Have you ever wondered where Delboy Trotter from “Only Fools and Horses” obtained his impressive command of the French language? I think I may have discovered the answer.
When we first moved to France, just across the road, on a plaque on a wall, on the side of a house were inscribed these words " François Delboy". In my imagination I constructed a narrative that a Brit, who jokingly called himself Delboy, had married a French girl called François and was living in this house (OK I realise now that there was an “e” missing to make my imagined narrative work).
Then, whilst out walking the dog I came across an old stone cross monument at the side of the road with an inscription on the plinth underneath. It read, “Constructed by François Delboy in 1836”. Later on, walking through a cemetery, I came across some old graves with the family name Delboy. It is obviously a long established family name in this part of France.
My theory is that the TV Delboy is actually Derek Delboy-Trotter descended on one side from a well-established French heritage and this is why his command of the French language is so impressive.
