A Piano in the Pyrenees: The Ups and Downs of an Englishman in the French Mountains - Tony Hawks

Tony is 44 years old and wants to give up 5-a-side football. Having lost 8-2 it all seems too much these days and an ensuing chat with friends in the pub afterwards reveals Tony's two aims in life other than 5-a-side football: to meet his soul mate and find an idyllic house abroad. Egged on by his friend, Kevin, who happens to adore skiing, Tony decides to explore the idea of buying a house in the Pyrenees mountains in France. The subsequent trip across the Channel takes the intrepid duo to the town of Tarbes where, having dealt with Tony's *Formophobia (witty appendix note = fear of bureaucratic paperwork) the local estate agent directs them to a house "...perched ...  Read the complete review

I’ve long been a fan of Tony Hawks’ writing. In fact, I was a fan of the man long before that, being of the right age to appreciate his hit single “Stutter Rap” and enough of a “Red Dwarf” fan to enjoy his occasional appearances in that show. Now, as a writer, he appeals because of his laid back, chatty style and his reluctance to take anything seriously, including himself. So when I saw his latest book on sale, it was straight to the till with it, despite the slightly extortionate cover price, thanks to it being one of those larger paperback editions that some books start in instead of hardback. I must admit that my interest had been captured by the title ...  Read the complete review

Anyone who has read “Round Ireland with a Fridge” in which Tony Hawks gives an account of how he dragged a small refrigerator around the coast of Ireland to win a bet, will be forgiven for assuming that hawks has now moved further afield to heave a Steinway through the mountains between France and Spain. For once, this is a Tony Hawks book that has not come about because of a crazy bet; in the best he has taken on bets to demonstrate his tennis skills (in “Playing the Moldovans at Tennis”) and has traveled the world in the hope of having another hit single (in “One Hit Wonderland” he tried to add to his tally of one hit single, the first being the unmemorable ...  Read the complete review

When a hastily planned skiing weekend in the French Pyrenees comes to a premature end only half an hour in, Tony Hawks doesn’t follow the traditional path left open to non skiers – instead he opts to forgo sight seeing or souvenir buying in the hope of buying a house! The reason for the aborted skiing trip – Kevin, seemed a little perplexed by the idea, not least because the sprained ankle that was stopping him hitting the slopes was inwardly groaning at the thought of traipsing around countless estate agents who would surely usher them through countless homes – Kevin seemed intent on enjoying an extended dose of après ski while resting his damaged joint. Unluckily for ...  Read the complete review