The Russians are invading

Rumour has it that the private jet parked up at Bergerac airport belongs to Roman Abramovich. Christian Lacombe, the press officer for the airport, seems to think so. Rumours also abound that the beautifully manicured Chateau Thenac, south west of Bergerac in what is described as the Tuscany of France, is also owned by the Russian billionaire.

Not so! On further investigation it appears both the Chateau and the jet belong to another Russian Oligarch, Eugene Shvidler, a close friend and business partner of Abramovich. For a birthday present, Abramovich apparently bought his friend a flock of Highland sheep which he had shipped out from Scotland to Chateau Thenac.

The manager of the Chateau , a smart young Englishman, said that Abramovich and his Russian mates certainly visit to party and to sample the wine but that he couldn’t comment further. Chateau Thenac wine, incidentally, can only be purchased through Berry Brothers in London. An English chum told me an artist friend held an exhibition at the Salle de Fete in Thenac and someone from the chateau turned up at the private view - “vernisage” - insisted on buying all the paintings on show and had them taken over the road to the chateau that same night.
Now look here, we Brits own Aquitaine, not the French nor the Russkies. When our Henry 11 married Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152 the English ruled the region from Bordeaux and we imported huge quantities of wine. We put Bordeaux wine on the map. For that matter, more recently, an old Etonian called Nick Ryman, who owned Chateau Jaubertie, put Bergerac wine on the map by improving the stuff and marketing it abroad.

There are 200,000 British passport holders registered living in France and a big slice of these reside in Aquitaine. At Eymet, 20 kilometres south west of Bergerac, half the town’s population is British. In another nearby bastide town called Issigeac, one Australian tourist was overheard saying she was horrified to have heard nothing but English voices.

In the summer months at least three daily Ryanair flights come in and out of Bergerac airport from Stansted and Bristol and there’s another daily Flybe flight from Southampton. The planes are usually full and the airport car park is packed with old bangers with British number plates.

You don’t get so many euros to the pound these days but most of us are staying put and continuing to enjoy the good life. We’ve taken back Aquitaine and we lovingly call the Dordogne department, “Dordogneshire”. We’re not about to let the Russkies do the same thing to the Dordogne as they have to Chelsea – sorry, “Chelski".