There was an earthquake in the French Alps, in Savoy, late last Sunday, which clocked 5.2 on the scale, causing some damage - but there was one in Mexico of greater magnitude about the same time.

Quite a number of 'big hats' will be passing the summer behind bars while various prosecuting-judges conduct investigations into 'occult' financial transactions and a great many forms of corruption. Several papers and magazines have commented about the increased activity of the judges, 'coming out of the closet' as it were. Stories about these affairs are of little interest to readers of Metropole - and allegations are often so technical that you have to have a MBA to understand them.

In this column in Metropole number 8, in a report dated Friday, 12. April, I reported that a bomb had blown apart a telephone kiosk in the village. According to the Le Parisien on Friday, the police have nabbed a gang of four suspected to have committed the horrible deed to France Telecom property, and found evidence at two locations, of bomb-making materials of an 'artisanale' nature.

The gang, composed of local residents - two with psychiatric histories - were arrested separately, on dates not divulged by authorities.

Justice is somewhat severe with people who use explosives to interfere with public property, and the four risk terms of from five to ten years if found guilty.

Meanwhile, in our quiet village we can sleep in peace - partly because half the residents have parted for their holidays last weekend.