'Huge Success of the Week'

This is La Corona's Quai du Louvre terrace, dozing under a shady plane tree.

News About the 'Café Metropole Club'

Paris:- Saturday, 1. July 2000:- As of the last meeting I attended as 'secretary' of the Café Metropole Club, it had 81 members inscribed in its unofficial members' booklet, after 38 weekly meetings.

This may not seem to be a lot to you, but it amounts to 2.13 new members per meeting. This figure counts non-readers of Metropole who were dragged to meetings against their will, but does not count members who came to several meetings on purpose - and there were several of you who did this.

A large number of the magazine's readers also wrote to say they were in Paris but did not come to meetings for a variety of valid reasons, such as being unable to locate the Pont-Neuf or the Louvre. They invariably wrote, 'Next time.'

Other readers are confused about the day and the time. Meetings are held on Thursdays, which admittedly is an odd day. It comes after Wednesday and before Friday, and is not to be confused by the day after Monday.

The Paris European time of 15:00 translates into the non-metric time of 3 pm. If you see a clock or if you have a watch with hands, the big one will be on '12' and the little one will point somewhere near '3.' If the clock is wrong or stopped, or if you put your watch on backwards, I cannot help you.

The reason for having a club in Paris for readers of the online magazine 'Metropole Paris' is to have fun. That's it. All the stuff below is plastic-filler chips.

Its exclusion was threatened last week, and this week it goes into remission. Here it is for you to read it again, or for the first time. Included here, there is no need for you to refer to 'Past Issues.'

The Café Metropole Club is a meeting place in Paris for the readers of the weekly online magazine Metropole Paris - which is this magazine you are reading - who are in Paris on a Thursday and are in the vicinity of the club's café at the right time on the right day.

Readers of the online magazine who have not had a chance to attend a club meeting can become members of the club by inducting themselves into it in the privacy of their own homes, no matter where they live.

First-time visitors who can find the club's café can sign the unofficial members' booklet, to become members. Generally, this has no negative effect on your universal rights as human beings or as readers.

The club has a long and colorful history and a great number of signed-up members after 39 whole meetings; including several with no members present.

The club is informal. There is no 'club team-chant' for you to learn. The club's unwritten and unofficial rules state quite clearly that the club has no 'dress-code.' There is no unofficial secret handclasp or 'high-fives-sign.' Non-readers of the online magazine can also become signed-in unofficial members. This has happened, usually by accident.

The 'Club' has no actual real, subtly implied or virtual benefits. Its sole purpose is to offer an opportunity for all readers to meet each other and me, the 'Ed' of this online weekly magazine about Paris, in Paris.

So that no one is excluded by virtue of not being in Paris, 'virtual' membership is not only permitted, but encouraged. It is not necessary to be in Paris - even 'virtually' - if you wish to do this. Possession of the unofficial 'virtual' membership card is not obligatory.

The 'Café Metropole Club' held its first meeting in the café La Corona in Paris on Thursday, 14. October 1999. The second gathering was held on Thursday, 21. October of the same year. The third session was held on Thursday, 28. October, and so on and so forth.

Due to the usual European schmozzle of summer holidays, there may be not 'report' for the latest meeting. Instead see the last unofficial original report of the last meeting for which a report was written..

For the first time in 14 years I have left the continent for a short holiday, which is permitted according to international labor laws. During this time club meetings continue with the server-lady Linda Thalman sitting in as the official unofficial club secretary's replacement club secretary.

The following club meetings affected:

• Thursday, 6. July - this meeting's secretary will be the server-lady and club member Linda Thalman again.

• Thursday,13. July - this meeting's secretary will be Linda Thalman. Three times is lucky! If I am not present at this meeting, it will be because I am circling lazily over some part of Europe while striking air-traffic controllers try to find alternate landing spots in Africa.

This last date above is the eve of Bastille Day, and will probably be the occasion for a lot of party-like activities in Paris - which may be more extreme this yar on account of its '2000' character. If you intend to participate be sure to wear colorful and stout dancing shoes.