A man arrives to deliver fifteen tons of gravel for the floor of the barn.
He's what the English might call a 'cheeky chappy'.
As the tipper truck reverses down the drive he
1) rips off a handle from the gate
2) breaks the newly replaced floodlights under the oak trees
3) runs over a pile of antique roof tiles
4) flattens a section of lavender bed.
Faced with a grizzly bear the driver fiddles with the trucks hydraulics. After much sotto voce muttering these miraculously spring into life. On his way out the gravel man manages to get his truck wedged between a tree in the courtyard and the large beam in the centre of the barn.
His sister, having decided food isn't involved, is less interested.
Just another day in deepest, deepest France profonde.
18 comments:
Heavens, Angus, what is the world coming to - is there anyone even remotely efficient in deepest France profonde?
Of course, we realise the biggest problem was that Bob wasn't there to see that things were done properly. A couple of games of throw The Furry Fox would have soon put that "cheeky chappy" in his place.
'Cheeky Chappie' is a very generous description indeed.
What a clumsy oaf.
I was going to say what Teena just said.
Actually, I can think of some better Anglo-Saxon words to describe him…
You are at least fortunate that Bob is a such good listener.
Cheers, Gail.
I agree with Teena and Merlin -- YIKES!!!!!
"Cheeky Chappy".....me thinks you are being kind with words....the guy is a moron and very careless (or purpose-driven)...how on earth could he damage so much of your property in just one delivery?
I hope you are able to salvage the antique roof tiles and that you get the gate handle fixed...we can't have Bob and Sophie escaping for a wander down the lane.
Instead of the driver apologising for the damage, he wants you to shovel out all of that gravel from the truck? Angus "Mr. Grizzly Bear" you really are a good and PATIENT man....good thing you stood your ground.....he would have had a piece of my tongue.....those hydraulics would have worked from now to forever.....sorry I hate mediocre.
Where was Madame Font in all of this I wonder? Her poor lavender bed.
At least you had a kind listener in Bob.
Happy Saturday!!
Is anything ever done without needing more repairs? Perhaps it's job security.
I was afraid to scroll down through the story and read that he had taken down the barn with his hydraulic lift. It seems he was capable of it and perhaps had a direct experience in the task. Your builders seem to destroy as much as they create. I agree...it is good that Bob offers you a shoulder to cry on. Dogs are the best listeners.
Holy Smoke! Angus, I'm amazed at your forbearance ! I am presuming you explained, in icily formal French, that the bills for the damage would be being sent to his employer?
Employer ? Methinks 'cheeky chappy' is an independent contractor ( or unemployable ).
In France profonde one is thankful for all progress no matter how fitful !
It certainly maintains the flow of cash out of my pocket and into the local economy !
Sometimes 'The Font' just knows when to keep a low profile.
Nothing a glass or two of a good Pomerol won't cure.
The French have some quite good terms of endearment too.
All French villages have them. They are usually the ones who build houses without permits.
Efficiency is in the eye of the beholder.
I really enjoy reading about the adventures of living in deepest darkest France profonde. We live in sunny spain and it's so nice to be able to say that not only do our builders turn up when they say they will (mostly) they also do a really good job - albeit they have never heard of health and safety, (for example one man trying to keep the cement mixer in its place on the back of the truck with a broom while his mate operates the hydraulics to shoot a small pile of gravel on the ground)... We do have to go out and stop the guys and physically take them to specifically point out the obstacles and possible dangers (to us, our property as well as them) and then they laugh all the way back to the their trucks. We did get nervous when the digger driver was introduced as Barbarossi the Pirate but actually he was very good at his job... like his namesake I guess.
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