A CROWD of 12,000 turned out to watch the unveiling of Festival Cruises’ new ship Mistral, bedecked in the French tricolor to celebrate its launch at St Nazaire.
As the largest cruiseship to be built in France since 1962, the event was bound to create excitement. A lavish ceremony was laid on with flag throwing, ballet dancing and speeches by loads of Festival bigshots.
Backchat thought the high point had come when the the French Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin, came forward to add his good wishes to the launch of Mistral.
But the crowd was waiting for an event far more important than the mere appearance of their premier, or a new cruiseship.
The moment when onlookers finally erupted in total rapture came when the godmother of Mistral, Claude Deschamps, stepped forward. Oh, er – and her husband, Didier Deschamps, possibly the most important and popular man in France since he captained the victorious French football team in last year’s World Cup.
Screams and football chants filled the air as Madame Deschamps stepped forward to cut the ribbon and send the champagne bottle crashing onto the side of the new ship.
Backchat understands that some people even fainted and had to be carried away.
The rest of the ceremony passed in rather a haze. Someone sang the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. The St Nazaire Harmony Orchestra played the European anthem. And then the flag throwers – the French cultural equivalent of morris dancers from what Backchat could tell – came back and did their routine again.
But it was all rather an anti-climax after watching the darling of France and soon-to-be Chelsea, Didier Deschamps, receiving the worship of his countrymen and women.