For the Francofiles out there

[Deleted]

An American tourist in London decides to skip his tour group and explore the city on his own.
He wanders around, seeing the sights, and occasionally stopping at a quaint pub to soak up the local culture, chat with the lads, and have a pint of Guinness.
After a while, he finds himself in a very high class neighbourhood.....big, stately residences... but no pubs, no stores, no restaurants, and worst of all... NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS.
He really, really has to go, after all those Guinnesses.
He finds a narrow side street, with high walls surrounding the adjacent buildings, and decides to use the wall to solve his problem.
As he is unzipping, he is tapped on the shoulder by a London policeman , who says,
"I say, sir, you simply cannot do that here, you know.
"I'm very sorry, officer," replies the American, "but I really, really HAVE TO GO, and I just can't find a public restroom."
"Ah, yes," said the bobby..."Just follow me".
He leads him to a back "delivery alley", then along a wall to a gate, which he opens.
"In there," points the bobby. "Whiz away sir, anywhere you want."
The fellow enters and finds himself in the most beautiful garden he has ever seen. Manicured grass lawns, statuary, fountains, sculpted hedges, and huge beds of gorgeous flowers, all in perfect bloom.
Since he has the cop's blessing, he unburdens himself and is greatly relieved.
As he goes back through the gate, he says to the bobby,
"That was really decent of you... is that what you call 'English Hospitality'?"
"No, sir" replies the bobby, "that is what we call the French Embassy."

[columbo]

Brilliant :-)

[maverick]

Nuff said

[johnoakes]

Joan of Arc would not be pleased.LOL

[maverick]

Mar 16, 2012 23:50:48 GMT 1 maverick said:

Nuff said

I suppose a better caption would have been "Oui Monsieur"

[ronturner]

Very amusing. This has been circulating in France and has been passed to the office of the President. It will be filed in a dossier to be considered when the UK asks France for the loan of an aircraft carrier to defend The Falklands or when asked to supply spare parts for Nuclear power stations.

A bientot.

[johnoakes]

;D ;D

Just can' t get into this one LOL--the French had to lead our army in France in the First WW according to my late Grandfather who was there at the time and I expect they will have to do it again sometime under our new proposed joint forces.

I rib my French frieds every rtime we wup them at rugby.Like this year;

When we knocked them out of the world cup I pooled up outside the local rugby bloke's house playing our National Anthem on the car stereo--VERY LOUD.

I was suddenly surrounded by a group of rather tearful Foggies who dragged me out of the car,dragged me into the house and made me drink beer with them..

Frankly I love them and would never reconsider my decision to come to live here--it was always my dream and the reality is better even than the dream.


Yes I get my leg pulled when they put one over on us but it really is an ancient and mostly friendly rivalry.

I accept the blame for Jean D'Arc but not Napolean--that was the royalist French.

Now as its 21° outside I must go and get some suntan to go with the Merlot.LOL

[johnoakes]

The francophobes have all gone silent.LOL
Perhaps too many comments have struck home.LOL
Well done Ron.

[Deleted]

;D Naaah! We've still got XH558, the new KC-330, and most important of all....... Baldrick's cunning plan! He didn't fight in the trenches for nothing you know! You'll have to come up with something better than that Ron ;D ;D ;D.

[johnoakes]

Was General Melchart really a fictional character?
Loved all the Blackadder series but especially the last--very touching and respectful end and poignant.
On that we can all agree.
Darling.LOL

[Deleted]

To answer your question John, he was, both he (General) and Lord Meltchett are indeed fictional.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melchett

With regard to your statement. I don't think anyone who saw that could disagree. One of those rare moments when comedy turns to reality and hits you right between the eyes.

[johnoakes]

Yes could not agree more--my Grandfather was very involved as a sqaddy in the great war.
He was very much my hero and I knew him until I was 8 when he passed away.
He had been in the navy and pensioned out for health reasons but volunteered for the army in time for the Somme.
Some guy-and a hero in this mining family.
had his leg broken by a German bayonette but repaired by a French surgeon with a silver plate and 13 silver screws.

As he neared the end the surgeon in the hospital asked if he could have his leg at the end as no one knew how to perform such a skillful operation in the 1950s.

Typically the response was--I came intot he world with two and I will leave with two.
Hard men miners.

So the French connection goes back a bit in this family.

To add an aviation note during the blitz on Liverpool Grandad who lived io Prescot and close to the bombing was pleaded with to go to the shelter one particularly hard night.

his response was--the germans didn't frighten me face to face and I am not scared now I am off to bed.
And he did.
As I said --My hero. Blackadder brought back some pleasant memories.

[ronturner]

Loved the Blackadder series, especially series four and the last episode. Although the whole thing was supposed to be a bit of fun, from what I now know, the idiocy of those in command was nearer to the truth than people dare to say, (By the way..nothing changes..the way our troops were sent to the Falklands with inadequate kit and keeping the Welsh Guards on that ship even after being warned of the danger by an experienced office in another battalion)
I was moved to hear how the ending of the last episode came about. Apparently, the producer brought home a copy of tape which was not finally edited and which did not have the usual jolly ending music. The tape was watched by his wife and he found her in front of the TV in tears. That's when the decision was made to keep it that way. It always moves me when I seee it and when I think of all that wasted life, squandered by idiots. Sad to say, I still see it happening now in a far off land, men dying at someones behest, supporting a corrupt regime.

[johnoakes]

My visit to the WWI battlefields and memorials moved me to tears--sadest but most uplifting thing I have ever done.
The endless lists of those without even a final resting place was just too much---you will find family members and many from your village or town.
I truly reccomend it.

[davel]

I've not been to the memorial gardens since I was with a school trip in the late fifties. We visited Ypres and the graves there and although we were teenagers we felt a certain atmosphere which definately moistened our eyes (but we wouldn't admit it at the time).