Bastille Day

Yesterday found Mei Yau and myself in the Expo ’70-esque, utopian splendour of Battersea Park.

As committed Francophiles, we were there to celebrate French nationhood a few days early at the second annual Bastille Day London Garden Party. Balloons were released in the French national colours, and we enjoyed classic chansons from Les Apaches – who we had previously encountered supporting Monade at the Brixton Windmill.

There were also performances by the legendary Bluebell Girls from Paris’s famous Lido cabaret. These stunning dancers were matched in flamboyance by a troupe of tutu-wearing Bichon Frisé dogs, who made a brief but memorable appearance.

A petanque tournament was staged and, for a personal highlight, I was able to meet French international rugby superstar Serge Betsen.

However, anyone who knows us will be unsurprised to learn that the true high points of our day came from the impressive selection of French food that was available. We were particularly impressed by the delicious macarons from (I think) Café On, and an absolutely stunning raclette. There was a huge queue for this last dish throughout the day, and when we finally decided to join it, the long and tantalising wait proved to be more than worth it!