'I’d love to reveal more but what happens in Deauville stays in Deauville'

In the not too distant past I’d have hoped that if I put my mind to a diary piece from Deauville during the Arqana August Sale, the result would hit a sweet spot somewhere between a Jeffrey Bernard column and Hunter S Thompson’s The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.

The Normandy seaside resort is the kind of place in which it’s easy to enjoy yourself. There’s a vibrant restaurant scene, an abundance of bars, a vast casino and of course there is the racecourse and the sales. Overindulgence is rather priced into a visit to this part of the world.

However, the reality of my situation is life has changed significantly since I was last in Deauville. I now have a wife, Molly, and a six-month old child, Blake, and both are in tow for this year’s August adventure, which makes decamping to Normandy for a few nights a much more grown up affair.