do sometimes find things shocking but hopefully not too often.

I have come to the conclusion that what they really mean is surprised

Miss Universe 2016/2017 - Miss France

The French are now heading to their destiny.

Well the horses are now lined up for the final furlong. How many of my readers know what a furlong is in this metric age? The length of ten cricket pitches.

1. On the extreme left the communists, Trotskyites, workers struggle etc. (not counting a few independent candidates ) under Melanchon.

 2. The official Socialist party candidate, Hamon, hard left of the party, O brave new world.

3. Macron, a sort of New Age independent leftish economic liberal Joker,

4. The Conservative, Catholic, upright, Mr Clean, Fillon,

5. On the extreme right, Le Pen, who is or is not a fascist, depending on how far left of her one is.

To understand French politics one must remember what has happened since the French revolution in 1789.

The French have had 5 republics, 2 monarchies, 2 empires and various minor forms of government including for example that of Pétain in the 2^nd World War.

The United States during the same time frame (from 1776/83) are still on their 1^st republic.

 Of course since the last upheaval in 1968 there has been nothing like a revolution although God only knows what would happen if Le Pen was victorious. God, as every Englishman knows is an Englishman, is otherwise engaged wooing a certain Trump,  so will probably not intervene. Perhaps he might be better off wooing Miss Universe