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@Greasy_Slag
Growing up in Putney under his caring mother’s watchful eye Paul was a London Famous London Boy, his close friend who lived two doors away became a close partner in crime over the years, at 16 before college they decided they needed a break so the pair of them left to go see the South of France. This was a time when holidays abroad were not common, (in fact given Pauls age, France might have still been under Roman rule!) it was also not common for 16 year olds to go alone on and even less common for them to leave with a few basic rations in their WW2 US Bantam Jeep, open top with drop down windshield.
So picture this, two penniless hip Londoners complete with cotton slacks, short sleeved smart shirts, comb over slick down hair and slip on shoes, rolling around the south of France, sleeping in fields, on beaches and in select women’s rooms. US army truck filled with boxes of fresh peaches, nectarines, nuts, bottles of wine and French bread; half stolen, half charmed
According to Paul tanned Londoners were seen as a delicacy as they were a rarity, but he never divulged the details, Far too much of a gentleman.
He went from pulling a young families caravan out of a wet field and rescuing their holiday to rubbing shoulders with the Rolling Stones in Saint Tropez; as was often the way, Paul stumbled on this place after the allied invasion (and still in his truck!) and just as it was under-going transition into international recognition. It was the place to be without knowing it!
A few days after living the high life, Paul found a picture perfect beach in the Langouedoc Roussilion region. Here the two of them met a German, also travelling. The day spent on the beach swimming and chatting when Paul had a brainwave… Surfing!
He noticed the German had a confrontational side to him so decided to take his inflatable mattress and use it to try and surf, The German wouldn’t have any of it but the power of persuasion was too much.. so much too much that the German decided the idea was so great, he would be the first to try it out.
Paul + 1 watched from the seas edge as their new “friend” paddled out on his inflatable bed.. as their new friend turned to face the shore he failed to notice the pick up of the sea.. I guess Paul didn’t know the German for “Fucking Big Wave” that or he didn’t have time to say it.
But it was fair to say the German got back to land in a fraction of the time it took to get out to sea, Paul did see the bits of the mattress on the beach as he ran away laughing, he also believes the bottom half of the body he could see sticking out of the sand was moving.