And then, soothing and calm, an email from Dominic

Civil unrest across France! Oil refineries blockaded! Petrol stations running dry! Schoolchildren on the streets, burning wheelie bins and overturning cars! Aiports closed, flights cancelled! And - if the popular UK press are to be believed - rivers of blood flowing through the streets. Could it be that bad? Surely not.

And then, sooting and calm, an email from Dominic arrives:

SUBJECT: News from France

Gooday y'all.

So I flew out to France yesterday (blissfully floating over the tumult in a sanguine dream afforded by my new noise isolating earbuds) and have arrived at Ventenac. The good news is, as far as we can tell this area is almost entirely unaffected. Plenty of tankers on the roads and no petrol stations closed.

The Right Honourable Julia says stick to small towns for refueling if the service stations are closed, though even that seems unlikely. Word on the street is that it's more spin than substance.

But don't quote me. We're a long way down here in the Aude.

Good luck and Godspeed tout le monde. I'll chill the bubbly in anticipation.

Dx

Much better. Now, where's my passport..?