It's Olivier's last day tomorrow, after 3 months working here. Ahh. He needs us to accompany him round and sign off on everything, and, no doubt, write him a cheque. Some sad news for him, though, the doctors treating his liver condition want to give him a course of treatment which is very like chemotherapy, and it could lay him off work for a year. Each time he has an 'episode' of whatever he has, the episodes get worse, and future episodes could result in cirrhosis. He is waiting on the outcome of other tests before he makes a decision, but I feel for him. I always find it odd how really sick people can look really well - he looks quite well now. I hope he stays in touch.

And before you ask, yes, the leccies ARE still here. They didn't turn up on Monday at all, so we phoned J-P in the afternoon to have a moan, and they have been in force since. J-P appears to have taken over the wiring of the famous fusebox, and the two guys are putting up emergency exit signs and plugs and sockets and alarm boxes etc. Unbelievably, new stuff is STILL appearing. After some consultation with the company overseeing our conformity to regulations, it was decided that I needed another emergency button to push right by the door to the kitchen which activates the extractor fan to full blast. The idea is, that if there's a fire in the kitchen, I wack the button in the kitchen which cuts off all the hot stuff and on my way out, I wack the button activating the extractor, thus not being overcome by smoke. This is an extra button, and lots of white plastic cable covering is now snaking up the wall, to try and act as camouflage. There is not a chocolate teapots' chance that I will die in a fire! Our customers, neither. An alarm has been fitted discretely behind a beam in the dining room and a red box 'break glass in case of fire' has appeared behind the bar along with another white box which has lights on it that light up if something malfunctions on the fusebox. All very high-tech. And time consuming. Sigh.

However, kitchen equipment has started arriving and the kitchen has started shrinking! A special mention here has to be made of Nisbets France - which is actually a UK company supplying kitchen equipment at great prices from Paris. They deliver so fast, it is unbelievable. We ordered our washing up sinks and stainless steel tables from them, and had some reservations, since the prices were so reasonable. However, I am really pleased with them - they are robust and perfect!