David Parkin on a Tour de France finale and too much monkey business

“ARE you taking your Ferraro Rocher?” I was asked when I told a friend I was off to watch the finish of the Tour de France  on the Champs-Elysées, preceded by a drinks reception on the lawn of the British Embassy in Paris.

“No, we’re flying to Paris and anyway, I can’t afford a Ferrari,” I replied.

It turns out we were both wrong.

I thought my friend was referring to a sports car while he was actually meaning Ferrero Rocher, the gold-wrapped nutty chocolate made famous by the 1990s TV advert in which they were served by a butler at a glittering embassy reception.

“Ambassador, you are really spoiling us,” was the cheesy line many still repeat from the memorable advert.

Fortunately it was dinky canapés held together by tiny pegs and a nice range of Yorkshire cheese from Cryer and Stott in Allerton Bywater that was served on the terrace of the British Ambassador’s residence in the French capital last Sunday.

Invited by Welcome to Yorkshire to the finale of the Tour de France, I rubbed shoulders with business leaders and politicians and had the chance to wander about the garden of the Embassy on the Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honore and the lawn where you can find the only grass tennis court in Paris.

It was a wonderful experience which was then topped when we all made the short walk to a ninth floor terrace overlooking the Champs-Elysées where we were able to watch the processional finish to the three week Tour de France in which the riders make eight circuits of the French capital before the winner is crowned.

Another British winner with a great story, Welshman Geraint Thomas, made watching the finish of the race even more special.

With his bushy brown hair and pointed features, Thomas has a slight resemblance to former team-mate and winner Sir Bradley Wiggins, but with a warmer personality.

The triumph of Cardiff-born Thomas was greeted with delight by British Ambassador Edward Llewellyn who flew the Welsh flag from the Embassy the morning after the win.

He gave a short speech of welcome to guests at the Embassy party before handing over to Yorkshire’s Ambassador, Sir Gary Verity of Welcome to Yorkshire.

Big V was on great form as usual and is a natural public speaker combining personality, humour, wit, stories and insight.

He introduced me to a glamorous French businesswoman whose firm apparently supplies all the barriers used along the route of the Tour de France.

“They are the best barriers in the whole of France,” said Sir GV with a flourish.

I then bumped into Mike Tomlinson, the husband of the late inspirational charity fundraiser Jane Tomlinson.

Mike has continued Jane’s legacy, expanding the number of charity runs organised by Run For All and taking party in a variety of money-raising events.

“Haven’t you just cycled all the way to Russia?” I asked him.

“No he crashed in Poland,” said a lady next to him.

“Have you met my daughter Suzanne?” said Mike.

Waved off by England manager Gareth Southgate, Mike, along with Premier League referee Martin Atkinson, set out to cycle nearly 1,800 miles from the UK to Russia within 18 days with the aim of arriving in Kalingrad for England’s match against Belgium.

But Mike crashed just 150 miles short of the final destination and despite suffering whiplash, cuts, bruises, a blood clot and a bang to the head, carried on after the crash for 13 miles before being forced to stop when his hip ballooned to the size of a melon.

“I must be mad,” he told me.

I turned to his daughter Suzanne.

“We have met once before many years ago when you did work experience at the Yorkshire Post,” I told her.

“Did you ever become a journalist?”

“No, I’m a teacher,” she said.

Thank goodness for that, I take pride in every would-be journalist who forsakes the profession and goes off and does a worthwhile job.

:::

WHEN in Paris it seemed appropriate to wear my brown brogues which had been given a new patina and shimmering polish by Fin, the manager of the Cheaney shoe shop in the Victoria Quarter, Leeds.

When you talk about after sales services, getting a mirror shine on your Cheaneys by Fin and his colleague Ian is one of the big benefits of buying a nice pair of shoes that have been handmade in England.

In a quarter of the capital where high end European shoemakers including Berluti and Corthay have their ateliers, it seemed right to go big and British.

Here they are pictured beside the tennis court at the British Embassy in Paris.

:::

DOWN the bill of the big heavyweight boxing clash between Dillian Whyte and Joseph Parker in London last Saturday you might have missed a bout between two British heavyweights.

David Allen, a 26-year-old from Yorkshire, who was on his way to becoming classed as ‘journeyman’ boxer after losing four of his 20 fights, was pitted against an unbeaten boxer called Nick Webb.

Taking the fight at just a week’s notice, Allen was clearly expected to lose again.

Instead he unleashed a big right hand in the fourth round, flattening his opponent and putting his own plans to retire on ice.

After the fight Allen, known as the White Rhino was understandably ecstatic.

Reflecting on his victory, he told Sky Sports: “It all came out at the end. I knew what it meant and knew it would set me up for life.

“I’m from Doncaster where house prices are the price of a bar of chocolate in London.”

And he’s not talking about a Toblerone.

:::

I saw an article about wellness in the workplace the other day that was written by the improbably named Bird Lovegod.

He was described as an artist, writer, fintech consultant and humanitarian interventionist.

With a name like that I’m sure there is another job out there for him.

:::

IT was my birthday this week and if there is one certainty in life, then as your age goes up, the number of cards you receive goes down.

Mind you, may be that isn’t such a bad thing, given one card I received from my godson’s parents.

You can see it here.

Disgraceful and completely untrue.

It looks nothing like me.

I don’t wear glasses.

Have a great weekend.

 

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top