I fear that there is no photographic proof nor any recordings of David Roberts and my outstanding performance in the Petrus cellars on Thursday night. We arrived deeply relaxed to join Christian and Edouard Moeuix for the “vendangeurs” dinner at Petrus. On arrival we were told that it was “une soirée de chansons”.
At various points during the dinner people leapt to their feet and broke into a mixture of ribald ballads, Brassans and Barbera.
Then to our horror, the chant, “˜Anglais, Anglais’ resounded round the cellar. We were stuffed. There was no way out. What the hell were we to sing? “The House of the Rising Sun”? David looked blank, “Where Do You Go To My Lovely” rejected on basis that we only knew the first verse. In a moment of brilliance, David selected that great heavy metal classic, “Old Macdonald Had a Farm”. David’s pig and cow were good but my hen and sheep were brilliant. We sat down to standing ovation. So good were we that we have been asked back for a repeat performance.
I hope Christian forgives my slight exaggeration but at least we weren’t booed off. We then joined Cherise Moeuix in that great Scottish ballad, “She will be coming round the Mountain when she comes”.
It was a wonderful evening and the atmosphere really special. Christian has not missed a breakfast, lunch or dinner with the “vendangeurs” for 42 and his pickers come back year after year and one can understand why.