Jagger celebrates his 70th in France
Rolling Stone returns to the Loire chateau he has owned for 30 years
MICK Jagger celebrates his 70th birthday today in his château in Pocé-sur-Cisse, on the banks of the Loire near Amboise.
The Rolling Stone has had Fourchette chateau since 1980, buying it and the 20 hectares of land for 2.2million francs and has used it as a family base and favourite holiday spot. He even played cricket at a nearby club.
His birthday celebrations come just weeks after the Stones headlined the Glastonbury Festival with a two-hour performance that featured hits from their 50-year back catalogue, including "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction".
Radio station RFI revealed that Jagger was staying at Fourchette, which has been a main part of his life for more than 30 years. He has called it and the Amboise countryside his “haven of peace in the valley of kings”.
It is one of his favourite spots for mountain biking, which is one of his main ways of keeping fit, and it is where many of his children – he has seven - and four grandchildren learned to walk, to cycle or to fish.
He is often seen at nearby village fêtes and at airshows at the nearby Base 705.
Just two weeks ago one of the organisers of a nearby blues festival at Chédigny ended up sitting beside him on a Tours-Paris TGV and when he learned of the event tweeted many of his friends and music pals to turn up.
The Stones’ Glastonbury show was so popular one reviewer said a circus contortionist would have been hard pressed to get within 500 yards (metres) of the stage, and it garnered rave reviews as well as affectionately mocking headlines.
"Glastonbury's night of the living dead", said the Daily Mail newspaper, joking that while "Mick looked ready for more, Keith looked in need of a warm malt drink".
Still athletic thanks to a rigorous health and fitness regime, Sir Mick – he was knighted in 2002 - doesn't have any problems belting out the numbers either.
Pensionable they may be - Jagger's birthday will bring the Rolling Stones’ combined age to 277 - but superannuated they are not.
Last year, Jagger and fellow pensioners Keith Richards - 70 later this year - Charlie Watts, 72, and Ronnie Wood, 66, also played to packed houses on their "50 and Counting" tour to mark the group's 50th anniversary.
"I don't see why there shouldn't be a 60th anniversary," said Richards at the time.
© AFP/Connexion
