31 - Loire Valley, France and London
September 1978

THE ROLLING STONES ENCOUNTER

Jean-Marc hitched hiked from Bendor northwards. Inadvertantly accepting a ride through Ardèche and then up the N20, he found himself on a deserted road outside Blois in the Lire valley at 4am. Remembering an acquaintance he had met in London a few years earlier, a collector of old Citroën cars from Pocé-sur-Cisse, he accepted a lift west towards Amboise. After a long walk for the last few kilometres, he arrived at dawn guitar in hand and found himself in the middle of preparations for a big wedding in the village. "Great the musician is here" they said and after a short rehearsal in the morning, Jean-Marc found himself playing classical guitar in the church during the wedding ceremony.

Changing style, Jean-Marc sang Bob Dylan songs and the Stones' "Can't Always get What You Want" (..."I saw her today at the reception....") while leading the cortège from the church to the château where the reception was to be held. The lunch and party went on until the early hours of the next day when Jean-Marc found himself sitting with the owner of the château in the wine cellar. "This is a very special wine" said the old man bringing a dusty bottle off the rack. Jean-Marc opened the bottle and the cork broke, "merde!" he said. "Please don't use this rude expression, 'zut!' would be more appropriate if you must" said the château owner. The wine was indeed very good and they talked of the war. He wanted to sell the château but his mother had hidden the family jewellery somewhere in 1942 and no-one had found it since.

Later in the early hours, Jean-Marc sat alone smoking his roll-up cigarette thinking that maybe it was time for bed when the blue eyes from the gorilla costume wa sitting beside him. "The jewels are hidden under the jetty on the pond down there".

Having a lift all the way back to London with some of the wedding guests, Jean-Marc left a note for the old man and departed homebound.

The London routine of work quickly re-started. One evening after work Jean-Marc found himself in the pub talking to a guy at the bar. "I've got a terrible problem" said the guy, "my wife has gone into labour, we're expecting our first child". "So what's the problem" said Jean-Marc, "why aren't you at the hospital with her?

"She's in Rio de Janeiro...I've got my plane first thing in the morning"

"That's great, you'll be there just after the birth"

"Yeh but I own the pop-corn concession for the Rolling Stones concerts, six nights starting tomorow. It's too late to find anyone else, you seem like a regular guy, will you come to Earls Court with me, I'll show you what do do and you can give me half the money when I get back from Rio.."

So the next day Jean-Marc found himself selling pop-corn. He had rapidly recruited all his friends and acquaintances as vendors, he had been told to pay them but who wants to be paid to watch the Stones for six nights? So the money rolled in.

Jean-Marc often found himself in the VIP seats or backstage where, on the third night, Mick Jagger passed by and heard French being spoken. He came over and started up conversation in his, then, pretty poor French. "I love France, actually I'm looking for a place to buy over there."

"Funny you should say that", replied Jean-Marc, "I've just come from a château in the Loire and the owner is looking to sell."

Phone numbers were exchanged and five cartons of pop-corn.....